Garvin Design Group Wins 2023 IIDA Carolinas Awards for Excellence in Interior Design

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Columbia architecture, interiors, and planning firm Garvin Design Group received two awards for excellence in interior design at the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Carolinas’ 2023 DesignWorks awards ceremony in Charlotte on December 8. Presented annually, the IIDA Carolinas DesignWorks awards honor design excellence and encourage new, innovative solutions for interior spaces. DesignWorks awards recognize outstanding interior design projects in North and South Carolina. Garvin Design Group won awards for the Rosewood Church redevelopment project and renovation of the second-floor dining room inside the University of South Carolina’s Russell House. This year’s awards are Garvin Design Group’s fourth and fifth IIDA Carolinas DesignWorks wins.

The Rosewood Church redevelopment project – also known as Fifth & Sloan – won Honorable Mention in the Adaptive Reuse category. Adaptive reuse of Rosewood Church for new use as apartments reinvigorated a beloved but abandoned neighborhood landmark. Elements of the old sanctuary are preserved, including its vaulted ceiling, pendant lights, stately chandeliers, and wood wainscoting and windowsills. Color and material palettes throughout the building are befitting its modern use as apartments without completely renouncing its original use as a church:

• Wood-look luxury vinyl tile (LVT) used in apartment unit floors and stair treads references the preserved features in the sanctuary.
• Neutral tones in the new corridor carpet, new door frames and baseboards, ceiling and wall paint, and kitchen and bathroom cabinetry manifest an air of modern sophistication.
• Dark ceiling paint in the corridors helps exposed utilities fade overhead. White ceiling paint does the same inside apartment units.
• A dark green accent color subtly demarcates new interior spaces and provides a comforting contrast to the predominantly neutral palette. The dark green accent color envelopes the new library and lounge spaces in a sense of calm and marks the transition between the old classroom building and the new three-story addition at the center of the site.

“Our goal for this project was to create a cozy environment for the new apartment tenants while still honoring the building’s past,” said Alex Sojourner, Architect and Project Manager on the Rosewood Church project. “It’s an honor to be recognized with an IIDA Carolinas award – having critical design eyes evaluate your project and find it worthy of award affirms your design choices.”

The renovated second-floor dining space at the University of South Carolina’s Russell House – now known as Gamecock Park – won Honorable Mention in the Flooring Design category. This project had two major goals: improve circulation through one of the most highly trafficked on-campus dining rooms and celebrate the dining room’s prominence on campus recruitment tours with a Gamecock theme. Garvin Design Group’s new terrazzo flooring continues the theme of swooping tail feathers incorporated from an earlier renovation of the Russell House common areas, allowing a seamless flow into the updated dining space. Stylized garnet plumes unfurl from the edge of the dining room entry, mirrored above by the acoustical ceiling fins, to create a dynamic flow through the circulation zones and further define the seating areas. They curl around the edge of the food service bar grouped along the building’s interior wall and guide traffic to the dish return station and dining room exits.

“Working with terrazzo is so much fun. This classic material allows for ultimate creativity with patterns and colors to produce a unique, customized solution,” said Kim Moon, Interior Designer on the Russell House dining room project. “Renovating the dining room offered us the opportunity to continue a motif we began in earlier renovations at Russell House, and the finished product has a dynamic effect.”

About Garvin Design Group: Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Garvin Design Group offers comprehensive planning and design services for a variety of project types and sizes. From master planning and programming to interior up-fits and new construction, Garvin Design Group strives to provide client-driven design solutions throughout South Carolina. The firm of 20 people has completed more than $1 billion worth of projects since its founding in 2003. GDG’s contributions to the community and the profession earned it the American Institute of Architects – South Carolina’s (AIA SC) 2019 Firm Award, the Columbia Chamber’s 2020 Small Business of the Year Award, and recognition as a 2021, 2022 and 2023 Top 3 Best in Business Award from SC Business Monthly. For more information, visit www.garvindesigngroup.com.