Throwback - Rush3 Product Design Studio

Truth be told, a slow economy, a goal set 10 years prior, and a chance encounter with a vintage bottle opener led to the creation of Rush3 Product Design Studio in 2011.  The creative geniuses at Slant made the process of starting a product design company including logo creation, web site development and product branding fun and extremely exciting.  Their measured guidance and design expertise was a guiding light especially in the early days. The next several years were a mixture of architecture and product design - using the design process to jump scales and functions. Some highlights of our Rush3 Product Design Studio chapter:

Kebo® - One Handed Bottle Opener

Inspired by the Theodore Low bottle opener from the 1930s, the Kebo Bottle Opener is a modern interpretation that offered better seamless function and classic styling. It was cast of stainless steel and polished to a mirror finish because it needed to feel good in your hand and be a sculptural if not architectural piece. The “Kebo®, short for “bottle key”, won the Innovation Award in the ‘Handtools and Cutlery’ category at the 2012 International Home and Housewares Show. Fun times were had in research and development (yes, we drank a lot of beer) as well as press in Men’s Journal, Core 77, Buzzfeed, Fast Company and the Today Show. Kebo was sold at many local shops, small businesses and even Restoration Hardware (before its glow up to “RH”) and the Museum of Modern Art.

Kebo® The One Handed Bottle Opener is a 2012 International Home and Housewares Show Innovation Award winner.

Kebo Light

Anyone in the product industry knows that before long, knock-offs sprout up.  At first when a colleague suggested we do our “own knock-off” we thought it impossible to consider anything other than the pure, stainless steel original Kebo. But when attending industry trade shows we were shocked to see derivations of last show’s newest products be presented as their own fresh ideas. It’s rough out there even with trademarks and patents in place. Enter “Kebo LIght.” A different iteration of the original Kebo with a nod to light beer.  It was lightweight (made from aluminum) and available in colors so this captured a lower price point and more of an impulse buy - a bottle opener you would have on the boat or at tailgates.  

Kebo® Light offers the same elegant design extruded from lightweight aluminum making it perfect for picnics, a day at the beach or any time on-the-go.

Munch Stix®

One night when having take-out Chinese for dinner, our then 7 year old asked for chopsticks but mispronounced them saying “chomp” instead. This was a good chuckle, but then we said, what if chopsticks could actually chomp. We had fun introducing “Chum” the shark, “Al” the alligator and “Teri” the Pterodactyl as kid-friendly chopsticks. These were a finalist for the 2013 International Housewares Association Innovation Award and made the rounds on mom-blogs including Cool Mom Picks and A-List Mom.  Retailers included kitchen and toy shops as well as the Museum of Natural History and the Georgia Aquarium. 

Munch Stix® are child-friendly chopsticks that all have mouths and munch! Made in the USA, Munch Stix® are an AmericasMart ICON Honors Innovation Award finalist, an Editor's Pick for The Gourmet Retailer and one of A-List Mom's "Toy of the Year" in 2014. Meet "Chum the Shark" who has also been endorsed by pediatric Occupational Therapist, Lindsey Biel OTR/L. "Al the Alligator" Munch Stix® was featured in Sharon Garofalow's "Cupcakes and Cutlery" blog and named, along with his sibllings, as a 2015 Family Choice Award Winner. "Teri the Pterodactyl" Munch Stix® was the cover girl for Fancy Food & Culinary Products Magazine in June of 2013.

Tre™ Bottle Opener

Returning to the bottle opener space (because beer) the last product Rush3 Studio designed and produced was a sculptural triple function beer opener crafted and contoured for 1) twist-off bottles, 2) pry-off bottles and 3) can tabs. We did a small run of these in 2017 mainly for client gifts and local sales. 

Released in November of 2017, TRE is a triple-function bottle opener crafted and contoured out of stainless steel for twist-off bottles, pry-off bottles and can tabs.

Certainly a great education not only in jumping design scales and function from buildings to housewares, but in dipping our toes in the product / retail sector. We have since dialed down the product design studio for now and have been focusing on commercial and residential architecture in both South Carolina and North Carolina.

“If you can design one thing, you can design everything.” Massimo Vignelli

A Love Letter to Massimo Vignelli

Back in 2014 we learned of a letter writing request from Luca Vignelli, the son of one of our most revered designers, Massimo Vignelli, as the icon was nearing the end of his life. Designers and students from all over the world took part in something called “Dear Massimo.” People wrote letters directly to Vignelli to thank him and share how his work had inspired them. These letters weren’t about showing off design skills. They were personal messages about how his ideas helped people think differently about design and creativity. The project showed how much Vignelli, often referred to as “maestro,” meant to the design community as a person, not just as a famous designer. Massimo Vignelli believed that design has a purpose: to communicate clearly and honestly - the “Dear Massimo” letters prove that his influence went beyond posters and logos—he inspired people.

Even if you think you don’t know Massimo Vignelli, you probably do. He was born in Italy in 1931 and became one of the most important designers of the modern design movement, in our opinion. Vignelli believed that design shouldn’t be complicated or trendy. Instead, he thought it should be timeless and easy to understand. He loved clean layouts, strong grids, and simple shapes. Vignelli worked on many well-known brands, including American Airlines, Knoll, and the Stendig calendar. One of his most well-known projects was the New York City Subway Map from 1972. Instead of trying to copy real geography, Vignelli used straight lines and bold colors to make the system easier to read. While there was a fair amount of dissenters in part due to lack of representation / realism, it became very influential in the design world. A reproduction graces the wall of our home studio as a reminder to think differently and more creatively.

In May of 2014, Julie Lasky wrote a piece for the New York Times called “Massimo Vignelli: A Master in the Grammar of Design” which memorialized the “Dear Massimo” campaign and last letters (over 1,000) to Vignelli. Suprisingly, Lasky included a portion of a letter sent by RDA’s own Judy Dixon, closing out the piece.

Judy Dixon, an architect and product designer in Mount Pleasant, S.C., for instance, never met the maestro, but she had absorbed his principles and was prepared to quote them back to him. “Mr. Vignelli, ‘If you do it right, it will last forever,’ ” she wrote. “Please know you did it right.”

Click here for a short video which accompanied Lasky’s piece: Massimo’s Last Letters.

Forbes Best-In-State Residential Architects

We are honored to be recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of the Best-in-State Residential Architects for 2025. Selected from firms nationwide, this recognition reflects careful consideration of design quality, contextual sensitivity, material use, and the ability to create homes that are both beautiful and livable. Our work in modern residential architecture focuses on clarity, warmth, and thoughtful responsiveness to place. We are grateful to our clients, collaborators, and community for supporting our work and for the Forbes team and jury for the inclusion.

The List

“The team at Forbes engaged in 10 months of rigorous research to produce the following: our second national top-firms list, America’s Best-in-State Residential Architects, encompassing a total of 400 architecture practices from all 50 states plus the District of Columbia. An expansion of the research-and-evaluations processes created to produce Forbes’ Top Residential Architects 2025 list, our methodology for this list drilled even deeper into the unique circumstances—cultural, social, economic, political, lifestyle, and beyond—that shape the markets for the custom single-family house in each individual state. To that end, we also looked at state-specific architects’ licensure numbers, comparing those totals to that of the national total to determine the percentages that each state represents in the whole. This metric was used as a guide to determine state-by-state representation of the 400 firms in the custom single-family house segment. And the result follows, below: A collection of U.S. architects setting the high-bar mark of excellence—and the ones you can turn to for your residential design-and-construction needs, no matter where in the country you call home.

METHODOLOGY:

Tier 1: General Professional Evaluation: Integrity of online presence (quality of photography; professionalism of display; informational value; awards; publication history; etc.); Educational background of the firm’s principals; Work histories and mentorships

Tier 2: Evaluation of a single “Exemplary House”: The measuring of Stability; Utility; and Beauty

Tier 3: Evaluation Relative to Forbes Architecture’s Residential Guiding Principles & Best Practices, the seven categories of which are as follows:

1. Siting and Local Context: Respects and aims whenever possible to preserve natural landscape contours, while minimizing excavation overall; Respects the solar envelope over its own site and, consequently, over that of the neighboring houses; Strategic incorporation of existing land forms (berms, slopes, etc) and landscape to climatic advantage (for wind shielding, storm protection, etc.); Rooms planned according to the ideal solar orientation per function of the specific spaces; Adapted to sea-level-rise and flood-risk projections

2. Architectural Form and Detailing: Balanced expression of form and massing, conscious of climatic response in approach, while honoring the fundamentals of any origins that might be the basis of the design; Honors cultural and environmental contexts; Structural principles elegantly and honestly expressed

3. Building Materials and Craft: A curated approach to selection and application primarily guided by the impositions of the local climate zone and the cardinal directions; Meticulous attention to expression of architectural detailing—at the smallest levels, materials and geometry in alignment; thematic consistency, inclusive of variations; with emphasis on the relationship of parts to the whole; Use of indigenous and locally sourced, or repurposed, materials and employment of local artisans; Use of Forest Stewardship Council-Certified wood and wood products

4. Spatial Configuration: Entry is prioritized, treated as an experience; Adventurous, stimulating plan circulation, with movement decidedly choreographed, ideally with appropriate/effective moments of compression and expansion; Integrative of any outdoor rooms and garden spaces—programmatic relationships between indoors and exterior context; Strategic mechanical-, electrical- and plumbing-integration consideration; Accommodation for flexibility and change in use

5. HVAC and Tech: Electric radiant floors; Electric-dominant, remotely controllable whole-house systems; Use of architectural shading devices; Inclusive of “smart home” lighting automation systems; Thorough provisions for natural ventilation

6. Physical and Psychological Effects: Emphasis on space perception; Integration of sound-reduction strategies to control the interior environments; Immersive, transformative, soothing environments; Natural light harnessed as an instrument for mood creation

7. Environmental | Appropriateness to Region and Local Climate Zone: Material circularity factor; Green infrastructure; Meets or exceeds green residential-building codes; Raises bar of “responsibility” within its community for its example; Designed and built to withstand extreme climate conditions

Barkitecture 2025

It’s that time of year again when we get to mix some of our favorite things - architecture, product design, branding, and dogs - into a design competition entry. The annual Charleston Animal Society “Barkitecture” Doghouse Design Competition aims to blend innovation and design with the comfort and well-being of our furry friends, creating spaces that are both functional and stylish. The entries are currently up for auction and will be displayed at the “Emerald City Gala - Applause for Paws” fundraising event scheduled for Saturday 10/4 at the Gaillard Center in Charleston, SC.

Our 2025 doghouse design, “Dot” is an edited, refined version of last year’s design, “The Dottie”.  This collection is intended to offer dual-function, furniture-quality designs to enhance and declutter your shared space.  With a quartz top and solid wood construction,  this piece can serve family pets and their loving families for generations. See the gallery below for renderings and production progress photos and note our amazing partners below that made it all happen:

Palmetto Surfacing

Robert Thomas Iron Design

Harbor Contracting

Lowcountry Case and Millwork

Rush David Dixon IV Photography

Dave Dixon: Millwork / Assembly

Mr. Tibbits the Whippet: Model + Muse

The auction for “Barkitecture” doghouses is now live with proceeds going to The Charleston Animal Society.  Click HERE to see all of the entries. Consider taking a look, bidding, or just donating if you can.

Camp Hall Ranked #1 Industrial Park + Maker Space

We’re thrilled to see Camp Hall named the #1 Industrial Park/Maker Space in the U.S. by Business Facilities—a recognition that affirms the bold, human-centered vision behind this transformative project. Since its inception, Camp Hall has redefined what an industrial park can be, blending advanced manufacturing potential with an unprecedented focus on quality of life, community, and natural preservation. At Rush Dixon Architects, we’re proud to have been part of Camp Hall’s journey from the very beginning. Since 2019, our team has collaborated on the master planning and conceptual architecture, shaping a place that is not only functional for global industry but also forward-thinking in its integration of people and place.

One of the most distinctive contributions we made was the “Nature + Machine” design concept for Avian Commons, Camp Hall’s central amenity village. This concept explores the dynamic tension between high-performance industry and the organic beauty of the Lowcountry landscape - of specific note is the function, lightness and feathering of a bird’s wings. Through materiality, form, and spatial organization, the architecture honors both the precision of manufacturing and the fluid, evolving patterns found in nature.

Avian Commons serves as a hub for daily life within the industrial park—offering dining, fitness, trails, and community gathering spaces. The “Nature + Machine” approach grounds these experiences in a language of contrast and balance: sleek steel forms set against organic wood textures, hard geometries softened by light, landscape, and movement. It’s a place where people can shift gears—from work to wellness, from efficiency to reflection. Unlike traditional industrial campuses, Camp Hall breaks the mold by integrating preserved natural areas, multi-use trails, and thoughtful amenities—deliberately designed to attract and retain talent by supporting both productivity and well-being.

Our architectural vision was guided by a deep respect for the land, a commitment to environmental stewardship, and a belief that great design can foster connection—even in an industrial context. We’re honored that our early conceptual work helped set the tone for what Camp Hall has become: an award-winning model for the future of industry and innovation.

Conceptual design for a training center at Avian Commons

Rush Dixon Architects provided the schematic design for Refuel, Avian Commons’ first building. [Architect of Record: RRMM]

Summerville Adaptive Reuse - Servis 1st Bank

In the heart of downtown Summerville, a once-vacant 1960s-era building has been thoughtfully transformed into a modern bank branch, blending preservation with purpose. The new Servis 1st Bank location is more than just a financial institution—it’s a case study in adaptive reuse and the revitalization of small-town main streets.

Originally constructed during the mid-20th century, the building sat empty for years, contributing little to the surrounding urban fabric. Like many structures from that era, it possessed strong bones and clean lines but lacked connection to today’s evolving civic and commercial needs. Rather than demolish and rebuild, the team saw potential in the existing structure. The design preserves key elements of the original architecture, using its rhythm, scale, and character as a foundation. Through careful detailing and subtle modern interventions, the building was adapted to meet contemporary standards while maintaining the integrity of its 1960s aesthetic. Large windows now draw natural light deep into the space, and a refreshed façade re-engages the pedestrian streetscape.

This project highlights the value of adaptive reuse in growing communities like Summerville. By reinvesting in existing structures, towns can preserve their architectural heritage while reducing environmental impact. Perhaps most importantly, revitalizing vacant buildings helps stitch the urban fabric back together—bringing life, activity, and economic energy back to forgotten corners of downtown.

The Servis 1st Bank branch is a testament to how design can honor a building’s past while writing a new chapter. Through intentional reuse and thoughtful design, the team has not only given a 1960s building new purpose, but also reinforced the broader importance of sustainable, community-driven development in our historic downtowns.

Throughout the Servis 1st Bank branch, a figure-ground map of Summerville and a series of hand-drawn sketches by architect Judy Dixon—depicting familiar streetscapes and landmarks of downtown Summerville—have been integrated into the interior design. These original works serve as both art and homage, connecting the new use of the building to the community’s history and identity. By celebrating the character of the surrounding neighborhood through hand sketches, the design fosters a sense of place and belonging, offering visitors a personal and meaningful connection to the town they call home. It's a quiet but powerful reminder that architecture is not only about form and function—but also about storytelling and local pride.

Thankful for a visionary client and collaborative design team including Harbor Contracting, ADC Engineering and Charleston Engineering.

“Rush and Judy are thoughtful, considerate, and genuinely kind people who approach every step of the process as true collaborators. They listened closely, offered thoughtful insights, and made us feel like part of a cohesive team. What could have been a long and stressful journey was made enjoyable and fulfilling thanks to their guidance and care—and the end result is absolutely beautiful!
”

— Ashley Rogers, ServisFirst Bank

SCNOMA's Project Pipeline

Building the Future: Supporting the South Carolina NOMA Project Pipeline Camp

In a world where the built environment shapes lives, the architecture profession must reflect the diversity of the communities it serves. That’s why Rush Dixon Architects is proud to sponsor the 2025 South Carolina NOMA Project Pipeline Camp—a transformative program organized by the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) that introduces middle and high school students from underrepresented backgrounds to the world of architecture and design.

What Is the Project Pipeline Camp? Founded by NOMA, the Project Pipeline Camp is a national initiative designed to empower underrepresented youth through immersive, hands-on experiences in architecture, urban planning, and design thinking. The South Carolina chapter of NOMA (SCNOMA) brings this mission to life locally through a dynamic camp that gives students tools to envision themselves as future architects and change-makers. Over the course of the multi-day camp, students are introduced to architectural fundamentals, engage in collaborative design challenges, visit professional architecture firms, and work alongside practicing architects and designers. The curriculum promotes creativity, critical thinking, and teamwork—skills that extend far beyond design and into every corner of life.

Why It Matters. The architecture profession has historically struggled with diversity. While people of color represent a growing share of the U.S. population, they remain significantly underrepresented in architecture. NOMA and its Project Pipeline initiative are working to change that, ensuring that the future of design is inclusive, representative, and equitable. Supporting initiatives like Project Pipeline isn’t just about education—it’s about equity. It’s about giving young people the opportunity to see themselves in spaces where they’ve traditionally been excluded. It’s about creating a stronger, more empathetic profession that designs with every voice in mind. At Rush Dixon Architects, we believe in the power of design to shape lives—and the power of opportunity to shape futures. As a sponsor of the 2025 SCNOMA Project Pipeline Camp, we are honored to support the next generation of architects and community leaders. Our sponsorship reflects more than financial support; it reflects our commitment to cultivating diversity in architecture, uplifting the voices of future leaders, and helping create a more inclusive built environment.

How You Can Help. If you’re inspired by the mission of NOMA and the Project Pipeline program, consider getting involved:

• Sponsor or donate to your local NOMA chapter.

• Volunteer as a mentor or guest speaker at Project Pipeline Camps.

• Advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion within your own firm or institution.

• Spread the word to students, educators, and community organizations.

Treetide Office Building

Designing with Nature: Biophilic Inspiration at the Tideline CPA Office in Mount Pleasant, SC

Set on an infill lot in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, the new 11,000-square-foot headquarters for Tideline CPA Group demonstrates how architecture can respectfully and creatively respond to its environment. At the heart of the design is a historic 49-inch live oak tree — a natural monument that became both the literal and symbolic anchor for the entire project. Rather than seeing the tree as a constraint, the team collectively embraced it as a generative force, shaping the building’s form, materiality, and experience around its presence.

The structure's L-shaped footprint was carefully composed to wrap around the live oak, creating a visual and spatial dialogue between the built and natural environments. This configuration carves out a passive outdoor courtyard beneath the tree’s canopy, where filtered sunlight and greenery create a natural atmosphere for informal gatherings and outdoor work breaks. From nearly every interior workspace, occupants maintain a strong visual connection to this central tree — a daily reminder of the enduring presence of nature and the benefits of working in harmony with it.

The building draws heavily on biophilic design principles, which seek to strengthen the human connection to nature through architecture. Inspired by the natural hierarchy of forest ecology, the design metaphorically treats the building as part of the understory — a supporting element to the grand canopy of the live oak. This metaphor informed everything from the structural rhythm to the material palette. Repeating brick pilasters across the façade suggest the trunks of younger trees in a grove, creating a steady cadence and grounding the building visually. Between the pilasters, chevron-patterned panels evoke the textures of bark and leaf veins, subtly referencing the intricate patterns found in the surrounding landscape.

The interior design continues this natural dialogue. Expanses of glass allow daylight to flood into every office and meeting space while maintaining a visual relationship with the outdoors. Wood accents — from ceiling details to interior finishes — bring warmth and tactility to the otherwise clean-lined modern structure, further enhancing the sense of calm and comfort that biophilic spaces are known to foster. Together, these elements create a working environment that not only looks out toward nature, but also feels intrinsically connected to it. The project seeks to be a thoughtful example of how a commercial building can elevate workplace well-being while paying homage to its context.

Client: Tideline CPA

GC: Harbor Contracting

Structural: ADC Engineering

MPE: Charleston Engineering

Landscape Architect: The Tomblin Company

Civil Engineer: Seabrook Engineering

Photos: Chris Smith

“Rush and Judy Dixon were a great partner for our project.  In addition to great visual design, they captured details and followed up on them, adjusted design as needed to help us stay with budget and promptly addressed needs throughout the project.   Rush and Judy are a talented team and at the same time approach the work with humility.  We are happy to endorse them any time.” Melonie Hammond-Trace