Merchants Alley in downtown Athens has received the Honor Award from the North Alabama Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The honor award represents “the jury’s highest level of commendation for exceptional design.”
“This is a huge accomplishment, and we at AMBL Studios were honored to have been a part of the project,” said Brad Mallette AIA, NCARB founder and architect at AMBL Studios.
Athens Main Street Executive Director Tere Richardson added, “Brad Mallette, our Athens Main Street design committee chair, was a vital, key contributor to our project. He and the AMBL team helped create, clarify and bring our vision to life.”
The 27 North Alabama projects in the competition included everything from the new Orion Amphitheater to the new School of Cyber Technology & Engineering.
The contest jury, which came from an AIA chapter in Corpus Christi, Texas, praised Merchants Alley as a small project with big impact, taking the downtown space “from derelict and scary to lively, dynamic and vibrant.”
