The recent American Institute of Architects/Mississippi Design Awards honored several projects by firms in the state for bold moves and innovative solutions.

The Sambo Mockbee Award, voted by the AIA/Mississippi membership, was awarded to the firm JBHM in Tupelo for the Hematology and Oncology Associates in Bridgepoint in Tupelo.

Architects faced a challenge that's a common dilemma across the country: a big box building, the space leftover when a large retailer exits a property. In Tupelo, the building was originally a Food World.

The vast parking lot was another dilemma. They angled the approach to the entrance, giving a facade of building depth, and added more than 74,000 square feet of landscaping.

- Clarion-Ledger, August 14, 2008