context culture collaboration American Institute of Architects South Carolina Chapter Firm Award Recipient
For over 63 years, Liollio Architecture has provided thoughtful, respectful, creative design. Our vision is to lead in elevating the design dialogue in our community. We believe creativity originates through the eyes and stories of communities, based on subtle and restrained design rooted in context, culture and collaboration.
the best designs use
local culture as a guide
To reflect the unique attributes of Gullah-Geechee Sea Island culture and the vibrancy of the library as a 21st Century gathering place, the design utilizes simple forms and construction to provide the iconic features that symbolize shared values of the library and community. The Gullah-Geechee context is revealed in the architecture and is reflective of historic images and recollections of learning at Penn Center under the massive live oak trees.
St. Helena Library at Penn Center
This regional clinic was designed to reflect the rural community’s faith in their future. Located in a former railroad town, the rectangular massing and metal cladding are reminiscent of boxcars that no longer stop on their way through. The building holds to a three-foot grid, matching the off-the-shelf boxcar rib panels, allowing the panels to meet precisely at windows and corners without coped cuts and with minimally-sized custom corner trim. Storefront windows are surrounded by deep-plate steel shrouds, which project shadows and provide a sense of privacy to the building’s occupants.
Hampton County Health Department
It’s about tourism, not toilets. A state welcome center is a modern-day trading post where friendly and hospitable staff greet road-weary travelers. People still crave human interaction, even for booking tours and hotels, and the welcome centers are a driver for the tourism economy. Conceptualized as the front porch of the state and infused with references to local culture, the visual pattern of exterior brick is inspired by local Catawba pottery. The design invites visitors to sit and stay a while with porch swings, comfortable seating and a bright airy lobby that is warm and filled with light.
South Carolina Welcome Center at Fort Mill
A simple box form and restrained material palette help this library recede into its sloped, wooded site and affords the investment of resources in a dramatic interior experience. A sculpted wood ceiling expands toward a focal point of the north-facing wood view. The community identity, rooted in art, craft and connection to the outdoors, is highlighted in an artist’s corner for quiet, meditative work surrounded by nature. The community living room anchors the library as a nucleus with lounge seating under a night sky ceiling, reminiscent of camping under the stars.
Ballentine Library
Serving a diverse community with a high level of creative energy, the renovation and expansion of this urban library softens hard edges and weaves outdoor program space and visibility into the library experience, urban context and streetscape. A theme of imagination, exploration and innovation drove the design intent. Collaborative gathering spaces are added to the footprint, including an entry plaza and reading garden. Technology access is woven through the domains, and activity-based programming is supported by flexible multi-faceted spaces.
St. Andrews Library
Originally constructed in1955, this school is one of the few preserved examples of mid-century architecture in downtown Charleston. Preservation included restoration of the exterior to its 1955 appearance and sensitive renovations to the interior. The new expansion focused on thoughtful additions that augment academic spaces and the sense of community that has always been an integral part of this landmark school’s success.
Charleston Progressive Academy, c.1955
Our team designed a phased replacement of this 1950s era school to accommodate up to 500 students and an enrollment expansion to include 4th and 5th grades. Dunston is an extremely popular school that has strong community ties. During design and construction, the school staff continued their close presence and high-level of success with students in this neighborhood. Through an innovative phasing plan for demolition, portable classroom use and civil design, the school was replaced within the constraints of a small site while the main portion of the original building remained in operation. The new design provides a media center, and multiple computer and special area classrooms including art, music and project maker spaces.
Matilda F. Dunston Elementary School
This school campus is the centerpiece of a building program and master planning exercise funded under an alternative finance initiative. The campus includes a 6,000 seat football and soccer stadium, a softball and baseball complex, track and field, tennis courts and practice fields. The two-story main school design supports four academic houses for instruction and a 2,500 seat competition gymnasium with auxiliary gym. A 7,000 SF dining facility and courtyard help create a gathering place for students and teachers. An administrative building and two-story media center form the central axis of the complex. A 970-seat theater and performing arts center showcases school and community talent.
Colleton County High School & Performing Arts Center
This urban higher education facility seeks an architectural language bridging contrasting scales and functions. The design orients a park toward an historic neighborhood while the building defines urban streets on its other boundaries. Street facades are broken into a series of brick pavilions, resembling height, scale and character of the neighborhood. Transparent facades allow activity within to be seen from the streets, brightening interiors and affording users the natural light. A sky-lit atrium serves as the building’s heart, flowing into a courtyard reminiscent of the walled gardens commonly found in the surrounding historic neighborhood.
College of Charleston Science Center
This 40,000 SF facility is a new resource for USCB’s Hospitality Department in Beaufort and for Hilton Head Island, Beaufort County and Jasper County’s thriving hospitality industry. The design is harmonious with natural surroundings, incorporates campus culture and island character, and reflects the island’s ecological design principles and sustainable practices by achieving Two Green Globes sustainability certification. The entry portico mimics the architectural style of the Old Beaufort College Building, referencing the history of the University while also reflecting its evolution. The team led a successful collaborative effort to develop the design of this much needed school and event space for the region. The site design focuses on preserving the island’s natural aesthetic through sensitive redevelopment. The design limits disruption to the environment, enhances the existing natural elements, and incorporates natural materials and finishes.
USCB Hilton Head Hospitality Management Campus
Charles Towne Landing, c.1670 is South Carolina’s birthplace. Over 60,000 SF of buildings were constructed in 1970, consequently destroying an archaeologically rich Native American site. The redevelopment goal was to return the park it to its native landscape and provide a community gathering place sensitive to its history, landscape and archaeological richness. There was consensus amongst the team that the building not be misinterpreted as historic, but of its time. As a community destination, the design concept is that over time the landscape will engulf the site, with the only built element in evidence being the ramp that leads to the entry.
Charles Towne Landing Founders Hall
This swim club is designed to reflect the vision of a sustainable, modern and comfortable family community. It is one of a handful of structures commissioned by the master developer and built for more than function − it’s also intended to express architectural aspirations of the masterplan. This pool pavilion is small but is prominently sited on axis with a main avenue of the new, carefully designed residential village. The design adopts a clear parti, careful orientation, simple materials and a curious distortion of its vernacular, agricultural precedents.
Brighton Park Swim Club
The new James Island Town Hall is approximately consists of Town Council Chambers and Administrative Support and Offices. The community was engaged in a design charrette to help define the vision of the architectural language. The design explores a local vernacular familiar to James Island, embracing a restrained and sensible structure conveying a simple interior and exterior tied to a linear plan. The building is sited to be respectful of the majestic trees that occupy the property, with a front porch that will welcome all visitors. The Mayor and members of Town Council envision the new complex as being the living room for James Island.
James Island Town Hall
This is the busiest Welcome Center in South Carolina and represents travelers’ first impression of the State. With a focus on the visitor experience, the new design is warm and inviting, featuring exposed wood structure enhancing two front porches and a bright, open interior. The sandy brick texture and steel details reference the colors and materials of South Carolina’s Lowcountry. The design allows the expression of the building to respond to its surroundings, culture, location, daylight, and the patterns of visitors’ movement through the site.
South Carolina Welcome Center at Hardeeville
Sitting proudly on the harbor’s edge, this historic structure is meticulously preserved to its 1877 appearance through multiple phases over ten years. Exterior architectural research and design include slate and granite restoration, wood and steel preservation, and door and window conservation. Moisture infiltration required removing two-ton granite step slabs, installing moisture barriers and resetting granite. Bronze doors and grillwork tarnished over years were restored. The primary interior architecture focus was the restoration of the cortile and staircases to their original Victorian appearance, including removal of incompatible materials and restoration of the plaster detailing and columns. Through paint analysis, the original Victorian painting scheme was identified and beautifully applied.
U.S. Custom House, c.1877
The Old Exchange Building is a National Historic Landmark and is considered to be one of three most historically significant colonial buildings in America. This 235 year-old structure requires constant care - a task amplified by a harsh coastal environment, vibration from heavy traffic and past repair attempts. The preservation approach was a meticulous, hands-on intensive exercise which closely followed the recommendations of the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. Through research and careful materials analysis, the exterior was preserved employing certain common sense construction materials and methods originally used on the building over two centuries ago.
Old Exchange Building, c.1771
St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas define the eastern edge of the United States. Liollio engaged in a variety of projects on all three islands, with the greatest focus on historic structures of St. Croix at the Christiansted National Historic Site. Projects have included condition assessments of multiple structures, the restoration of the weather vane on the 18th century Steeple Building; doors and hardware restoration for the 18th century Scale House located at the Christiansted harbor; historically sensitive ADA upgrades designed for the 18th century Comfort Station; and mounting hardware repaired and replica hardware produced to replace that which could not be restored for the weather damaged Fort Christiansvaern.
National Park Service St. Croix USVI, c.1749 − c.1856
This health & wellness center provides the community a retreat from their daily lives to an oasis engaged with nature. The facility provides adults age 50+ the opportunity to exercise, socialize and engage through a variety of activities and events focused on active lifestyles, well-being and growth. Meeting the vision of the community was key to this project. As one user stated, “We want a living center, not a nursing home. We have a lot more life to live. The building should reflect that.�
Louis Waring, Jr. Senior Center
For more than 30 years, Liollio has provided thoughtful design solutions for Veterans Affairs Medical Centers from New York to Florida. From state-of-the-art operating rooms with robotics, stand-alone clinics, balconies that contribute to patient rehabilitation and new medical buildings, our designs have focused on efficiency and caretaking for the provider and enhancing the patience’s experience and dignity.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Constructed in 1987, the airport was designed for a simpler time when passengers could purchase a ticket and board a plane much like one might hop on a bus. By 2012 the facility struggled to serve, choked by security retrofits and nearly overcome by a metro area bursting with tourists and swelling with new automotive and aerospace industries. A comprehensive renovation and expansion program completely reorganized the security process and logistical flow, while reimagining the exterior and interior experience for the traveler. Creating a new sophisticated point of entry into one of the most unique places in the world, this reshaped experience includes an expanded number of gates, a new car rental area and central energy plant.
Charleston International Airport
design excellence
St. Helena Library at Penn Center 2016 AIA South Atlantic Region New Construction/Substantial Renovation Merit Award 2016 Tech Insider: Most Beautiful Library in SC 2015 AIA SC Interior Design Honor Award 2015 Library Journal Landmark Library Award 2014 IIDA Government/Institutional Award 2014 IIDA Best of Show Award 2014 World-Architects Magazine Building of the Week Award 2013 AIA South Carolina Honor Award 2013 AIA South Carolina COTE Honor Award 2013 AIA Charleston Honor Award 2013 AIA Charleston Students’ Choice Award Hampton County Health Department 2018 AIA South Carolina New Construction Merit Award South Carolina Welcome Center at Fort Mill 2018 Brick in Architecture Best in Class Commercial Award 2018 AIA South Carolina New Construction Citation Award Ballentine Library 2018 AIA South Carolina New Construction Honor Award 2018 AIA South Carolina Interior Architecture Merit Award Charleston Progressive Academy, c.1955 2016 Association for Learning Environments Honor Award for Design Excellence 2016 AIA Charleston Design & Service Jury Citation Award 2015 SC Historic Preservation Honor Award for Historic Rehabilitation and Expansion 2015 AIA SC Adaptive Reuse/Renovation Merit Award 2014 Historic Charleston Foundation Founders Award for Historic School Buildings 2014 Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute Design Awards Finalist College of Charleston Science Center 2011 AIA South Carolina Honor Award
Charles Towne Landing Founders Hall 2010 SE Wood Design Award, Best Commercial Design 2010 AIA South Carolina Green Design Honor Award 2010 AIA South Carolina Merit Award 2010 AIA Charleston Honor Award 2010 AIA Charleston Clemson Students’ Choice Award Brighton Park Swim Club 2017 AIA South Carolina Honor Award in New Construction/Substantial Renovation 2016 AIA Charleston Design & Service Merit Award 2016 Charleston Home Builder’s Association PRISM Award for Best Outdoor Amenity U.S. Custom House, c.1877 2016 AIA South Atlantic Region Honor Award 2013 AIA Charleston Merit Award 2012 AIA South Carolina Merit Award Old Exchange Building, c.1771 2007 Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation Honor Award 2007 AIA South Carolina Special Citation Award 2006 Preservation Society of Charleston Carolopolis Award U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 2014 Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute Design Awards Finalist Charleston International Airport 2018 The Chicago Athenaeum American Architectural Award 2017 American Public Works Association South Carolina Chapter Public Works Project of the Year 2017 SE American Association of Airport Executives Best Commercial Service Airport: Architectural Project Award 2016 Charleston Metro Chamber Beacon Award 2016 Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau Golden Pineapple Award
For a complete list of projects & awards, visit our website liollio.com
College of Charleston Science Center Completed in association with Ballinger Charleston Southern University School of Nursing Completed in association with Lord Aeck Sargent University of South Carolina-Beaufort Hilton Head Hospitality Management Campus Completed in association with Bialosky Cleveland Charleston International Airport Completed in association with Fentress Architects & formerly WTSLiollio A very special thank you to the clients who have made these projects possible: Beaufort County SC, Beaufort County Library, Hampton County SC, South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control, City of Fort Mill SC, South Carolina Department of Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism, South Carolina Department of Transportation, Richland Library, Roper St. Francis Healthcare, City of Charleston SC, Charleston County School District, Colleton County SC, Colleton County School District, College of Charleston, Charleston Southern University, University of South Carolina-Beaufort, Nexton formerly MeadWestvaco, Town of James Island SC, City of Hardeeville SC, General Services Administration, Old Exchange Building Commission, National Park Service, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston County Aviation Authority, Charleston International Airport A special thank you to photographers of the featured projects: Richard Leo Johnson Atlantic Archives, Paul Warchol Paul Warchol Photography, Jim Millard, Eric Blake, Michael Schimpf, Jay White, Michael Edwards, Mez Joseph and Alex Liollio.
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