COLUMBIA, SC - May 15, 2013 -  Quackenbush Architects + Planners has won an American Institute of Architects Merit Award for its Richland District 2 Muller Road Middle School project. The award was presented at the AIA South Carolina Awards Banquet on Saturday, May 3, 2013, at the Riviera Theatre in Charleston, S.C. At the same ceremony, the Midlands-based firm was given an Honor Award by the S.C. Brick Association for the Muller Road project.

The exemplary design of this public school has led the architecture firm to be presented with the following awards in 2013:

Merit Award - American Institute of Architects South Carolina Chapter
Honor Award - Brick Association, Southeast Region, South Carolina, "Design with Brick" Competition
Honor Award - American Institute of Architects Columbia Chapter
Merit Award - Council of Educational Facilities Planners International, South Carolina Chapter
"We always design for our client's needs first - awards are a bonus," said P. Douglas Quackenbush AIA LEED AP, President, Quackenbush Architects + Planners. "However, it's very rewarding to have our projects recognized by a discerning jury as exceptional compared to our peers - especially when the project has the potential to impact the future of so many."

The Muller Road Middle School project features flexible collaborative learning spaces that are rich with technology. The building is highly sustainable and was submitted for LEED Silver certification. It also boasts abundant day lighting, and careful passive security features that are sensitive to the site.

"We're striving to do exemplary work for our clients, and award recognition is an important measure of our success," noted Quackenbush. "This recognition reinforces several design values we bring to every project: creating quality environments for the users of our buildings, a concern for sustainability in the broadest sense and a perspective about building that focuses on the long term."

Over the past six years, the firm has won seven other AIA South Carolina and Columbia Chapter awards, as well as three CEFPI awards, three Historic Columbia Awards and one Brick Award.

About Quackenbush Architects + Planners

Quackenbush Architects + Planners is a full service architecture and planning firm located in Columbia, South Carolina. Our work is indicative of a valued ability to blend creativity, connectivity, and reality into lasting solutions. We specialize in institutional, civic, educational, and commercial projects. Our services span from building design to land planning to interior design. Our portfolio includes projects for universities, cities, colleges, government agencies, school districts, and private clients. To learn more, visit http://www.quackenbusharchitects.com.