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Alumni Awards List

TORRY HESSMAN grew up in Sublette, located in southwestern Kansas, where his father was a contractor and his mother managed their rental properties. Following in his father's footsteps at age 14, Torry worked for his family's various business enterprises and remembers the frequent hail storms that raced through Kansas, causing constant maintenance and entire summers replacing roofs on their properties, including his own home.

Focusing his education on the design aspects of the building industry, Torry opted to attend K-State where he received the Bachelor of Interior Architecture. As a student, Torry participated in the College's international studies program, spending part of his fourth year at Fachhochschule, Trier, Germany. His student projects were entered in a number of competitions, including a regional design competition; a chair he designed received a first-place award and his case goods entry received third place. His coffee table and chair were chosen by the Department to be entered in the International Woodworking Federation Student Design Competition in Atlanta, Georgia. He also received honorable mention in the Halo/Metalux Lighting and Product Design Competition.

After graduation, Torry returned to Germany where he was employed for several years in architectural illustration, drafting and planning by Architects Bach and Stein. He specialized in perspective construction and delineation, as well as architectural presentations for both residential and small business design across the European continent. During this time, he was also self employed in architectural illustration and freelanced in case goods and display design, with a specialization in pharmacy design.

In 1995, Torry returned to the U.S. and moved to Colorado where he worked at Hagen Architects in design development, concentrating on designs for public and private schools. He also did carpentry and finishing for High Country Cabinetry, where his responsibilities included the design and construction of caseworks for large custom homes. Torry worked as a framer for Melssen Construction and for Hawkeye Drywall, mastering the art of hanging and finishing drywall with architectural elements. He was also a drywall subcontractor for John Bowman, Inc., where he worked on military housing units at Peterson Air Force Base.

As a General Contractor, Torry started his own business, Hessman Trades, Inc. HTI designs and builds large custom homes in Colorado Springs and the surrounding suburbs. HTI also subcontracts drywall for general contractors, and designs and builds entertainment centers and shelving from drywall. His many years in the construction field have allowed Torry to master almost every trade involved in residential building.

Torry built his first spec home using structural insulated panels (SIP) and post and beam construction in 2002 and 2003. He has become very motivated to build homes using alternative construction and environmentally friendly materials.

For the past four years, Torry has sponsored the HTI Student Design Competition for second-year interior architecture students at K-State. The 2003 competition asked the students to design all elements of an approximately 1,500 square foot medium- to high-range custom SIP home. The students are encouraged to create unique "out of the box" designs with the environment in mind. By holding this annual competition, Torry hopes to give something back to the interior architecture and product design program in sincere recognition and appreciation for the benefits his K-State education has brought to him.

Currently residing in Colorado Springs, Torry and his wife, April, have four children. Torry, his sister and brother, and their spouses are all proud to be K-State alumni. He also has two nieces and three nephews who have graduated or are currently attending K-State, including one nephew who is following in Torry's footsteps and is currently a second-year student in interior architecture and product design. In his spare time, Torry enjoys fishing, golfing, skiing, hunting, and spending time with his family in beautiful Colorado.