ARCHITECTUREFIRM Featured in Groundbreaking New Exhibition: "A South Forty"

March 11, 2025

ARCHITECTUREFIRM Featured in Groundbreaking New Exhibition: "A South Forty"

RICHMOND, VA – ARCHITECTUREFIRM is proud to be among the distinguished firms featured in A South Forty: Contemporary Architecture and Design in the American South, an exhibition at the National Building Museum which celebrates the innovative architectural practices defining the American South today.

A South Forty focuses on the development of architecture in the South since 1990, during a time marked by economic and demographic shifts. It examines how Southern architects are responding to a diverse set of challenges, including natural disasters, rapid urbanization, and changing cultural landscapes. The exhibition reveals how architecture in the South is not only functional and innovative but also deeply rooted in the region’s heritage.

“We’re honored to be included in such an important exhibition,” said Adam Ruffin, Partner at ARCHITECTUREFIRM. “We believe architecture plays a crucial role in shaping resilient communities, and this exhibition underscores the significance of place-based design—architecture that is responsive to its environment, cultural context, and community needs”.

The exhibition explores the dynamic landscape of contemporary architecture across the southeastern United States, from North Carolina to Oklahoma. Featuring over forty architectural practices, the exhibition highlights how Southern architecture is evolving beyond traditional norms to address the region’s rapid growth, environmental challenges, and rich cultural diversity.

Participating Firms in A South Forty

Alterstudio Architecture; archimania; ARCHITECTUREFIRM; Atelier Mey; Brooks + Scarpa; Chambless King Architects; Dake Wells Architecture; de leon & primmer architecture workshop; DEMX Architecture; Duvall Decker; Ecological Design Group; El Dorado / KSU Design + Make Studio; emerymcclure architecture; EskewDumezRipple; Evoke Studio Architecture; Frank Harmon Architect; Fultz & Singh Architects; Helix Architecture + Design; Hobgood Architects; Ray Huff Architect; Hufft; in situ studio; JENNINGS + SANTA-RITA ARCHITECTS; Katherine Hogan Architects; Marlon Blackwell Architects; modus studio; Office of Jonathan Tate; patterhn ives; Pendulum Studio; Polk Stanley Wilcox; Rural Studio, Auburn University; Sanders Pace Architecture; SILO AR+D; Somewhere Studio; STUDIO A Architecture; Tall Architects; The Raleigh Architecture Company; unabridged Architecture; University of Arkansas Community Design Center; University of Arkansas Urban Design Build Studio; University of Florida Design/Build; Vines Architecture; VMDO; W.G. Clark Architect.

The Exhibition is curated by Peter MacKeith, Dean and Professor, Fay Jones School of Architecture + Design, and it is designed by Jonathan Boelkins, Architect and Exhibition Designer. It will be open to the public through 2026 at the museum’s location at 401 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20001.

About ARCHITECTUREFIRM

ARCHITECTUREFIRM is a collaboration of architects and designers in Richmond, Virginia and Brooklyn, New York, led by Danny MacNelly, Katie MacNelly, and Adam Ruffin, specialized in hospitality, residential, and contemporary art spaces. We approach architecture in a way that is clear in its process and outcome, economical in both means and gestures, and optimistic in its vision of a better future. Our portfolio includes award-winning residential, cultural, hospitality, mixed-use, and workplace projects. Our chief pursuit is a timeless expression of building that is appropriate to its users and their purpose, that blends progressive technology with elemental form.

Media Contact

Marissa Herman Carr

mhermancarr@architecturefirm.co

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