BPA Proudly Announces a new Senior Associate and Associate

Birchfield Penuel & Associates proudly announces Alicia Pughsley, AIA, LEED AP, as Senior Associate and Laura Yeatman, NCIDQ, IIDA, LEED GA, as Associate!

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Alicia Pughsley, AIA, LEED AP
Senior Associate

Alicia received her Bachelor’s in Architecture from Auburn University and is a registered architect in the state of Alabama. Alicia came to BPA while studying at Auburn’s Urban Studio program and has been an indispensable member of our team ever since. Her positive attitude and determined work ethic have earned her a role as a dynamic young leader in our firm.

Her technical proficiency and design talent have equipped her to serve some of our largest and oldest clients. On top of that, she has managed a team that has overhauled our web and social media presence. She continues to invest in the broader profession of architecture by serving on the Executive Board of the Birmingham chapter of AIA.

We are so proud of Alicia, the work that she’s done, and the leader she’s become. We’re excited to announce her as the newest Senior Associate on our team.

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Laura Yeatman, NCIDQ, IIDA, LEED GA
Associate

Laura Yeatman received her Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from Auburn University and is a registered interior designer in the state of Alabama and a LEED Green Associate.  

Since coming to BPA, Laura has been a force behind some of our most exciting projects and new client relationships. Her experience in both healthcare and corporate interiors are allowing us to expand further into those markets than ever before. Laura is also heavily involved in growing the local design community. She is currently serving as the Director of Birmingham City Center on the Executive Board of the Alabama chapter of IIDA.

Laura is part of an exciting new era in our firm and we are pleased to announce her as the latest addition to our team of Associates.

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BPA Returns to the AU AIAS Internship Fair!

BPA is excited to return to The Loveliest Village on The Plains for the 2017 Internship Fair hosted by Auburn University's AIAS chapter. We’ll see you on Thursday, March 23rd!

Announcing the 2017-2018 Bham AIA EP Director: Charlie Abram

Our own graduate architect, Charlie Abram, was appointed to the 2017-2018 Birmingham Chapter AIA Executive Committee as the EP Director. What is an EP you might ask?

EP /ē-ˈpē / n. 1. a young professional on the path to licensure. 2. an unlicensed architectural professional. 

As the EP (Emerging Professionals) Director Charlie will be the ambassador and liaison between the young professionals of the AIA and the broader organization. Part of his duties and responsibilities will be to help facilitate the growth and development of the EPs in their pursuit of licensure and also encourage their participation in both the AIA and the profession of architecture as a whole. Charlie will be helping coordinate educational site visits to local architectural projects, assisting with the sponsorship campaign for the Bham AIA chapter and will be responsible for reporting any updates from NCARB (National Council of Architectural Registration Boards) on the ARE (Architectural Registration Examination) and the AXP (Architectural Experience Program) guidelines to EXCOM and the AIA staff. Additionally, Charlie will be guiding EPs through the AXP, and also will be coming alongside the EPs as a resource while they navigate the ARE. This role is one he's been humbly providing within our own office for all of our resident Graduate Architects. 

Fun Charlie Facts:

• Charlie was a champion youth bowler! Don't let his calm and collected demeanor deceive you - he's a competitor on the lanes!

• Charlie is an ACE mentor. ACE is a mentorship program and opportunity for local high school students to be introduced to the Architecture, Engineering and Construction professions.

• Charlie was born in South Korea, which explains his affinity for Korean BBQ and his mamma's cooking.

• In his free time Charlie is an avid eater and enjoys the great local food scene Birmingham has to offer. Charlie also enjoys hiking and the outdoors which evens out his foodie tendencies.

• His biggest claim to fame might be that Charlie is the self-touted “biggest fan of Beyoncé this side of the Mississippi”

We love Charlie and it’s no wonder to us why Charlie was chosen to be the voice and advocate of our young professionals! We’re proud to have him as an integral part of the BPA family. 

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You're Invited! | ArtRageous

BPA is so excited about the upcoming IIDA ArtRageous event!  Come celebrate 10 years of art and design with the IIDA Alabama Chapter, benefitting Studio By the Tracks (studiobythetracks.org), the IIDA Foundation and the IIDA Alabama Chapter.

Entry is $15 online at www.iida-al.org, or $20 at the door.

Art from Alabama’s designers, craftsmen, and artists will be at silent auction, as well as art from Studio By the Tracks artists.

The evening includes musical entertainment at the Patio Bar, heavy hors douvres, and Egyptian photo ops, and features valuable raffle prizes from local vendors and venues.

Click HERE to RSVP!

When else are you going to have an excuse to wear Egyptian attire? 

Congratulations to our Summer Giveaway Winner!

Thank you to everyone who participated in our giveaway!  We're excited to announce our winner!

Rachel McCoy has won:

• 16” x 20” DS Art print. Artist Don Stewart describes Crab (Ocean Blue) as a beachcomber’s bounty of nautical knick-knacks. It was featured as a mural at The Crab House at Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco. #234/1000

• 20 oz. Contigo tumbler with straw

• Extra-long beach towel (36” x 74”)

• 20” diameter beach ball

Make sure to subscribe to our blog and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep a lookout for our next giveaway!

INTRODUCING...

Summer is upon us, and once again we are excited to welcome a talented group of young faces to the BPA family. We've learned that pursuing young talent keeps our ideas fresh and our technological abilities sharp. You may recall that in March, we sent representatives of BPA to career fairs at Auburn University for both architecture and interior design students. Both fairs were extremely fruitful, and these new team members are a result of those encounters.

We're pleased to announce the addition of two new full-time employees, Micah Martin and Marlee Caldwell.

Marlee Caldwell, Designer

Bachelor of Science in Interior Design             Auburn University

Fun facts about Marlee:

• considers herself a foodie (loves to eat out and try new restaurants...or eat at some 3 days in a row!)

• thinks her dog, Titan, is a human

• spends most of her free time on the road visiting friends or going to the beach

• killed a plant her first week of work

• obtained her LEED Green Associate in Spring 2015

• considered a VIP at Sam's Super Sandwiches

Micah Martin, Graduate Architect

Bachelor of Architecture                      Auburn University

Fun facts about Micah:

• plays guitar and soccer

• enjoys: live music - anything but country (under any circumstances); traveling, exploring new cities, and finding urban art

• favorite writer: Kurt Vonnegut

• leather worker (bags, wallets, purses, belts, etc.)

• avid Auburn football fan (through good times and bad)

• super legit at ping pong - challengers welcomed

Micah and Marlee are joined by a host of other students that have joined us for the summer. Asa Porter and Preston Rains are rising 5th and 3rd year Architecture students, respectively, from Auburn. Kelsie Perry has joined us to complete her senior internship through Auburn's Interior Design department before graduating in August. These summer interns meet a great need in this busy season in the firm's life and hopefully learn a thing or two along the way. They may only be with us for a season, but they will always be a part of the BPA family.

From left to right: Asa Porter, Preston Rains, Marlee Caldwell, Kelsie Perry, Micah Martin.

Summer Giveaway!

Summer has arrived, and so has our next giveaway! To celebrate warmer weather, longer days, and aquatic activities, we’re giving away the following items:

• 16” x 20” DS Art print. Artist Don Stewart describes Crab (Ocean Blue) as a beachcomber’s bounty of nautical knick-knacks. It was featured as a mural at The Crab House at Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco. #234/1000

• 20 oz. Contigo tumbler with straw

• Extra-long beach towel (36” x 74”)

• 20” diameter beach ball

For a chance to win:

• LIKE our Facebook post and SHARE our Facebook page to be entered to win!

• FOLLOW us on Instagram and Twitter for an additional entry.

We’ll announce the winner on June 10th.

Congratulations to our Winners!

Thank you to everyone who participated in our giveaway!  We're excited to announce our two winners!

Jessica Gemeinhart has won the YellowHammer Creative Sloss Poster

Susan Roberts McWilliams has won the YellowHammer Creative "It's Nice to Have You in Birmingham" shirt

Make sure to subscribe to our blog and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep a lookout for our next giveaway!

GIVEAWAY ENDS TONIGHT!

GIVEAWAY ENDS TONIGHT!!

This is your last chance to enter to win some awesome Birmingham paraphernalia designed by Yellowhammer Creative. We'll be ending the giveaway tonight at MIDNIGHT (CT). Tomorrow we'll draw two names and announce the lucky recipients! Don't miss out on this chance!

How do you enter to win you ask?

01. GO to our Facebook page ! (click on the little facebook logo below!)

02. LIKE our original Giveaway post & SHARE our page to be entered to win! 

03. FOLLOW us on Instagram for an additional entry.

It's Giveaway Time!

We're excited to be giving away the following from one of our favorite Birmingham design companies Yellowhammer Creative!
--Yellowhammer Creative 12"x18" print. This is the fourth design in the ongoing "Neighborhood Drawing" series of Birmingham. Hand Printed, 4 color, on French cover stock. #58/75
--Yellowhammer Creative "It's nice to have you in Birmingham" shirt!

For a chance to win:

LIKE our Facebook post and SHARE our Facebook page to be entered to win!

FOLLOW us on Instagram and Twitter for an additional entry

We'll announce the winner on March 18th.

Opportunity and Growth at BPA

Growth and change are in the air around here. The transformation of our city we're documenting in our B'ham Rising blog series is mirrored in the growth of our firm. While continuing to faithfully serve the clients we've worked with for years, new opportunities continue to knock on our door. It seems like we're daily welcoming new clients to the BPA family and new project types to our capabilities. This growth has given us an even more active role in the shaping of our city.

This kind of growth brings new faces and fresh ideas. One of the ways we plan to pursue these is through our participation in the Internship Fair put on by the Auburn University School of Architecture. Students submit résumés and work samples for our review, and we'll spend two days in March getting to know the best and brightest Auburn has to offer. We can't wait for this opportunity. Get ready Auburn students, we're coming to you.

Launching our firm's new website!

We're growing. We're transforming. You may have noticed that our look is changing too. From business cards to publications, our brand is catching up to the firm we have become today.

One of the biggest renovations we've made is to our website. We're working hard to ensure that we maximize this tool to keep you informed and inspired. Many of our clients have worked with us so long, they know us as well as we know ourselves. For relationships old and new, we've built a platform you'll want to visit again and again.

At BPA, we say that everything is a design challenge. We're having a blast leveraging this one to create an updated look for us and a better experience for you. Be sure to check back in regularly for updates.