Design Alabama: The Public Forum for Design in Alabama, Volume 15, Issue 1, 2005

              Spring/Summer 2005
Volume XV, Issue I
$400
Des.• J----J\ a ama
THE PUBLIC FORUM FOR DESIGN IN ALABAMA
NEW
OPTI®NS
URBAN
LIVING
Board of Directors
Debbie Quinn, Chair
Fairhope City Council
Fair'nope
Nancy Mims Hartsfield, Vice Chair
Auburn University Professor Emerila
r,/lontgomery
Michelle G. Jordan, Secretary
City of Decatur. Community De't'c/opment
Decatur
Joseph R. Donofro. Treasurer
Donotro & Associates Architects Inc
Dothan
AmelJe Adcock
Centra! Alabama Electric Cooperative
Prattvi!!e
HS Brantley
Brantley Visicneering Inc.
Birmingham
Elizabeth Ann Brown
Alabama Historical Commission
Montgomery
Janet Driscoll
Driseo!! Design
Montgomery
Scott Finn
Auburn University
Auburn
Cathryn Campbell Gerachis
Goodw'/fl. flAiJls & Cawood Inc.
Montgomery
Bo Grisham
Brookman! Realty
Birmingham
Debra Hood
Greenville
Edward Vaughn
Donlan
Larry Watts
Birmingham Regional Planning Commission
Birmingham
Gina Glaze Clifford, Executive Director
Philip A. Morris, Director Emeritus
Volume XV, Issue I
Cover: New opiions in urban !Iving are revealed in ihe
pioneering Park Place development
This publication is made possible through funding by the following contributors.
Advantage Marketing Cammunications
Alabama Assodation of Regional Councils
Arts Education License Plate Advisory Committee
Brantley Viskmeering Inc.
Goodu;yn, Mills & Cawood Inc.
operation New Birmingham
Brown Chambless Architects
Daniel Cmporation
Sherlock, Smith & Adams Inc.
Driscoll Design + Creative Services
Designform Inc.
DAVIS ARCHITECTS
ikinner *3. *
BRASFIELD & GORRIE
\I\jil : iArv1S' 81 ACKSTOCK
.:~ n C i' r- E C -- S
Edi!or: Gina Glaze Ciillord
Managing Editor: Tomie Dugas
Art Director: Nancy Hartsfield
Associate Art Director: Ross Heck
Assistant Art Directors: Temie Dugas
Kelly Bryant
Bruce Dupree
Dana Gay
Samaniha Lawrie
Wei Wang
Contributing Writers: Jessica Armstrong
Elizabeth Via Brown
Gina Glaze Clifford
Tomie Dugas
Philip iv10rris
DesignAlabama encourages submissions
from iis readers. ArticleS about work from ali
design disciplines are requested, as wei! as copy
feiated to historic preservation. Please submit
copy along with visuais (photos, slides, drawings.
etc.) to DesignAlabama Inc. P.O. Box 241263.
Montgomery. AL 36124
Items tor Project News and Details of
interest should include a paragraph summary
detaiiing the nature of the projeci, the design firm.
principals and associaies involved and any oiher
deiai!s that may be of interest such as unusual
or speciai design feaiures. compleiion daie,
approximaie cost, square lootage, etc. Also inc!ude
the name, address and phone and fax number of the
client and an individual v;,hom we may contact for
further informaiion. Direct inquiries to (334) 353-
5081 or maii to: gina.ciitiord@arts.a!abarna.gov.
Past journal issues are avai!able lor 06.00
including postage and handi.ing. Contact
DesignAlabama ai ihe above numbers for
avaiiabiliiy information and to order.
A special ii)anks to Philip Morris tor his ongoing
assistance and advice with this publicar/on
© 2005 DesignA!abamalnc.
ISSN# 1090-0918
This issue or Design.tl,iabarna was designed and
produced on ivjacintosh CDmputers utiHzing InOes!gn CS.
Proofs ',ver8 printed on a Xerox 7700 and final ouipui
on a Compugraphic 9400.
Replacing rundown projects with upscale
mixed-income townhomes.
p10
DesignAlabama is a publication of DesignAlabama Inc.
Reader comments and submission of articles and ideas for
future issues are encouraged.
CONTENTS
Making the most of Web sites by using
professional designers.
Serving the public in more ways than
tradition might suggest.
p20 p.23
FEATURES
New Options
in Urban Living
PARK PLACE
ERDREICH TOWNHOUSE
RAILROAD RESERVATION LOFTS
COHEN CARNAGGIO RESIDENCE
DUNGAN NEQUETTE PROJECTS
DEPARTMENTS
Project.A.News
Work of Statewide Significance
Designer~Profile
Exhibit Designer: Greg Morrow
Design.Makes A Difference
Web Design
Historical'iPerspectives
Carnegie Libraries
Community. Profi I e
Mooresville
DesignAlabamatUpdate
Eye Beam Project
Details+Of Interest
Noteworthy Observations
9
10
12
13
14
16
4
7
20
23
26
28
29
Introducing kids to creative thinking through
artful design projects
p.28
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,
.,
Fort Whiting EXieriof, Driil Hall and Vestibule
University Boulevard O!fice Buiiding and Parking Deck
DesignA!abama 4
Montgomery's Seay Seay &
Litchfield created the first 'super'
armory in the state in an $18 million
renovation of the Fort Whiting Joint
Armed Forces Reserve Center in
Mobile, Phase I concerned the renova­tion/
restoration of the original 1930
: Art Deco structure built of solid concrete by the WPA, The
restored fort now has moisture controlled, insulated walls
: that protect the building from the Mobiie Bay saltwater envi­:
ronment. Historically accurate windows recreate the look of
the original ones and preserve the character of the building
: The 12,000-square-foot drill hall has been updated as a
premier location for community events such as Mardi Gras
balls, concerts and theatre productions that have traditionally
been held there,
: The program also called for 140,000 square feet of functional
, space to incorporate in the site to be used by the six guard
and marine units stationed at the fort. The addition was har­moniously
integrated into the historic fabric of the original
: fort while incorporating the high tech HVAC, data/com and
electrical needs of a modern building expansion, Project
architect for SS&L was Platt Boyd, AlA.
A
: The University of Alabama in Birmingham's new University
, Boulevard Office Building and parking deck is a two-phase,
260,000-square-foot project located at the western entrance
: to camous, Designform Inc. designed it as a 'gateway
, structure' featuring a four-story, concave glass faQade sur­rounding
a sculpture court and paved plaza, Direct access
from the deck and large windows looking out upon the cam­pus
provide convenient parking and glimpses of the UAB
: campus to first time visitors and students alike,
: The recently completed Phase I includes a new four-level,
: 600-plus-space visitor and student parking deck and new
, 34,750-square-foot shell building to house the UAB Visitor
Center, admissions offices and Department of Justice
: Sciences, Phase II is currently under construction and
includes build-out of the first three floors including the
UAB Information and Visitor Center, admissions offices
and a shared lecture/meeting room with Hospitality Center
: on the first floor. The second and third floors include the
Department of Justice Sciences with departmental offices,
classrooms, student instructional laboratory and research
laboratories, A mock trial training room has been incorpo­rated
into the project with a judge's bench, witness stand and
attorney desks, The fourth floor is slated as future expansion
: for the Department of Justice Sciences, The Birmingham­,
based architectural firm also performed a feasibility study
and assisted the university in site selection and budgeting
: for this project
-.., /"
: The historic Fort McClelland Post Recreation Center on the
: former army base near Anniston is being rehabilitated into a
regional venue for the arts, The Buckner Arts Pavilion, a $2
: million effort is the brainchild of owner and architect julian , ,
: Jenkins of Jenkins Munroe Jenkins of Anniston, Three
buildings linked by an arcade of arches compose the 32,000- :
square-foot 1936 structure, "Preservation of the important
: historic architecture is my primary goal," says Jenkins of the
: Spanish Colonial Revival structure,
: The Buckner Arts and Exhibit Center will feature a 244-seat
: theatre with state-of-the-art sound, lighting and acoustics
and restored classic Art Deco seating The exhibit hail/ball­room
has a clear span solid maple floor area of 6,800 square
: feet for large events, The former bowling alley is being
converted to studio workshop space for arts and crafts, A
cafe/lounge with full-service kitchen will feature timbered
: ceiling, stone fireplace, slate flooring and a picturesque
loggia and terrace for outdoor activities, The center intends
to attract artisans and craftspeople in drama, music, dance,
painting, ceramics, photograpy and the associated arts to
: conduct one- and two-week workshops for all ages The
Buckner Arts and Exhibit Center should be open for the pub­lic
in spring 2005,
: The Alabama 4-H Foundation selected Davis Architects
of Montgomery to design the new environmental education
: center for its campus in Columbiana, The facility will contain
: seminar classrooms, multipurpose auditorium for 300 peo­ple,
kitchen, labs and offices, as well as lobby, display areas
and outdoor patiOS and decks, Connected to the education
center will be a 20-room hotel with hospitality areas on each
: of its two floors. The facility will be designed for LEED Gold
, Certification with rainwater tank, green roof, day-lighting,
recycled materials and other energy efficient products and
systems, The project is currently being designed, with con-
: struction expected to begin in November 2006, Neil Davis
serves as principal designer, with Geoff Clever as principal- •
in-charge and Robert Stewart as project manager Both
Davis and Stewart are LEED accredited professionals. LEED,
which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental
, Design, sponsors the Green Building Rating System', a
: voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing
high-performance, sustainable buildings
The Former Fort McClelland Post Rec Center Building (top) and the Buckner Arts and Exhibit Center Plan
Goodwyn Mills & Caywood will soon move in as ten­ants
of Lakeview Center, an upscale office building that the
firm recently designed in Montgomery. The new four-story
professional complex overlooks a lake and is located on six
acres just east of the Shoppes at EastChase. The 100,000-
square-foot building with stone on the fagade and Italian
marble and elegant wood on the interior, employs the latest
technology in both its data connections and heating and
cooling. Outside a 2,000-square-foot terrace is fully land­scaped
and features arbors and a seating area facing the lake.
GM&C is also responsible for the Marriott Shoals Hotel
and Spa in Florence opening in May 2005. The complex
will offer more than 30,000 square feet of function space
including the 12,OOO-square-foot Shoals Ballroom and the
3,300-square-foot Singing River Room with large balcony
overlooking the Tennessee River. The hotel grounds cover
100 acres and feature a 3,OOO-square-foot pavilion. The
200 large guest rooms offer luxurious furnishings, as well
as high-speed Internet. Amenities include three on-site
dining facilities with one a revolving restaurant atop the
22-story Renaissance Tower. There is also a 6,000-square­foot
European-style spa. Goodwyn Mills & Caywood of
Montgomery served as architects and engineers with
Design Directions Inc. providing the interior design for
this resort project.
4~H Environmenlal Education Cenler
~ lakeview Center
Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa
ndustrial esign • y
The Pastime Theatre in Winfield is TAG/The Architects Group Inc.
receiving a new marquee through recently renovated the interior of the
a Save America's Treasures grant. entry building at Bellingrath Gardens
The total cost exceeds $21,000. and home in Mobile to reflect a
Knight Sign Industries Inc. of welcoming resort-like feeling. This ren- :
• Tuscaloosa is responsible for the ovation included two custom-designed
design and fabrication of the 12-foot ticketing desks with all new technology
: tall sign with neon lights The blue and yellow aluminum : to facilitate moving crowds during the busy tourist seasons.
: sign will soon beckon passersby from the restored 1937- : With the renovation, ticketing is now moved to inside the
: built theatre building It is in use by the Winfield Main : building and a membership desk awaits visitors at the door
: Street Program, which hosts a number of shows there : to help with all types of information. Garden-style seat-
: each year such as storytellers and singing groups. This is : ing invites visitors to wait comfortably in this space. Also
: the only remaining Pastime Theatre of the original dozen : included in the entry building renovation are new finishes for:
. or so which dotted old Highway 78 in north Alabama. : the theatre and restroom.
Beilingrath Gardens Entry Building Lobby
: The Magnolia Room in Bellingrath's cafeteria received a new
: ceiling, doorways, etc, and plans for a face lift for the gift
: shop are scheduled.
: The Mobile firm also assisted with renovations in the
: Bellingrath home with new carpet in the public walkways
: and in the Boehm Gallery and new carpet and finishes in
: the staff office. TAG has also provided architectural design :
: for a new Boehm Gallery in future plans, as well as docking :
: facilities for riverboat cruises, events and receptions. Alice
H. Cutright, ASID/NCIDQ was the interior designer.
The Chestnut Street Improvement
Project, funded through the City of
Gadsden and ALDOT's TEA-21 pro­gram,
is part of an ongoing downtown
public improvement process which
includes improved intersections,
: crosswalks, sidewalks and new lighting for pedestrians The
: addition of landscaping and street furniture shouid encour-
: age property owners to continue to improve the rears of their
: buildings that face the street. Jones, Blair, Waldrup and
: Tucker Inc., a Gadsden engineering firm, is the lead on
: the project, and KPS Group, Birmingham, is the landscape
: architecture firm.
: Upon completion of this project, as was the case with the
: Broad Street Improvement Project, private investment and
: property values are expected to increase, as are the new
: jobs, new businesses and the reinvestment ratio. Increases
: in these areas ranged from 54% to 127%.
Chestnut Street Improvement Project
5 Volume xv. NO.1
HomePlace, a 750-acre upscale, mas­ter-
planned, mixed-use community
including commercial, office and resi­dential
development, is taking shape
in Prattville, The multi-million dollar
development is located on Sanford
family property adjacent to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail
at Capitol Hill and The Legends Golf complex near I-55
in Prattville,
Legends Park, the 85-acre office segment, will accom­modate
buildings 10,000 square feet, and the Exchange,
the commercial segment, will have 10 parcels ranging
from 20,000 - 80,000 square feet initially The remainder
of its 52 acres are reserved for future development and a
lifestyle center. The Mercantile and Town Center will provide
additional commercial space as HomePlace develops, The
residential component will include 700 homes divided into
neighborhoods known as homesteads in its first phase,
There will be 1,500 to 2,000 upon final build-out A mini­mum
of 25 percent of the property is designated as open
space, including trails and lakes,
The homesteads, gated and non-gated, will feature estates, a
variety of single-family lot sizes, garden homes, condomini­ums
and townhomes, Home construction will begin in late
spring or early summer 2005, Amenities include a 55-foot
clock tower central landmark, pavilions, extensive landscap­ing,
lakes, specialty paving, trails for hiking, biking and golf
carts, passive green areas, video security and keypad access
where appropriate,
Jon Davis of Franzman/Davis in Atlanta is responsible
for the master plan and landscape design, Vann Cowart
of Butner Architectural Group in Montgomery is
project architect and Clyde Chambliss of Chambliss
Engineering, Prattville, is project engineer.
HomePlace Master Plan
DesignAlabama 6
Westover, a small town in Shelby County, has taken a
step toward controlling future growth with the adop-tion
of a comprehensive plan, The plan presented by
Jason Fondren, AICP, senior planner with Regional
Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham,
was unanimously approved at the council's November
meeting, The plan, which had been previously approved
by the town's planning commission, includes three key
elements: community assessment, a policy plan and
a land-use plan, It also includes six major goals: Plan
ahead for growth to preserve small town character; be
progressive with adaptable regulations to balance eco­nomic
development with desired community character;
develop a convenient, functional transportation network;
ensure a mobility alternative; provide convenient, enjoy­able
facilities for all ages; and provide equal cost effective
publ ic services,
CRS Engineering and Design
Consultants Inc. is completing a
lighting design rnaster plan for the
mixed-use Ross Bridge Planned
Community under development by
Daniel Corp According to John Gill,
PE, principal with CRS in Birrningham, Ross Bridge is
being developed in concert with a golf course and resort
under construction by the Retirement Systems of Alabama,
The development is located off Lakeshore Parkway in
Hoover. CRS's plan will include lighting design for com­merCial,
single and multi-family homes and retail areas of
the development
Wesiover Streetscape (above) and Neighborhood Center Pian
In fall 2002 members of the Foot
Soldiers approached Erin Wright,
design professor at the University
of Alabama in Birmingham, with
a problem, Their group was having a
reunion and needed to get word out
But this was no ordinary group, They
were members of the Foot Soldiers, civil rights activists who
in the 1950s kept the movement alive frorn behind the scenes
to the front lines and now act as volunteer historians and
educators committed to passing the torch to the next gen­eration,
They were about to celebrate their 40th Reunion in
May 2003, which would include civil rights notables such as
Coretta Scott King, Dick Gregory and Andrew Young
Although incorporated in 2000, they, unlike the Freedom
Riders, were such a loosely deiined group that many who had
actively partiCipated in the movement were not aware of the
organization, So the problem was not only to advertise the
reunion, but to inform and educate about what it meant to be
a 'foot soldier'. To accomplish this Wright created a Web site
(wwwfootsoldiersorg) with important information about the
reunion and included written statements gathered from Foot
Soldiers Inc. board members and others about their experi­ences
fighting for civil rights,
Wright decided to keep the Web site design in basic HTML to
make it accessible to as large an audience as possible. He
restricted the color palette to black and white to reflect the
television and news media of the era, as well as the obvious
racial divisions. Photos were graciously provided by The
Birmingham News and the Foot Soldiers themselves,
Filmmakers Robert Hudson and Bobby Houston found the
stories of Gwen Webb and Gloria Washington Lewis on the
Foot Soldiers Web site and decided to interview them for
"Mighty Times: the Children's March," their documentary
about the Civil Rights era, The film went on to win an Oscar
for Documentary Short at the 2005 Academy Awards.
Professor Wright has worked often with nonprofit organi­zations
throughout his career because projects like Foot
Soldiers provide not only interesting problems to solve but
opportunities to give back to the community and to
impact lives,
Foot Soldiers Web site
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by ELIZABETH VIA BROWN
Greg Morrow's job is the kind most people only dream of having. Combining his
penchant for the outdoors with his eye for design and a knack for creating the
impossible, Morrow is president of Southern Custom Exhibits
(www.southerncustomexhibits.com) in Anniston, and oversees the fabrication and
installation of public displays that prompt viewer interaction. Between trips to the
majestic mountains of the western United States, Morrow recently explained how he
parlayed his father's small home-based company into a nationwide business.
Lolo Pass i--7sflor Cellter in L%. JIonf({IUL
Before mass-producers edged out smaller artisans in the 1970s,
Elvin H. \lon'ow custom built furniture in the small Piedmont
communitv of Rabbittown in rural Calholln County near
Anniston. He closed his business in 1984 and took a job in
Atlanta with \lalone Displays and was joined by his son, Greg, in
1988, when he graduated from Jacksonville State University.
After a year of traveling the country togetber and building dis­plays
for museums and trade sbows, the pair decided they could
do the same thing on their own terms. Back in Rabbittown,
father and son bid on and secured the contract to design and
create an exhibit for the Brasstown Bald \,isitor Center in
Blairsville, Ga. And. so goes the idiom, the rest is history. As one
satisfied cllstomer told another, their company began to grow
and soon landed its largest and longest standing client­the
National Park Service.
Designer - Profile
Grc>[!, JforrOll'
ABOH:,-~· Ji{aill Hal!. XorlberJl
Great Lakes Visitor Center.
Ashlalld. lFiscol1sill.
7 Volume Xv. No.1
For that organization, Southern Custom Exhibits (SCE) has
the contract to design, fabricate and install many complex
displays at cultural and visitors' centers, nature exhibits and
memorials across the country. The jobs, explains Morrow,
range from typesetting, silk screening, graphic layout, audio
programs, fiber optics and photography to constructing,
installing and dismantling cases, booths and displays.
"It's kind of stunning to think of the
number of people who see your work, "
says Morrow, who figures that at least
30 million people have taken stock of
his displays in more than 120 national
parks, state parks and public and
private museums and other tourist
attractions.
SCE has built and installed exhibits at the Jefferson Memorial
in Washington, DC; state of }lissouri's Nature Center;
Biltmore Estate in Asheville; Red Canyon Visitor Center in
Panguitch, Utah; Acadia National Park in Acadia, Maine;
U.S. Women's Army Museum in Fort Lee, Va.; Northern
Great Lakes Center in Ashland, Wisc.; President Franklin D.
Roosevelt's Little White House in Warms Springs, Ga.; Armed
Forces Museum at Camp Shelby, Miss.; and in Charleston at
Fort Sumter National Memorial. Closer to home at Vulcan
Park in Birmingham, SCE served asprgject manager for con,
struction of the exhibits, induding metal work, electronics,
waysides, graphics, painting, production of props and repli,
cation of iron ore products, as well as designing a Iife,size
company store and refurbishing the g~ahflr()n man's foot.
The company was even in the movie btisincss when it spent a
year working on a special "ET" proje¢f for UniversalStudios
in Orlando, Fla., but it isn't a job Morrow would seek again.
"Movie projects last too long and have too many changes,"
he says.
DesignAlabama 8
:Voxubee National Wildlife
Reji.lge in Brooksville, JUssissippi,
Pisgah Districl Ranger Station and Visitor Center in the Pis:qah National Forest, Brevard, North Carolina.
Together father and son established (t nationwide company,
and although the elder Morrow has retired, he remains the
'gniding light' for (Ul outfit that~t,i!19perates like a small
family business, Frolllless tban~~illijt'time employees,
the crew has grown (0 a staff of I&W!~than 50, including
Morrow's mother,Sarah. MorrOw,\;~«~orks part'time, and
his sister, Debby Morrow '1itchell,. ihJ"~~cretary/tieasurer and
flrst link many customers have whentfiey call into the com­pany.
To continue to provide their families with small town
amenities, Morrow and his busilless p~l'tnel; Scott Simon, an
industrial deSigner, have chosen to keep their specialized
fabricating business in Rabbittown, where customers beat a
steady path for their expert creations.
Morrow calls himself the 'idea guy' and his favorite projects
are those he creates from scratch or from idea to finished
product. "The crazier or more off,the,wall the project,
the better r like it," he notes. Working from the ground
up, ,10rrow is familiar with every phase of the operation.
Knowing how to build is the first step in knowing how to
design, he says. "Like architects, we work with deSigns
-we take an idea and translate it into something real," he
explains, adding, "If you build it, you'll know the constraints
of the materials."
There are no how-to manuals to refer to, he says, so when
the needs arise - like animated figures in it nature scene
- SCE meets the test with the creativity of the staff, which
includes master carpenters and craftsmen. One of company's
more challenging projects was the refurbishing and installa,
tion of exhibit cases on the fourth floor of the Georgia State
Capitol in Atlanta. With no elevators available to hoist the
cases in place, the designers had to manufacture their own
way to install the cabinets. They were also responsible for the
contents, as well as the graphics describing the artifacts.
It is important, Morrow says, that his exhibits and displays be
seen and enjoyed many years after he's gone. "Each time we
accept a project, r think about the cousins, aunts, uncles and
friends who will see what we do," says. Morrow, "and [want
each job to be a reflection of our skill." •
ABOVE: Wisconsin l);'etlands, IVorthern
Great Lake Vistor Cente}; Ashland.
Wisconsin.
Main Hal!. Northern Great Lakes
Visitor Centet~ Asbland, Wisconsin.
ParkPface
Erdreich Townhouse
Railroad Reservation Lofts
by Philip Morris U RB Cohen/Carnaggio Residence
LIVING Dungan Nequette Projects
As loft I ivi ng continues to expand building-by-building through Birmingham's historic urban
core, a parallel movement has gained momentum. For this survey we have named it
"New Options in Urban Living." Both downtown and across the wider city center, new
projects ranging in scope from multi-block to single lots are underway or proposed.
In contrast to the sort of townhouse rows, usually mediocre Georgian-style, that
were dropped here and there in the past, the current generation of projects shows
much greater variety in building type and architecture. Birmingham architects are
being given the opportunity by developers to design for specific context, and they are
making the most of it. Our survey includes:
Park Place, the multi-year Hope VI project
Railroad Reservation Lofts, a new nine-story
residential building being designed to front the
planned new park between downtown and the UAB
medical center
to replace six square blocks of barracks-style
public housing in the heart of downtown with
a new urban neighborhood of mixed-income
residential apartments and townhouses.
A new single-family townhouse for
a former parking lot in the downtown
Loft District.
A new studio for Cohen Carnaggio Reynolds,
with an upstairs residence for architects
Tammy Cohen and Richard Carnaggio, built
using concrete tilt-wall construction to fit its
industrial context near Sloss Furnaces.
Finally, a portfolio of four new residential
projects designed by Dungan & Nequette
Architects, two of them proposed and
two underway
These projects address a wide range of issues, but they all offer evidence of a sophisticated response
to specific locations and residential markets. They are all truly urbane. Read architect Chris Giattina's descrip­tion
of how the Railroad Reservation Lofts are being designed to engage future residents in their new neighbor­hood
and find how savvy these new projects will be in nurturing urban life. These are lessons applicable in just
about any city or town across Alabama
Philli) Mord~ has more than 30 years experience in magazine IFork including tenures as e.>.:ecutire editor anri edilor-at-large at SOllthern tiring. Coastal
Living and Southern Accents. Although be retired ill 2000, .Harris remains ac/ire as a freelance u.'l'fter and respected lecturer 011 design, as u'dl as a
major contributor 10 DesignAlabama.
9 Voiume Xv. No. I
The three-Mal]' tOll'llhouse-z}pe bUildingjj'ollting 22ml Street Yorth gives Park Place all urbane edge where
it meets the dozcntollHl business and cultuml districts. Subtle l,'G}'iatiofls ill brick colo}' and pattern gire the
buildillgs l'isIlal illt(..'"rest while comers get emphasis ldth higher parapet walls.
NEW
OPTI®NS
URBAN
LIVING
There have been many doubters, but the transformation of a multi-block public
DesignAlabama 1 0
housing project in the northeast quadrant of downtown Birmingham into a mixed­income
residential quarter named Park Place can now be seen and experienced.
Time will tell whether it fully delivers on its 'viable urban neighborhood' goal, but
even skeptics have to agree - it already feels like someplace.
On the city-side edge, a handsome row of three-story brick townhouses
fronts 22nd Street a block east of the Birmingham Public Library and Energen Corp
headquarters, looking like a little piece of Georgetown. And around a corner the first
narrow street, punctuated with entry porches leading to rental apartments of varied
size and layout, feels intimate and welcoming even though the other side of the street
will only fill in as part of the second phase (now underway).
This is part of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) nationwide Hope
VI initiative to convert selected public housing long stigmatized as low-income only
'prolects' into a mix of aSSisted and market-rate dwellings. All are built to the same
standard by private-sector developers and managed in a way that residents are carefully
screened but varied income-levels are not separated. When completed, Park Place
will embrace six square blocks and 637 dwelling units, including for-sale townhouses
facing a renovated Marconi Park.
Architect Williams-BlackslockAl'chitec/s
; Stl1lctural Engineer Structural Design Group
Park Place
The majority of the rental apartments in Park Place are ill gabled structures like those lil tbe
foreground Arcbitects Wiflianls-Blac/..>stock used o/derapartment bIlildings along the ci~J''s
High/tlndArenlte as a mode! Apartment tJpes range from one to three bedrooms and include
flats,. as well as tU'O-StOiJ' 'toU'nhomes'.
In contrast to the modem barracks-like
bar-plan buildings the"), replace,. all ParA!
Place residential structuresfollozl' tnuli­tiolla/
urban practice [lAth entries and
street addresses visible from the sidewalk.
Moderate and assisted income dlrellings
are indistinguishable from market rate
units and are distributed throughout.
Tbe plan for Parh Place sbotl's bOll' residential buildings define the outside
e«-f!,es of the blocks lritb parking courts Oll tbe illteriOl:follou:illg nell' urbanist
jJrinciples. Narro/[: mid-bloch :f!,I'een streets "jriend(J' to pedestrians lead to
tbe park Subsequent phases include for-sale townhousesfacing three sides of
Marconi Par/..1 and a densm; multi-stOlJ mixed-use development Oil the bloch
ill the upper right cornel: The f920s-em Pbillips High Scbool hUilding
(#3011 plallj leill bou.se a magnet elementaJT scboo!'
A vieu' across Marconi Park sbou's tbe eastern blocks of Park Place under construction. llJe parA! u'ill be tenowted
as a centerlor neigbborbood lifo. :Yearby a nell' cMldren s BfC4 uHI be built to serve botlJ residents and others.
Hope VI originated under then-director of HUD Henry Cisneros with the
lVith a demanding bud,g,et limi(. the architects concentrated brick all the siree/Folliages to
give Park Place a substantial. urbane ajJpearance. Siding u'raps tbe inferior block e.'lJOsures
uhere balconies Oller/oak Ihe residents' cOlllrolled parking areas.
This section drawing of a 'green street'sboll'S the f5-foot-wide olle-way travel kmeflallA1ed
~)' jJarhing, streetscajJe ed.,f!,es. sidewalk" and the 5100t bUilding setbach lille.
active collaboration of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU). As a result. Park To make Park Place feel like it belongs in Birmingham. the architects studied
Place reflects several of the time-tested urban principles the CNU has championed: the form and materials of older apartment buildings in historic Highland Park. Even
though the project was supported by a Hope VI grant of 837 million, getting the wished­-
Neighborhoods made conducive to walking with buildings fronting sidewalks and for quality within the budget was a struggle For example. elevations were worked over
auto access on alleys
- Use of specific building types (townhouses. villas, side-yard houses. etc) to
shape the character of streets
- A mix of residence size and price within a given neighborhood
- Three-dimensional planning with vistas, enclosure and other urban effects
brought into play
- A strongly developed public realm with parks, sidewalks and civic landmarks.
again and again to try and have the allowable brick used full-height along most street
exposures (HUD had originally specified brick be used only for first floors which would
have undercut the urban character)
One major principle of new urbanism was not in the cards for Park Place:
To have many different architects and developers working under an urban code to get
variety and energy of expression. Given the nature of the project and a lean budget,
that was out-of-the-question. Still, there is enough variety along most street fronts to
These concepts apply differently over a wide range of projects from 'green- provide good visual interest, two historic school structures working as local landmarks
field' to urban infil!. At Park Place, the development team - Sloss Real Estate Group and a variety of other building types to follow. Already, the new, traditionally propor-
Inc. and Atlanta-based partner Integral Properties LLC - worked long and hard with tioned and gabled residential buildings filling in the space around Phillips High School
the local design team headed by Williams-Blackstock Architects to deliver a worth- and the late-Victorian Powell Elementary make them look like theY've gotten their
while result from the scale of blocks down to individual buildings. neighborhood back ...
In contrast to the former superblock pattern and long, barracks-style build­ings,
the plan for Park Place uses traditional blocks with buildings wrapping around
interior parking courts restricted to residents. Narrower 'green streets' with a single
lane for cars bordered with landscaped sidewalks create a neighborhood-scale way
to reach Marconi Park and other destinations.
11 Volume Xv. No.)
NEW Railroad
OPTI~~ Reservation
L~~G---Lofts -
-~ -,----"" ----:-- ~ -,,----,-- ----------
Railroad Reservation Lofts may not be the final name, and the architectural
design is still evolving, but a planned nine-story mixed-use building facing what will
become a new park in downtown Birmingham has very firm concepts of urbanism
driving the project. It is intended to help shape a context that isn't there yet and set a
standard for what may follow.
Several steps will assure the desired urbanity:
- The building will come to the sidewalk, not set back suburban style
- Two levels of parkJiJg, one at ground level and one above, will be accessed from
the alley and embedded within the tower and behind lower buildings at the rear
- Active commercial uses are included at street level
OesignAlabama 12
"This will be a linchpin in the 18th Street axis, the north-south connection - Brownstone-type residences will be entered from the sidewalk or a second-between
the historic downtown and UAB," says architect Chris Giattina of Giattina Fisher level courtyard built atop the parking deck.
Aycock, who is involved both as a designer and part of the development group, the same
one behind the Jemison Flats renovation two blocks away (DA, Fall/Winter '04). "We The combination of tower stepping down to lower buildings away
worked with Bill Gilchrist [city planning director] to set a height and street presence that from the corner solidly ties the development into future street life and permits a
can be extended all along the new park." gradation from public, to semi-public to private. "Visitors can walk from the park,
through a portal and up to the courtyard wrapped with townhouses," Giattina says.
The preliminary bird's-eye rendering shows a brick-clad end of the tower 'There will be a roof garden and pool for residents at the penthouse level, but the
fronting 18th Street South, much like many early 20th-century buildings that still define idea is to avoid isolation. The little coffee house at the base of the building, the park
downtown streets, with the rest of the building facing the park rendered modern and and the city will be part of living here."
transparent. But it is the urban site response that has gotten the most attention, and this
is inspired by a distant model: Berlin.
"I've had the opportunity to see the rebuilding of the former no-man's-land
between East and West Berlin rebuilt under a strong urban code over the past decade or
Though there will be high-end residential, Railroad Reservation Lofts
is going out of its way to appeal to a broad market segment. "A nurse at UAB
might not be able to afford a 1 ,200-square-foot unit, but we will have well­designed
600-square-foot units for the entry-level market," Giattina explains.
so," says Giattina, whose wife is German. "That includes ground floors with a consistent "And, like in Europe, what's available in the building and within walking distance
cornice height of about 18 feet, the main body of the building extending three or four
floors above that and then a penthouse level that may involve one, two or three stories,
but stepping back. No matter what the individual building's architecture is, they work
together to make whole urban cloth."
becomes part of the living space." _
This birds-eye rendering of the planned Railroad Reservation Lofts designed ~r Giattintl Fisher Aycock would be the first
residential building to be built facing the netl! Railroad Reservation Park now under design. The nine-story' bUilding with a mb'
of 120 rental and condominium units will include ground-level retail space,. structured parking off the alley and townhouses
umpped around a courf:rard There will be penthouses and a swimming pool at roof level Binningham's m?U! city center master
plan (DA Spring/Summer '04) calls for residential bUildings of this scale ollerlooking the park and downtown skyline.
An elevation drawing of Second
Avenue North in Birmingham s
Loft Distn'cl shows the Erdrelch
townhouse being built on a 25-
foot wide lot ne.xt to an existing
building c01wel1ed to residential
ma1~ryears ago. The ground j!oor
will be some three feet above side­walk
leu'el The street entrance is
recessed and fi'Onted with metal
gates. Opaque glass will be used
on lower; operable lV'indows in the
living room to provide privacy.
J~ NEW
. OPTI®NS Erdreich
Townhouse
Architect jerem)' Erdreich
accommodated his clients'
request for a garden. The
generous space betu:een
the two-story bouse and the
single-stot), garage fronting
the aliey will benefit from a
southern exposure. A small
court wiD also bring natural
light and a touch of nature
to the core of the house.
URBAN
LIVING
When architect Jeremy Erdreich moved back to Birmingham after
pursuing architecture degrees at Yale and Harvard, studying abroad
and working in New York City for several years, he did so to get large fixed-glass windows fill the end of the living room, but
involved in the city's revitalization. His office is downtown, and he smaller operable windows below will be fitted with obscure glass
was the architect for the recently completed Phoenix Building renova- to give additional privacy without losing the desired light.
tion into 74 lofts that include affordable rents for artists, students and
others. He now has a most unusual new project to add to his portfolio: A The street entrance is set back in an alcove open to the
new townhouse on Second Avenue North in the downtown loft district. sky and fitted with metal gates that can be left open during the day
and secured at night. Panels of translucent glass extending above
"It's for my parents," Erdreich says. identifying Ellen and the entry provide light for the master bath while maintaining privacy.
Ben Erdreich (former U.S. Congressman) as the clients. 'They wanted The second floor has a master bedroom and two other bedrooms.
a truly urban house but were not interested in a loft because my
mother had to have a garden." And so, strange as ii may sound to
generations used io new houses being built only in leafy suburbs,
2309 Second Ave. N. will soon be a home address.
Interior light is also enhanced by a courtyard accessible only from
within the house.
While Birmingham historically did not see the sort
of townhouse patterns found in older, denser cities, this one
Though located in a multi-block district where most of the serves as a model for other potential urban dwellers who still
historic building fabric is intact, the house is being built on a former want a garden. "It's not really very easy to find a single townhouse
parking lot. The site measures 25 feet wide by 140 feet deep. Like all site," says Erdreich. "But it's quite possible we could broaden
downtown Birmingham streets, there is alley access. The two-story the market for downtown residential if we can find places to do
house fronts the sidewalk and a separate two-car garage is set back multiple townhouses." •
slightly from the alley with a garden between it and the house. (The
rear of the house faces south, so the garden will receive good light
even in winter.)
"This is a classic townhouse arrangement - a house, an
alley carriage house and a garden between," says Erdreich. "The
architectural language is modern. but the ground floor follows the
tried-and-true urban tradition by being lifted about 3 feet above the
sidewalk to provide privacy and views out over the street." Three
13 Volume 'IV No.!
The main living room has an open, loJ! characterjilled Icith light and enriched with details like the rejlectiw-tile cladding on the prefhbricatedfireplace.
NEW
OPTI@NS
URBAN
LIVING
Cohen/Carnaggio
Residence
Architect and Atlanta native Tammy Cohen is so committed to Birmingham's
DesignAlabama 14
back-to-the-city movement that Cohen Carnaggio Reynolds Architects renovated a
two-story building on Second Avenue North for its design studio and the building
next door as a loft living space for her and architect/husband Richard Carnaggio.
They have now pioneered an unlikely location for a new studio and residence - an
industrial area near Sloss Furnaces.
"We had outgrown our studio," says Cohen of the firm that has landed
many downtown renovations like the Kress Building (OA Fall/Winter '04) and is
making waves with their design of the new Soho mixed-use project in downtown
Homewood (OA Spring/Summer '04). The couple also adopted a child and faced a
need for play space Giving another twist to their urban attitudes, they opted to be part
of a new frontier south of the proposed Railroad Reservation linear park and with the
city's National Landmark pig iron mill in view.
With modern warehouses as part of the context, they went all the way with
tilt-up concrete construction. "It's very economical, and we liked the idea of letting the
industrial setting inform the design," says Cohen, calling the exterior 'box-like'. With
no close views to the south, they used a pattern of small punched windows to capture
light and selected views of Red Mountain. On the north side, both the ground floor
studio and the second floor residence open up to views of Sloss, the railroad and, to
the west, the downtown skyline. Here the other major material, steel, comes into play
An open kitchen at the end of the lilling
room opposite the outdoor terrace is
fitted with dark-stained contemporary'
italian u'ood cabinets and a staillless­steel
topped i!:>land.
A tll'o-sto1')'por/ico of e.l.posed steel
and metal decking prolJides a generolls
outdoor living area with Ffezt's afSloss
and tbe downtown sk)!/i !Ie. Stainless
steel cable keeps the railing open and
reinforces the industrial aesthetic.
Tbese extended eleration drawings SbOlf the CohenlCarnagf?io residence and studio (right)
ill relation to the adjacent livelll:or/..! buildingfor all ({ttome)' (center) and 7 toumhouses
(later changed to 12), all designed ~)' Cohen Ca1'Jlaggfo Re.rnolds.
Architects Tamn~r Coben and Ricbard Camagg,io are tme pioneel~<; It'lth their llell: office/residence built in an industrial area ll.'ithillvielt' of Sloss Fumaces.
Cstllg tilt-u:al! concrete COl1struCtiOllfOlllld in nearkr u'arehouses" tbe building has the qfjice and studio for Cohen Ca1'Jlaggfo Re),nold5 on the groul1djloor
({nd their residence abolle. The.,r used a patte1'll of punched windoll's Oil the side facing First Avenue South for limited [liews and ligbt.
The site plan Sholl'S hou,' the tu'O-StOl)' structure and adjacent outbuilding u:rap the ground-level pool and courtyard
71Je cour~rard also ser/ies as a visual ameni~)'for the office/studio.
with a boldly scaled, two-story portico constructed of exposed I-beams stretching the
length of the building. On the east end, a courtyard garden with a small swimming
pool is contained by an outbuilding and a wall, also of concrete tilt-up construction,
connecting the two structures on the south.
"Our goal was to live above our work space, but it turned out to be side­by-
side in our previous buildings," says Cohen. "This fits our lifestyle, especially
now that we have a child and a large dog. We work all the time, so this is pertect for
us, and we love the view of Sloss. And the studio works better now since we are not
all lined up front-to-back. We can arrange as teams."
Exposed concrete walls and floors, along with the exposed steel ceiling
deck and joists, make the interiors different from the brick and wood found in most
lofts, and, Cohen makes clear, it doesn't appeal to everyone. "My parents walk in.
look up and say 'Is it finished?'." In the studio, the aesthetic sticks to sleek industrial.
But their living quarters feature beautifully crafted wood cabinet systems from Italy.
elegant bathroom fixtures from Germany and glass tiles cladding a large, prefabri­cated
steel fireplace. Rugs and other furnishings add richness and warmth, but the
prevailing quality is that of space - generous, flowing, serene.
Tbis vieu:from the Jl011h shows the tu'O-story" portico tbat extends (left) to embrace the
cOllJ'~)'ard and pool set between the main building and a Single-story' garagelu:orkshop.
Tammy Cohen, Richard
Camaggio and Francisco
in their new home.
Isolated as it might appear, Cohen Carnaggio Reynolds Architects and
its upstairs living quarters will soon be joined by others. The firm has designed a
live/work building for an attorney next door to the west, and John Lauriello, whose
Southpace Properties has renovated scores of downtown buildings, will build 12
townhouses on the balance of the former railroad yard (property he purchased and
subdivided). Another architectural firm plans to build across the street, and this
distinctive new little neighborhood lies only a few blocks from Pepper Place and the
rest of Lakeview where other residential development is underway. _
15 Volume Xv. No. I
c
~
~ <6'
J iii
~
'"
~E'Wt
OPTI@N.S
URBAN
LIVING
A porlfolioof fournewresidenlialprojects designed by Dungan
& Nequette Architects of Birmingham, two of them proposed
and two underway.
.;~[:;;J;iI;~.
'-haCreseent
UUln~ian NeQuette Projects
There soon will be 20 new single4amily hOlJsesjoiningthe
Highland Park neighborhood in Birmingham. The sile, long cleared of
the '50s-era John Carroll HighSchool; .overlooks the landscaped avenue
and Caldwell Park. Several higherdensilyresidential developments had
been proposed for tile properly, but Jeff Dungan of Dungan & Nequette
Architects feels the new grouping of sing Ie I louses suits the area best.
The Highland Park neighborhood group is especially pleased that Tudor
and Arts & Crafts designs will predominate. Materials will be authentic,
with houses ranging from 3,000.to 4,590 square feet and starting about
$750,000. Nimrod Long & Associates did the site planning,and the houses
are being built by Equity Resollrces.
~
~
<3'
E
3
w
x
i'"'i
Fora site jus! off Highland Avenue near the Art Deco'style
shopping center that houses the poputar Hot & Hot Fish Club restaurant,
Dungan & Nequette Architects of Birmingham have donea conceptual
design for a residential building with 12 for-sale units above enclosed
ground-level parking, There would be four units each,on the first two
floors and just two units per floor on levels three and four to produce a
penthouse character. The curved ends are a response both to the geometry
of the site and to the Art Deco architecture next door. The developer would
be Birmingham-based Equity Resources,
i I<'\ "t j~t
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brt'<1} ~_ n2.. , '(")~lh :'
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1st -2nd Floor Plan (4 Units Per FlODr)
g;lfc: 3/32" ;:'; 1 ',0'"
r i b"'\<~~
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iii
~ '" Dungan & Nequette Architects are both designers and develop- two bedrooms, the master Witll views. Eacll house will have an at-grade
ers of a little village with ten 'carriage houses' being built on a steep slope courtyard garden set into the terrain. Houses will have brick walls, stone
overlooking downlown Birmingham below Vulcan Park. The sile fronts trim and roofs 01 slate-like material (not composition shingles), all buill
21st Streel as il climbs Red Mounlain from Five Points South with access by lvIark Marlow. Buyers wilillave the option of including a studio or loft
also from a neighborhood street. Inspired by carriage houses found in al roof leveL "Thai will put you 30 feet above tile ground with panoramic
nearby Redmont estates, llle 32-by-42 foot houses are set alop Iwo-car views:' says Jeff Dungan. "Tile dancing rooftops will be part of the view.
garages 1I1al serve as site retaining walls. Living levels will be open-plan The topography is going to make Ihis place very sexy."
with IJanks of windows taking in city views. On the second level will be
//
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A design concept for an eight-story condominium mid-rise
across from Bombay Cafe in Birmingham's Lakev'rew Distr'rct calls for
101 units wrapped around an interior court. For this project, Dungan &
Nequelle Architects propose a limestone-clad ground floor with retail
adding to neighborhood lile, Above two or three levels 01 structured
. "'~
parking would be a street-facing wing with seven Iloors 01 apartments
and a rear w'rng with five levels, On the roollop, with views 01 downtown
and Redlvlountain, would be located an exercise room, a pool and a
wi-Ii cale, The, project, still in the proposal stage, wol!l,d-,be developed by
EQuitYR8S07"':. ,'.,'// "
'/ /" / /"
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,/
d~
S I Lakeview Condos
3, i
Design. Makes A Difference
m!!!Il!! ':'~.'.G;: i ;:;:;h';
~(':~~~';~ ''''''{i''''i'
spirit, • • VISIon
sophistIcation:
Web site design for Biggin Gal/ery in the
Department of Art at Auburn University
Below: Biggin Gallery's primary
navigation shows the three main
sections of the Web site - about,
exhibitions and contact.
Three keys to successful Web design by Dana Ezzell Gay
DesignAlabama 20
A visual system of images is developed
for each section of the Biggin GaJ/ery Web
site. Images were chosen to represent
the 'spirit' of the museum - the activity
of looking, seeing and becoming a part
of the gallery space.
Graphic designers are curious people, always eager
to learn more, to design smarter and, of course,
to dazzle their clients with the "best design they've
ever seen." Seasoned designers who have cre­ated
identity, newsletters, postcards, brochures,
catalogues, poster design and Web design, clearly
understand the challenges inherent for both print
and Web media. While they are challenged to create
their 'best' work, designers are also challenged
to maintain a stronghold within the profession.
Advances in recent technology have turned the tables. It is not unusual
to find librarians creating Web sites and administrative assistants creat­ing
newsletters. However, access to technology and computer software
programs should not be a license to design. Graphic designers are true
professionals. They possess a combination of skills that enable them to trans­late
the communication goals of their clients through printed and interactive
presentations of information.
So ultimately, the challenge for designers is to educate their clients about
the need for a professional graphic designer to create their print and Web
designs. Every office assistant with Microsoft Word can create a Web site,
so why does someone even need a graphic designer?
I
~ EXHiBiTiONS
~ cot'FA.CT
The choices of type size and spacing are crucial
to establish visual hierarchy, consistency and
readability. The example to the left demonstrates
the need to control the typography. The horizontal
spacing between letters and the vertical spacing
between lines of type affect the balance of space
within both the navigation system and within the
layout of the entire Web page.
_ EXH.1Gl; IGWS
_ CDk Re')
Professional graphic designers are trained in the fun­damentals
and elements of design. They are taught to
consider how to design information. Designers create
concept, organize content, develop structure and create
designs which allow the Web site to successfully com­municate
the goals of the client. And in addition to the
strengths they possess regarding artistic ability and
creative thinking, they are also able to develop strategies
for concepts and layout that engage the viewer - both
transforming the experience and persuading the audience.
Simply put, graphic designers bring out the spirit, vision
and sophistication of their clients.
The Web design process involves, first and foremost,
the spirit - effectively communicating the goals
Close-up of the secondary navigation system within the about section of the
Biggin Gallery site. The primary navigation system sits above in the top left
corner of each page. This demonstrates a welf·considered visual hierarchy
with the variation of type sizes and type styles, as opposed to the one at the
top left of the page.
and objectives of the client by developing a Web site
which employs elements of good design. This requires
implementation of a strong visual hierarchy, a clear
organization of site content, a strong use of grid and
space and a consistent design of all visual elements.
Understanding those elements - typography, graphics,
colors and navigation - are akin to the understanding
a carpenter must have of his tools. A typeface is to a
graphic designer what a two-by-four is to a carpenter.
It is a tool, an element that is studied and understood.
One must choose the correct point size and style of
type, as the appropriate kind of wood must be cut the
correct height to build a wall.
The identity and Web site design for Biggin Gallery in
the Department of Art at Auburn University establishes a
distinct spirit or sense of place through the choices of
color, image and typography. It's a sophisticated site that
anticipates the needs of the audience and consists simply
of a comprehensible, uncluttered interface, intuitive
functionality and concise content. The site is responsive
and easy to use without being mundane.
The site contains three primary links - about, exhibitions
and contact, links which rely upon the integration of a
strong color and typographic system to create a strong
and effective visual aesthetic for the gallery. A specific
color is chosen for each section of the site. This color
system, along with the typographic header that identi��fies
each page, establishes a clear distinction of where
one is within the site. It is important to create a visual
hierarchy through variation of type size and also specific
control of spacing within the type. A larger type size is
chosen to identify the page while a consistent size and
style is selected for the primary and secondary navigation
systems. The primary navigation system always remains
in the top left space of the page, becoming a consistent
tool that the user does not have to search for within the
changing content of the site. The secondary navigation is
visually larger than the primary, but is created to integrate
with the content areas, calling greater attention to itself.
Within this secondary navigation, the viewer will be focus-ing
on the choices to make after choosing from the three
primary sections within the Web site.
The way in which images are used within a Web site
present a perfect opportunity to communicate the VISIOn
of the organization or company. For Biggin Gallery, the
images are reflective of the place, capturing a sense of
the people, the activity and the space itself. While the
quality of an image for the Web may not require the
same attention as the high resolution images needed for
print, a designer does need to be sure to always begin
with a good quality image. Images for the Web should be
carefully optimized, saved for specific color formats and
considered with one crucial rule in mind - the highest
quality image with the smallest possible file size.
This attention to image quality allows a designer to
create a clean and well-considered identity for the client.
If images are not the correct resolution, or if they are
resized to a much larger size, the images within the site
will appear pixillated or bitmapped. The use of distorted
images on a Web site speaks of low quality and inatten­tion
to detail - ideas that a company would not use to
communicate a solid vision.
Each primary page for the about,
exhibition and contact sections
illustrates the need for consistency
and variation - the consistent use of
grid and the variation of image-to
represent the gallery's identity.
21 Volume XV, No. I
A designer is challenged to integrate the elements of
color, typography, image and space to create an effective
visual aesthetic for a company's Web site. This challenge
begins with the home page, the first page a viewer visits
when entering the site. Creating a successful home page
for a Web site is about understanding two things - the
needs of the site visitors and what needs to be accom­plished
by the organization. Designers may spend a great
deal of time mastering layouts that adhere properly to
grids or developing unique symbols or icons for the navi­gation,
and rightfully so. But none of that will matter
if it doesn't serve a specific objective. What matters is
that designers understand the goals of the client and
then deliver the process, the technology and the design
needed to satisfy those goals.
A clear understanding of these goals is a crucial aspect
of establishing the visual interface for a site. The devel­opment
of a visual theme and graphic identity defines
the site's sophistication. Using an integration of
text, related imagery, consistent color, typography and
other necessary visuals, an overall personality is estab­lished.
This personality allows the designer to create a
user-friendly interface and navigation system.
For example, when creating the site for Dana Design,
it was important to consider what kind of personality
the site should have - casual and friendly, technical
and serious, businesslike - anything was possible. The
goal was to make the site sophisticated, well-designed
and well-considered and to have the type and imagery
choices reflect that. The beauty is in the simplicity
of the site - simple communication of the process,
the professionalism and the organized nature of the
business. And ultimately, this clear communication
accurately represents the sophistication of the com­pany,
creating a space to showcase its visual work
and creative philosophy.
Each of these examples clearly demonstrates the
graphic designer's role for Web design - to produce
an appropriate visual structure and optimal balance
between visual sensation and the communication of
meaning and concept. When faced with the challenges
of creating a Web identity, the designer must be willing
to listen, learn about the clients' needs and provide
them with excellent ideas to help achieve those goals.
Designers should be accessible, be quick to respond
and make changes, answer the client's questions in a
timely manner and always follow through. During the
process, they must stay fresh and flexible.
DesignAlabama 22
Dana Ezzell Gay is an assistant professor 01 graphic
design at Auburn University and a freelance writer
specializing in graphic design.
Above: The three primary sections of information
within the Dana Design Web site are paSSion,
process and potential. These screen grabs show
the implementation of a sophisticated system of
typography and space. The site communicates
the simplicity that accurately represents her
as a designer; but it also alJows her to create a
space to showcase both her visual work and the
philosophies inherent to both her creative and
teaching processes.
Understanding and respecting the expertise and ability of
a trained graphic designer is the first step to realizing the
need for such talent. Ultimately, it's not what one has; it's
how one uses it. Anyone can have a top-of-the-line com­puter
system. But without the skills and understanding to
effectively use the elements of typography, image, color
and space to create an effective communicative work, the
client is left with a poorly designed site.
So,. . calling all clients: contact one of those
curious graphic designers. They are more than willing to
give you the best design you've ever seen, and they fully
understand how to use the elements of design and how
to turn those elements into meaningful and successful
communication. Allow their expertise to capture the spirit,
vision and sophistication of your organization .•
Potential
Design
Research
.Teach
exhibition UlmOt!ncemcn! card
project: Rodin: in His Own Words,
Selections from the Iris and B. Ger­ald
Cantor Foundation announcement
post c ,U'CI
client: Jule Collins Smith Museum of
Fine Art at Auburn University
Above: The typographic system used within the portfolio
(potential) section of Dana Design establishes a visual
hierarchy through use of different styles and weights of
type. The middle example i/lustrates how the text would
appear without a hierarchical distinction. The bottom
image shows the placement of body text within the
layout of the page.
Below Left: It is essential to pay attention to the individual
spaces between letters, where the spacing is too tight
("te" or "Te") or too loose ("Po" or "ea"). This example
uses a default typeface and shows a lack of decision
regarding the control of the horizontal spaces between
letters and the vertical spaces between each word in
the navigation.
Below Right: The Dana Design site uses a strong hierar~
chical system of bold and light type style, and it focuses
on a we/l·considered use of letter, word and line spacing.
Historic'i'Perspectives
CARNEGIE'S LEGACY
IN ALABAMA
by Jessica Armstrong
FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY, Carnegie libraries were an
integral part of American culture, a source of pride for
COmmUilltleS fortunate to have one. Remarkably, many of
Alabama's Carnegie libraries remaIn, either as libraries and
or are serVIng the public In new ways.
Libraries in America have been in existence since the colonial period. But Widespread access to iibraries didn't
begin until the late 19th century \"vhen steel tycoon Andre\:;," Carnegie funded ne\\' library bUildings \vorld\"vide, pri­marily
bet\veen 1897 and 1917. At least 11 of Alabama's Carnegie libraries exist today. Carnegie funded 14 public
libraries in Alaban1;:L along with several college libraries. \x/hile LTnion Springs and
Eufaula have the only Carnegie libraries that still operate as a library, many have
been readapted for government, civic and academic functions. Carnegie libraries in
Anniston, Gadsden, Huntsville and Birmingham have been demolished.
Most of Alabama's Carnegie libraries were constructed between 1901 and
1916 in a modest variation of the Beaux-Arts style, notes Bob Gamble. senior archi­tectural
historian for the Alabama Historical Commission. Gamble has researched
the state's early structures for his book on Alabama bUildings that \vill be part of the
series, "BUildings of the United States," published by Oxford University Press.
In 1903, Carnegie donated S1O,OOO to the construction of the Eufaula Carnegie
Library, vv'hich opened the follo\ving year. Like other Carnegie libraries, Eufaula"s \vas never Simply a place to go
for books. Since the days of gaslights and horse­dr;;
l\vn carriages, it has hosted an array of activities
- frol11 concerts and lectures to art exhibits and
high school graduations. Yet it wasn't alv;ays easy
keeping its doors open. During the Depression.
the books \Vere threadbare, and there vv'ere no
funds to buy more since the library received only
S5 a month from the city.
"There are titues when you 111ight \Va11t a
building \\--"ith more modern 'wiring and other
conveniences, but the great advantage to being a
Carnegie Library is that you are part of local his­tory.'
· says director Ronnie Snlith.
"The library has built up enormous
goodwill over the decades. A build­ing
that is more than 100 years old
will have some structural problems
TOP RIGHT: Talladega's Carnegie library opened in 1906 and was constructed of
yellow brick, which its architect, Frank Lockwood, preferred. It is now home of the
Heritage Hall Museum.
ABOVE: One of only two functioning Carnegie libraries in Alabama, the Eufaula
Carnegie Library was built in the NeD-Mediterranean style and has been serving
Eufaula and Barbour County for a century.
RIGHT: Portrait of Andrew Carnegie.
23 Volume Xv. No. i
DesignAlabama 24
here and there. And like many libraries, we are running
out of room for our collection."
Breaking a\vay [rOITI the Beaux-Arts, the Eufaula
Carnegie Library was designed in the Neo-Mediterranean
style and features Italianate arched windows, a leaded­glass
tranSOln surrounding the
front door and an arched stained­glass
window. The second floor
auditoriun1 has a raked stage of
the type popular in the early 1900s. In 1990, the library was expanded, and care was
taken to ensure that the addition harmonized with the original red brick and pressed yel­low
trim, explains director Ronnie Smith. The library was recently awarded S100,000 in
capital improvements, which will be used primarily to repair the roof and renovate the
auditoriun1.
Eufaula's library is not only a tribute to Carnegie, but to the community that has kept it
functioning for a century. Dedicated citizens have also kept the Union Springs Carnegie Library afloat since it opened in
1912. Because the Union Springs library is in such poor condition, director Mary Parr is uncenain of its future if money
for major structural work isn't obtained. In 1993, a campaign involved sending letters nationwide to solicit funds for
the ailing library. About S50,000 was raised, Parr recalls, much of it from the Union Springs High School class of 1936,
whose members no doubt had fond memories of the library during its glory days.
The Union Springs library recently received 5250,000 from a federal grant; however, Parr says twice that much
is needed to renovate the Neoclassical-style brick and
stone building. 'It's a beautiful building that is almost
in its original fonn, but I don't think \ve"re going to last
long if \ve don't get it fixed," admits Parr. Tuskegee
architect Major Holland oversa\v renovations to the
building, which included repairing the roof and replac­ing
wooden dentils around the pediment. He agrees
with Parr that at least twice that amount of money is
needed to save it. "The exterior is in good shape, but
the floor is sagging, and tennites have eaten away at
the structure," explains Holland, who noted that the
baselnent is also in serious disrepair.
Although Union Springs and Eufaula have the
only functioning Carnegie libraries in Alabama, oth­ers
remain important communiry landmarks. Decatur's
Carnegie library is now h0l11e to the Carnegie Visual
Arts Center, which Gamble calls "a very good job with
adaptive reuse." The original 3,500-square-foot build­ing
cost S8,500 and served as Decatur's libralY from John Scott photo, from "Historic Architecture in Alabama" by Robert Gamble (1987)
1904-1973. The First Baptist Church used the building as a youth center from 1973-1993. A few years later, the
Decatur Ans Council leased the building from the city. It has been expanded to make room for several galleries,
a Japanese rock garden and an educational center that offers people of all ages
the opportunity to study and create art.
Talladega'S Carnegie library was built in 1904 and used as a library LIntil
1982. Now Heritage Hall Museum, it was designed by Frank Lockwood, a noted
Montgomery architect who deSigned an addition to Alabama's state capitol at
the turn of the 20th century. Lockwood, who also constructed buildings at the
University of Alabama, had a fondness for yellow brick, a characteristic of his
buildings throughout the state. "It's small, but a classic gem of a little building,"
notes Tommy Moorehead, the museum's director and artist-in-residence. It has
retained much of its original appearance. The exterior is identical, and the interior
has been adapted for gallery space." Lockwood served as consulting architect on
TOP: Completed in 1901, the Tuskegee University (then Tuskegee Institute) Carnegie library
is said to be the first Carnegie library in the United States built for African-Americans. W.E.B.
DuBOis and George Washington Carver held classes in the library, which is now used for
administrative offices, including student financial aid.
SECOND FROM TOP: Decatur's Carnegie library served the community from 1904 until 1973
and is now home to the Carnegie Visual Arts Center.
ABOVE: Montgomery's Carnegie library was erected between 1902 and 1904 and served as a
library until 1960. Today it serves as a courthouse annex.
TOP LEFT: Construction on the Selma Carnegie library began in 1903. Serving as Selma's
library until 1976, it features a restored dome and is now the Selma & Dallas Country Centre
for Commerce.
LEFT: The Union Springs Carnegie library opened in 1912 and still operates as a library, but
is in need of extensive repair. General George Patton is said to have attended a meeting at
the library.
the construction of the Carnegie library in Montgomery, erected between 1902 and 1904.
York & Sawyer of New York, Carnegie's premier architects, designed the building in the
classical Beaux-Arts style, Gamble explains. During segregation blacks were excluded
from Carnegie libraries, and in Montgomery were denied a request for Carnegie funds
for a libralY of their own, Gamble adds. By 1960, Montgomery's Carnegie building was
no longer used as a library, and today it serves as a courthouse annex.
Two of Alabama's Carnegie libraries are now used as chambers of commerce.
Completed in 1904 at the cost of $11,785, the Selma Carnegie Library opened in 1904 and
operated as a library until 1976 and housed Dallas
County school board offices during the 1990s. Today
it is home to the Selma & Dallas County Centre for
Commerce, which combines economic development,
tourism and the chamber in the Carnegie library
building. During recent renovation, the dome ";vas uncovered and restored.
"The building is an architectural surprise," marvels Gamble. "It has an abso­lutely
gloriOUS foyer, \vhich was the reading r00111. It's a very vertical space
open to light, The architectural applique is terrific.'·
Ronald Acker, preSident of the Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce,
now \vorks in the building he used to frequent \\:"hen it VI/"as a library during his
junior high days. The Bessemer Carnegie Library was completed in 1907 and
served as the town's library until the 1960s, "I remember when the librarian
told me to be quiet," he recalls. "That was in what is now the boardroom."
Although academic libraries were not Carnegie's primary mission, he helped fund several on Alabama campus­es.
The Tuskegee Carnegie Library is said to be the first Carnegie libralY built for African-Americans in the United
States. Tuskegee University (then Tuskegee Institute) received 520,000
from the Carnegie foundation to construct the library, which \vas com­pleted
in 1901. George Washington Carver is said to have taught Sunday
school in the building, and W.E,B, DuBois taught summer classes there
in the 1900s. The bUilding is now used for administrative offices. Another
historically black college, Alabama A&M, also has a Carnegie library build­ing,
\\rhieh was constructed in 1904. Novva research center, the t\vo-story
building was enlarged and functioned as a library until 1968.
The Carnegie libralY at Judson College in Marion opened in 1908.
Built of pressed brick, the two-story building was used as a library until
1962. Renamed A. Howard Bean Hall, it houses the Alabama Women's
Hall of Fame on the first fioof, and on the second floor are classrooms
and a conference room. Auburn LJniversit~/s Carnegie library opened in
1909 and was enlarged in 1940. It is now known as Mary Maltin Hall and
is used for administrative purposes,
It is a testament to the local communities that so many of Alabama's Carnegie libraries are still serving the
public in a variety of ways. Yet the name Carnegie will forever be synonymous with libraries. "When judged in the
context of their times, these libraries were substantial, pretty and highly functional," Gamble observes. "They must
have made quite an impact on the 1905 mind - to have such a place back then in a small Alabama town." 'i
TOP: Modeled after a Carnegie library in Spartanburg.
S.C., the Bessemer Carnegie library opened in 1907 and
was a library until the 1960s. Now the Bessemer Chamber
of Commerce, it contains its original windows and hard·
wood floors.
TOP LEFT: Alabama A&M University's Carnegie library
building was constructed in 1904 and today functions as
a research center.
ABOVE: At Judson College in Marion, the Carnegie library
is now home to the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame.
The library was dedicated in 1908 and is constructed of
pressed bricks and features Ionic columns and cornices.
LEFT: Auburn University's Carnegie llbrary opened in
1909 and is now Mary Martin Hal!, which houses admin­istrative
offices.
- jessica Armstrong is a freelance
writer living in Auburn,
25 Volume Xv, No.1
Community. Profile
Mooresville: by Gina Glaze Clifford
Preserving the Past by Planning for the Future
OesignAlabama 26
"There's still a unique and wonderful atmosphere about Mooresville, an atmosphere com­pounded
Q/ narrow, leafy lanes, white picket fences, shuttered windows, mellow brick and
weatherboard, hidden gardens, an old smokehouse here, a peaked-roofed well house there.
In fact, to me it's a kind of Brigadoon-like place, where you're suddenly thrown back into
another time." - Bob Gamble, Senior Historian, Alabama Historical Commission
A resident leaves the Mooresville post ollice. The post office is the oldest operationat post office in Alabama.
\Iooresville, in north Alabama, is special indeed - a small quiet
town that thrives on its size and sense of place. This "fragile time
capsule of sorts," as Gamble describes it, includes some of the
oldest historical places in the state. In order to secure their 'little
corner of paradise' for future generations, the 60 or so residents
of this Limestone County communitv nestled between Decatur
and Huntsville are examining key design and zoning issues.
Historical Preservation
Within Mooresville are a number of historical structures that
harken back to the days before Alabama was a state. (Mooresville
was incorporated in 1818 and predates Alabama by one vear.)
Among the historical structures owned by the town and listed on
the National Register of Historic Places are:
The Original Stagecoach Inn and Tavern: This buDd­ing,
constructed sometime before 1825, is as unique as it name
leads you to believe. It is a small building where the \looresville
post office was originally located.
Post Office: The weathered wooden structure, constructed
around 1840, has served as the post office for more than 150 years
and is the oldest operational post office in Alabama. Its furnish­ings
and mailboxes, numbered 1-48, are even older, haying
been previously located in the original post office in the taYern.
Today, this is the center of community interaction: with no mail
delivery to homes, everyone comes to the post office.
The Old Brick Church: Built in 1839, this landmark is still
being used for weddings and town meetings, but it originally
served as a communit)' church. Council member Susan C. Goldby
oversees the preservation and restoration of the church and
assures yisitors that this building will be around for generations
to come.
The Church of Christ: Erected in 1854, this building is cur­rently
not being used, but stands as a reminder of ~jooresvil!e's
historic timelessness.
Built in 1839. the old brick church with iis hand-shaped steeple is one of the most unique buildings in the town.
Besides these landmarks, there are a number of historic homes located in the town including the
house where a future president of the United States, Andrew Johnson, lived while serving as an
apprentice to local tailor Joseph Sloss, sometime between 1826 and 1835.
The home of the current mayor, Jerri McLain, a resident for 18 years, is the Zeitler-Hill-felcLain
home, which she and her husband purchased in 1986. It is the work of one of Alabama's first women
architects, Carolyn Cortner Smith, who designed and built the house for her sister. Begun in 1927
and completed around 1945, the home still has its original gardens, which boast an impressive
number and variety of trees and shrubs.
As mayor, Jerri McLain's personal mission is to maintain the character of her community's historic
places. She notes, "No other place has this particular Bavor. People are drawn to this city because
of its ambiance and uniqueness." To help in the preservation of its buildings, the town hosts the
Mooresville Walking Tour and Festival in odd-numbered years. This street festival brings in more
than $12,000 for the preservation of the three historic buildings owned bv the citv.
Designing a City for Today
Today, growih and zoning are two of the most important design issues facing Alabama cities, and
though we think of it occurring mostly in larger cities such as Birmingham and Huntsville, the
town of Mooresville, too, has come to the crossroads of dealing with these issues.
Mooresville has been listed in Places in Peril as one of the most endangered historic places in the
state, The town, bounded by interstates 65 and 565 and Wheeler Wildlife Refuge, is facing the
possibility of blurred borders with its neighbors HuntIVille and Decatur. This is not the first time
residents have faced issues of development and zoning: In 1885 Mooresville citizens refused to grant
a right-of-way to the Huntsville-Decatur railroad along the edge of town to connect Mooresville
with other communities, Instead, the railroad tracks were laid approXimately two miles north
through Bella Mina.
II few years ago, a number of concerned residents decided they needed to plan for preserving their
rural ambiance for future generations. Cheryl Morgan, Auburn University professor and director of
its Center for Architecture and Urban Studies in Birmingham, drafted a master plan for Mooresville
as part of a local charrette, Its thrust was to maintain the quality of life in the community and
show how the town could implement minimal growih and still preserve the historical patterns of
the community.
Some of the suggestions put forth by Morgan's plan included zoning ordinances to protect property
in town and development of a village and residential area across 1-565 to house interstate conve­niences
such as fast-food restaurants and gas stations in deSign-friendly buildings, Some residents
These post office boxes hold the
mail lor today's residents just as
they have done lor 100 years.
One 01 the many ,7is/oric homes in Moores.ville.
embraced the latter idea, while others did not. Though the final master plan has yet to be developed,
the charrette did inspire Mooresville citizens to talk about design and encroachment issues. As
Mayor McLain states, "Everyone learned from the town meeting, and it brought in a framework for
the bigger picture"
One of the most important lessons learned about implementing a master plan is the realistic chal­lenge
of funding, Mooresville, like many of Alabama's small towns, operates on an annual budget
of less than $10,000 and has a voluntary mayor and five-member city counciL
To deal with these obstacles while laying out a feasible plan, the town has engaged a number
of individuals and groups including David Ely, an architect withJH Partners in Huntsville, the
Alabama Historical CommiSSion, the Historic Mooresville Foundation and the National Register
of Historic Places. Together they are working to enact zoning regulations, preservation acts and
conservation easements for the benefit of later generations. As all communities know, growth is
unaVOidable, but planning for growth and preserving the past should allow future residents and
visitors to Mooresville the chance to be touched by the architecture, history and magiC of this
tucked-away treasure,
For more information on the town of Mooresville contact Mayor Jerri McLain at 256-350-5636 or
visit www,town.mooresville.aLus .•
27 Volume XV, No. I
DesignAlabamatUpdate
EyeBeam
Interactive
Workshop
The Alabama art experience has been enriched by a number of
festivals that have become staples of the state's art communities.
"
One show in particular, Operation New Birmingham's Magic City
Art Connection (MCAC), has been successful as both a festival
and a community-based cultural event to families and children.
by Gina Glaze Clifford
For more than 20 years, the MCAC has brought together
artists from Alabama and beyond for a three-day ex­perience
packed with events. Its unique celebration
geared towards children, the Imagination Festival, provides
interactive art experiences annually for 3,500 - 5,000 chil­dren,
many of whom are underserved or are mentally, physi­cally
or emotionally challenged. In 2002, EyeBeam, a new
addition to the existing 35 interactive workshops, debuted at
the Imagination Festival.
Working to enhance design education for students and
teachers of all backgrounds, Eyebeam is a collaboration be­tween
the architecture, construction and art communities to
create a piece of public art This year, DesignAlabama partnered
with MCAC on the EyeBeam project Participants worked with
various materials, which included Styrofoam packing boxes,
wire, lattice sheets and cloth, shaped with tools such as scis­sors,
paint, tape and clothespins. The goal of this educational
interactive project was to introduce children to:
• Creative thinking and problem solving
• Career choice options in the construction industry
• Multiple skills in various construction, building
and art-making through exposure to techniques,
tools and materials
• Gaining satisfaction felt by completing a project
• Collaboration on a public work of art
• Contemporary art movement and related concept
development
Creating a Piece of Public Art
directly above The first Eye Beam project in 2002 was a huge success, and
top: 2004 participants construct a tepee later draped with the children had a great time. Those first participants endured
pieces of bright, colorlulfabrics. unseasonably cool weather to create a 50-foot-long and
bottom: Other groups built igloos out of Styrofoam boxes 8-fooHall wooden dragon sculpture embellished with skin
decorated with fabric and covered with plastic. derived from found objects, paintings and weavings.
above right Last year's Eye Beam project was a partnership between
top and bottom: First year participants in hard hats work architecture professor Cheryl Morgan of the Auburn Cen-
DesignAlabama 28
on attaching materials to the dragon infrastructure. ter for Architecture and Urban Studies in Birmingham, her
which is also shown below. Auburn fourth-year architecture students, volunteers and
teachers. Their project, "Dwellings: Creating Places & Spac­es,"
involved construction of a village with thoroughfares and
diverse building types (ie. library, jail, schools, etc.) Adult
leaders encouraged styles to be global and diverse (igloos,
tepees, pyramids, etc) supporting the diversity mission
concurrent with Operation New Birmingham's policy. Visual
references in the form of magazine pages, photos and photo­copies
were provided to introduce children to international and
local architectural styles. The construction site was mapped
out in tape or string allowing each of the five groups of 20
(100 at a time) to focus as a team on completing one build­ing.
Team leaders supervised the construction, and at the end
of each day, photos were taken of the village and buildings
before being deconstructed. Children participating in the fol­lowing
days could then use the same materials and develop
fresh ideas for a new city of their own. In total, thousands of
children enjoyed creating public art projects because of this
artistic architectural project and have been exposed to design
education in the process.
This year's Magic City Art Connection was April 22, 23,
and 24th, and the Eyebeam project was titled "Connecting:
Bringing People Together with Architecture." To learn more
about the event, visit the MCAC Web site at www.magiccity
artcom .•
For information about DesignAlabama, visit www.
designalabama.org.
if:. ;/"<Itjfo;
www.mercedeshondaandhyundai­love
it hereand youwill too.com
Top: Art Director of the Year: Paul Crawford. EDPA BM Campaign
left: Designer ot the Year: April Mraz. Bun in the Oven Invitation
Right: Mosaic Award. lewis Communications, 16th St. Baptist
Church Campaign
Bottom: Creative Director of the Year: Paul Crawford, Blackwater
Piantation SIR Brochure
The Birmingham Advertising Federation presented its 2004-2005
ADDY' Awards for advertising creative excellence February 19th
at the McWane Center. From the more than 400 entries, 40 gold
ADDY' Awards and 98 silver ADDY' Awards were presented in
this 47th annual event. Five national judges selected the winners
based on creativity, originality and creative strategy.
Top awards went to the "Best of Show· and "Of the Year" win­ners.
Lewis Communications captured the Best of Show­Broadcast
for their "All Around You· and "Everywhere You Look"
TV campaign for University Hospital. Lewis Communications
also garnered Best of Show - Print for its "Living Proof' ad cam­paign,
also for University Hospital. Honors for Creative Director
and Art Director of the Year went to Paul Crawford oi Lewis
Communications; Designer of the Year was awarded to April
Mraz of Open Creative Group; Copywriter of the Year went to
Andy Odum of Lewis Communications: Illustrator of the Year was
Michael Alfano; and Photographer of the Year was Stuuert.
Top winners of the gold and silver ADDY Awards were
Intermark Group with 2 golds and 7 silvers; Lewis
Communications with 17 golds and 15 silvers; 02 ideas with
4 golds and 18 silvers; Open Creative Group with 5 golds and 7
silvers; and UAB with 1 gold and 6 silvers.
The ADDI" Awards Competition is a three-tiered national
competition conducted annually by the American Advertising
Federation. It is the advertising industry's largest and most repre­sentative
competition for creative excellence.
Top: Erin Wrights Asylum Posier
Bottom: Sanders' Beacon Street Studios Exhibit
The Alabama State CounCil on the Arts awarded its 2004 Design
Fellowships to graphic deSigner Erin Wright and architect Jack
'Jay' Sanders. The $5,000 grants awarded annually recognize
artistic excellence and professional commitment and accomplishment.
Wright, an associate professor at the University of Alabama
in Birmingham, won the grant based on graphic design post­ers
he submits to international exhibitions. Grant monies will
help fund equipment and competition fees. Wright has had work
recently accepted for exhibition in the 19th International Poster
Biennale in Warsaw, Poland, as well as the Mark X International
Poster Invitational in Wuxi Jiangsu, Republic of China.
Sanders, who is an architect, served most recently as an instruc­tor
with Auburn University's Rural Studio in Hale County,
Ala. He created and is financially supporting Beacon Street
Studios, an alternative exhibition space in nearby Greensboro.
Beacon Street is a homespun artistic movement committed to
bringing creative artists and craftsmen together with the people
of the region. Sanders' award will support this effort to serve
the community.
Details+of Interest
A w A R o s
"The Opinions'" Brochure
FitzMartin, a Birmingham marketing and design firm, earned
an Award of Design Excellence from PRINT magazine, a highly
respected graphic design publication. FitzMartin's winning entry,
a brochure created ior Burr & Forman, is featured in PRINT's
Regional Design Annual 2004published last November Burr &
Forman, a regional law firm with offices in Birmingham, needed
to promote its expertise despite strict Bar regulations on adver­tising.
To meet that challenge FitzMartin created "The Opinions"
piece, a compilation of client interviews that ran as testimonials
by association.
29 Volume Xv, No. i
Revitalize Downtown Tuskegee
Daniel Corp, developer of Ross Bridge, in partnership with the Center for Regional Planning and Design in Birmingham,
announced the winners of the inaugural Award of Excellence in their Landscape Design Student Competition in February This oollege- Tuskegee University's Department of Architecture
level annual competition introduced the planning of a greenspace master plan for the community of Ross Bridge in Hoover second-year design studio students and students in Auburn
Forty entries from seven universities across the nation were juried, First place was awarded to Jacob Millard, a third-year landscape
architecture graduate student from the University of Washington, Millard's winning design earned him a cash prize of $5,000,
Runner-up awards of $2,000 were given to a team entry by Kelly Collins and Dottie Far from the University of Washington and
to Stephanie Appel from the University of Florida, A faculty-advisor award was granted to Daniel Winterbottom, associate
professor of landscape architecture from the University of Washington, An honorarium of $1 ,000 will go to the school. Due to the
high caliber of work presented, the judges also requested that four honorable mentions be bestowed, These honors went to the following
teams/students Stacy Rickert/Jennifer Chadd, Kansas State University; Jeffrey Stoecklein/Kimberly Olson, Kansas State
University; Jennifer Patton/S, Blessing Hancock, University of Arizona; and Ritchie A. Katko, University of Kentucky,
Jacob Millard, University oj Washington,
Sketch looking east from the west side of Ross Bridge
The Southern Growth Policies Board will be holding a regional
Summit on the Rural South June 12-14, 2005, at the Grand Hotel
Point Clear Resort on Mobile Bay The summit will bring together
Southern governors, econornic developers, business execu��tives,
legislators and academic leaders to explore new strategies
in rural development with a regional perspective, In addition to
featured speakers and an interactive town hall meeting, the "2005
Report on the Future of the South" wiil be released,
Citizen input from community forums were used in develop-ing
this high profile policy report A tool to encourage action
and dialogue in Southern communities, forums lead to new
networks, a better understanding of issues and the start of seri­ous
thinking about a community's future More than 500 citizens
across the South participate in the process each year, This year
DesignAlabama, in partnership with the Alabama State Council
on the Arts and Auburn University Center for the Arts and
Humanities, held a successful community forum in Montgomery
on March 9th, A large audience from across the state spent the
afternoon discussing problems and issues affecting the rural
South, For more information on this community forum, please
look for the "2005 Report on the Future of the South" or visit
WWw,southern,org
In April residents of Thomaston celebrated the opening of the
Rural Heritage Center deSigned, renovated and constructed by five
Auburn University students from the AU Rural Studio, Work on
the 5,OO0-square-foot facility began in August 2003, The project
converted a 1951 vocational education building with an addition
into a center with a gift shop, commercial kitchen, packaging room
and vegetable cleaning/processing area A pavilion provides out­door
space that can serve as the terrace for a future cafe,
The project to stimulate economic development by creating jobs
in the community was underwritten with the help of a $400,000
grant from the Office of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
with $190,000 of it used for construction, In conjunction with
the Auburn University Outreach Office, AU professors will use
the facility to teach Thomaston residents skills such as canning
and jelly-making, Most recently, reSidents learned about making
pepper jelly; the next project will involve making watermelon rind
pickles The products will then be sold at the center, For more
information visit http//pepperjelly,org or http://wwwruralstudio.com.
DesignAlabama 30
Your Town Alabama is holding a program June 15-17 at Camp
McDowell in Nauvoo near Jasper, site of its inaugural workshop
in 1998, The workshop is a short intense course for citizen lead­ers
and professionals to engage in discussions of realistic issues
in a hypothetical small town through lectures, case study pre­sentations
and interactive group problem-solving The goal is to
provide advanced leadership skills supported by information and
planning toois that can be taken home to all corners of the state
and applied to the process of designing 'your' town's
future, For more information and applications, contact Your
Town Alabama, 1731 First Ave, N" Suite 200, Birmingham, AL
35203, phone 205-264-8460, fax 205-264-8489 or
www,yourtownalabama,org,
Your Town Meeting at Camp McDowell
University's Department of Communication and Journalism
Newswriting class worked together on a plan to revitalize the
Tuskegee courthouse square district The architecture and journal­ism
students researched the physical condition and historic sig­nificance
of 15 of the buildings surrounding the square, Students
presented their plan in March to members of the Tuskegee Main
Street program,
"The project brings together students from two difierent schools
in an exercise in cross-disciplinary teamwork which models real
life," explains Tuskegee architecture professor Don Armstrong,
And journalism students get real world application of the news
writing and reporting process, while learning the value of his­toric
preservation and community involvement, says journalism
instructor Jessica Armstrong,
Working in teams, students researched early documents and pho­tos
that pertain to their assigned buiiding and interviewed local
residents, The architecture students compiled information foliow­ing
National Register of Historic Places guidelines, The journal­ism
students wrote articles about the buildings that will be used
for promotional purposes by the Tuskegee Main Street program,
"Although downtown Tuskegee suffers from benign neglect, it
contains a rich collection of historic properties that are a valuable
resource not only to the town but to the state of Alabama," adds
Don Armstrong, "It has great potential to become a vital commer­cial
district with a strong sense of place,"
Tuskegee University architecture students and Auburn University journalism stu­dents
meet with architectural historians in Tuskegee.
Support the Arts
Purchase a "Support the Arts"
car tag and help support educational design art in
Alabama schools, Help to increase awareness of
design disciplines that influence our enVironment,
stimulate economic development and enhance
the quality of life for all Alabamians. When you
purchase a "Support the Arts" car tag, your $50
registration fee is tax deductible and directly helps
arts education programming in Alabama.
For further information:
www.arts.state.al.us
or cal! your local county probate office.
Park in Birmingham
Birmingham is to become the site of one of the nation's largest
urban parks, surpassing even the scope of New York's Central
Park, Pittsburgh-based US Steel Corp, is selling its 1,108-acre
tract on Red Mountain to the Black Warrior-Cahaba Rivers Land
Trust for $7 million and is pledging $1 million in cash to help
develop Red Mountain Park as a gift to the city The property is
appraised at $16,5 million, The land trust plans to raise $7 mil­lion
for the park through private foundation grants and the federal
Land and Water Conservation Fund,
The mostly wooded acreage extends over a 45 mile area and is
located only 15 minutes from downtown Areas along the ridge
top are expected to remain natural, but a flatter section near
Lakeshore Parkway will be developed with soccer, baseball and
multipurpose sports fields
The establishment of Red Mountain Park would make it possible
to develop and connect a 54-mile network of walking and biking
trails and greenways, There would be 18 miles of trails within the
park and 48 miles of connector trails, as the land is less than a
mile from the beginning of Homewood's Shades Creek greenway
which runs through that city to ivlountain Brook and on through
Jemison Park. The recently established Vulcan Trai! is also nearby.
The Red Mountain project was inspired by the Olmsted plan
drafted in1925 by the Olmsted Brothers firm in Brookline, Mass.,
to guide in acquisition of land for a Birmingham park system. The
Birmingham Historicai Society will publish a book on the plan
and wili sponsor an exhibit in the late fallon Birmingham park
and greenway projects, completed and proposed,
Black Belt Designs is taking on the Big Appie, The York-based
clothing design project recently held a trunk show in New York
and is taking orders from allover the nation, A program of the
Coleman Center for Arts and Culture in this town on the western
edge of Alabama, the nonprofit organization empowers residents
lWT Communications and lWT/KBK New Media held their third annuai CreatAThon last September in Montgomery. During
the 24-hour creative blitz, staff members provided free marketing and creative services from logos to brochures to Web sites for nine
tri-county nonprofit organizations, From 48 applications, the agencies selected recipients based on the mission of the organization,
the type of work requested and how the firm's expertise would most benefit the needs of each applicant Clients selected for the 2004
CreatAThon were: Old Alabama Town, the Alabama Art Trail, Easter Seals of Central Alabama, the Humane Society of Elmore County,
We Are Women In Recovery, The ARC of Alabama, Alabama Postpartum Support and Education Association, Hospice of Montgomery
and Group Homes for Children. Check the Web site http//wv/Wcreateathoncom/ later in the year for details of the 2005 event.
Oid Alabama Town Broc!1Ure
The old moteL cabins and observation tower at Cheaha State Park
have been undergoing a $4 million renovation to integrate mod­ern
conveniences into structures built circa 1935 by the Civilian
Conservation Corps Seay Seay & litchfield of Montgomery
renovated the motei to function as a group lodge featuring a
catering kitchen, 12 sleeping rooms with Individual bathrooms, a
conference room and a large dining hall and addressed handicap
accessibility, Ten of the cabins now have modern kitchens and
bathrooms, One cabin that had been burned was restored as per
the original drawings with discreet conveniences, SS&L incorpo­rated
a museum function on the ground floor of the observation
tower with displays on one side and a replication of historic
sleeping Quarters on the other, The deck's major structural issues
were addressed and code improvements made with historically
sensitive designs, All structures were updated with materials and
We Are Women In Recovery Logo
Anniston Depot
Anniston officials recently received a letter from Gov. Bob Riley
saying the city will receive federal transportation enhancement
funds which should allow it to finish restoring the old Norfolk
Southern train passenger depot The city bought the two-buiiding
station in 2001 for $55,000. Restoration plans include converting
the building built in 1882-83 into a new multimodal transporta­tion
facility. If plans are followed through, the building would
house both the city's bus system and Amtrak. Already the rear
building is being remodeled for Norfolk Southern offices. Later
the front part wi!1 be converted to a waiting room for travelers
and will include a snack area. It is hoped that the restoration of
the station will serve as a catalyst for development in the nearby
Mount Zion community,
of the Black Belt to gain economic independence by creating colors consistent with original drawings and photographs,
custom-designed clothing and wearable art It evolved as an out­growth
of a three-day dress construction class and has become a
permanent full-time fiber workshop. Individuals of all skill levels
receive instructions and work with a variety of fabriCS including
denim, mud cloth and African-themed batiks and embellish­ments,
both new and recycled, Clothing and accessories created
in the workshop are sold to help fund the project Mary Gordon,
director of Black Belt Designs, also helps the designers with
their independent entrepreneurial efforts, The Coleman Center is
supported by the City of York and grants from the Alabama Civil
Justice Foundation, the Alabama State Council on the Arts and
the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about the
program go to the Web site at
http://www co lemanarts ,org/,
"Scenic Solutions Designs and Methods for America the
Beautiful" is a new CD published by Scenic America that
was produced in conjunction with the Natural Resources
Conservation Service of the US Department of Agriculture. Its
45 case histories illustrate good scenic conservation practices
in a wide variety of projects of interest to citizen activists, design
professionals, government officials and students, To order the
CD, contact Scenic America bookstore at www,scenic,org or
lint@scenic.org or call 202-638-0550, ext 14. Purchase price is
$20 plus shipping and handling.
Cheaha Lodge Dining Hali
The old Memphis & Charleston Railroad Freight Depot in
Huntsvil!e, severely damaged by a fire last spring, has been saved
from demolition. The depot built in 1851-57 is the oldest railroad
building in Alabama. During the Civil War it escaped destruction
- being used as a jail for Confederate prisoners instead. Recentiy
it faced destruction from bulldozers as the fire destroyed part of
its wall and rooL But David Goode, chairman of Norfolk Southern,
agreed to donate the ruins and $2,000 to stabilize the building
He leased the site to the Aiabama Historical Commission, which
wii! hold the property until the Historic Huntsville Foundation is
able to take possession and restore it Officials say the restoration
couid cost $500,000 or more.
Huntsville Depot Alter the Fire
31 Volume XV. No.1
r
Desi nAlabama
Volume XV, Issue I
PUBLIC DESIGN AWARENESS AND EDUCATION
DesignAlabama Inc. works to increase awareness and value of the design disciplines
('Do not go where
that influence our environment. We believe that the quality of life and
the path may lead,
economic growth of this state are enhanced through attention to and
go instead where
investment in good design.
there is no path
'13eautijication to my mind is far more
and leave a trail. ))
than a matter of cosmetics. To me)
NEW OPTIONS
-Ralph Waldo Emerson (~very man's work) whether it be
it describes the whole effort to bring
literature or music or pictures or
the natural world into harmony)
architecture or anything else)
and to bring order; usefulness
is aluJays a portrait of hirnself. .,
and delight to our whole environment.
A nd that) of course) only begins with - Samuel Butler
flowers and the landscape. ))
- Lady Bird Johnson
For additional informalion about DesignAlabama, please call (334) 353-5081 .