NewStudio Architecture recently received the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation Award for Outstanding Rehabilitation at a ceremony in Athens, Georgia, recognizing our firm’s work in repurposing a forgotten S. H. Kress store into a new Urban Outfitters store in Athens.

Sean Wagner, CEO/President, and Marcy Conrad Nutt, Project Architect and Senior Associate, represented NewStudio Architecture for the project, gladly accepting the award alongside Ken Nemeth, Senior Development Manager at Urban Outfitters, and Michael Iovino, President of August Construction Solutions.

““This project was an example of great collaboration between our client and store designers at URBN, Inc., the crew at August Construction Solutions, the members of the Heritage Preservation Commission, and the architects at NewStudio Architecture. We are honored to have been nominated, and we are thrilled to receive the award for Outstanding Rehabilitation.” ”

— Marcy Conrad Nutt

Unlike many award programs, this one does not accept applications. Instead, the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation nominates potential recipients and considers how well each project has returned a neglected structure to a new state of usefulness, “while preserving those portions or features that are significant to its historical, architectural and cultural integrity,” according to its website.

The historic Kress retail chain was renowned for adding remarkable architectural details to each of its buildings. “Discovering early on that the building once was an old five-and-dime Kress store was a prized find,” Conrad Nutt added. “All partners involved embraced the opportunity to strip back the façade to reveal the old storefront opening size and wall panels of this small piece of Athens downtown history.”

Storefront before the Urban repurposing project. Photo by August Construction