Thursday, October 24, 2013

MHAworks organizes and presents the third annual C.F.D. {Creative Food Drive}


Despite the lack of a shining sun and blue skies of this past Saturday, October 19, MHAworks presented the third annual C.F.D. {Creative Food Drive} for the local community of Durham. Twenty competing teams, and sixty volunteers, along with families, friends and the community brought both smiles and pounds upon pounds of food to American Tobacco Campus to show their amazing building skills with cans, boxes and bags of food. Thanks to the teams and the community, this year’s grand total reached 13,500 pounds of donated food, all going to those in need through Durham nonprofits Housing for New Hope and the Food Bank.

CFD is a food drive competition / community festival, where teams comprised of businesses, organizations and community members raise non-perishable food items and design and construct sculptures out of the food.

We want to thank everyone involved, first and foremost among our volunteers, competing teams and judges. Everyone’s participation contributed to a great event!

The 2013 winners:

Best Overall Corporate: RDK Engineers
Best Overall Non-Corporate: Duke students sponsored by Whole Foods
Most Creative: Riverside High School
Most Complex: Stewart Inc.
Most Food Raised: Freelon
People’s Choice: Smith+Gardner

The community of Durham also enjoyed the cool afternoon with our Emcee, Frank Stasio, live music featuring Embers End, Sarah Shook & the Devil, and Lonnie Walker, local beer and food trucks. The Kid’s Zone entertained the little ones with a bouncy castle and pumpkin painting. This year’s panel of judges included the City of Durham’s Honorable Mayor Bill Bell, Michael Hining, President of MHAworks; Adrian Brown of the Durham Chamber, Sherry DeVries of the Durham Arts Council, and Bill Kalkhof, former President of DDI.

Check out all the photos of CFD at our Facebook and follow us on Twitter. For more information on CFD, visit their website at www.creativefooddrive.com.

Friday, September 27, 2013

Construction around the MHA offices!

Both our Durham and Greenville offices are seeing a lot of change!

In our Durham office, we're renovating the space in order to make more room for design and meetings. Things are a little crazy in the office, but we know it will all be back in order just in time for us to celebrate our 25th anniversary in style!

In our Greenville office, we're so excited to announced that we have moved! After doubling in staff in the last year, we quickly outgrew our office and happily relocated across the street. Still in the heart of downtown Greenville, we're very proud to continue to contribute to the local business economy, and to give ourselves a little breathing room.

Here are some photos of our construction!

Durham office conference room

Durham office design space

Greenville's new office construction

Greenville's new office construction

Monday, August 26, 2013

MHAworks recognized as "Leaders in Diversity"

MHAworks is thrilled to announce that we have been awarded the Leaders in Diversity Award, Triangle Business Journal’s inaugural award program that recognizes the accomplishments of Triangle businesses, individuals and nonprofits as they strive to reflect the rich tapestry of our community. Triangle Business Journal established this program to distinguish companies, organizations and individuals that provide opportunities for underrepresented markets and encourage others to do the same. These named companies and individuals will be honored at an honorary luncheon on September 12, 2013.

We’re very honored to have received this award. We are proud to be a part of a community that recognizes and encourages respect and advocacy of underrepresented groups in the workplace.

Monday, July 29, 2013

Mayor Bell to Judge the Creative Food Drive



We are incredibly honored to announce that the Mayor of the great city of Durham, Bill Bell, will serve as a Judge at our annual food drive competition/community festival, C.F.D. {Creative Food Drive}.

We are so grateful to have him come out and see what our competing teams design and build! With his background in engineering and his passion for the people of Durham, we'll be interested to see how he judges the construction and creativity of the sculptures.

Thank you so much, Mayor Bell!

C.F.D. {Creative Food Drive} is MHAworks' third annual food drive competition/community festival that has raised over 20,000 pounds of food to date.  CFD is comprised of businesses and organizations raising non-perishable food items and designing and building a sculpture in a competition of epic proportions, while being entertained by live music, food trucks, local beer and a kid's zone. C.F.D. will be held on Saturday, October 19, 3-7 pm at the American Tobacco North Quad. Learn more about CFD here!


Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Last day to vote for the Best of Durham!



Today is the last day to vote for Durham Magazine's Best of Durham, where we've been nominated as Durham's Best Architect! Keep it local and let Durham know your favorites: everything from restaurants to mechanics to book stores to lawyers. Show our favorite Bull City some love!

You can also vote for our annual food drive competition, Creative Food Drive, under Durham's Best Event - just type it in the fill-in-the-blank.

Thanks for nominating us, Durham Magazine.

Hurry - the polls close at 5 pm!

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Durham Public Schools visits the MHAworks office


MHAworks recently hosted a group of high schoolers from Durham Public Schools to provide insight and encourage future involvement in the AEC field.

In this session, our staff sat down with the high schoolers to explain the realm of possibilities in the AEC industry and to answer any questions they had about pursuing a career. The students were  enlightened on the several different avenues they could pursue and enthusiastic about the opportunities not previously known to them.

Jaymes Carter, Project Designer, reflects, "Developing the next generation of architects and designers is important to our profession. There are many young individuals who dream of doing great things. Architecture is the perfect canvas for them to begin to paint their future. I enjoy talking with young people to help them see what doors can be opened through education and hard work."

Thursday, June 20, 2013

DDI's Summer Series features Orquesta Gardel tonight




At the CCB Plaza tonight at 7:30 pm for DDI's Find Your Cool Summer Concert series, stop by and hear the haunting sounds Orquesta Gardel. We are very proud to sponsor this inaugural series, every Thursday at the CCB Plaza.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Mel Melton & The Wicked Mojos at Summer Concert Series tonight!



If you're looking for something exciting to do this evening, head down to the CCB Plaza tonight at 7:30 pm for DDI's Find Your Cool Summer Concert series, of which we are very proud sponsors.

Tonight features Mel Melton & The Wicked Mojos - we'll see you there!

Thursday, May 30, 2013

NCSU students learn directly from MHAworks’ by working side by side


MHAworks, SEEDS and Wilson Construction with NCSU students

In an effort to cultivate the impressionable minds of the next generation of architects, MHAworks invested both time and effort through their participation in a higher education practicum program for Masters students of North Carolina State University School of Architecture .

MHAworks’ President Michael Hining and Project Manager Jared Martinson took four students in the masters program under their proverbial wing and involved them in MHAworks’ renovation to SEEDS, a local community center and garden. The students followed the progression and performed a case study on the project. This was a unique opportunity for the students to gain real-world knowledge, ranging from the preliminary design to the aggregation of construction documents to the construction administration phase.

At the end of the semester, NCSU Student Emily Faber reflected, “This project has given us insight into the professional practice of architecture by depicting a real world client-architect relationship as well as the interaction between the architect and the various project constituents. Observing this process taught us all of the correct ways to be successful architects, and we genuinely look forward to the success of the SEEDS project. Much like this academic program, MHAworks and SEEDS are focused on building for future generations.”

MHAworks is partnered with Durham Public Schools, Durham Tech and NC State to cultivate several ventures that aim to enhance education possibilities for youth and provide avenues for them to become further integrated in the AEC industry. Founded in 1988, MHAworks is a commercial architectural firm serving clients from offices in Durham and Greenville, North Carolina. With a staff of 29 professionals, MHAworks provides planning, architecture and interior design. Find out more about MHAworks at www.mhaworks.com

SEEDS is a non-profit educational community garden that teaches respect for life, for the earth & for each other through gardening & growing food. www.seedsnc.org
 

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

JobLinks Career Center worked for MHAworks!


Angela Phinx interviewed in the MHAworks Office


 A little over a month ago, we brought Angela Phinx onto our team through the Durham Workforce Development Boards' career center, JobLinks. We were incredibly pleased with the system and with Angela.

To find out more about JobLinks, check out this video.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Sarah Shook & The Devil at DDI's Summer Concert Series!

Sarah Shook & the Devil


If you'd like to have some toe-tapping entertainment for the evening, head down to the CCB Plaza tonight at 7:30 pm for DDI's Find Your Cool Summer Concert series, of which we are very proud sponsors.

Tonight features Sarah Shook & the Devil - we'll see you there!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Jaymes and Charlie serve it up for charity!

Charlie Tennant and Jaymes Carter
In a picture-perfect display of finesse and athleticism, Project Designers Jaymes Carter and Charlie Tennant took their skills to the court and competed in the 2013 Charles House Tennis Benefit. The third annual benefit raised over $25,000 for the Eldercare Homes of the Charles House.

Jaymes gets some serious air on the court

Thanks for competing Jaymes and Charlie. You guys did great!

Charlie shows his determination

 Photo credit to Eddie Price Photography. Visit his website at www.eddiepricephotography.com or click here to see more pictures of the Charles House Tennis Benefit.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Check out DDI's Summer Concert Series!


If you find yourself with naught to do on a sultry Thursday evening, we suggest you make your way over to the CCB Plaza for the Downtown Durham Inc. Find Your Cool Summer Concert Series. Every Thursday from 7 – 8:30 pm at 201 N. Corcoran Street, DDI will be featuring local bands and artists in a variety of genres (basically everything under the sun, from gypsy jazz to blues to Americana rockabilly to west African).  Here’s the summer’s lineup:

Jo Gore & The Alternative (Soul) – May 9
Onyx Club Boys (Gypsy Jazz) – May 16
Sarah Shook & The Devil (Rockabilly) – May 23
Virgins Family Band (Pop) – May 30
The Pinkerton Raid (Pop/Americana) – June 6
Mel Melton & the Wicked Mojos (Blues) – June 13
Dark Water Rising (Rock) – June 20
Orquesta GarDel (Salsa) – June 27
Cyril Lance Collective Arkestra (Blues) - July 11
Jonathan Byrd (Americana) – July 18
Birds & Arrows (Alternafolk) – July 25
The Fair and the Four (Americana) – August 1
Khalat Africa featuring Diali Cissokho (West African) – August 8

See you out there!

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

MHAworks hires a new Project Designer



MHAworks has brought Jason Hite, a new Project Designer, onto our team. Jason brings a passion for architecture that is driven by its ability to enhance and unify various communities. Jason's previous experience in healthcare architecture provided a solid foundation for the diversity of work he  encounters at MHAworks. After receiving his Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Jason Hite moved to Charlotte to pursue his Master of Architecture at the University of North Carolina Charlotte.

Welcome to the team, Jason!

Monday, May 6, 2013

Grand Opening


MHAworks recently completed renovations to East Carolina University's brand new Office of Faculty Excellence and the University Writing Center. ECU faculty and staff attended the Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting on Wednesday to commemorate this renovated space.


MHAworks completed the design in April of 2013. The Office of Faculty Excellence holds the faculty training and recruitment resource offices. The University Writing Center supports student writing development through one-on-one tutorial interactions and peer response groups.


Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Thank you, Bill!





We want to take a moment to thank Bill Kalkhof for everything he's done for Durham. Although we know he's not going anywhere, he will be sorely missed as the leader of Downtown Durham, Inc. His creative contributions to the rehabilitation of Durham have taken this city from a blip on the national radar to a growing hotspot for new developments, businesses, entrepreneurs, community advocates and foodies alike.


Thank you for everything you've done, Bill. We look forward to seeing what you're up to next!

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

MHAworks is awarded the 2013 Governor's Award for Volunteer Service

MHAworks' Governor's Award for Volunteer Service


The Honorable Mike Woodard presented MHAworks with the 2013 Governor's Award for Volunteer Service of Durham County in the Corporate/Business category for our creation, organization and work on C.F.D. {Creative Food Drive}! The Governer's Award program has honored the true spirit of volunteerism in our state by recognizing individuals and businesses that make a significant contribution to our community through volunteer service.

Housing for New Hope nominated MHAworks for the Group/Team category and the Corporate/Business category. We are humbled and honored to be recognized for the effect that the Creative Food Drive has had in our community.

Friday, April 12, 2013

SEEDS breaks ground!


SEEDS brings life to our community and warms our hearts as they hold their ground-breaking ceremony Wednesday morning. Co-founder Brenda Brodie, Betty Kenan mother to co-founder Annice Kenan, and her brother Tom Kenan were at the ceremony. Tom commented, "Brenda has been the statue of Liberty that has held the torch high."


Instead of breaking ground, the SEEDS co-founder and representatives transplanted fig branches from the large fig tree on the grounds.


"It was a dream to have this building in the beginning," Brenda stated. "And now it's an even bigger to dream. Thank you for believing."


To read more on the ground-breaking, check out the Herald-Sun article.

Photos courtesy of Richard Barlow

Friday, April 5, 2013

C.F.D. {Creative Food Drive} 2013


We are so excited to officially announce C.F.D. {Creative Food Drive} 2013!

When: 3-7 pm, Saturday, October 19th, 2013
Where: American Tobacco Campus North Quad

For more information, you can check out CFD's website at www.creativefooddrive.com

We'll see you there!


Thursday, April 4, 2013

George Hining has been named a TBJ 40 Under 40!



Congratulations to George Hining, MHAworks' Director of Business Development, for being awarded a 2013 Triangle Business Journal's 40 Under 40 Leadership Award! The 40 Under 40 Leadership Award recognizes professionals under the age of 40 for their contributions to their organizations and their community.

With over 300 nominations for the 2013 Class, George Hining was selected based on his contribution to the growth of MHAworks and his charitable involvement in the Triangle.

George and the other 39 winners will be honored at the May 16 awards luncheon at the Durham Convention Center.

Congratulations again, George!

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

New Hire at MHAworks

MHAworks has recently brought on a new Project Designer to their team, Angela Phinx, Associate AIA. Angela brings fifteen years of experience to the firm, specializing in recreational and municipal studios. Her design, construction management expertise and strategic thinking are strong assets added to the MHAworks' team.

Thank you to North Carolina JobLinks Career Center for providing such a variety of well-qualified candidates through your online job search database.

Friday, March 22, 2013

MHAworks named Volunteer of the Week

MHAworks has been named "Volunteer of the Week" in The Herald-Sun, due to our work on C.F.D. {Creative Food Drive}!

Volunteer of the week

Mar. 09, 2013 @ 11:09 AM
Volunteer of the Week MHAworks
Creative Food Drive


Architecture and planning firm MHAworks started the Creative Food Drive to address hunger in Durham. On Sept. 22, 17 teams composed of business, churches and community organizations competed to design and build creative sculptures out of donated non-perishable food items. The event raised awareness and educated residents about the needs of the Durham community.
The sculptures were impressive, but even more so was the amount of food donated. The food donations assisted clients of the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina and Housing for New Hope.

MHAworks’ “immense contributions to this event demonstrate that they believe the effects of the event are greater than the sum of all the time and effort they volunteered … and that they are truly volunteering for the good of the community,” wrote Melissa Hartzell, Housing for New Hope development director.

Thanks to MHAworks for its generosity, hard work and community commitment.

Check out the full article here.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Newly completed Burn Reconstruction and Aesthetic Center


We are very excited to announce our recently completed Burn Reconstruction and Aesthetic Center. You can check out more on this project by clicking here!

Thursday, February 7, 2013

There's a new Registered Architect in the office!


Very exciting news is bustling around MHAworks!

Toma Ermoshkina of our Durham office has officially passed her exams and received her Architectural license! Toma is also a registered architect in her home country of Russia, and since joining MHAworks in 2004, she has pursued the long road to obtaining her architecture license in the States.

Congratulations Toma!