September 20, 2016 – Talley Student Union was recognized for its outstanding contributions to the character, environment, and appearance of the City of Raleigh, at the annual Sir Walter Raleigh awards held September 7, 2016. The awards ceremony, which was held at the Contemporary Art Museum, recognized new projects in the categories of Residential, Commercial, Historic Preservation/Rehabilitation, Public Facilities and Spaces, Landscape Design, Public Service, Community Impact, Innovation.
More than 220 people attended the celebration to honor the twelve new facilities. The Sir Walter Raleigh Award first began in 1983, and since then has presented more than 200 awards annually selected by the Raleigh City Council from a pool of applicants.
Talley Student Union took the award in the public facilities and spaces category, having gone through a four-year, $120 million renovation completed in June 2015.
Talley’s design transformed a 1972 closed-off, Brutalist facility into an exciting, interactive and interdisciplinary hub for student-life experiences, the campus community and surrounding Raleigh neighborhoods. The reconfigured building advances a new model for student centers through landmark form and an emphasis on shared and flexible spaces.
The original structure was turned inside out, opening it to its surroundings and the continuous flow of campus life. Every facade was transformed, providing much-needed room for growth and making important architectural and material connections to campus. Environmental and economic factors led to the preservation and reuse of the original steel structure.
Students were engaged to inspire architectural strategies of transparency and movement that welcome users and visitors. Layered interior and exterior spaces facilitate circulation yet allow areas for both collaboration and contemplation. A central, sky-lit atrium houses a multistory wood sculpture of the university’s mascot. Extensive glazing and screening infuse interiors with light and promote connections to nature. Prominent landmarks at each corner orient students and visitors to interior function. The iconic Technology Tower echoes research underway on campus and marks a future pedestrian bridge. High performance glass and curtainwall facades are utilized in the most public areas. Glass frit patterns and terra cotta louvers provide a modern translation of the university’s use of brick.
Sustainable building features integrate into the landscape to bring environmentally conscious thinking to daily campus life with extensive daylighting, water efficient landscaping, a 50,000-gallon cistern for irrigation, high-performance glazing, recycled content materials and indoor air quality measurement. A LEED Silver Certified building, Talley performs 25% more efficiently than comparable baselines and answers student and university demands for environmental stewardship.
Talley Student Union has become the premiere destination for connecting and engaging on campus. It is also a landmark area hub that ignites enthusiasm and inspires university culture.
Durham firm Duda|Paine Archects designed the building, with Atlanta-based CooperCary designing the interior spaces.
Follow the link below for the full list of Sir Walter Raleigh award recipients, and photos from the ceremony.