AIA Georgia, a chapter of the American Institute of Architects, has awarded design firm Cooper Carry its prestigious 2018 AIA Georgia Firm of the Year Award. A committee of industry leaders and influencers selected Cooper Carry after reviewing the firm’s achievements and contributions to the profession and community.
 
“We are honored to accept the Firm of the Year Award from AIA Georgia, a highly respected and trusted advocate for our industry,” said Kevin Cantley, President and CEO of Cooper Carry. “This award is a testament to the incredible skill, innovation and professionalism across Cooper Carry’s design studios. A relentless commitment to design excellence was the standard set by Jerry Cooper and Walter Carry when they founded the firm nearly sixty years ago, and it remains a cornerstone of our company to this day.”
 
AIA Georgia also named Georgia Institute of Technology’s West Village Dining Commons as the recipient of a 2018 Honor Award. Designed by Cooper Carry in association with Lake|Flato and Koons Environmental Design, the cutting-edge 50,000-square-foot hybrid facility has received national acclaim for its thoughtfully-designed, highly flexible meeting and dining hall that has drawn students and the surrounding community to the previously underutilized west portion of campus.
 
As one of the top architectural firms in North America, Cooper Carry has experienced record growth over the last several years. Recent local projects include MetLife’s redevelopment on Spring Street in Midtown, Park Center in Dunwoody and The Hotel at Avalon in Alpharetta. Nationally, Cooper Carry is leading the design for several high-profile projects, including Ballston Quarter in Arlington, Virginia, Capitol View in Nashville, Tennessee, Las Olas Boulevard in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and One Daytona in Daytona Beach, Florida. The firm’s international portfolio includes Esplanade, an open-air shopping center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and the Urumqi Guanghui Star lifestyle center in Urumqi, China.
 
Fast-growing demand for Cooper Carry’s architectural and design services also spurred the recent hire of Ray Bouley as the firm’s first Chief Growth Officer. The move positions Cooper Carry at the forefront of its industry by becoming one of the first national architecture firms to hire a CGO. In his new role, Bouley is responsible for driving Cooper Carry’s growth by focusing on strategic communications, cultural and brand development, revenue growth, talent recruitment and continued innovation across the firm’s design studios.