Washington, DC –Bowie Gridley Architects is pleased to announce that Ben Russin, AIA has joined the firm as a Project Architect.  Russin brings more than 15 years of experience in educational and institutional planning and design, including project experience in Washington, DC, Seattle, WA and Cambridge, MA. He received his Masters in Architecture from Harvard Graduate School of Design and his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Haverford College.  He is a member of the Washington, DC chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Bowie Gridley Architects, established in 1981, specializes in work for institutions of community significance.  Projects include academic, science, and student life facilities, performing and visual arts centers, libraries, athletic and recreational facilities, museums and cultural centers.  The architecture, planning and interior design firm is based in historic Georgetown and works with clients throughout the U.S. and abroad.

The University of Mary Washington – Residence Halls Renovation Project, designed by Bowie Gridley Architects, has been recognized with a Merit Award for Contextual Design from the Virginia Society AIA.  The project entailed the renovation of Randolph and Mason Halls, and sympathetic additions which transformed two 1950’s vintage structures into a true living-learning environment, integrating academic uses, faculty and staff housing with student housing.

Presented at Architecture Exchange East, held in Richmond on November 8th, the award recognizes outstanding architecture that perceptibly reflects the history, culture, and physical environment of the place in which it stands and that, in turn, contributes to the function, beauty, and meaning of its larger context.   The Context Jury, chaired by R. Randall Vosbeck, FAIA, cited the successful integration of the “Link” design with the existing structures and the traditional style of the campus as the element they found most notable.  BGA Project Manager Leslie Louden, AIA, LEED AP,  commented, “the addition is scaled to have sufficient presence on the quad to draw students in without overwhelming the existing residence halls.”

The project is among 29 projects recognized for design excellence in 2013 to be exhibited at the Virginia Center for Architecture through January 5, 2014.