George Collignon can look around the region and see his handiwork in banks, schools, churches and the hospital.

All totaled, he's been involved in the design of more than 1,000 buildings.

But the well-known Owensboro architect said he counts the people he's met and the friendships he's formed over his 41-year career as even greater prizes.

He's been thinking a lot of late about the people he's met along his career path.

Collignon retired June 30.

"It was a blessing to get to come back here to work," he said. "And we were fortunate to get a lot of work."

After graduating from Owensboro Catholic High School and then the University of Kentucky in 1966, he worked three years as an architectural intern for R. Ben Johnson & Associates of Owensboro before becoming a licensed architect in 1969.

At that time, Owensboro had only two local architectural firms. Max Bisson & Associates was the other company.

Collignon worked for Johnson until 1974 when he started his own firm. Two years later, he and Nathan Nunley formed a partnership and practiced together until the late 1990s.

Collignon said he is proud of all of his designs.

"You have to put a lot of time on any building you design, and each one has a purpose," he said. "They all have different space assignments and needs."

He finally shares the one that stands out.

"Probably the most special building is Independence Bank," Collignon said. "The main building is one of a kind. It has the features of Independence Hall, but it's a high-tech office building."

Collignon designed the main office at 2425 Frederica St. and all of its branches.

Collignon and Nunley also worked with Omni Architects in Lexington on the first two to three buildings at Owensboro Community & Technical College.

"We put gabled, metal roofing on those, and they were the first of the community colleges to have that," he said.

The gabled roof was their design response to complaints that flat roofs always leaked.

Collignon also noted changes that had a significant impact on the industry, including computer assisted design or CAD, and the improvement in the technology for and design of trusses.

In his early years, the maximum truss span for a normal room would be from 25 to 30 feet. When that increased to from 50 to 100 feet, it allowed for opening up space without adding columns or joists.

He also has seen a significant advancement in electronics, especially with security systems, and that has played a role in design.

Having Daviess County Public Schools and OMHS as key clients helped Collignon stay up on his game, he said.

"Daviess County is one of the top school systems in Kentucky, and the high school has led in technology," he said. "We had to ensure that our designs would accept what they wanted."

Collignon said he always consulted with engineers and has a lot of respect for their work as well as trades workers who build his designs.

Sorting through a stack of pictures last week, Collignon points out friends from various projects.

Collignon is the chairman of the board for the Kentucky Board of Architects and Interior Design. In a recent e-mail to that group, he said the hundreds and thousands of people he met and the buildings that stand as memorials are special, and he enjoyed being on the cutting edge of the construction industry.

Pam Collignon said her husband's job was a 24/7 commitment. She, too, retired on June 30 from a health care career. The pair said they wanted to have time to enjoy life outside of work while their health allowed that.

The Collignons have two children.

Their son, Andy Collignon, is an architect working in hospital planning in Brentwood, Tenn. He has triplet daughters, age 8, and a son, age 5.

Their daughter, Amy Gunn, who is an attorney in Webster Groves, Mo., has two boys, ages 7 and 4.

"It's a busy house when they come to visit," Pam Collignon said.

They envision having the grandchildren a bit more this summer.

George Collignon also has found time to serve on the Salvation Army board and served as a scoutmaster for Troop 77. He also is a former Rotarian.

Collignon sold his firm to Hafer Associates 2 1/2 years ago, and it became Collignon & Nunley/Hafer Associates.

The company is now known as Hafer Associates with offices in Owensboro and Evansville.

Source: Messenger-Inquirer