BarberMcMurry has hired Drew Newman, AIA,
LEED AP.
Drew is an Ohio native who earned his bachelor’s
from the Maryland Institute of Art and his Master’s in Architecture from the
University of Cincinnati. Over the course of his decade-long career, he has
worked on projects of all types, including commercial, office, healthcare and
education facilities. He has been part of projects that have earned awards from
local, regional and national levels of recognition from the American Institute
of Architects.
Drew and his wife, Elizabeth, enjoy traveling and time
spent with their three children: Beau, Bennett, and June Ellen.
In 2021, BarberMcMurry Architects has won an
AIA Tennessee and two AIA East Tennessee awards — for their work at St. George
Greek Orthodox Church, East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, and the University
of Tennessee.
For the restoration of St. George
Greek Orthodox Church, BMA won an AIA Tennessee Merit Award. The restoration
followed a devastating 2015 fire, and included the church’s traditional
Byzantine architecture and hand-crafted glass mosaics. The iconic mosaics were
restored by the original artist, Sirio Tonelli, as his final installation
before his death in 2018.
The jury stated they were “impressed
at how this church was restored after a fire, bringing the community together
to rebuild. Craft, carpentry and excellent mosaic work are evident in this
restoration – capturing the spirit of the original structure while improving
upon it.”
For the renovation of the chapel at
East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, BMA won an AIA East Tennessee Merit Award.
The hospital wanted the new chapel to be inviting for people of all backgrounds
and faiths, so the design is calm, sedate and minimal. An alcove includes a
designated place to write requests for prayer or messages of hope. Custom
benches with acrylic legs “float” above the floor plane, and colored acrylic
panels are reminiscent of traditional stained glass.
“The interiors of the chapel truly
convey the project’s design intent of creating a serene and quiet space for
meditation and reflection,” the jury said.
Finally, for design of the Student
Union at the University of Tennessee, BMA won an AIA East Tennessee Merit Award
— in conjunction with McCarty Holsaple McCarty. The Student Union is the
largest building ever constructed at UT Knoxville, and it was carefully
designed to improve circulation not only in the building, but across campus.
The building’s iconic two-story torch sculpture was crafted by Pretentious
Glass Company.
“The design of this new complex
gives legible order to a complicated site. Its master-stroke is an emphatic,
new pedestrian access that links the university’s historic core to areas
severed by the conglomeration of buildings and infrastructure over time,” the
jury said.