05/22/2026
A proud moment for our founder, Jeffrey Rosenblum, who was recently awarded the AIA South Carolina 25-Year Design Award for one of Charleston’s most distinctive buildings: Bankers Trust Branch Bank.
Designed in the early 1970s, Jeffrey’s solution to an extremely constrained downtown site was both inventive and unconventional. By lifting the main floor on a concrete core and extending steel-and-glass wings outward, he created space for a full-service bank, parking, and an automated teller, all within a footprint that seemed to defy the program.
More than fifty years later, the building remains largely unchanged, a testament to the strength and clarity of the original design. While the project has long sparked discussion and differing opinions, its influence on Charleston’s architectural evolution is undeniable, helping open the door for contemporary architecture within one of the country’s most historically preserved cities.
The jury described it as a “small, but powerful modern building that sits unapologetically in its colonial setting.”
Congratulations to Jeffrey on this well-deserved recognition and lasting contribution to Charleston’s architectural legacy!
