CJRC's Open House

On Monday January 24th,Durham County held an open house for MHAworks newly renovated Criminal Justice Resource Center (CJRC). This extensive building renovation is another first in Durham County's expanding commitment to sustainable efforts. It will be the first Durham County project to achieve LEED-Gold certification through the "LEED for Commercial Interiors" rating system. As a former Jail this 3 story, 40,600 sq ft building has undergone dramatic renovations on the exterior as well as the interior. It has been transformed into a modern industrial office space and center for released inmates. Staff members of CJRC guided guests on in-depth tours of the buildings 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors. "Before" images were placed throughout the tour showing visitors the drastic changes throughout the design. Figures such as the Durham County Board of Commissioners Chairman Michael Page, Vice Chairman Ellen Reckhow, Chief District Court Judge Marcia Morey and Tim Moose, Director of the State Department of Correction, Division of Community Corrections were speakers at the event.

See press highlights and articles from local news organizations:
Herald Sun Durham NC
WRAL NEWS

The Dedication of 4-H

January 6th, 2011, North Carolina State University, in conjunction with the NC Cooperative Extension and 4-H held the official ribbon cutting and dedication of the Eastern 4-H Center’s “Conference and Recreation Hall” designed by MHAworks, PA. The high-profile event hosted a large crowd with special guests including NCSU Board of Trustees Chair, Lawrence Davenport, NCSU Chancellor Randy Woodson, and the Dean of the NCSU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Dr. Johnny Wynne. Other special guests included representatives from local, state, and national elected officials.
The day’s events started with an open tour of the facility with the large dining hall providing hors d'oeuvres and refreshments. Various 4-H, agriculture, and environmental organizations and agencies were present with booths promoting environmental education and awareness. MHAworks, along with the building’s general contractor, Centurion Construction Company was on hand and featured a display showcasing the “green” features of the building and explained more about the building’s construction to guests.
This facility was created to serve, as its name suggests, as a Conference and Recreation Hall for this region of the state. In addition to being used for 4-H related functions at the Environmental Education Center, it will serve as a large conference center for organizations from churches to local governments.
Pending final certification from USGBC, this facility will be North Carolina State University’s FIRST LEED-Silver building. This is appropriate given the main purpose of this Conference Center is to promote environmental education.

Introducing Henry Dagit, AIA, LEED AP

Henry grew up in a family of Philadelphia architects and first attended architecture school at Ohio State University but the lure of surf and sea called him to the Outer Banks where he continued to design and learned to build. He eventually transferred to North Carolina State University where he received his architectural degrees and expanded his project experience to include sophisticated pharmaceutical research and manufacturing environments. While these technology projects were a natural part of Research Triangle Park they provided a wonderful opportunity to expand and also serve large corporations regionally and even abroad. This has led to work on projects in three countries and nine states gaining licensure in four of those states. The cultural interchanges are cherished and have helped him realize that great buildings come from great teams and it is managing the relationships on those teams that drive the creation of successful buildings. Henry resides in Raleigh with his wife Vickie, two daughters, and a mean gray cat named Buckeye. He enjoys time with his family wrapped around sports and the outdoors with a special disposition towards surfing, sailing, basketball, and even mixed doubles tennis although he won’t admit to that.

Meet the New Intern

Originally from upstate New York, Brittany has spent the last 5 yrs in Savannah, GA studying interior design and illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Along with a love for experiential design, sustainability,and interior branding, Brittany has a thriving passion for package design and illustration. As our new interior design intern, Brittany will also be helping out in our office and marketing department. Brittany aspires to be a LEED interior designer in a wide variety of practice areas. Outside the office, she enjoys watching movies, trips to the beach and spending time with her boyfriend and their two cats. Being new to the area, she is currently taking in all that Durham has to offer.