Design Alabama: The Public Forum for Design in Alabama, Volume 12, Issue 1, 2002

              Spring 2002
Volume XII, Issue I
$4.00
Desi J---I\ abama
THE PUBLIC FORUM FOR DESIGN IN ALABAMA
DesignAlabama Inc.
Board 01 Directors:
Cathryn Campbell Gerachis, Chair
GOOd'tl'jfl, Miffs and Cawood Inc,
Montgomery
Nancy Mims Hartsfield, Vice Chair
Auburn University, Professor Emeritus
Montgomery
Elizabeth Ann Brown, Secretary
Alabama Historical Commission
Montgomery
Charles Callans, Treasurer
Birmingham Realty
Birmingham
Arnelle Adcock
Central Alabama Electric Cooperative
Prattville
Joseph R. Donofro
Donofro & Associates Architects fnc.
Dothan
Janet Driscoll
Driscoll Design
Montgomery
80 Grisham
Southpace Properties
Birmingham
Tin Man lau
Auburn University
Auburn
Robert Martin
Southern Progress Corp.
Birmingham
Kenneth M. Penuel
Southern Company Services Inc., Retired
Birmingham
Debbie Quin
Fairhope City Council
Fairhope
Kay F. Roney
Wallace Community College
Doihan
LarryWatls
Birmingham Regional Planning Commission
Birmingham
Karen H. Seale, Executive Director
Philip A. Morris, Director Emeritus
Volume XII, Issue I
Cover: Well designed parks enhance the
outdoors experience.
Letterfrmn the Director
Parks - Once a term used for the private property This publication is made possible ihrougii funding by
surrounding a country estate, this word today refers to the fhefo/loViingconfribu!ors'
beautiful, mixed-use public landscape that has become so
much a part of our American culture. When describing his
ideals for the perfect public park, Frederick Law Olmsted
commented, "We want a ground to which people may easily
go after their day's work is done and where they may stroll
for an hour, seeing, hearing and feeling nothing of the bustle
and jar of the streets, where they shall, in effect, find the city
put far away from them." A century-and-a-half later, parks
are still our great escape from the hustle and bustle of the
outside world.
In this issue we will take a look at the inventive ways that
Alabama's landscape architects are meeting the myriad
needs of the community without compromising the natural
beauty of the park setting. We will also explore the art of
exhibit deSign, visit with the community of Valley and
observe how a fun approach to interior design is making a
big difference for children in Mobile.
As always, it is my pleasure to share another issue of the
journal with you. I hope you will pass it on for others to enjoy
as well.
Karen H. Seale
Editor: Karen Seale
Managing Editor: Tomie Dugas
Art Director: Nancy Hartsfield
Associate Art Director: Ross Heck
Assistant Art Directors: Kelly Bryant, Tomie Dugas,
Samantha Lawrie, Wei Wang
Contributing Writers: Jessica Armstrong, Tomie Dugas.
Philip Morris. Karen Seale
Alabama state Council on the Arts
Gresham Smith and Partners
The Home Depot
A special thanks to Philip MONis lor his ongoing
assistance and advice wilh this publication.
Submission Information
DesignAlabama encourages submissions from
its readers. Articles about work from all design
disciplines are requested, as well as copy related to
historic preservation. Please submit copy along with
visuals (photos, slides. drawings. etc.) to
DesignAlabama Inc .. P.O. Box 241263.
Montgomery. AL 36124.
Items for Project News and Details of
Interest should include a paragraph summary
detailing the nature of the project, the design firm,
prinCipals and associates involved and any other
details that may be of interest such as unusual or
special design features. completion date,
approximate cost, square footage. etc. Also include
the name. address and phone and fax number of the
client and an individuai whom we may contact for
further information. Direct inquiries to Karen Seale at
(334) 353-5081 or mail to: designalabama@att.net.
Past journal issues are available for $6.00
including postage and handling. Contact Karen Seale
at the above numbers ior availabiliPj information
and to order.
© 2002 DesignAlabama Inc.
ISSN# 1090·0918
This issue of DesignAlabama was designed and
produced on Macintosh Computers utilizing QuarkXPress
4.1. Proofs were printed on a HP 4000N and tinai ouipul
on a Compugraphic 9400.
Lifting spirits with a dose of
under-the-sea fantasy.
p7
DesignAlabama IS a publication of DesignAlabama Inc.
Desi nAlabama
CONTENTS
Integrating active use with
passive beauty.
p15
FEATURES
"PARK DESIGN TODAY"
BALANCING NATURE WITH NEED.
HEARDMONT PARK
DEIBERT PARK
BLOUNT CULTURAL PARK
PARK PROJECTS SURVEY
DEPARTMENTS
ProjectANews
Enhancing the museum experience
through design
p.20
Reader commenlsand submission 01 articles and ideas lor Wo rk of statewi de s i g n i f i can ce .
future issues are encouraged.
...........••.....................
Design_Makes A Difference
USJl:s Pediatric Oncology Unit.
9
10
12
14
16
4
7 ••••••••••......................................
Designer@Profile
Exhibit Designer Terry Beckham. 20
CommunityeProfi Ie
Valley . 23 .....•...•.............
Details+Of Interest
Noteworthy observations. 25
Reconnecting a community
with the river
p.23
ProjectANews
Project News
is a regular
feature of
OesignAlabama and
provides
an opportunity
to keep
up-to-date on
design projects
that have an impact on
our communities.
Mobile Museum of Art
I \
Time Warner Cable's new office building in Birmingham's
Lakeshore Crossings Office/Technoiogy Park was designed
by Williams-Blackstock Architects PC. The 50,000-
square-foot building is the business communications and
warehouse epicenter for Time Warner's cable operations and
its high-speed Internet service. The Birmingham architect­ural
firm created a dramatic steel-and-glass entrance lobby
featuring a high-definition television edifice set against
Time Warner Cable
DesignA!abama 4
The Mobile Museum of Art is
undergoing a $15 million expansion.
The Architects Group/lnc. (TAG),
of Mobile, has been engaged to
"reposition" the existing 32,OOO-square­foot
museum to a 95,OOO-square-foot
regional cultural attraction that will
become the centerpiece for the city's 2002 tricentennial
celebration. The program spaces for the new museum will
include: interpretive/interactive galleries and studios for
education and public involvement; open, flexible galleries
for traveling exhibitions: galleries for a 5,OQO-plus
permanent collection; local artists gallery concourse; grand
lobby capable of seating 300 dinner guests; standard
collection storage, processing and conservation; orientation
theatre; auditorium and administrative area.
The layout will express a hierarchy of tri-part functions of
public gathering, formal gallery/exhibit and education/
interpretive. Logisticaliy, the functions are organized by floor:
changing exhibits on the top; permanent galleries, local
galleries, interactive/education at grade level connected by a
double height rotunda; and administration and collections
on the ground floor. The glass exterior of the main lobby will
orient the grand hall public entrance to the lake. Multiple
galleries feed off a central hub. Lead architect on the
museum expansion, which is nearing completion, is Daniel
J. Borcicky, AlA, and Derry M. Hargett, Jr., AlA, had
extensive input on the initial design of the building. Alice
H. Cutright, ASIO, is the interior designer.
sandblasted concrete panels with brick accent banding. The
concrete skin is interlaced with a delicate webbing of reveals
reflecting Time Warner's network of cables. Canopies
composed of translucent lexan panels set in a painted steel
structure penetrate the concrete skin indicating the various
points of entry along the building membrane. The principal­in-
charge was Joel Blackstock and project architect!
interior designer was Richard Carnaggio.
In designing the Rosa Parks Library & Museum, Sherlock,
Smith & Adams of Montgomery solved a complicated
spatial program with a simple, well-organized plan on a
restrictive urban site. The building, which houses three
different functions - museum, library and distance
learning department - and covers approximately 55,000
square feet on three levels, is the new flagship structure for
the revitalized downtown campus of Troy State University at
Montgomery. A modern two-story entry lobby complements
a conservative exterior sensitive to the aesthetic character of
surrounding buildings with balcony seating areas
overlooking the new clock tower and plaza. Landscape and
streetscape were designed to produce a seamless connection
with the plaza and define the extent of the TSUM campus.
The first floor is dedicated to the Rosa L. Parks Museum. In
addition to the 3,500-square-foot space housing a permanent
exhibit designed by Eisterhold Associates, SS&A designed a
1 ~O-seat auditorium with audiovisual and production
equipment, a temporary exhibition gallery, conference rooms
and gift shop. The second floor houses the main library and all
of the associated support spaces. The third floor is divided
between the periodical function of the library and the distance
learning department - a complicated area which houses
offices, a public radio studio and television production facilities.
Project designer was Paul Langland, AlA.
Rosa Parks Library & Museum ....
Evan Terry Associates of Birmingham has developed a
long-range site and facilities master plan for the relocation
of Gadsden's Central United Methodist Church to a 16-acre
site on Ala. Hwy. 77 in Rainbow City. Phase I is scheduled
to open this spring and will inClude the following amenities:
central hall with stage for worship and other activities, eight
classrooms, youth room, full-service kitchen, choir practice
room and nurseries for infants, babies and toddlers. The
church administration suite will include offices and a
parlor/library. Initial construction totals approximately
23,000 square feet.
CenlraiUniled Methodist Church ...
Polyengineering Inc. of Dothan designed the new Family
Life Center of the Abbeviile United Methodist Church. The
original sanctuary, built in 1896, was the inspiration for the
exterior fagade and detailing of the new addition. The
center's exterior repeats the ornate brickwork, cornices,
: wood trim, moldings, stained glass windows and matching
dormers that give the original structure its architectural
appeal. The facility, completed in 2001 for $1.2 million,
includes a full-service kitchen and a multi-purpose
room/auditorium for dining and large assemblies.
Abbeviffe UMC Family Ufe Center A.
: Seay, Seay & litchfield of Montgomery is responsible
for the new addition to the Archives and History Building in
the capitol city. The 60,000-square-foot addition houses an
archival reference room, interpret'lve museum and state-of­the-
art archival storage and office space. The exterior of the
addition reflects the Beaux Arts style of the existing 1930s
structure. Architectural elements such as the Ionic columns
and detailed cornice work are replicated to create a seamless
addition. The principal-in-charge was Jim Seay Jr. and the
project architect was Kathryn Williams.
Archives & History Addition ...
t[.' - ,
Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood Inc. was retained by
Comala Credit Union to design a new $2.5 million, 13,650-
square-foot addition to the existing facility located in the
heart of downtown Montgomery. Construction began in
January 2002 and includes parameters for the credit union
to remain operational during the process. Along with
existing building renovations including new offices, break
area and training space, the new facility houses typical bank
teller functions, seven interior teller windows and four
exterior drive-up lanes. Additionally, the structure includes
new offices, a board room, accounting areas and a large
entry lobby with a two-story atrium.
Comala Credit Union
Crawford McWilliams Hatcher Architects Inc. of
Birmingham has designed The Shoppes at EastChase, the
first phase of a 330-acre, master planned retail, office and
residential community in Montgomery. The lifestyle center
design reflects local materials such as brick and stone and
. takes a "Main Street" approach to building fronts. CMH
: designed all the retail buildings and is currently designing
exteriors and interiors for several of the restaurant tenants
including Crepes Eggsetra, a 3OG-seat facility with an
: outdoor dining area. The initial phase of 200,000 square feet
: will be completed in November, and a 150,000 square-foot
expansion of the center is planned for the future. Project
: architect is Michael O'Kelly.
Diamond Dispfays /ntemalionaf Breakroom
Louis Wynne Associates Inc. of
Magnolia Springs is working in
association with architect Carleton G.
McCurry of Gulf Shores to deSign the
Gulf Shores Sportsplex on a 96-acre
: site. The project, costing approximately
: $3.9 million, will be constructed in two phases. The first
: phase consists of a football stadium with track, field house,
: restroom/concessions and press box, high school basebail The Shoppes al EaslChase
raphic esign
field, softball field and soccer fields with attendant buildings
and parking. Phase II will add the five-plex softball complex
II : with parking and support facilities. The project will be
..... : finished off with substantially landscaped areas throughout
Wei Wang of WangDesign in
Auburn has created a logo for
Designhabitat. The project, a
collaborative effort by Auburn
University, the Alabama Associa­tion
of Habitat Affiliates and
DesignAlabama, will culminate in a prototype home for use
by Habitat for Humanity affiliates across the state. Wang's
deSign incorporates elements from each of the three
organizations and reflects the mission of Designhabitat to
build environmentally sustainable, energy efficient.
climatically responsible, high quality houses.
•
Diamond Displays International
designs and manufactures trade show,
museum and retail exhibits. Its new
facility features design elements and
personal touches that echo the firm's
creative business. DeSigned by owner
Jeff Culton and design director
Robert Donovan, the 70,000-square-foot facility was built
on a 10-acre site in eastern Birmingham with architectural
services provided by Williams-Blackstock The pre­engineered
steel structure has polished concrete floors and
exposed HVAC ducting, electrical conduits, plumbing, etc.
Diamond filled the space with its own custom-built office
partitions, reception desk, showroom displays, lighting and
other custom touches. The design department features
custom workstations framed with an aluminum modular
exhibit system faced with birch panels and finished off with
lacquered MDF tops. MDF is used in the custom lighting
panels throughout the office, as well as the baseboards.
Birch accents highlight the cabinets in the breakroom and
other custom furniture pieces adorning the offices.
: the site.
: Gull Shores Sportspiex A
: Blalock Design Associates Inc. of Birmingham is
: designing a 10-field soccer complex for the city of
: Auburn. The complex includes two large practice fields,
: clubhouse/control building, 300-space parking lot, irrigation
: pond and 16-acre passive area including nature trails with a
: natural creek. The project will be broken down into three
: phases. The first will include six fields, entrance road to the
: park, roughly half of the parking lot, one practice field,
: irrigation pond and the clubhouse/control building The
: second phase will focus on the four remaining fields, one
: practice field, the rest of the parking lot and a gazebo on the
: irrigation pond. The third phase will include an addition to
. the clubhouse/control building of an indoor soccer field.
: Principal designer is Alan Blalock.
City of Auburn Soccer Complex
5 Volume XII, No. I
The Alabama School of Mathematics
and Science in Mobile has an
impressive new auditorium after an
extensive makeover on a long vacant
former Baptist church sanctuary. The
challenge for interior designer Alice
H. Cutright of The Architect's Group/lnc. (TAG) was
to retain the building's historic character while integrating
state of the art provisions for recitals and assembly.
Existing religious imagery in relief was subdued by
matching background coloration, while existing plaster
moldings and decorative flourishes were restored. Original
seating with cast iron standards was restored for use in the
balcony, and new primary seating was matched using
aluminum standards for downstairs. Fabric wall panels
placed as per the acoustician and specific tilted planes
integrated into ceilings and walls enhance the acoustical
experience. Balcony guardrails of transparent glass and
gentle lighting in chair arms provide aesthetic safeguards on
stairs and aisles. Shades of fabric, carpet and paint were
selected to coordinate with window glass colors adopted by
the school. Flexible stage design, seating for 900, superior
acoustics and skillfully integrated audio and visual systems
accommodate a variety of programs and performance types
for the students and community. Auburn Gily Hall Grand Hall & Lobby .&
ASMS Auditorium
The historic renovation of the old Auburn Post Office into
the new Auburn City Hall returns the building to civic
service while preserving an Auburn landrnark built in the
1930s and vacated during the '90s. Architects Williams­Blackstock
left the exterior of "starved classical" style
essentially unchanged but adapted the interior to its new
use. The building prograrn required 12,000 square feet of
multi-use civic and general office space necessitating an
addition which was designed to blend with the building's
historic architecture.
The interior design involved removal of a low ceiling in the
center of the building to re-establish a large, 25-foot tall
open space with clerestory windows. This grand hall
became the central feature of the building. The existing
building was further enhanced by cutting large, arched
portals opening to the clerestory space and reinforcing the
arched openings on the front of the building. Adding period
lighting and traditional patterns and finishes revitalized the
original building's concept of an open, inviting area for the
public to meet with the city administrators and conduct
their business. Joel Blackstock was the principal-in­charge;
Tim Lucy, project architect; and Nathan Varner,
interior designer. CRS Engineering Inc. provided
engineering services.
DesignAiabama 6
In the design of Slocomb Elernentary
School in Geneva County, Sherlock,
Smith & Adams of Montgomery
utilized an alternative heating and
cooling system that has simple
maintenance, low operating costs and is
very cost effective. The Geothermal Heat Pump System
saves from 25 to 50 percent of the energy used by
conventional systems by circulating fluid from the ground
loop that captures heat frorn the earth and releases
concentrated heat to the building at a higher temperature.
During the summer, the cycle is reversed, and the earth
stays a constant cool temperature to cool the building. No
electric resistance heat is needed for the heating cycle. The
Geotherrnal Heat Pump System, which saves the school
more than $13,000 annually in heating costs, delivers 80
tons of cooling and is extremely quiet. There are 95 vertical
wells, roughly 300 feet deep, tucked neatly below the play
area in the back of the school. Project engineer was Frank
GarCia, PE.
Slocomb Elementary Heat Pump
esign
Grove Park community is under
construction across frorn Blount
Cultural Park in Montgomery.
Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood Inc.
laid out the master plan for the 500-
horne neighborhood, which inCludes
residences, garden homes, assisted and independent living
facilities, clubhouse, medical facilities and a 90-acre park
with trails linking it to Blount Cultural Park. Frorn the gated
entrance to the garden homes, the architectural design of
each structure conveys the charming English character
similar to those found on the grounds of the Shakespeare
Festival's home. The Montgornery firm has provided
architectural, interior design, landscape architectural, civil
engineering and surveying services for the Grove Park project.
Grove Park Inn
The Preserve is a traditional neighborhood development
proposed on approximately 300 acres within the city of
Hoover. The goal is to create a healthy, livable community
that offers character, convenience and variety and that
performs the cultural and Civic functions so vital to a real
sense oj place. In contrast to conventional subdivisions, the
plan takes a master planning approach that embraces a
range of retail, office and residential uses within the village
center and establishes a hierarchical structure created by
streets and open space. A strong emphasis has been placed
on pedestrian-oriented environments in order to create a
healthy, livable and hurnan-scale community.
Nimrod Long and Associates of Birmingham designed
the master plan and site entrances, as well as two parks that
are centerpieces of the village. The piant palette features
native species that have low maintenance requirernents and
reinforce the character of the wooded, hilly site . .&
The Preserve
by Jessica Armstrong
DesignlllMakes A Difference
Making
•
University of South Alabama's Pediatric Oncology Unit
Step liJ" unit at the University of SOl//1?
o /I?e new Pediatric oncolOgy
"'leba. , en's Hospital in Mobile ant!
'Il7a 8 Children's and Wol11
YOl/ can almost feel a gentle ocean breeze.
Stylized waves, tropical fish-shaped banners, porthole sconces and a glass bubble wall
create an under-the-sea fantasy. Christened USS Hope, the new treatment area offers
playful surprises and nautical references sure to delight young patients.
Children coping with cancer, sickle cell disease and blood disorders enjoy an envi­ronment
dramatically unlike most hospitals, thanks to interior designer Alice H. Cutright
of The Architects Group/Inc. (TAG) in Mobile. "Everything about the space was designed
to create a pleasant distraction and stimulate the imaginations of children undergoing
treatment," Cutright explains.
"The most significant characteristic of the space is the 'feeling' you get when you walk
in, of being in an underwater environment," she continues. "As you spend time there and
look around, you see new shapes, patterns and colors that reinforce this feeling. Shapes
are wavy, patterns look like water, and colors are cool and watery."
A 2,500-square-foot courtyard was enclosed to create this building��within-a-building.
The process presented many structural and code challenges, Cutright admits. "We wanted
to bring outside light into the space and achieved this by making the roof high enough to
place clerestory windows of blue patterned glass-block on two ends," she notes. "We
wanted the feeling of being underwater and looking through glass and water to the sky."
/1 sail-unler aquarium tcstlllhfiJi,:{ (I/,eri-"cojlr: (/i:'-{I'{IC/SjI(lfir:llh' lril/; fI m//J/{iI/.f. illjlU(!lIa{ (I., {bcy frtke {rt:/ll!lli)I1!~' in till i!ll(l,~in(f,'iu 1!!i(1{!I'·the·Sta rIlrfTQlillicnl.
7 Volume XII, No. I
-f(:,ting also was used to help create the underwater ambience. Cool watery colors surround the
patients. As they look up "warm sunny accent colors happen in the lighting and then the ceiling to create an
uplifting, cheerful feeling," explains Cutright. The ceiling is a confectionary palette, covered in tiles the colors
of Necco wafers.
To create patient bays within the space, light truss systems wind in and out of wavy pilasters. Colorful fish­shaped
banners can be raised for open communication between patients or lowered in each bay to provide privacy.
Architectural spaces of the room created two shelf areas above the other rooms where curved glass was placed
to simulate aquariums.
The $750,000 project was developed with input from patients. The name USS Hope was suggested by
18-year-old Emily "Queenie" Woodard. Walkie-talkies used by children to communicate during treatments was
10-year-old Michael Bowden's idea. Both patients have since passed away.
"Most hospitals and treatment areas are sterile, cold environments," notes Cutright. "The intent of the pediatriC
oncology unit is to make the multiple visits there less traumatic for the patients through colors and patterns that
stimulate the imaginations of the children being treated for cancer, which is a very scary and painful disease. For
example, the medical gases are placed in a decorative circle of aluminum laminate within the curvy pilasters to
make the hospital equipment seem less scary."
Cutright and her team have succeeded in designing a "less scary" space, as far as young Jacey Duke is
concerned. The two-year-old leukemia patient visits the unit regularly for chemotherapy treatments. So thrilled
is Jacey to enter the treatment area, she bangs on the door to get in, says her mother Jena Duke.
"She loves all the different colors, the curviness of the walls and especially the fish," says Duke, who
resides in Mobile. "It's exciting but it's also a quiet environment. It's a wonderful place for Jacey to get her
mind off the treatments." II
Jessica Armstrong is a freelance writer based in Auburn.
Cbeerfid blue, green. pin/! ill/d Plllp!e jfsl; bmmers swimmi!lg beloic (/ border oIimres pl'lJl:ide primcy !/'hen fOI1'ered.
OesignAlabama 8
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by Philip Morris
It has been said that our most appealing parks and parkways date from before World War II - a
kind of inherited beauty that more recent decades have seldom matched. Maturity of trees may be a
factor, but it does seem apparent that the fine civic improvements made during the City Beautiful
movement of the 1910s and '20s and through the Great Depression with the WPA-era's still-admired
projects were superior in design and quality.
Both the Olmsted naturalistic school and the Beaux Arts formality so powerfully projected at
the great 1893 Chicago World's Fair were drawn upon, each appropriate in different applications.
But, either way, these were strong deSign-driven approaches. In so many places, active recreation
interests took over from the 1950s onward. In many city park and recreation departments design was
secondary. For example, the Olmsted park system in Louisville, Ky., compromised by awkward
intrusions of ball fields and courts over the years is only now seeing comprehensive restoration.
Today in communities across Alabama there appears to be a groundswell of interest in parks.
Some are new with suburban areas trying to catch up to growing needs or secure open space before
development makes it impossible. Other projects involve reworking existing parks. Though there are
too many parks where little thought or design results in a sad-looking hodgepodge of competing uses,
landscape architects and other design professionals are bringing their talents to bear on many others.
In this review we feature three parks that show design balancing a mix of uses within an
enhanced natural framework We follow with a survey of projects underway ranging from renovated
waterfront to natural preserve to a town-wide park and open space plan. The clients include cities,
counties, foundations, schools, sports associations, environmental advocates and others, often in
partnership with each other and pooling resources to make things happen. A new generation of
excellence in park and open spaces is emerging.
Philip MorriS is an architectural writer and contributing editor to Southern Accents and Coastal Living magazines.
9 Volume XII. No. I
To strike a balance between active uses and scenic character, the KPS Group master plan for Heardmont Park makes Little Cahaba Creek the natural centerpiece. ©2001 Beth Maynor Young.
Nothing seems more apple pie than a park, so the hostile neighborhood "We went from a crowd of angry neighborhood residents when we began in
reaction to a proposed park in north Shelby County may have seemed 1997 to 300 people who showed up in support of the needed rezoning and only one
strange. But when parks are full of ball fields blasted with light and swamped by person speaking against it," says Darrell Meyer, who heads KPS Group's planning and
cars, they can be incursions. For Heardmont Park, both the design process and landscape staff.
the design itself turned the tide in favor of a successful multI-use park that brings
people together. For Amy Smith, project landscape architect, the challenge was to address the
pent-up demand for ball fields and other needs in the fast-growing area, all within a
For the planning and landscape architecture team from KPS Group who natural, passive-park framework on the 73-acre site. The size of the task is apparent
prepared Heardmont's master plan and oversaw implementation, the primary when those active uses are listed: sLx baseball/softball fields, three soccer fields, sLx
design issue was to balance active sports and other uses with natural features and, tennis courts, a high school football stadium and track, a children's playground, a senior
especially, to eliminate light pollution into surrounding residential areas. The community center and a sheriff's substation.
process - an extended design charette that brought the neighborhood
and all other parties into the same room - both helped resolve the conflicts and The longtime use of the property as a farm by the Heardmont family helped
produced a better park. direct the solution. Fields that had been cleared and leveled for cultivation 80 years ago
were incorporated into new ball fields. In contrast, the wooded little Cahaba Creek that
arcs through the middle of the site and a nearby wetlands were preserved and
DesignAlabama 10
enhanced, along \\~th natural buffers be~veen the park and adjoining residential areas.
Gates that stood at the entrance to Heardmont Farm were relocated and mounted an stone wall supports
to mark the main approach to the park from the parking area. ©2001 Beth Maynor Young.
Left: The wooded stream-side contributes to the park's passive beauty but
young residents find active pleasure in it. ©2001 Beth Maynor Young.
Bottom: Sports participants traverse the natura! heart of the park to get to
playing fields. ©2001 Belh Maynor Young.
There are many partners involved in the
creation and operation at Heardmont Park,
including (Ieff to right) Trey Ireland. Shelby
County Board of Education; Amy Smith,
project landscape architect; Deb Taylor, the
park campaign chairperson; and Cart Brunson,
Oak Mountain High School boosters;
edge of the park incorporates 610 parking spaces along its length. There were some
complaints from parents who expected to drop off their children at the fields, but the
move keeps the park from being overwhehned with paving, enhancing its natural feeL
And everyone who comes, for whatever purpose, walks through the park's
Even the farm structures were remodeled for new use: the farmhouse became the sher- open lawn, through the woods and over pedestrian creek bridges. "It has helped the
iffs station and park office and the barn the senior center and concessions stand. The park become a true center for a suburban area without such a place. In late afternoon
impressive iron gates that fronted the fann entrance were relocated and installed IVith or evening, it's like a north Shelby County 'passagiatta,''' says Meyer, referring to Latin
new stone wall suppO!1S. countries' evening stroll through tOIVTI.
"Our task was to provide a unique park vision and avoid Heardmont Park's instant popularity provides further impetus for Shelby
'industrial strength' ball fields," says Amy Smith. "We did the mas- County's ambitious development of parks. "I can see us having eight to 10 parks in the
ter plan, a grading plan and the lighting specifications." Given the foreseeable future, each \yith its own special setting and amenities," says Alex
complex uses and the multiple parties involved, their involvement Dudchock, county manager. "And we have four joint-ventures with
proved crucial. Like the list of uses, the partners are extensive: a municipalities underway right now. There is a simple reason: Our
non-profit Summit Foundation initiating the project and leading the citizens want it, and our leaders want it" II
fund-raising; the Shelby County Park & Recreation AutllOrity and the
Shelby County Board of Education. Also involved are Oak Mountain
youth baseball and softball, the American soccer lea"oue, Shelby
County Senior Services, the Shelby County sheriff's office and the Oak
Mountain High School boosters.
The light pollution issue was handled by specifying
light standards with both horizontal and vertical cutoffs, the hori­zontal
to prevent light spilling into adjacent neighborhoods and the
vertical to protect residents living above the park on nearby hillsides.
One KPS master plan move succeeds in both limiting the
impact of auto access and creating a shared public space. There is
no opportunity to drive through the park or drive to the various ball
fields. A curved drive that parallels Shelby Highway 119 on the outside
The KPS Group
master plan keeps
auto access and parking at
the outside edge of the site, with
the wooded course ot Little
Cahaba Creek and natural
wetlands a buffer between
uses. Soccer and baseball fields
(Ieff) occupy fields originally cleared
tor cultivation.
11 Volume XII, No. I
DesignAlabama 12
Deibert Park features two lakes, each with a pavilion. Existing woods are used as a scenic and educational component. AI! photographs by Patrick Hood Photography.
As a 1996 citywide master plan report noted, "Florence has made master plan was really needed. Lose & Associates, a Nashville-based land-substantial
investments in public parks and is recognized for the scape architecture firm that had done previous work for the city, was retained.
qUality of its park system." One of the plan reconunendations - to create Just in time, it turned out.
Deibert Park - had already taken a giant step: A decade or so before, Dr. Kirk
and Lillian Deibert had dedicated their 70-acre horse farm in the middle of "The process had gone on for so long, there was a push from Mayor
Florence's growing northeast area to be a future passive public park. Eddie Frost and others to do something," says project landscape architect for
Lose & Associates, Whit Alexander, a Florence native who was aware of the
"It was a significant gilt of very valuable property," says Leon Bates, site's history. "But many issues, like how the house and grounds still occupied
who heads the urban forestryihorticulture department of the City of Florence. by Mrs. Deibert would eventually be integrated into the park, had not been
"The gilt was originally made to a foundation, and it idled along for a number of addressed." Most immediately, the trails were to be altered to better consider
years while ideas about how it should be developed and used were considered." topography or the views that would result.
The process came to a head a few years ago, and the first phase of Deibert (pro-nounced
die-bert) Park was dedicated in the summer of 2000. Lose & Associates' plan proposed closing off several existing circula­tion
drives and reconfigured the trails layout, taking into account what land-
LDR International Inc., the Maryland-based planning and landscape scape architects call "viewsheds" - what users would see from various loca-architecture
firm that prepared the comprehensive master plan, developed a tions as they walked the trails. The revised layout uses existing woods and new
conceptual plan for the new park, one that did not fully satisfy the foundation planting plans to screen unwanted views of adjacent thoroughfares and com-board.
Even so, trails were being laid out as Bates and others realized a detailed mercial development. The landscape architects also introduced undulating
hills that the pathways .would move around, making the appearance more nat­ural
and the experience more interesting.
The landscape architects changed the walking trails layout to provide more interesting views and
reshaped the topography in places to make them seem as though they are following natural grades.
"The concrete walkways are tinted a greenish-tan hue to tone them down,"
says Alexander. "We made them the maximum recommended IO-feet \vide so there
is room for both pedestrians and bicycle riders, as well as allowing maintenance
The new playground, seen in the distance from one of the trails, repeats the roof shape of the Deiberts·
original barn in one of its play structures.
Existing site features used by
landscape architects Lose &
Associates to extend the farm
character include the entry
sign repeating the barn's roof
shape and the white rail fence
in the background.
trucks to traverse the park without damaging dIe grounds." Since dIe trail system to the City of Florence, funding and contributions came from the Deibert RolUng Acres
was funded with ISTEA-2I alternative transportation funds, connections are made Farm Foundation, Florence Tree Commission, Florence City Board of Education and the
for off-site links to surrounding residential, office and commercial areas. Alabama Forest Stewardship Program.
Portions of the site had been primarily used for grazing and equestrian So a just-in-time master plan by professional landscape architects has helped a
activities while odlers had been left more natural. The master plan reinforces these lovely gift of land turn into a new public park with a gracefully balanced mix of attractions.
distinctions and turns them into educational experiences in tune with Deibert Park's "In retrospect," Bates observes, "I think everybody involved now thinks we should have
mission, There is wedand habitat around two lakes, each with a pavilion for closer done the master plan before we did anything." •
observation of aquatic plants and animals; open field habitat highilghting planl, and
animals found in the transition area from field to forest; and forest habitat focused
on that environment's indigenous life fOl1ns, Plants native to north Alabama
and climate are used primarily,
But the agricultural history of the fonner horse fann also is
brought into the design, The existing bam and adjoining paddocks will
be used for teaching children about fanning heritage; the shape of its
gambrel roof is repeated in the park sign and the maroon red repeated
in the new restrooms on site, The landscape architects also repeated the
property's most recognized feature, the white four-rall fence, as part of
the new entrance, After Mrs, Deibert's life occupancy, the house and
grounds (about 10 percent of the site) are to be used for receptions
and other events,
Along with Lose & Associates, two Florence design firms were
involved: Barr, Tune, Hill & Parker Architects designed new structures
and White, Lynn, ColUns & Associates did the civil engineering. In addition
The park master plan
incorporates an existing
barn and house and uses
existing tree cover whenever
available to screen uses
from each other.
13 Volume
The first phase of Blount Cultural Park around the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's theatre was shaped like English country house grounds under the direction of the celebrated Russell Page.
Tom Blount and the late Perry Pitman were the architects on the theatre, sited to use existing trees as a backdrop. Photographs courtesy of Blount Cultural Park.
"\V le thstaertesedttin°gut'otor lbt,~,U~): ~oeatmrBel02unO tl"ecarso_aragcohio:tecThteoPf taIh'ekAlWaasbaIjUnsat New elevations and contours were set, with the landscape architect directing W ~ l' ,~O " the earthmovers by radio from a huge pile of dirt "like an orchestra conduc-
DesignAlabama 14
Shakespeare Festival's Carolyn Blount Theatre and collaborator with laIldscape tor," adds Blount Hundreds of trees were planted, but, due mainly to inhos-architects
and architects on the continuing evolution of what has become Blount pitable clay soil, most of them subsequently died,
Cultural Park in Montgomery, Blount is the son of Wynton Blount, who with his
Wife, Carolyn, are founders of the 300-acre park, At the time Page had urged the Blounts to buy adjacent land fronting
Vauglm Road, since the only way into the site was tllfOUgh all existing subdivision
Aspirations were high, so it is not surprising that one of the world's behind a commercial strip highway, but the land was not available, The theatre
most celebrated landscape architects of his time, Russell Page of England, was opened in 1985, and Page had died the year before, The ali museum, set over-brought
in to consult "He came forfour or five visits, At that time the site wasn't looking aIlOther lake, opened in 1988, Then in the early 1990s the land became
much more than a cow pasture on the edge of town, He mostly talked, but left us available, and development of a fuller park concept began,
one sketch, His ideas were blilliant The existing house was Georgian, so we looked
to Georgian Palladian in designing the theatre and that led him to an English New York-based landscape designer Edwina vonGal, who had a family
country house park setting, 1 still remember him looking out at the prairie and connection to Montgomery and had done work on the Blounts' adjoining estate,
saying '1 see a forest ", designed the new Shakespeare Garden in collaboration with Montgomery archi­tects
McAlpine-Tankersley using a sketch by Page for gUidance, A revised master
As with the "natural" 18th-century English landscape that served as plan, to include the added Vaughn Road frontage as the new main entrance,
precedent, the site was grandly reshaped, A hole was dug for the lake, and the began to develop under the same team with Tom Blount joining in the effort,
fill deposited where the new Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts was later built
Using a sketch from Russef/
Page, landscape architects
Edwina vonGal & Co. and
architects McAlpine~ Tankersfey
together developed the
Shakespeare Garden and
Amphitheatre in 1998,
located near the theatre.
With the site expanded to incorporate the new Vaughn Road frontage, a master plan for an enlarged Blount Cultural Park was developed by VonGa/ in coffaboration with McA!pine~Tankersley and Tom Blount. Amenities
include a new fake and the new arched bridge and shelter executed in masonry and stone.
Bob Rumsey, project architect for Edwina vonGal & Co. and now partner in
the firm of RIF Landscape Architecture in New York, describes the scope of this phase.
"We developed a new master road system leading in from Vaughn Road. We also settled
on a site for a proposed English village, laid out a new path system and a new lake and
sited the bridges and other structures that McAlpine-Tankersley designed." An amphi­theatre
was discussed but dropped.
The landscape architects also developed a list of trees that would have a better
chance to grow into the forest Russell Page imagined. Native mossycup oaks planted in
multiple rows create an impressive new edge along Vaughn Road. A recent planting of
300 large trees, among them willow oaks, pin oaks, water oaks, laurel and white
oaks, a gift of Scott and Vicky Williams, will soon have great impact. In another
major step toward realization of the expanded park, Briatl Barr, a horticulturalist
with an arboretum and botanical gardens background, was brought on as manag-ing
director.
But the exceptional quality being realized in the greater Blount Cultural Park
can be seen most notably now in tlle structures designed by McAlpine-Tankersley.
These include the pavillon in the Shakespeare Garden, the nearby restrooms, the playful
Weetop - all with authentic thatched roofs. Most recently completed is the combina­tion
bridge and shelter that spans the new lake, built of stone and timber and roofed
with limestone shingles. This is a structure worthy of the very best park building from
the WPA-era and earlier.
"These structures are very humble and approachable, not meant to impress
like so much that is built today," says Bobby McAlpine. "The bridge is a romantic folly.
Like everything we've built for tile Blounts, it is both poetic and rea!. It is full masonry con��struction,
like the chapel on their estate. They would make lovely ruins."
For park director Barr, if the Blounts had done nothing more than preserve this prop­erty
as open space \Vithin the suburban eastward push of Montgomery, it would have been an
incredible gift to the community. But the combination of important theatre, fine art museum and
exceptional landscape take it far beyond the norm. "I do hope we can build the English village
with its great stone and timber barn," he says. "And I hope Wynton Blount lives forever." ..
The most recently executed portion of the master
plan is the new entrance and lake (right) on land
added fronting Vaughn Road in the 1990s. Future
pfans include an English viflage and incorporation of
the Blounts' private estate into the whofe.
15 Volume XII. No. I
MOSS ROCK PRESERVE
ALBERTVILLE RECREATION CENTER
HOMEWOOD CENTRAL PARK
GADSDEN WATERFRONT PARK
HELENA OPEN SPACE PLAN
MOBILE GREEN SPACE MASTER PLAN
For its location \vitrun the large and growing Birmingham suburb of Hoover, the Moss
Rock Presen'e has remarkable natural credentials: four globally endangered plant species,
a rare plant community on a sandstone outcrop and a nJgged group of large boulders
emerging from a cliff face. A recently completed plan by Nimrod Long & Associates puts
the emphasis on "preserve."
"The City of Hoover purchased the 260 acres about 10 ye-ars ago," says project
arclUtect RYan Collins. "We have presented to Hoover officials and interested residents a
series of options. The Friends of Moss Rock Preserve wanted as little impact as possible.
Others felt there should be wider trails that would make it more accessible, but everyone
agrees that preservation is the main goaL"
The decision made favors the light impact. Trails will be 4 feet wide, not a
proposed 6 feet wide. Also dropped was a proposal to dear an open meadow. Still, the
experience of the site's natural wonders will be enhanced. The master plan cails for re­moval
of impromptu trails leading directly to tile sandstone outcrop in favor of new ones
more gracefully fitted to the topography. The \valk will be less direct but more intereSting.
Parking also has been dispersed. The;e will be ouly one smail parking area on
the property, but parking will be available as part of a new fire station being built adjacent
to the preserve. In addition, there will be a place to park incorporated into The Preserve,
a pedestrian-oriented neighborhood being built by USS Realty. Nimrod Long & Associates
planned the development and also a new two-lane parkway that curves through both the
new neighborhood and the Moss Rock Preserve.
MOSS ROCK PRESERVE MASTER PLAN
OesignAlabama 16
1111en landscape architect Dale Fritz was asked by the City of AIberMlle to look at the Alber~ille
Recreation Cellter, it was dear it had not been guided by a plan. "You could tell that whenever they
had some mOlley, they went out and built sometiling," he says. Indeed, this project is the first Olle
ill wlUch the north AIabanla city has employed a landscape architect.
ExpanSion of the 34-acre park by 70 acres w~s iustigated partly as an economic develop­ment
move, Witll a new complex of five tournament-level softball fields seen as a way to anract teams
that would fill hotel rooms and rl'Staurants. Dale Fritz & Associates of Birmingham developed a master
plan that also \\'il1 make the existing park much more attractive and accessible.
"There are a lot of conflicts between pedestrians and velUdes, a lot of paving right next
to ball fields and very little landscaping," Fritz explains. The plan calls for one main entry and drive
to be converted into a landscaped pedestrian environment. Existing walking trails, one of the most
popular features, are to be expanded from 0.7 miles to more than three miles in lengtil. Presently,
just about everyone has to drive to the park Pedestrian access will be enhanced with a new walking
path from a neighborhood just north of the park, and the city also plans to build new off-site side­walks
leading to others.
A major factor in Albertville bringing in a landscape architect was to address concerns
from adjacent neighborhoods. "We have worked with CDG Engineers, a local firm, on many civil
engineeling projects, but we wanted a more pleasurable quahty for tile walkways, picnic areas and
passive recreation components," says Philip Formby, director of parks and recreation. "We also
wanted to address nearby neighborhoods' concerns that the expansion would not be an intrusion.
We are leaviug natural buffers, and the improved landscaping will make the whole park a more
attractive place to live near."
ALBERTVILLE RECREATION CENTER MASTER PLAN
A 12-1cre park in Ihe heart of Homewood, a close-in Birmingham suburb, has been "loved To complement a successnd Broad Streel slreetscape and revitalization project, the City of
to death," and landscape architects are part of the team working to revive it. Renaturatizing Gadsden has turned attention to its under-utilized Coosa River \vaterfront. A master plan
a concrete channel into something more like a natural stream is at the core of the project. by KPS Group of Birmingham includes both open space components and adjacent uses to
animate the waterfront.
Working under Burchfield Penuel Architects, the lead finn on this Ci~' of Homewood
project, Ross-Kelly prepared the master plan and site development components. "TIlcre is all "The city requested that a ma.<)ter plan turn the waterfront into a focal point for
antiquated concrete channel that bisects the park, and our plan calls for it to be removed," dmvntovm and the community," says landscape architect Amy Smith of Kl'S Group. "City
says landscape architect jane Reed Ross, who lives nearby and uses the park l,vith her family. HaH and a conference center are on the bluff above, so this really can enhance the image
"In its place we have designed a water channel that undulates from side to side and has and public perception of the whole area." For the existing stretch, which seems more
changes in level like a natural stream:' parking lot than park, Ihe plan calis for the 1,200,foot-Iong boardwalk 10 be repaired and
enhanced l,vith new seating, lighting and benches. Pming will be removed, allowing the
The ne\\' water course \\ill have an open V-shape \\ith sides stabilized with perfo­rated
concrete pavers that allow grass to grow in the openings. About half\vay through the
park there will be a bio-retention pond filled with bog and aquatic plants that will help slow
down and filter storm runoff. The new changes in level also will slow the water and aerate it.
River birch, bald cypress and other trees amenable to stream-side locations will be planted
to add stability and provide a more natural appearance,
Ross-Kelly also swung the water channel to the side to make room for a larger
lawn as the centerpiece for the revived park, so the change enhances the whole master plan,
An existing playground, too close to a busy street, has been put further inside the park,
replaced by a new hard-surfaced area for skaters, youngsters learning to ride bicycles and
other activities, Native stone walis inspired by WPA-era designs will be used to define new
entryways, The same stonework vvill be featured on a new stage that can either play to the
adjoining la"m or, on the opposite side, a ne\\' amphitheatre - for the first time pro\'iding
a permanent location for events such as "We Love Homewood Day" or "Friday Flicks" out­door
movies in sullllner,
HOMEWOOD CENTRAL PARK MASTER PLAN
space to become more open and green. Another parklng area near the Walnut Street ter­minus
\\-111 be replaced \\lth sloping la\\11 that can sen'e as seating for a new bandstand
below. A new parking deck wi1l serve both the conference center and the waterfront park
To the south, the plan calls for reshaping an existing pond and other City-owned
property benveen the park\vay and the river to make a more attractive gat€\vay. The land
\\111 be recontoured to open up to the river and a new sculptural water feature created.
An existing embankment will be faced to resemble a bridge, providing pedestrian access
from the south for the first time. For existing \varehouses and other private property facing
the parK'way and liver, the liPS plan calis for a new pedestrian streetscape and conversion
to active uses like restaurants that \\ill be complementary to an existing theatre nearby.
More park-like and pastoral to the north, more animated and urban to tilt south
is what the master plan emisions for Gadsden's waterfront.
GADSDEN WATERtRONT PARK MASTER PLAN
17 Volume XII. No. I
· IIEllNI OlEN SliCE II..IN
Once a little rural crossroads community in Shelby County, Helena has been experiencing Centenary celebnl.tions often generate ambitious projects with lasting impact. The TriCentennial Committee
new grO\;lh as part of metropolitan Binningham - but with a difference. A new master open of Mobile commissioned a Green Space Master Plan to be part of the city's 300th anniversary, a move that
space plan sets the stage for an interrelated series of trails and parks, a green frame\vork might shape a metropolitan-wide future worthy of its historic, live oak-lined Government Street.
for coming development.
Developer Ronnie Morton, who help set a different tone with revitalization of
Old Town Helena ill1d creation of a walking-scale cottage neighborhood nearby, has part­nered
with USS Realty, a major property owner in the area, to finance ule plan b\' KPS Group.
The scheme calls for new pedestrian-oriented neighborhoods and ;illage centers to be
linked to each other, to several new parks, an elementary school and Helena's Old Town.
"TIle developers want to work with the city sharing the cost of land and improve­ments,"
say, landscape architect Amy Smith of KPS Group. "The city is seeking funding to
build a 3.7-mile portion of the greenway that "ill tie things together." The City of Helena
also has commissioned the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham to
prepare a comprehensive plan that incorporates ule open space plan. Additionally, the
Aubunl University Center for Architecture & Urban Studies in Birmingham will be doing
a small town design studio as part of the planning initiative.
This shared \lsion of Helena imagines more than a random series of subdi'.-1sions,
and the open space plan is a critical part of what could be a genuine civic fnture.
HELENA OPEN SPACE MASTER PLAN
DesignAlabama 18
Selected to develop ule plan were flVO Mobile landscape architecntre finns, Brandon Adams
Landscape Architect and Plauche' Johnson Landscape Architects, that formed a joint venture named
Associated Landscape Architects (AlA). They began work in December 1999. Thongh traditional parks are
an important component, the overall plan looks at open space in a comprehensive, environmental~based
fashion that should make it a model for other communities statewide.
Here is a condensed version of ALA's repOlt accompanied by the master plan and a selected section
drawing to illustrate particular concepts:
AIXs initial task was ule identification of current outdoor space and
recreation facilities and the projection of future open space demands. The final master plan would outline
a general "greening" concept with which the city would supply parks and green spaces to keep pace with
expanding development and grmvth.
Sl'RATEGIES Based on the inventories of existing parks, research of repoltS and mas,
ter plans and interviews of planning offiCials, AL\' recommended the City concentrate on five strategies in
the future:
1. Expansion of parks to growth areas & existing neighborhoods
There would be a need for large parks in the intense areas of grO\vth in the west and southwest
sections of Mobile. In addition, there would be a need for acquisition of small 112- to 2-acre parcels for
neighborhood parks in all sections of the city.
A need was also seen for the acquisition for "visual" green spaces throughout the City. These
areas would be heavily planted "ith trees to soften paving, utllities and buildings. Among these spaces
would be interstate highway interchanges, reclaimed medians and undevelopable land acquired through
conservation easements.
MOBILE GREEN SPACE MASTER PLAN
2. Acquisition of park land in the county
There should be acquisition of property in the county to keep pace "ith future
grO\vth and annexation of the city into outlying areas, especially in the l,;,,'est and north areas
of Mobile County.
3. Connection of parks and green spaces
Bike paths and lanes using existing and proposed street rights-of-way, drain­age
rights-of-way. etc. could link most major parks in the GSMP and prmide miles of
recreation amenities.
Tree plantings along major thoroughfares and with new planted medians could
,isually unite parks, green spaces and right,-of-way "ith foliage, flowers, fruit and fall color.
4. Preservation 01 environmentally important areas
There should be acquisition of property to protect the watersheds of Mobile's
creeks and rivers, recharge ground water and filter storm water before it enters the local
stream system and, eventually, Mobile Bay.
Riparian (vegetated) buffer areas along waterway' should be acquired and existing
ones reserved and restored to help filter stonn water, prmide additional green spaces and
encourage stream conservation.
Existing "brovmfield" areas should be acquired and converted into green recharge
sites and green spaces. These sites could be acquired outright, leased from private landmmers
or converted into conservation easements.
5. Development of waterfront and water access areas
TIlere would be a strong need for public access to water and waterfront areas,
including Mobile Bay and various rivers, streams and lakes. Very few of such access pOint,
exist in the city at present, and the demand for them is climbing.
;":'Ijfi!~'$ Liiu" !t "lllfhIl~1i In order to maximize available funds, ALA proposed that as
many new green spaces as possible be located on existing public lands, including city and
school board properties. Recreational uses would thereby be shared by those two entities.
City land would consist of designated park parcels and undeveloped non-park
parcels. School board land would consist of undeveloped "s;"1eenth'· sections and other
smaller parcels not currently used for schools or school facilities (some airport authority
land also would be used).
Private land would be acquired by purchase, donation, swap for public land or
tax benefit (conservation easements). In addition, some land could be leased for park
and recreation uses from corporate owners (Alabama Power and Mobile Water & Sewer
System, etc.).
The combined area of the proposed parks (1,695
acres) and existing parks (1,2% acres) will give Mobile a totai of 2,951 acres of parks and
green spaces. That would equate to 14.8 acres per 1,000 people, double the minimum 7
acres per 1,000 people recommended by the National Recreation Association. The majority
of the proposed parks and green spaces, 64 percent, would be on public land while only
36 percent would be on private land (to be acquired or leased).
The cost for development of the new parks and green spaces in the GSMP is
estimated at approximately 539 million, excluding acquisition.
The first phase of the implementation of the GSMP is presently being prepared
for bidding. It will consist of a one-mile section of the bike path along Montlimar Creek
drainage right-of-way. Estimated at 5250,000, this phase witi also have benches, interpre­tive
signage and an e;..iensive planting of native riparian (stream-side) trees.
WJ&',L,il Although the Green Space Master Plan
outlines a "greening" concept for parks and green spaces in Mobile, hopefully, it also "ill
serve as a catalyst for a "green" mindset within the City. AlA proposed the city adopt the
following goals to achieve that mindset:
1. The city should reqUire that each new park contain the majority of its storm
water on site. This practice, accomplished with the use of permeable paving, infiltra­tion
beds, ponds, etc., would greatly reduce construction and long-term maintenance
costs for drainage.
Different technologies should be explored to better handle the storm water that
enters the city's drainage system, including "daylighting" of covered streams, natural
channel design in lieu of concrete- or gabion-lined ditches, etc.
2. Only native and non-invasive plants should be used in public properties.
Plants proven invasive and detrimental to natural habitats would be removed (and pro­hibited
in all new parks) (mimosa, popcorn tree, Chinese privet, Japanese honeysuckle,
blood grass, etc.). The use of plants suspected of becoming invasive should also be
discouraged (Russian olive, nandina, yellmv flag iris, etc.).
3. Emironmental resources should be promoted and tied to the city's other
tourist assets. With assets snch as the Mobile River Delta, Mobile Bay, 300 years of history
and the proposed bike path system, Mobile could offer a multi-dimensional tourist experience.
4. The city should establish a norm of its "green" ethic. Practices which pro­mote
recycling, condemn litter, encourage environmental efficiency, reduce solid \vaste,
etc. would be practiced by the city and encouraged in the public realm.
5. The city should develop and implement strategies for tree planting in large
open paved areas. These plantings would not only enhance the areas ,isually but also
reduce reflected glare and the intensity of heat islands. 1111
MONTLIMAR CREEK PARK TYPICAL SECTION
19 Volume XII. No. I
DesignAlabama 20
above and right: The "Matisse" exhibit's iron-like fretwork,
which was actually constructed from PVC pipe and plywood,
was inspired by a turn-of-the century Rodin exhibit.
far right: Beckham employed bright primary colors and
cartoon graphics to draw visitors through the museum's 1989
"Looney Toons" exhibit.
Designer~Profi Ie
TERRY BECKHAM
by Karen H. Seale
A cross between an architect and a set designer, the museum exhibit designer plans, designs
and oversees construction and installation of exhibits and displays, creating a foil for the artwork
and enhancing the overall experience for the museum patron,
Terry Beckham's strong design choices add vitality to
the exhibits at the Birmingham Museum of Art. A grad­uate
of the University of Alabama's fine arts program,
Beckham began his career as an exhibit designer with
the Huntsville Museum of Art. In 1984 he returned to
his Birmingham roots to work for the state's premiere
art museum, where he currently is head of the exhibit
design department. From his childhood Beckham
knew he wanted to work for a museum and considers
this job a perfect outlet for his artistic talents. "I've
found my niche," he concedes.
When creating a new exhibit, Beckham first has to
determine how the artwork will fit into the assigned
gallery space - or even if it will fit into the museum
at all. "It boils down sometimes to the size of the
doors," Beckham explains. This was certainly the case
with the museum's 1999 "Searching for Ancient
Egypt" exhibition. Early in the design process, it
became apparent that the elevator would not lift the
largest piece, which weighed more than 9,500 pounds.
"We considered taking the front doors off the museum
and using a pulley system to bring it in or physically
cutting a hole in the roof and craning it in - all kinds
of scenarios. What we finally opted to do was to
upgrade our elevator." The designer then crafted an
"Egyptian-style" pulley system to haul the large pieces
into the gallery for assembly.
Drawing from various resources such as architec­tural
history texts and the knowledge of the exhibit
curators, Beckham gathers as much information about
21 Volume XII. No. I
OesignAiabama 22
left: Like the entrance to a grand Victorian home, these
antique doors were the inspiration for Beckham's design
of the Dwight and Lucille Beeson Gallery, which showcases
the museum's extensive Wedgwood collection.
the artwork as he can, including the time period of the
pieces and their region of origin. The iron-like fretwork
that Beckham designed for the 2000 "Matisse" exhibit
was inspired by images he had found of a turn-of-the­century
Rodin exhibition. On occasion Beckham also
will travel to the artworks' place of origin, as he did
when designing the museum's permanent exhibition
space for its Far East collection.
From his research Beckham generates a compre­hensive
concept for the design. "Sometimes it's done
in one fell swoop," he explains, "or sometimes I have
to go through a process where I tweak the design
based upon information I get from the curators to
arrive at the final product." Working from the ground
up, Beckham finesses wall placement, color choices,
architectural details and artwork position to create an
overall experience for the museum visitor.
Often, he selects bold colors to enhance the exhibit.
"It is a great tool - dark colors allow for more dra­matic
lighting," Beckham says. A fine example of this
can be found in the museum's "European Master­pieces"
exhibit, a traveling show from the National
Gallery of Victoria, Australia, that currently is on dis­play.
Beckham employed changes of color from dark
to light to highlight the six centuries that the artwork
encompasses, endowing the exhibit with a sense of
flow as it directs patrons through the gallery.
After 22 years as an exhibit designer, Beckham
continues to innovate, even finding new challenges
with the museum's permanent collections. "Over the
years, some of these collections have been moved
three of four times, and I have redesigned the same
permanent collections at least that many times. It's a
great opportunity to do it better every time." With each
new design, Beckham strives to improve. "I want my
last exhibit to be the best I have ever designed.",i,'
left: Beckham often uses appropriate architectural details
to convey an overall sense of time, as can be seen in his
entrance to the "Searching for Ancient Egypt" exhibition.
below left: Utilizing techniques tram ancient Egypt,
Beckham crafted a pulley system to install large pieces
trom the 1999 "Searching tor Ancient Egypt" collection.
below right: Challenged by the air vents in the Far East
Gallery's ceiling, Beckham strategically placed oriental
open fretwork in his design.
Community.Profile
a e • •
a Community with l1sion
Nestled along the Chattahoochee River at
the border between Georgia and Alabama;
the City o/Valley is a small community
with big dreams.
Valued for its location along the waterway, the land was initially developed in 1866 by ~vo groups of merchants
and cotton planters for textile production. The result was the fomlation of four mill villages over the next 50 years:
Riverview, Langdale, Shawmut and Fairfax. The last to be constructed, Fairfax ~ii\l and its surrounding village were
built in 1915 according to a comprehensive plan designed by landscape architect William B. ~Iarquis. It featured
iruomJaI residential streets circling the mill and an open village green.
As was typical of company towns, life in these villages revolved around tile mills. Along with the manufacturing
facilities, tlbe textile companies proVided housing, stores, churches, schools and recreational faCilities for their workers,
resulting in four extremely tight-knit communities with residents working, living and worshipping together The four
villages continued to evolve independently until 1977, when changes in the textile industry and economic structure of
tlbe area encouraged their union as a single community. The City of Valley was offiCially incorporated on May 20,
1980, with a land area of approXimately 10 square miles and 9,200 residents.
In the last ~vo decades since its incorporation, Vailey has made great strides to preserve its unique past while
establishing avenues for future progress. Recognizing the need to create a long-teml plan for development of its new
community, Valley officials requested the assistance of DesignAlabama. Impressed with Valley's initiative and potential
to capitalize on the results of a charette, an eight-member team was assembled under the Alabama Community Design
Program (ACDP) in March of 1999. After conducting an intensive four-day study of the city, three strategic initiatives
were developed: completing and enhancing the CVR Rail-Trail, designing improvements to key road connections and
recapturing and capitalizing on the Chattahoochee River: From these recommendations a comprehensive plan, coined
the "Valley Vision," was created.
Valfey's Riverfront Master Plan has been tfrvided into fire sections, as iflustrated above,
above:
Built in 1915, the Fairfax Mill arid its
surrounding Vl7/age were constructed
according to a comprehenshte plan
deSigned by landscape architect
William B. Marquis.
ngM:
Now under construction, Phase I of
the riverfront development includes
renavation and expanSion of the
Langdale Boat Landing and
adjacent park area.
by Karen H. Seale
23 Volume XII. No. I
Valley's future plans include enhancement of the
/ ,~ "gateway" entrance w vafley off Interstate 85.
/~> ..
//
Valley's Rail-Trail Leads the Way
Even bef01~ the DesignAlabama charette, valley had begun the conversion of its defunct Chattahoochee Valley Railroad
line into the CVR Trail under the Rails-to-Trails program. Rails-to-Trails is a national conservation program that
converts abandoned railway corridors into multi-purpose public paths. Now complete, this 7.5 mile trail is a significant
addition to the community as both a source of recreation for the residents and an attraction for tourism. Starting at
the Shawmut Mill, tile trail winds through the four mill villages, as well as through unpopulated forest areas and along
the river Plans for further development include connecting the CvR Trail to riverfront recreational areas.
RecaptUring the River
Once the main source for hydroelectric power to the textile plants, the Chattahoochee River played an important
part in Valley's history. However, as other forms of power became readily available, the mills were moved to more
convenient and modem facilities, and the connection between the villages and the river was lost. 1b recapture and
capitalize on the potential that the river presented to Valley, landscape architect David Pearson of Birmingham was
engaged to develop a riverfront master plan. A member of the DesignAlabama charette team, Pearson was already
familiar with the opportunities the Chattahochee offered as a recreational, historical and environmental anlenity
for the community.
"The ultimate goal of the Rivelfront Master Plan is to establish a continuous protected buffer and greenway along
the entire section of the Chattahoochee River within and adjacent to Valley," Pearson says. "This buffer and greenway
would include a multi-use path for walking, jogging, bird-watching, fishing and just enjoying the scenelY of the river:"
Pearson's plan includes five distinct areas. Riverview Park and Ailfield Park anchor the plan with large multi-functional
parks and open spaces. In the center of the plan runs a rivelwalk, the most f01mal element of the plan, which is expected
to include walking paths along the rivel; an event and picnic lawn, fishing terraces and a connection to the CVR TraiL
This area is flanked on either side by conservation and wildlife easements where there are steep slopes and wetlands.
Work now has begun on the development of the livelwalk, which includes renovation and expansion of the Langdale
Boat Landing and adjacent park area.
OPening the Gate to New Opportunities
Spurred by recommendations made during the DesignAlabama charette, Valley now is taking steps to capitalize on
its exceptional location as the "gateway" to Alabama along Interstate 85. Recently city officials contracted with KPS Group,
a Birmingham design firm, to develop a strategic urban design concept for the city. KPS's recommendations include
the creation of sign ordinances and building standards that would fit the vision of the community - espeCially along
main thoroughfares like Highway 29, the development of a wajfinding system for main attractions like the riverfront
and CvR Trail and enhancement of the entrance to the city off Interstate 85.
Valley's commitment to improvement and gro\\1h has earned it recognition from across the state, and in 2000,
the American Planning Association's Alabama Chapter awarded Valley their coveted Planning Program Award. "A city
or community must plan in order to prospel;" explains Jim Jones, chairman of tile Valley Vision Advisory Committee.
"We must plan for the future and provide the type of environment that will encourage individuals to stay and migrate
toward our city. We must work hard to grow in such a way that we are proud of where we have been and where we are
going. We must draw upon our strengths and work to eliminate our weaknesses. With vision and hard work we can
achieve greatness." •
DesignA!abama 24
The Valley Vision Advisory Committee. Back row: Bonnie Bonner, Allen Hendrix, Mayor
Arnold Leak, Chairman Jim Jones and Martha Cato. Front tow: Charlene Atkinson,
valerie Gray, Elizabeth Lyons and [Jebbie Wood.
Valley hopes to recapture the Chattahoochee River as a recreational, historical and
environmental amenity for the community.
Once a link between the four 'Iillages, the Chattahoochee Valley Railway now serves the
community as a recreational trail.
Starting at the Shawmut Mill, the trail winds through the four mill villages, as well as
through unpopulated forest areas and a1MY the river.
MOBILE ADDYS
The Mobile Advertising Federation Club awarded 77 ADDYs in
February. The three judges for the competition had impressive
credentials in advertising. marketing and design with top NY
agencies and international clientele. Sullivan-SI. Clair made a
big showing earning 17 golds, 12 silvers and a Best of Show for
Broadcast/Electronic Media and another in Print for Business to
Business Campaign/Flat. Lewis Communications' Mobile
unit pulled in 13 golds and eight silvers Denson/Reed
Marketing won five golds, eight silvers and the Judge's Award
for Electronic MedialTelevision.
Top to bottom:
Gold ADDY/lndustry Self-Promo Interactive
The BLR Agency
Goid ADDY/Consumer Magazine 4-color
Big Communications Inc
Best of Show
LWi Communications
SIUaeflt Achievement Award/Print
Leigh Ann Hillabrand
Goid ADDY/Graphic Desigrrer of the Year
Angela Stifi/Copperwing Design
Sludenl Actf!evement AwardfEec\ronlc
Justin Cox
Best of Show/Print
Suiiivan-SL Clair
Gol.d ADDY/Advertising lOI ihe Arts
Broadcast Electronic
The BlR Agency
Details+of Interest
A w A R D s
~j~Pf{ftJfjI3Ti!j;,;,
'l feattJr~'~r
a wide variety
of events and
resources,
•
Alabama Advertising Federation's ADDY Competitions
in early 2002 the seven Advertising Federation clubs in Alabama held their ADDY competitions with some results highlighted below,
The three-tiered national contest conducted annually by the American Advertising Federation is the industry's largest and most repre­sentative
competition for creative excellence Gold winners are entered into the Seventh District Competition which includes 29 adver­tising
clubs from Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana and Mississippi. This year the district competition for the Huntsville,
Shoals, Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Montgomery, Dothan and Mobile clubs will be hosted by the Birmingham Advertising Federation,
and district winners will be announced in April in Atlanta,
BIRMINGHAM ADDYS
Birmingham's Advertising Federation Club awarded 56 Gold
ADDYs and 57 Citations of Excellence, Lewis
Communications was the big winner in the competition,
walking away with 16 golds, 17 citations, plus a Best of Show
for Consumer Magazine/Four Color and Best of Show for Mixed
Media Campaigns/Regional/National. Big Communications
Inc. garnered seven golds, seven Citations, plus a Best of Show
for Television Consumer ServiceslTraveL The BLR Agency won
five golds, four citations, plus a Best of Show for Radio Single,
and Intermark Agency grabbed six golds and six citations,
MONTGOMERY ADDYS
The Montgomery Advertising Federation Club doled out 50
awards, Honors went to LWT Communications for four golds,
20 silvers and Best of Show, Copperwing Design won four
golds, four silvers and Graphic Designer of the Year - Angela
Stiff, Cunningham Group pulled in two golds, three silvers
and a Best of No Show. LWT/KBK New Media garnered two
golds and a silver. DesignAlabama won a gold in the Public
Service Design/Magazine category, and there were two Student
Achievement Awards won by Troy State University students
Leigh Ann Hillabrand (print) and Justin Cox (electronic),
25 Volume XII, No. I
Museum Design Award
Aubum University's Jule Collins Smith Museum dominated the
Alabama Museum Association's annual design awards competi­tion,
winning top awards in five categories, plus garnering the
Overa!! Excellence Award for Design, The annual competition
included entries that were evaluated for design and originality
from most of the state's major art museums, Judges cited
JCSM's submissions for crispness and clarity, level of profes­sionalism
and consistency between pieces that related each to
the whole even when presented in a variety of formats, Shannon
Hankes was the designer of the collateral materials for the
museum which will open in spring 2003,
Sherlock, Smith & Adams' design of Maxwell Air Force
Base's ambulatory health care center in Montgomery earned a
U.s, Air Force Honor Award for design, The 200,000-square-foot
Mission/Mediterranean-style facility is consistent with existing
base architecture yet represents a new direction in military care
design, The building's interior is organized around an entrance
atriurn from which patients are directed to waiting areas adjacent
to the various clinical offices, The clinic is open, light and full of
glass, Patient activity is organized toward the front with adminis­trative
and service areas to the rear Tommy L. Thompson,
AlA, of the Montgomery-based firm was project designer
Main Street Mobile Awards
Among the awards presented in FebruarJ by Main Street Mobile
were four related to downtown innovation, Wendell Quimby was
recognized for his effort in restoring a building on Dauphin
Street once recommended for demolition and now a trendy new
restaurant Bert Lyles was honored for his renovation of Tower
on Ryan Park, an out-of-date structure transformed into a new
apartment building, VoiceStream Communications was lauded
for its sensitive renovation of a historic building in downtown for
its own use, The fourth award was given to Buddy Breland and
Breland Properties for their conversion of the Convent of Mercy
Building, The formerly vacant Mobile landmark was converted
Into 30 luxury condominiums called St Francis Place,
DesignAlabama 26
A Leadership Achievement Award was given to the Museum of
Mobile board and staff members and the city council of Mobile
for their efforts in directing the renovation and conversion of the
Southern Mar,~et/O!d City Hall into the new home of the
museum, Another achievement award went to the FBI and Brian
Metcalfe of Metcalfe & Associates for construction of the
new FBI Building.
Top: SL Francis Piaee Boliom: FBI Building
Treylon Raines has designed a solar house that will represent
Tuskegee University in the Solar Energy Decathlon in
Washington, DC, this fall, The third-year architecture student
from Montgomery Is constructing the solar energy-operated
home with Diwanna Haskins and LaQuinta Davis, the sec­ond
and third place winners, as well as other architecture and
engineering students. TU is one of only 11 universities selected
to participate in the competition sponsored by the US
Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Lab,
Requirements were simple: a pleasing and attractive look with no
more than 500 square feet of living space, and a roof that included
600 to 800 solar PV panels, Raines' entry is a two-story design
with a bedroom in the loft A spiral stairway leads to the loft from
the first floor, where there is a living area, bathroom and kitchen,
His design also includes a storage room housing air condition­ing
equipment, hot water tank and batteries to run electrical
equipment at night
Brick flooring will help absorb heat during the day, Raines says,
as will special window designs. The project has the support of a
$150,000 grant from the Tennessee Valley Authority. Construc­tion
of the university's entry could start in early April, The students
plan to dismantle the house on campus, reassemble it and test
its features before dismantling it again for transporting to
Washington, D, C" for the final competition,
Dr. Arunsi Chuku, an electrical engineering professor and one
of the faculty coordinators of the project, estimates that materials
and construction costs for the one-bedroom design could reach
$70,000, But he says savings become evident when one calcu­lates
the energy costs over the life of the house,
Fayette Depot Now Museum
Fayette County Depot has been transformed Into a Transportation
Museum by Turner Batson Inc. The Birmingham firm provided
architectural and interior design services for the renovation of
the one-story former train depot The project team included
Rick Batson, AlA, principal-in-charge; Jamie Collins, AlA,
project architect and Kristin Corley, IIDA, interior designer
Members of the Auburn UniverSity Historic Preservation Guild
have been helping to save a 100-year-old African-American
landmark in Opelika. Under the direction of Professor Norbert
Lechner, the building science and architecture students have
been refurbishing the porch floor, roof and balcony areas and
clearing out the interior. The Darden House was the home of
Opelika's first African-American physician and his wife, After
their deaths, the house deteriorated prompting the JIN Darden
Alumni Association to purchase the property and through the
JIN Darden Foundation preserve the structure, With the help of
a grant from the Alabama Historical Commission and private
donations, work began more than two years ago on the
$200,000 restoration project During the doctor's lifetime the
home housed his medical practice and served as a community
and social center. When restored, the association hopes to use
the house for an African-American cultural center.
The Rural Studio was awarded $400,000 yearly funding by
Auburn University to ensure the continuation of the program
founded by the late Samuel "Sambo" Mockbee and O.K.
Ruth in the College of Architecture, Design and Construction,
Since its establishment in 1993, the program that combines
teaching of architecture with a commitment to public service has
operated primarily by private funding, The annual alottment will
stabilize administrative costs allowing more focus on fund-rais­ing
for building projects, says director Ruth,
The program that operates in rural Hale
County, Ala" has been detailed in a new
book recently published by Princeton
Architecture Press, "The Rural Studio
Samuel Mockbee and an Architecture of
Decency," is written by Andrea
Oppenheimer Dean with photos by Timothy
Hursley, Dean is former executive editor of Architecture
Magazine, and Hursley is an architectural photographer who has
been photographing the Rural Studio for nine years,
Work by Rural Studio students and Mockbee is part of the pres­tigious
Whitney Museum of American Ms 2002 Biennial
Exhibition that opened in March in New York City. It is the first
time in the show's history that work by architects has been
included, Three projects by the students are displayed through
drawings, models and photographs, A companion one-hour
documentary by New York filmmaker Charles Schultz focuses on
the issue of affordable housing and how the Rural Studio is
changing lives, The exhibit runs through May 26th and is the
museum's signature survey of contemporary American art,
AU Students Design Habitat Prototype
A team of 16 architecture and building design students from
Auburn University has developed a prototype house design for
Habitat for Humanity to be built for a local family this spring.
The Designhabitat project. under the direction of Professor
David Hindson. is also sponsored by DesignAlabama and the
National Landscape Architecture Week Museum is Uptown in I)owntown
ASLA
National Landscape Architecture Week is held The Museum of Mobile has reopened in the renovated Southern
during the week surrounding the April 26th birth- Market/Old City Hall in downtown. Hayes, Seay, Mattern &
day of Frederick Law Olmsted. wr,o is widely Mattern of Mobile was the archHectural firm for the $7 million-hailed
as the founder of landscape architecture in
North America Activities will include govern-
Alabama Association of Habitat Affiliates. The students visited ment proclamations, student design competitions and a variety
plus project which blends the old with new. The familiar exterior
was refurbished and the interior updated with modern construc­tion
aiound familiar spaces such as the atrium with its soaring
skylight Exhibition space exceeds 17,000 feet while behind-the­scenes
activities utilize sophisticated loading docks, heavy-duty
elevators and tall metal shelves which glide along tracks and
spacious conservation workshops. Exhibits were designed by
Malone Inc. of Atlanta and include several interactive displays.
Habitat affiliates across the state; interviewed Habitat homeown- of community outreach activities, such as collaborative park
ers, builders and executives; toured Habitat's corporate office design and education exhibits.
and researched issues related to design. The house is designed
to be more livable, consume iess energy for heating and cooling, One of the events sponsored by the Alabama Chapter of ASLA
cost less to maintain and use fewer resources to construct. The will be a series of exhibits in S'lrmingham, Huntsville.
ultimate goal is to build 50 of the AU-designed houses in the Montgomery and Mobile. The exhibits will feature work by land-state
within five years.
Downtown Discovery Tour
The Birmingham Historical Society has
ieleased a third edition of its popular
"Downtown Discovery Tour with History
Hunts" in honor of the tours' 25th anniver­sary.
The updated guide is available from
the society for $24.95 plus tax. The book
contains background information on
Birmingham's downtown, plus maps, a timeline, glossary and
visuals to encourage looking at and thinking about buildings and
urban change. The five tours focus on the central business dis­trict,
Linn Park and the governmental center, the historic retail
and theatre district, the historic black bUSiness district and a
retracing of the children'S marches of 1963. These tours, infor­mation
and teacher lesson plans, plus a Vulcan unit also can be
downloaded from the Birmingham Historical SOc'lety's Web site
at www.bhistoricaLorg.
scape architects throughout Alabama. Projects ranging from inti­mate
private gardens to large-scale master planning will be on
display. For details and locations of the exhibits, please contact
the following:
Birmingham - Chad Watkins, 205-458-1404
Huntsville - Drew Crow, 256-536-0756
Montgomery - Kevin Carpenter, 334-271-3200
Mobile - Fred Rux, 251-342-6970
A M,Do,," The Community Planning and Design pro­.4III1'
JI?fJ. ~;,"i gram was established to SUPPOit projects that
~11111!/ :\;:;" use design disciplines to impact the quality
of life in Alabama communities. Applications are solicited from
all the design disciplines and for community cultural planning
where there is an established partnership with city or county
government.
The following Aiabama State Council on the Arts design grants
were awarded for 2001-2002:
-City of Mobile/Main Street Organization - Funds to help
develop a public art policy and plan.
-Design Corps - Funds to help pay for design staff, consul­tants
and their expenses while working on the design of the
TUCCA (The United Christian Community Association)
Community Center in Tayioi, Ala.
-TSU College of Communications and Fine Arts - Funding to
the graphic design staff for the implementation of a computer
animation workshop for Pike County Public High School students.
-City of Valley - Funds to assist with fees associ,ated with the
design of Phase I of the Valley Riverfront Project.
-Mobile Opera Inc. - Funds for the design of a pocket park for
the Mary Josephine Larkins Music Center.
GMO Building Has New Lease on Life
The Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Building ienovation in Mobile is
complete and open for business as a new city bus terminal with
a mix of commercial businesses. The histcric railroad terminal
was closed in 1985 and had fallen into disrepair. The structure
was built in 1907 by architect Philip Thorton Mayre in the
Spanish Coionial style. Similai style stations in Birmingham and
Atlanta by Mayre have been demo',ished The $20 mill'lon reno­vation
by Williams & ASSOCiates of Mobile was accom­plished
through a federal grant of $11 miilion matched by $2.2
million from the city and $5.6 million from a private investor
who will lease the building and sublease spaces for small
business tenants .•
DeSign Makes a Difference Exhibit Submission
As a part of our public education program, OesignAfabama is sponsoring the development of a Muring exhibit entitled 'DeSign Makes a Difference," The
exhibit 'Iliff encompass design projects from across the state that have made an impact, big or smail, on Alabama's communities. We are Jooking for completed
projects from alf ot the design disciplines. Multi-discipline projects are encouraged. To submit a project for conSideration, please include the fof/owing infor­mation
along with visuals to DesignAfabama. Po. Box 241263, Montgomery. AL 36124. The deadline for submission is June 1, 2002
NameD! Project------------------------------
Location of Project _____________________________ _
Design Firm(s) Involved ___________________________ _
Contact Person/Phone ___________________________ _
Attach a biief narrative on the project explaining the unique design aspects of the projecl and how il is making a difference to Ihe communify
or slale. Please direcl ali questions 10 Karen Seale aI334-353-508t.
27 Volume XII, No. I
Desi nAlabama
Volume XII, Issue I
PUBLIC DESIGN AWARENESS AND EDUCATION
DesignAlabama Inc. works to increase awareness and value of the design disciplines
(Wature uses human
that influence our environment. We believe that the quality of life and
imagination to lift her
economic growth of this state are enhanced through attention to and
work of creation to
investment in good design.
even higher levels. ))
PARK DESIGN TODAY
GRESHAM
SMITH AN D
PARTNERS
- Luigi Pirandel/o
((The highest value of a park
(Wature never did
must be expected to lie in
betray the heart
elements and qualities of
that loved her. "
scenery to which the mind of
- William Wordsworth
those benefiting by them) is
liable) at the time the benefit
is received) to give little
conscious cognition. ))
- Frederick Law Olmsted
This publication was made possible through funding by fhe contributors listed above.
For additional information about DeslgnAlabama. please call (334) 353-5081.