With the beginning of a new school year, the STEAM Learning Center at Groton Central School District officially opened on September 4, 2019. The $4.8 million center is a renovated 8,000-square-foot Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) lab and shared-learning space. Our design team used form, light, and materials to create a modern learning environment where both teachers and students will feel valued, focused, and inquisitive. he STEAM Learning Center has garnered national attention; the story has been published by several national publications.

Susanne Angarano, Principal and Senior Interior Designer, has been recognized by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) as one of the 2019 Ones to Watch award winners. Each year, the ASID Ones to Watch program identifies and recognizes rising leaders in the interior design industry who demonstrate exceptional leadership potential and a willingness to push the boundaries of the profession.

Andrew Schuster, Principal, presented at The Plan Magazine’s annual Perspective USA conference in New York City on Thursday, July 18. His presentation explored using a value-set approach to making sustainable material selections, highlighting the Onondaga Nation Net Zero Energy Fire Station / Community Hall.

In the July edition of Green Building & Design, Principal Andrew Schuster is featured in the publication’s recurring series, “Architects to Watch.” The series spotlights innovative architects who build sustainably.

On Monday, May 6, 2019, Ashley McGraw Architects were presented with a Small Business Excellence Award at the U.S. Small Business Administration Annual Small Business Excellence Awards luncheon in Syracuse. Seventeen companies were recognized during the luncheon, which coincides with National Small Business Week (May 5-11).

Small businesses are selected for the Excellence Awards based on their company’s longevity, innovation, sales growth, increased employment, ability to overcome adversity or community contributions.

Launched in Fall 2018, the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Outcome of Design Awards seek to recognize projects that successfully illustrate that “Design Impacts Lives.”Ashley McGraw Architects received an honorable mention for Binghamton City School District’s MacArthur Elementary School. MacArthur Elementary and the other winning projects of the Outcome of Design Awards were featured in the April 2019 issue of Metropolis for setting a new bar for design research, practice, and evaluation.

On April 4, 2019, the Sustainable Energy Fund officially broke ground for a new 15,000 square-foot net zero energy office building. Drawing on Passive House strategies, the design sets a regional standard in sustainability—from both economic and performance perspectives. Located in the Lehigh Valley town of Schnecksville, PA, the SEF building will consume about 25% of the energy used by comparable commercial structures while generating more than 130% of the energy it needs.