AIASC Awards Historic Taylor House

COLUMBIA, S.C. (May 5, 2025) – BOUDREAUX, Columbia-based architecture firm, is thrilled to announce that the Historic Taylor House at the University of South Carolina has received a Merit Award in the category of Historic Preservation/Adaptive Reuse by the South Carolina American Institute of Architecture (AIA). The recognition celebrates BOUDREAUX’s commitment to excellence in historic preservation.

The historic Taylor House, located on the same block as the Joseph F. Rice School of Law, another BOUDREAUX project, now houses the School of Law Admissions Offices, as well as classrooms and meeting spaces for faculty and students.

AIASC Design Award Jury Chair, Brandon Pace, FAIA said, “This project demonstrates a commitment to the past through a rigorous process to restore this historic piece of architecture for use as a welcoming program on campus. This is a textbook example of care, craft, and preservation.”

The rehabilitation of the Taylor House honors the architectural legacy of one of Columbia’s last remaining grand homes from the early 1900s. Over the years, the building saw multiple uses from a private residence to the Columbia Museum of Art to university police – each leaving behind non-historic additions and modifications that compromised its integrity. We led a multi-phase effort to remove those alterations, restore defining features, and adapt the space for modern institutional use.

Throughout the project, historic documentation played a crucial role in restoration. Original construction documents for both buildings were referenced, and exhaustive research took place to uncover historic photographs in state and local archives to ensure that all decisions aligned with the home’s authentic design and materiality. Historic lighting fixtures, woodwork, wallpaper, and built-ins were restored or replicated using archival photographs, interviews with the family, and original documents.

The AIA recognizes preservation projects that exemplify architectural excellence and respect for a project’s history, and the Taylor House is a prime example of this ideal. The meticulous care, dedication to authenticity, and strategic adaptation of this historic building set a benchmark for preservation efforts, demonstrating how thoughtful rehabilitation can honor the past while creating meaningful spaces for the future. Focused on restoring the home to a light-filled space to gather, this project certainly has the merit.