Telling their story through a Christmas tree

The Sacrificial Poet Project decorating the TTC tree

At this years’ third annual Triangle Christmas Tree Challenge, MHAworks is proud to sponsor an upcoming Durham nonprofit organization, the Sacrificial Poet Project.

Founded in April 2011, the Sacrificial Poet Project is a faith-based, arts-focused nonprofit organization assisting teens in expressing themselves through the written and spoken word. MHAworks is both excited and honored to help an association with such a unique concept to publicize its cause.

Stemming from their ultimate purpose, the Sacrificial Poets Christmas tree runs with a theme of telling your story. From the wood-carved microphone ornaments to the fresh blank pages of composition books, this tree calls for onlookers to speak their mind. Printed on red ribbon repeats the mantra: “Every word you speak is a mnemonic device to help the universe remember you, don’t let yourself be forgotten…”

The Triangle Christmas Tree Challenge supports nonprofits by having 60 organizations decorate Christmas trees in some way representing their cause. Votes from the community are collected through the lighting of the trees on December 7th until December 22nd. After the voting, six winners are awarded from $1,000 to $5,000 to support their organizations. You can check out all of the decorated trees at Diamond View III or go to ww.triangletreechallenge.com to cast your vote. Thanks to American Tobacco for organizing the Triangle Christmas Tree Challenge and raising awareness for Durham nonprofits!

MHAworks sponsors nonprofit social media training session by Facebook

On Tuesday, November 27, MHAworks sponsored a nonprofit training session presented by Facebook. In an effort to enhance their interaction with volunteers, advocates and donors, dozens of nonprofit representatives attended the seminar. Brook Oberwetter and Melissa Oppenheim of Facebook led the interactive training session with best practices and real-world applications of social media tactics to better represent their organizations and connect with the community of Durham.

Facebook opened their Forest City Data Center in April 2012, and has since been involved with Triangle Community Foundation and NC Community Foundation to help make nonprofits throughout North Carolina aware of opportunities to grow and learn.

ECU gets a spacious, new tutoring center for its students

In early September, East Carolina University, a repeat client of MHAworks, recently celebrated the opening of the Pirate Tutoring Center in the Old Cafeteria Complex with a presentation and ribbon cutting ceremony. Relocated from the Joyner Library, MHAworks renovated the interior of the Old Cafeteria Complex to expand and update the tutoring center.

With 5,000 square feet of renovation, plus alterations to a mechanical mezzanine, the new tutoring center provides students with spacious learning centers, individual workstations and a large group conference area. The design of the project was completed by May 2012, and the space was renovated while students were on summer break.

Albi McLawhorn, one of the partners of MHAworks and the lead at our Greenville office, reflected, “Working on this type of project for East Carolina University is exciting because it is at the forefront of how technology is changing and being changed by the learning environment.”

It's Silver and Spurs for the staff of MHAworks

Albi McLawhorn of MHAworks with Virginia Pou and Wilson Pou of Engineering Source of NC

MHAworks recently attended the Ronald McDonald House Silver and Spurs 25th Anniversary Gala. Held at the Hilton in Greenville, NC, staff from our Greenville and Durham office pulled on their cowboy boots and spent the evening enjoying the festivities. With a western flair, the event featured live music, guest speakers, cowboy-inspired fare, and a silent and live auction, with all proceedings going to the benefit of the Ronald McDonald House.

Albi McLawhorn, one of the partners of MHAworks and lead of our Greenville office, commented, “You could tell the Ronald McDonald House put in a lot of work to give us a great night, and it was definitely a success! We were very glad to contribute to such an essential organization in our community.”

George Hining and Bethany Houston of MHAworks pose with Ronald McDonald

MHAworks was a Silver Sponsor to the Ronald McDonald House Silver and Spurs 25th Anniversary Gala. The Ronald McDonald House has raised over $30,000 in donations from the event, far surpassing their goal of $25,000.

Click here to see pictures of the event (provided by www.reflector.com).

SEEDS Teams with MHAworks to Create their New Community Center

We at MHAworks are so honored and ecstatic to announce that we have the opportunity to design the fully sustainable future home for SEEDS, a local Durham non-profit educational community garden, used for gardening and growing food. At the SEEDS' 9th Annual Harvest Dinner, project lead designers Richard Barlow and Jared Martinson and their families were able to join the SEEDS staff, donors and community members for this exciting announcement.

Jared reflects, “We are so excited and honored to lend a hand in shaping the positive growth of this community institution through the enhancement of their existing gardening, gather and education spaces.”

SEEDS, MHAworks, and our team made of Coulter Jewell Thames and CT Wilson plan to renovate the existing building, add a new parking lot and update the walkway from the entry to the garden on the corner of Gilbert Street and N. Elizabeth Street. 

Richard, Director of Sustainability at MHA, and the entire design team plan to supplement the entire design with sustainable practices such as solar and thermal panels, vegetative sunscreens, state-of-the-art building systems, storm water management, and much more!

"We are thrilled to have MHAworks as a partner in transforming our space at SEEDS.  The team we have been working with truly embraces our goals of creating a flexible, welcoming learning space that is connected to our beautiful gardens and the community around us," says Emily Egge, Excutive Director of SEEDS.

This project will provide SEEDS with the ability to both expand its efforts in helping the community help each other, but also reinforce and aggrandize its original message: gardening and growing food to teach the community respect for life, for the earth and for each other. As passionate as we are about local Durham, our designers and staff are truly moved by this opportunity to use our expertise to give back to our community.

If you’d like to get involved in community gardening at SEEDS or contribute to their fundraising, you can learn more at their website: www.seedsnc.org

MHAworks Host Second Annual {Creative Food Drive} for Local Community

After a year of planning and anticipation, MHAworks held its second annual C.F.D. {Creative Food Drive}! Supporting the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina and Housing for New Hope, C.F.D.  hosted local vendors, companies and non-profit organizations in its festival and competition. The sculptures created from the food items were an array of architectural gems, including a bridge, a volcano (complete with a bubbling center), the Land of Oz, a periodic table, and the stamping out of hunger.     

Best Overall: Stewart Engineering

Most Food Raised: Quality Education Institute of Durham

Most Difficult to Build: RB Engineering

Most Creative: RDK Engineers

People's Choice: Semprius  

First and foremost, we'd like to thank our volunteers for coming out and helping run the event - you guys rock! Second, we'd like to thank the community for coming out, enjoying the event and bringing items from their own cupboards to help the Food Bank and Housing for New Hope.

Frank Stasio of NPR was CFD's emcee, and our featured live music was Rebekah Todd, Saints Apollo and TreeHouse!

Also, we couldn't have done any of this without our Event Sponsors: ReverbNation, University Ford Durham, and Isis IT!

You can find more pictures on the CFD website or CFD Facebook!

MHAworks' 25th Anniversary Kick-Off Party

25th Anniversary Kick-Off Party

MHAworks has reached a milestone in our firm’s history – we’re kicking off our 25th year of bringing commercial architecture to North Carolina. To celebrate this momentous occasion, we hosted our 25th Anniversary Kick-Off Party at our downtown Durham office across the street from the Durham Blues Festival.

With family, colleagues and clients, the blues festival serenaded our staff and guests while we enjoyed food, drink and good company. To see pictures of the event, check out our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/mhaworks