It's no secret that Auburn has some of the brightest students around.
The latest example of Auburn ingenuity comes from Brandon Block, a recent architecture graduate who was a semi-finalist in the 2012 "Live.Work.Learn." Student Architecture Contest held in Washington, D.C. in May.
The contest was sponsored by Boral Bricks, the largest clay brick and paver manufacturer in the United States, and planned in collaboration with the American Institute of Architectural Students.
The contest challenged students to design a live/work building utilizing brick for 70 percent of the exterior siding.
Shelley Ross, director of marketing for Boral Bricks, explained why brick was chosen as the main element.
"With so much focus on building product innovation, we sometimes lose sight of the Earth's longest-lasting materials," Ross said. "Brick stands the test of time because it truly is so energy efficient and durable. It is also locally-sourced from natural material and can be fired with the safe use of methane from landfills then distributed with limited packaging to reduce waste."
Block designed a multi-use, five-story building for downtown Montgomery.
Block's professor and thesis adviser, Behzad Nakhjavan, spoke highly of Block's creativity.
"(Block's design) uses brick as an exterior surface and skin in an inventive way but remains true to the traditional use of bricks (as building materials) within the South," Nakhjavan said. "His fresh design is what has pushed him to be a finalist in the recent competition in D.C."
Nakhjavan also stressed the innovative nature of Block's design in keeping with progressive and modern sustainable building practices.
"His use of traditional local materials assembled in a new and evocative way is in line with the ideas of sustainable practices which employ regional materials and local labor/craftsmen and is one of the hallmarks of Green Building design theory," Nakhjavan said.
For his design, Block received $2,500 and the acclaim of the judges at the contest, all of whom represent industry leadership in the architecture, brick and building industries.
Some of the judges for the contest included Chip Clark, Vice President of Engineering Services for the Brick Industry Association and licensed AIA industry architect; Nick Mancusi, President of the American Institute of Architecture Students; and Nigel Maynard, Senior Editor of Builder magazine and Residential Architect magazine.
Recent graduates of the architecture program expressed their joy at having an Auburn graduate achieve such an honor.
Nourah Said, a classmate of Block's, said Block is "a hard working student, and surely such achievements will contribute greatly to Auburn's continuation of its architecture program."
Since the contest, Block has been looking for a job in many areas of the country including Detroit, New York City, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
Nakhjavan is adamant that other students can learn from Block's experience.
"You can be both forward looking and yet anchor your ideas in culture. If architecture is going to have a meaning, it needs to operate within culture," Nakhjavan said.
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