Design Alabama: The Public Forum for Design in Alabama, Volume 12, Issue 2, 2002

              Fall 2002
Volume XII, Issue II
$4.00
Desi abama
THE PUBLIC FORUM FOR DESIGN IN ALABAMA
DesignAlabama Inc.
Board of Directors:
Cathryn Campbell Geracbis, Chair
Goodwyn, Milts and Cawood Inc.
Montgomery
Nancy Mims Hartsfield, Vice Chair
AUDum University, Professor Emeritus
Montgomery
Elizabeth Ann Brown, Secretary
Aiabama Historical Commission
Montgomery
Charles Callans, Treasurer
Birmingham Realty
Birmingham
Arnelle Adcock
Central Alabama ElecHic Cooperative
Prattvilie
Joseph R, Donofro
Donofro & Associates Architects Inc.
Dothan
Janet Driscoll
Driscoll Design
Monigomery
80 Grisham
Brookmont Realty
Birmingham
Tin Man La.
Auburn University
Auburn
Robert Martin
Southern Progress Corp.
Birmingham
Kenneth M. Penuel
Southern Company Serlices Inc., Retired
Birmingham
Debbie Quinn
Fairhope City Council
Fairhope
Kay F, Roney
Waf/ace Community Co/fege
Dothan
larry Watts
Birmingham Regional Planning Commission
Birmingham
Karen H. Seale, Executive Directo!
Philip A. Morris, Director Emeritus
Desi nAlabama
Volume XII, Issue II
Cover: Design has made ali the difference
on Broad Street in Gadsden. Phatogf3ph by Randa! Crow
Jl.etterifrom the Director
Design Makes a DiJference, , ,
It happens every day. Maybe it's the coffee maker that
This publication is made possible through funding by
the following contributors:
brews a perfect pot of morning joe or the running shoe that Alabama Architectural Foundation
carries you on a spin around the block, Perhaps it's the
boulevard you take each day to work or the neighborhood
you live in. Yes, it happens every day, yet how often do we
realize the impact that design choices have on our lives, in
ways big and small?
In this issue we will explore the many ways that
design is making a difference in Alabama, From ballparks
to shopping centers, our feature includes 12 inventive
approaches to designing our communities, We also will
unearth the multifaceted job of the landscape architect,
connect an historic Birmingham building with the
community, discover Alabama's new flair for fashion and
revisit some old ideas for a new approach to simple,
decent housing,
I also would like to take this opportunity to announce
our unveiling of the DesignAlabama touring exhibit,
'Design Makes a Difference, " A companion to this issue of the
journal, the exhibit colorfully illustrates the projects you will
find in our feature story, In the coming year the exhibit will
tour throughout the state as part of our continuing effort to
provide publiC design awareness and education, Please let us
know how we can arrange to bring it to your community,
Karen H. Seale
Editor: Karen Seale
Managing Editor: Tomie Dugas
Art Director: Nancy Hartslield
Associate Art Director: Ross Heck
Assistant Art Directors: Kelly Bryant. Tomie Dugas,
Samantha Lawrie, Wei Wang
Contributing Writers: Jessica Armstrong, Tomie Dugas,
David Hinson. Philip MorriS, Karen Seale
Alabama State Council on the Arts
Graham FoundatlDn
Gresham Smith and Partners
The Architects GrDup
The Home Depot
A special thanks to PhiJip Mo"is for his ongoing
assistance and advice with this publication.
Submission Information
DesignAlabama encourages submissions from
its readers. Articles about work from all design
disciplines are requested. as well as copy related to
historic preservation. Piease submit copy along with
visuals (photos, slides, drawings. efc.) to
DesignAlabama Inc., P.O. Box 241263,
Montgomery. AL 36124.
Items for Project News and Details of
Interest should include a paragraph summary
detailing the nature of the project, the design firm,
principals and associates involved and any other
details that may be of interest such as unusual or
special design features, completion date,
approximate cost. square footage, etc. Also include
the name. address and phone and fax number of the
client and an individual whom we may contact for
further information. Direct inquiries to Karen Seale at
(334) 353-5081 or mail to: designalabama@attnet.
Past journal issues are avaiiable lor $6.00
including postage and handling. Contact Karen Seale
at the above numbers for availability information
and to order.
© 2002 DesignAlabama Inc.
ISSN# 1090-0918
This issue of DesignAlabama was designed and
produced on Macintosh Computers utilizing QuarkXPress
4.1. Proofs were printed on a HP 4000N and final Quiput
on a Compugraphic 9400.
Blending the old and new to
a harmonious effect.
p.7
DesignAlabama is a publication oi DesignAlabama Inc.
Reader comments and submission of articles and ideas for
future issues are encouraged.
Shaping the environment through
design excellence.
p.9
FEATURES
CONTENTS
Creating simple, decent housing for
low-income families.
p23
"DESIGN MAKES A DIffERENCE"
PROJECTS HAVING A POSITIVE IMPACT ON ALABAMA. 9
BROAD STREET REDEVELOPMENT 10
GUNTERSVILLE FIRE STATION 11
CONCORD CENTER 12
ONE FEDERAL PLACE 13
NEWBERN BASEBALL CLUB 14
ASMS AUDITORIUM
MONTGOMERY FEDERAL COURTHOUSE
THE PRESERVE & MOSS ROCK PRESERVE
TALLEDGA CO. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CENTER
MINOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
MOBILE SIGNAGE SYSTEM
BROOKWOOD VILLAGE MALL
ARTICLES
DESIGNHABITAT
A PASSION FOR FASHION
DEPARTMENTS
Project.ANews
Work of statewide significance.
Historical~Perspectives
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
23
26
4
Birmingham Publishing Building Reissued as ArchitectureWorks. 7
Designer~Profile
Landscape Architect Cathryn Gerachis. 22
Details+Of Interest
Noteworthy observations. 29
Putting Alabama on the
fashion map.
p26
Project.ANews
WorkPiay Compiex
OesignAiabama 4
Project News
is a regular
feature of
lJesignAlabama and
provides
an opportunity
to keep
up-to-date on
design projects
that have an impact on
our communities.
Ircliitecture "
WorkPlay of mid-town Birmingham
contains a 5,OOO-square-foot
soundstage, recording studio with
isolation and control rooms, 300-seat
cabaret-style music hall and lounge,
related entertainment and artistic
offices and support spaces. The complex designed by
Davis Architects of Birmingham was built into an
existing 1950s manufacturing facility and takes advantage of
the warehouse atmosphere while introducing new
architectural forms to create a new look. The design concept
is based upon the use of strong visual shapes, colors and
vistas, all set within the context of an industrial backdrop.
Some forms created include a curved 25-foot-tall wall with
vertical openings patterned after a musical score, a
perforated rotunda lobby with a sharply angled receptionist
desk, a 50-foot-tall soundstage with striated concrete block
walls, a raised canteen area, as well as two-level office
environments composed of varying disparate but comple­mentary
materials such as gypsum board, glass, steel,
corrugated fiberglass, etc. The building is occupied during
the day for office, sound stage and recording studio use
(Work), and at night the music hall and lounge take over (Play).
The facility has made an
impact on midtown
providing a synergistic
'. environment for the artistic
A
tenants, a first-class sound
stage and music hall and a
flexible performance venue
for a variety of bookings. It
also showcases a successful
renovation in the community
Landscape architect was Site
Works, and structural
engineer was Structural
Design Group both of
Birmingham.
PH&J Architects Inc. of Montgomery has presented
concept drawings and a master plan for a major building
program for improvements to the athletics department at the
University of Alabama. The master plan includes designs
and concept plans for several new projects and updates to
the current athletic facilities complex on the Tuscaloosa
campus, the most ambitious undertaking in the history of
the school. The facilities and improvements will include:
renovations and additions to Paul Bryant Hall including an
academic support center; expansion of the football complex,
roughly doubling the size of the current building; new
atrium and modernization for Coleman Coliseum; new
soccer and tennis stadiums; upper deck addition in the
north end zone of Bryant-Denny Stadium and a new
entrance to the athletic complex.
VA Athletic Complex Entrance
Design is complete and construction documents are
underway for a new city hall for Chelsea by Turner-Batson
Architects of Birmingham. The city hall's 9,OOO-square��foot
first floor will include a 100-seat city council chamber,
offices for the mayor, city planning department and satellite
offices for the police precinct and library. The 5,000-square­foot
second floor will initially be available for lease and is
slated for the future expansion of city offices. A 25,000-
square-foot basement for storage and emergency shelter
also will be included. The building will anchor a six-acre
development planned by Chelsea to include a park with
amphitheatre, playgrounds and other retail and civic build­ings.
The exterior of the city hall will incorporate brick
veneer with stone accents and feature a copper-clad cupola
and second floor balcony overlooking the amphitheatre
The project team includes Dave Reese, AlA, principal­in-
charge, and Gary Walton, AlA, project architect.
Construction is expected to begin in winter 2002.
Chelsea City Hall
Montgomery's Barganier Davis Sims Architects Inc.,
designers of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts' original
facility, will be responsible for a major 20,000-square-foot
expansion to the institution. The new wing, to be located on
the northeast side of the museum, will be completed in
approximately two years. A new entrance for tour groups
will feature an orientation center offering previews with
state-of-the-art audio visual and computer technology. An
expansion of ARTWORKS, the children's interactive art
center, will double its capacity and an expanded high-tech
learning/media center will consolidate materials for
research. There will be two new studios plus a partially
covered exterior studio and a new 72-by-70-foot special
exhibition gallery connected to the current special
exhibitions galleries by a smaller atrium galiery space.
i '1'\ ".'~.'~,',"'"
I //'----.". \\;;~ , :<:
E,,:',Jt ," . .' , ~'I:
,"'w ~.',J:I'?.f>~J t,!
.--J i, h" ,~'-'T, ~':il,".i. -,i "1' i
L'=-__ '- - i ~..L.. • ....J
MMFA's Expansion .A.
Troy State University's first-class stadium upgrade and
expansion are befitting of its jump to the NCAA Division 1A.
An $11.5 million bond issue wiil fund the project to be
completed for the 1a112003 footbali season. Architects are
HOK Sports+Venture+Event of Kansas City in
conjunction with McKee and Associates of Montgomery.
The renovation and expansion will bring seating from 17,500
to 30-35,000. The east stands will be torn down and rebuilt
with better seating, and a plaza and additional seating in the
south end zone will be added. Centerpiece of the upgrade is
a six-story, 90,OOO-square-foot press box. Included in the
facility will be concession stands, media relations offices,
1,500 premium chair-backed seats, booster concourse and
banquet room, lobby, recruiting lounge, multipurpose function
room and 26 skyboxes A new track facility is part of the
upgrade and will be built in time for the 2003 track season,
TSU Stadium and Press Box
Birmingham's Evan Terry Associates designed the
Russell Cancer Center on the campus of the Russell
Medical Center in Alexander City, which opened summer
2001, The 12,000-square-foot, freestanding building
architecturally complements the existing structures through
use of similar building materials, The center's fagade is
aluminum with red Georgian brick set off by a green
standing seam metal roof, The interior is lit by a soaring 40-
foot-high skylight bringing natural light inside, Interesting
roof forms including a frosted glass pyramid, detailing, site
placement and landscaping make a statement to passersby
on US Highway 280, Included in the facility are a linear
accelerator room, CfT simulator, infusion therapy stations,
pharmacy, doctor offices, exam rooms, employee
lounge/conference area and reception and waiting areas,
Russell Cancer Center .A
Birmingham's first new school in 50 years, George
Washington Carver High School, is designed by Giattina
Fisher Aycock Architects Inc. to house an inspired
educational program and serve as a positive icon to the city,
Project architect is Marzette Fisher, The site was formerly
a municipal golf course on a foothill overlooking the inner
city, The school was placed at the crest of the site, and at the
base of the hill the old fairways and mature oaks were
converted to parks and play fields. Footpaths extend the city
streets from the neighborhood, through the fields and gently
wind up a 1OO-foot rise to the school.
The parti is a rectangle split into three bars, each of which
follows the contours of the hi!1 and contains a discrete
functional element of the school. The bars slide parallel to
each other to form public and private exterior spaces. A
simple concrete form links the dining hall to the academic
wing and creates the school's entry. Visible through the
entry link is an academic courtyard, which visually connects
the school to the neighborhood city beyond.
George w. Carver High Schoof
Sherlock, Smith & Adams of Montgomery designed the
new 95,232-square-foot Gulf Shores High School and
provided engineering and construction services. The project
consisted of the construction of a single-story classroom,
gymnasium and cafeteria building. Daylighting at Gulf
Shores is used as a signaling device to the out-of-doors,
connecting the interior of the building to the exterior
Circular skylights evoke an almost whimsical feeling to the
main concourse, student entrance and media center
Daylighting from the skylights is supplemented with
daylighting via windows in classrooms, concourse, which
opens onto the courtyard, student entrance and elsewhere.
Its creative use contributes in a palpable way to the positive
experience one feels inside the building Project designer
was David Parker, AlA.
Gulf Shores High School
McKee and Associates of Montgomery has provided
architectural and interior design services for the new Walter
T. McKee Elementary and Junior High School. The complex
is named in honor of longtime Montgomery County Board
of Education Superintendent Walter T. McKee Sr His son,
Walter T. McKee Jr., architect for the project, has designed
approximately 650 school projects in the past 10 years. This
$12.8 million joint-use facility has 175,000 square feet and
is spread out over approximately 31 acres. It includes media
centers, science and computer labs, a cafetorium and a city­run
community center and will serve an enrollment of
1,350 students.
andscape rchitecture II
Y
Friends of Delano Park was formed in
October 2000 to support the rehabil­itation
of the historic rose garden in
Decatur's oldest city park. Since then,
the project has mushroomed to include
the development of a master plan for
the entire park, rehabilitation of the WPA-buiit stone
structures and connection of Delano Park with the Decatur
pedestrian bike trail and other historic greenspaces in the
town. A public-private partnership formed to bring about the
park's renewal includes the nonprofit Friends of Delano
Park, the City of Decatur, MindVolt Inc., Sehoel Design
Group and the Alabama Historical Commission (AHC).
Through generous private donations, a series of grants from
the AHC and a $50,000 economic development grant
facilitated by Congressman Bud Cramer, the rose garden's
rehabilitation is imminent. The schematic design and
construction documentation have been completed. Land­scape
architect on the project is Sam Barnett, ASLA, of
Schoel Design Group in Athens.
Delano Park was laid out in 1887 by well-known New York
landscape architect Nathan Franklin Barrett, who had
designed the town of Pullman, III. (a national historic
landmark), Chevy Chase, Md., and Naumkeag in
Massachusetts. Barrett claimed to be the earliest proponent
of the formal garden in America, and his plan ior Delano
Park 'Included a formal garden in the same location as the
historic rose garden. In the 1930s, Carolyn Cortner
Smith, Alabama's first licensed female architect, designed
the stone structures in the park. The present rehabilitation
will follow the original layout of the beds and recapture the
ambience of the many WPA rose gardens of that era.
Delano Park HistoriC Rose Garden
ngineering
Volkert & Associates of Mobile
designed a plan to eliminate overflow of
untreated wastewater from Fairhope into
Mobile Bay. To correct the problem
caused by heavy rains, Volkert developed
a schematic plan of the gravity line sewer
system composed of 46 pump stations, 95 miles of sewer
lines and 2,000 manholes. Using smoke testing, the
engineers identified leaks and sources of storm water
infiltration to be repaired or adjusted by the city or private
property owners. From their inspections and GPS survey, a
sewer system GIS map is being developed to assist in
addressing future needs of the system. Team members
include Matt Bell, PE, project manager, and Mark
Acreman, PE, sewer modeling.
5 Volume XII. No. II
Janet Driscoll of Driscoll
Designs Inc., Montgomery,
redesigned the state's Support the
Arts car tag in collaboration with
Barbara Reed, public relations
director for the Alabama State
Council on the Arts. Driscoll's challenge was to illustrate the
: various art disciplines including dance, theatre, music,
: literature and visual art, while keeping it simple for quick
recognition and easy reading. Her design and color choices
reflect a fun and joyful feeling with appeal to a broad audience.
00000 .-; --;
r1
, MindVolt of Athens was charged with designing a logo for
: the Schoel Design Group. Each of the three partners of
: the Athens architectural firm specializes in either residential,
· commercial or landscape architecture. To create a mark that
: symbolized the unique personalities and disciplines
! challenged MindVolt to look for commonalities. Form and
: function emerged as the common thread for the disciplines
· and creativity and talent for the different personalities. After
exploring a number of marks, the ad agency devised a
cohesive design solution representative of the group that
integrated all three aspects of the architectural concern.
• SCHOELDESIGNGROUP
AI~CHJTECTURE
Believing that if the public portion of
the Green Springs Highway could be
revitalized, then private sector improve­ments
would follow, Homewood city
officials engaged Gresham, Smith &
Partners to undertake the project. The
· Birmingham firm began planning in 1996, and construction
: was completed in 2000. The project team developed the
: concept and followed through with the planning, budgeting,
! survey and design, as well as construction administration.
: The planning phase, led by Charles Sowell, landscape
! architect. included a series of meetings with the ad hoc
: committee along with a charrette which produced suggested
! enhancements from which a master plan was drafted. The
: resulting 2.1 mile, $5 miilion project to revitalize this
i suburban arterial involved upgrades such as sidewalks, bike
: lanes, lighting, landscaping, storm drainage, access
: management and intersection problem-solving including
: traffic operation improvements at Green Springs Highway at
: Oxmoor Road and at Lakeshore Drive. The city's plan
worked, as businesses along the route are following suit and
upgrading their appearance.
DesignAlabama 6
Green Springs Highway ....
Brown Chambless Architects of Montgomery is an
integral part of the city's Riverwalk development. Phase I
includes a 6,000-seat amphitheatre to anchor the project.
BCA designed the facility with high-tech capabilities to ,
accommodate a variety of venues including concerts, theater !
and dance performances and even outdoor movies, all in a
naturalistic setting. Plans include a welcome terrace with
pergola, children's playground and band shell. Phase II will
focus on the hardscaped Riverwalk and permanent support
facilities for the amphitheatre. Future plans for the Riverwalk
include retail and restaurants. Project designers are
Stephen King, AlA, and John Chambless Jr., AlA.
Riv8fWalk Plan
•
When St. Vincent's Hospital was
exploring ways to present its history :
to the public and enhance the entrance !
to the newly built chapel, it turned to .
ExpoDisplays of Birmingham, a
division of Diamond Displays
International. The resulting 40-
foot-long, floor-to-ceiling "Heritage Wall" connects the
hospital's main entrance to the chapel. Using hardwood
veneers and glass, this wall was given a serpentine shape to
provide visual interest and create a sense of motion.
Historical and current photographs appear to float along the
wall via aluminum stand-offs. Built-in display cases
showcase actual historical artifacts from the hospital in a
museum-like format Custom-painted abstract murals are
illuminated by a halogen lighting system that is also serpen­tine
shaped to reinforce the gentle curves of the display. As
you enter the hospital, a large glass panel display captures
the image of St. Vincent's identity and mission. From there, .
the story of St Vincent's is told along the wal! ExpoDisplays :
designers for this project include Blake Bassham,
Robert Donovan, Nathan Preg and Philip Yonfa.
~ St. Vincent's Heritage Wall
Designed in 1929, the Jefferson
County Courthouse in Birmingham is
the largest and most prominent in
Alabama. The original H-shaped,
nine-story, 350,OOO-square-foot
Holabird and Root art deco design
courthouse was provided an annex in 1962 and acquired a
bridge and parking deck in the mid-1970s.
A steel and concrete framed, limestone-clad structure, the
courthouse is complex in form, yet deceptively simple in
interior finish and usage A hallrnark of design, it admirably
met the demands of the time. However, after 70 years of use,
deferred maintenance, unfortunate modernizations,
overcrowding, the advent of computers, new laws, new
building codes and concern for security, the county
mandated a radical renovation.
The simplicity of finished spaces transformed by GiaHina
Fisher Aycock Architects Inc. of Birmingham belies
the difficulty in achieving the project's ambitious objectives,
while still respecting the historical design. Among the
challenges during the nine-year project replacing all
ceilings to complement the building and allow access to
utilities; restoring courtrooms, chambers and office space;
replacing and integrating electrical, mechanical,
telecommunications and technical building systems;
matching 13 wood species, 12 terrazzo colors and four
marble types; salvaging and restoring a circa 1929 terrazzo
county map and all the seating pews throughout the
building; and refurbishing, replicating or designing brass
and glass light fixtures.
Jefferson County Courtroom
,-------;:-----, Nena Johnson and
Tommie Sledge of
HKW Interiors in
Birmingham have
completed the design
and drawings for the
Standard Bistro at Mt
Laurel. The 4,452-square-foot bistro consists of a retail
bakery, dining room and bar. The concept is in keeping with
the arts and crafts style of Mt Laurel while introducing art
deco elements. A
H istorica I'i'Perspectives
Birmingham Publishing Building
Reissued as Architecture Works:
by Jessica Armstrong
Adaptive Reuse Connects with Community
Scarcely an American city has not been touched, or in some cases
transformed, by the recycling of old buildings - adapting them
to uses different from those for which they were intended,
observes Barbaralee Diamonstein in her book "Remaking America. "
Preservation does not and emphatically should not, she insists, mean
merely restoration.
In cities and towns across America, buildings are being kept alive
by consciously changing their roles. We are seeing a reversal,
Diamonstein says, of what Walt Whitman called "the pull-down-and­build-
over-again spirit" of the United States.
Breathing life into old buildings is fueling dm,1ltown Birmingbam's cultural and economic
vitality. One of the city's best recycling effol1S is the old Birmingham Publishing Co. building,
reborn as architectural offices with space for community use. ArchitectureWorks purchased
the 1920s building - actually three buildings - in 1999 and set about to transform the
property into an "emironment which would encourage the community to become exposed
to and engaged in the practice of architecture."
ArchitectureWorks owner Dick Pigford spent five years looking for the light building.
The circa 1920s Birmingham Puhlishing huilding (ahove) has heen
rehorn as Ihe offices of ArchileclureWorks, an architecluralfirm
committed 10 downlown Birmingham's redevelopmenl e/lorts.
(See page 29 for a currenl view oflhe exlerior.) Also part oflhe
newly refurhished complex is space for community functions Ihal
are helping to revitalize Birmingham:S commercial district.
His search ended Ilith tile old publishing complex, located in the heart of Birmingham'S
commercial distlict Veith plenty of room to convert for public use. A desire to create a place
for community interaction, along Veith a commitment to the city and its revitalization, led
ArchitectureWorks to invest in the ltistolic property located on the corner of Second Avenue
South and 19th Street. 'The greatest challenge was using the project as a learning tool,
while meeting an aggressive completion schedule," says Pigford of the $1 million
renovation process.
7 Volume XII. No. II
Counters, screen walls, tables and light fixtures provide a clean, modern style that harmonizes with the historic interior. A pleasing sense of free-flowing space has
been achieved, along with a meticulous use of materials and details.
The original building on the site is a 5,OOO-square-foot brick and wood structure.
Adjacent is a 3,300-square-foot building built a few years later as a machine shop
and eventually purchased by Binningham Publishing Co. This building is now SawWorks
Studio, used for ArchitectureWorks functions and a vmiety of community events. In the
1950s, a third building was constructed that connected the two older buildings. Originally
used as a press room for the growing printing company, half of this 5,000-square-foot
building has been converted to courtyard space.
Designed to be an interrelating complex, the studio and a multifunction space each
open to and are connected by an open-air courtyard, which opens to the street. Along the
street's edge are partitions that define a walkway connecting both studios. The partitions
help delineate between formal areas and the more informal areas of the courtyard and
studio. The walkway also houses office supplies and equipment and prmides seating with­in
the courtyard. A rain screen wall in the rear separates a senice and storage area from
the courtyard and studio. A large opening placed Within an existing wall and a new curved
window wall allow the variety of spaces and functions to interact.
Conceived as a complex of interrelated spaces, the studio and multifunction space each open to
an area connected by an open-air courtyard with a seating area.
Birmingha!1l-based Brasfield & Gonie was the project's contractor. One of the challenges
of the project was adding to an existing wood joist system, says Gary Davis, Brasfield &
Gorrie's assistant project manager. "Finding rough-sawn wood to match took a little time,"
he says. "There was also a sunken footing at the back wall that had to be reinforced."
The overall design of the renovateil complex unifies the "interior and exterior, formal
and infonnal, office and community."
OesignAlabama 8
Indeed, Pigford has upheld his vow to welcome the community with open arms. Local
design initiatives meet regularly in the studio, along with a long-range planning committee
sening the art and art hiS10ry department of the University of Alaba!1la at Birmingham. In
addition, fifth-graders used the space to create a post-Sept. 11 public memorial commem­orating
heroism.
New Jersey-based artist Stephen Hendee, whose work was exhibited this year at New
York's Whitney Museum of Art, used the ArchitectureWorks studio to create sculpture for
downtown Birmingha!1l. His geometric, illuminated pieces were installed at the Concord
Center and the Federal Reserve Bank Building.
"We encourage the use of the SawWorks Studio by other groups in an effort to bling
Light is delicately filtered through the rain screen wall, which together people interested in design and the plmllling of the city," says Pigford. "Our
separates service and storage areas from the courtyard
and studio. whole approach has to do with enga"oing the community."
ArchitectureWorks received several awards this year for the adaptive reuse of the old
Binninghanl Publishing Co. building - the Birmillgha!1l AlA Honor Award, the Birmingha!1l
Historical Society Preservation Award and the Alabama Council AlA Honor Award .. @'
jessica Armstrong is a freelance writer based in Auburn.
by Philip Morris
Makes A 0 ifference
Often, the work of designers is presented as flamboyant and image-driven. Truth is,
most architects, landscape architects, interior designers, graphic designers
and others in the design arts field spend most of their time out of the limelight
developing projects to fulfill their clients' needs and desires. This feature showcases
design that is, usually without any fanfare, making a difference to people and places
across Alabama.
These include new civic structures, office buildings, pedestrian street
enhancements, suburban development plans and signage systems and
other kinds of projects, most of them produced by Alabama firms. They were chosen
with design excellence, recent completion, project variety and geographic diversity in
mind to present a good idea of how design today is helping shape our larger environment.
Photographs and plans illustrate the projects, while the text summarizes what the
clients' needs were and how the designers responded. There are also deSCriptions of what
positive impact the work has had, both on the immediate users and the larger community.
We hope you will agree, after viewing these projects, that the design arts are alive
and well- and enhancing the quality of our lives across Alabama.
Philip Morris has more than 30 years experience in magazine work including tenures as executive editor and editor-at-Iarge at
Southern Living, Coastal Living and Southern Accents. Although he retired in 2000, Morris remains active as a freelance writer and
respected lecturer on deSign, as well as a major contributor to DesignAlabama.
9 Volume XII, No. II
lhe Cily of Gadsden
JAnilSeapg'Areliiteet: Sller/ock, Smilh & Ae/ams, Bil'mingiJam
Civil Enlf!neer: jones, Blair; Wctldl'UjJ and 1I1cker Gadsden
Walker Palloll Co. Inc., BirmingiJam
l An elevated vie'll of Broad Srfeet in the hear! 0/ downtown Gadsden shows the comprehensive s/reetscape
improvements that have made the streef more attractive while retaining traffic and on·street parking. Ccnopy
trees that will 1101 block 'Iie'lls of bUlldmgs or storefronts were specii,ed.
New sidewalks have patterned, poured·in��place
concrete closer to building fronts
and removable terra cotta.f:olored pavers
along the street where utilities run. A change
in the angle parking from 45 to 39 degrees
gave sidewalks more room.
[
The landscape architect in charge of the project for Sherlock, Smith & Adams emphasized
pedestrian amenities at corners with expanded sidewalks and crape myrtles, Merchants
and residents helped select light standards. benChes and other street furmture.
OesignAlabama 10
Photography by Randal Cra~1
Six blocks of Broad Street through the heart of Gadsden's historic downtown district have been made
more attractive and pedestrian-friendly since streetscape improvements were completed in 1999,
Design choices taken within a framework of active public participation drove the success.
Led by a landscape architect with Sherlock, Smith & Adams, the project a higher pendant light on the street side and a lower one that
began with a request to the Alabama Department of Transportation to change this portion illuminates the sidewalk and building fagades.
of the street from four lanes to three, allowing for wider sidewalks, When that was denied, Plantings were deliberately kept simple. Chinese elms
the only place to gain pedestrian space was by reconfiguring the angled parking. Changing and Chinese pistache were specified because they reach upward to
from 45 degrees to a shallower 30 degrees freed up just enough room to make pedestrians create a canopy and will not obscure building fronts as they grow.
more comfortable and give shop owners a bit of sidewalk display space. Only a few parking Tree-form crape myrtles are used to emphasize street corners and
spaces were lost in each block. the mid-block crossings. II
The new sidewalks feature terra-cotta colored concrete pavers along the
street edge and poured concrete on the building side, with the concrete given a grid
pattern so the two elements relate. Since the pavers are dry set on a base of limestone
fines, they can be removed to repair or alter utility lines that run along the outside edge.
Corner "bump outs" are used to shorten pedestrian crossings, and two longer blocks
have been given new mid-block crossings.
Merchants and interested citizens were invited to help chose the light
fixtures, trash recep-tacles and benches from a selection gathered by the designers.
The new light standards are traditional style with fluted, metal poles, but they feature
.~ 1·.1.
~.)r""""
CONCEPTUAL STREETSCAPE SECTION
(n&il' Ci~F Qf GUntel~fOtJille
1MdiMi Mouzon & AssociatesArcbifects Inc.,' Hzmt.slJ;lle
'MiND Lee Builders, Iizmtsrille
[
The brick.c/ad exterior. which shows between the bays housing the nre trucks,
has a sense of substance.
[
The new Gunlersvilfe Fire Station has the civic presence requested by the city. Architects Mouzon & Associates designed a classical portico and a landmark tower for
whal is internally a pre.engineered metal building.
[
The turned limestone columns Ihat support the portico are considered
the only ones created in Guntersville dUring Ihe 20th century.
Phoiography by Jeff While '02002
When architects at Mouzon & Associates of Huntsville were hired to design a new fire station to replace an
aging depression-era structure in the City of Guntersville, they were explicitly asked by the mayor and
city council for one that would strengthen the classic Southern heritage of the town - but
on a budget not to exceed typical construction,
The architects' solution was to wrap a classical Georgian exterior around
a pre-engineered metal building. Located on a site between the town's main street
and the river that provides its identity, the 21-bed firehouse was built at a cost of
$65 per square foot. That cost included a substantial amount for removal of unsuitable
soil to prepare a stable building site.
Enhancing the civic landmark quality of the fire station are the columned
portiCO and a tower with an open temple-form top, the latter used both for drying
hoses and to house a civil defense siren. Exterior walls are brick with limestone
trim, with white-painted aluminum windows and large-scale storefront under the
portico, also painted white. It was determined that the interlocking metal roof
panels that were part of the metal building system would be indiscernible from
traditional standing seam root.
From what Mouzon & Associates has been able to determine, the
solid limestone columns fabricated for the portico by Alabama Cut Stone Co.
were the only true architectural stone columns used in Guntersville in
the 20th century
"The Guntersville Fire Station fulfilled a definite need when
completed in 1995. Since then it has become one of the landmarks of
our city," comments Guntersville Mayor James D. Townson. "When we
build a new structure, we try to capitalize on the beauty of our natural
surroundings. Another consideration is that we preserve some of the
traditional elements that are characteristic of Southern cities. And,
certainly, we want to have up-to-date facilities. The fire station represents
the stately elegance of the past, and at the same time, it is a practical,
functional design." III
11 Volume XII. No. II
alNill BrooA?;nont Realty Gmu)), Birmingba;n
,mm:t1iftIi tvilliirms-Blackstock Architects. BirmingiJam
VlYlliams-Blackstock A}'cbi!ec!~~, Bil'minghmn
Structural Design Group, Birmingbam
1Jiii4$i:ape&fitbitect: Nimrod Long & Associates" Birmingbam
'MiN]," Bill Harbert Intema/ional! Bif'mingbcmz
[
For the n-slory Concord Center oiflce building in downtown Birmingham, WilliamsBfackstock Architects emphasized the primary streel from v;itf! a pair of projecred far;ade towers
capped with pyramlda! glass tops lila! echo church sleeples and Dlher nearby structures.
DesignAlabama 12
l The fobbywas designed to be. ". eu/raJ like a gallery and features l A vertical element clad in archilectIJral metal titted to the far;ade
a commissioned work, "Dream Building for Birmingham," by between the two towers ends in an integra/fight fixture above
A/abama native William Cfmsrenberry. the entrance,
[
Street presence is enhanced with a clear glass lobby set back behind a coionnade of masonry columns that
hold to the sidewalk line. Mason('! patterning also adds visual mterest.
CONC(lRD CENtER Lighting up the Birmingham skyline with a bow to the past and a nod to the present.
Photography by Wj!iiJms·BI~ckS!ock Arc,~i!eC1S
Located on a prominent corner in downtown Birmingham, the new 11-story Concord Center
office building bows to an architectural past and engages the present.
For a restricted 100-by-150-foot site flanked by a modern four-story YMCA To establish an urbane ground-level front, the lobby
and the 1893 St. Paul's Cathedral (Catholic), Williams-Blackstock Architects managed is set back behind a colonnade of square columns that hold the
to accommodate 150,000 square feet of office space on eight floors plus four levels of sidewalk line. Clear glass keeps the lobby open to view day and
parking, one underground. This involved placing the entrance on the narrower front and night. The lobby was designed like an art gallery with neutral,
concealing three levels of parking above the lobby. In the process, the architects produced white marble walls and features a commissioned sculpture,
a design with verve and good urban presence "Dream Building for Birmingham," by Alabama native William
The main fagade has notched-back corners and twin projecting towers that Christenberry. The lobby and colonnade also frame attractive
terminate with distinctive pyramidal roof spires. The latter were inspired both by similarly views of restored historic office towers across the street. l1li
shaped elements on the late-Victorian county courthouse that once occupied the site and
by the towers of nearby churches; they also serve to cover roofiop terraces and are illuminated
at night to animate the skyline. Clad in light gray aggregate panels and blue/silver refiective
glass, the exterior is organized in alternating bays that emphasize the vertical. A penthouse
level sheathed in ornamental metal caps the compOSition.
The pyramidal roof elements float above
the terrace at the top Ie 'lei. Washed with
pale blue light, tlley also create a nighrtime
image for Concord Center.
[
The classical proportions ano' exterior materials of the new 11-s/ory One Federal Place office building were inspired by the 1920$ Federal
Reserve Bank branch visible at the lower right. II and a later annex 'Iliff be renovated in a second phase oflhe ful'·black redevelopment .
l A Iinear.PfaZ8 with a fountain created in a setback along Fifth
Avenue North puis emphasis Mine monumenlaf colonnade of
the NatIOnal Landmark Old Pos! orner; across the street.
••••• I .. • ..
. '1·"*··""'1"'·1 r '\
If l'I
i !
A classical arrangement of vertical ihe tower repeats. at large scale, the
windows with square windows above vertical topped with square proportions
is repeated from the original Federal of the building's base, with notciled
Reserve bUilding. The granite is polished comers and a cornice detning the
to emphasize window surrounds. lowers shape.
PiJolography by Jofm O'Hagan
On a block once occupied by the Birmingham
branch of the Federal Reserve Bank, but
largely devoted to asphalt parking lots, a new development
has filled the gap and forged key links
between downtown districts,
Named One Federa! Place in reference to the former use, as well as its
proximity ta the adjacent Hugo Black Federal Courthouse and the National Landmark
farmer post office (now federal oHices), the first phase is an 11-story, 311,OOO-square­foot
oHice building and adjoining 447-space parking deck. Under the direction of Sloss
Development Group, MSTSD Architects of Atlanta took clues from the original Federal
Reserve Bank on one corner of the block (to be renovated in a second phase).
Picking up that stripped-classical style rendered in grey granite with
weathered copper roof, the architects used the same granite and classically proportioned
windows for the base of the new building. The main entrance facing Fifth Avenue North
is a two-story, green-roofed structure that, with the original at the far end, bookends
the block. Extending between is a linear plaza with a water wall fountain designed by
Nimrod Long & Associates, landscape architects, a space that takes advantage of the
oid post office's grand white marble, columned fagade.
Sloss Derelopnzenl Group, Birmingham, in parlnenh';0 with
Ba1'lJ Real Ellale Companies, Allanta 'FtkditMi MSISD Inc. ArchitectlJ, Atlanta
liiililSi:lljJe 'Afchitect: Nimrod Long & Associate" Birmingham
StrUCtUral Engineer: Lane &,hop York Delaha)" Birmingham
General CntrtUtor: Brasfield & Gorrie
[
The base of Oae Federa! Place projects forward with the main enlraace fronling Fifth Ayenue North.
GreeMin/ed glass. grey granite panels and aluminum window mullions with a matte grey ~nish tie
the more modern lower into Ihe base.
The tower, set back behind the entrance pavilion, ·IS mainly
clad in glass but it, too, repeats classical proportions and the materials
palette The energy-efficient glass has a greenish tint and the stone
incorporated into the curtain wall picks up the pattern in the base. The
grey painted aluminum window mUllions, which project beyond the
glass, also enrich the tower surface, helping it fit into the larger context.
Both the classical style and 11-story size appealed to the
major tenant. 'We visited buildings designed for law firms in Atlanta
and Washington, DC, and we liked the D.C. buildings which were
limited in the number of floors due to their height restrictions," says
John Hagefstration who was project coordinator for Bradley Arant Rose
& White, the law firm that occupies half of One Federal Place. "They
allowed the firms to have more presence. That is one of the reasons
we took space on the lower floors. We also put our firm's conference
center on the mezzanine level with a direct connection to the lobby,
which increases the awareness that we are the major occupant."
One Federal Place includes retail space on ground floor
corners with the parking deck oriented to the interior of the block. In
urban design terms, it connects the new concentration of downtown
high-rises to the federal courthouse a block west and the original
downtown retail area a block south where McWane Center, the Alabama
Theatre and other attractions are located. III
13 Volume XII. No. II
IW4iij Newbern Baseball Club, Newbern
IMtffilitti jay Scrnders, Jiarnie Bet/ridge & James Kilpatrick,.
Auburn UniveJ'si£v
Project SptmSor: Alabatila Civil justice Foundation
[ A new backstop for the Newbern baseball neld was designed and buill by architecture students at Aubum University's Rural Swdio 10 rep/ace the improvised former backsrop.
Photography by TimolllY Hursley [
Wood ulility poles extending down the arst base side of the keld have bowed fencing
anctJOred by horizontal sfeel poles.
A baseball field in the small rural community of Newbern is a
much-loved resource, drawing participants from near and far not only for
ballgames but the socializing that goes with it. In 2001, Aubum architecture
students involved in the school's rural studio that does pro-bono work in the
Black Belt designed and built an innovative new backstop. [
The re/axed character of the new backstop and fencing is intended to suit
the casual rraditlons of the Newbern Baseball Club.
OesignAlabama 14
After hanging out at the park and getting to know some of the people Writing about the Newbern project in her book about the Rural
involved, three students worked as a team to come up with a design that they Studio and its director, the late Sam Mockbee, architecture critic Andrea
could fabricate at the Rural Studio and then install at the field. They decided Oppenheimer Oean included this commentary: "Mockbee's work, at bottom, is
on vertical steel columns, each with a steel knuckle at the top. V-shaped steel about esthetics and ethics. The Rura! Studio, he says, 'is really about using art
column sections extending from each knuckle support a double layer of chain- to improve people's lives.' The new backstop for the Newbern Baseball Club
link fencing. The inner and outer parts of the 'V' form a gutter that slopes does just that. Lyrically sculptural, it replaces an oft-mended rusty fence and
down to each side, so balls caught between roll down toward the sidelines. lends dignity and excitement to the popular, decades-old Newbern Baseball
One advantage in the Auburn students design is that there are Club, home of the Tigers." III
no horizontal members to interfere with views of the field. Additional fencing
was installed down the right side of the field where spectators tend to gather.
Taller and mounted on telephone poles, these segments of fence are mounted
like vertical sails that bow outward toward the field.
In the process of doing the project, the students wanted to keep
some of the character that could be seen in the "sagging and flopping" of
the former improvised backstop. They also feel the new backstop and fencing
will look better as it begins to rust, making it more trans-parent as well. And
as architecture students, they also realized that for these clients the real issue
is what takes place there; their lOW-key design defers to that fact,
Photography by D.K. Rulil
Steel poles were 6tted wilh knuckles /0 form
a V-shaped structure wrapped with chairrlink
fencing. No horizontals mean unobstructed
sight lines.
'Wi AloJJama School q{Malbemrdics and Science, Mobile
1!WiiM1!i J!JeArchileds GroUP/fIlC., Mobile
71JeA>diteds Group/Inc., Mobile
Egan A(J]uslics, Al1o.e/'son, SC
S:lVage Oi11]11 Design Englfleering 111C" Mobile
Leu,is Ellginee17'ng & A'\sociales Inc., Jfobile
l¢iirt@@BenM.RadcliffCon!mclOrine,Jlobile
[
Even as the former church sanctuary was converted to use as an auditorium, the team of architects and interior designers from The Architects Group/Inc.
worked to retain the original art deeD character. The new seating fabric picks up the original blue slainMglass bands around the large windows. [
A "before" view shows the acoustical tife ceifing that had covered the octagonal skylights
and [he temporary seating on the main floor.
Pl1olographyby The I<rchi;ecls Group/Inc.
The conversion of a long-vacant downtown Mobile church sanctuary
into a multi-purpose school auditorium illustrates
teamwork between two design professions: architecture and interior
design. Paint, fabric and furniture selection are as much a part of the
transformation as those dealing with structure.
[
As this before/after pair if/us/rates, the lower wafls were Mted with equipment storage units
set at an angle ana ttted with acousticaf panels to Improve acoustical performance.
A whole city block containing several buildings abandoned when a church
moved to the suburbs was purchased in 1989 to become the campus for the new
Alabama School of Mathematics and Science (ASMS) While other structures
were renovated for use as classrooms, offices and dormitory rooms, the adaptive
re-use of the largest building, the art deco-style sanctuary, posed special challenges
and was postponed. The recently completed project led by The Architects Group/Inc.
has turned it into a showcase venue that preserves as much of the original character
as possible
A key challenge was to accommodate new acoustical demands. Most
interior surfaces were hard, creating too much reverberation. Working with an
acoustical consultant, the designers turned needed storage for musical instruments
and other equipment into part of the solution. Lining the main floor perimeter are
storage cabinets set at a 30 degree angle to the outside walls which serve to break
up sound waves. Acoustical panels attached to the cabinets can be removed to
modify the hall's aural performance.
In its former condition, there was no permanent seating on the main floor.
The designers researched and found a company that would replicate the existing
balcony seating. There is now seating for 900 on the two levels. The new upholstered
seats also help absorb sound, and the blue fabric selected repeats the color of the
original stained glass outlining the sanctuary windows.
The auditorium is equipped with state-of-the-art audio/visual
equipment, with special care taken to conceal screens in the ceiiing
when not in use. One feature uncovered when ceiling tiles were being
removed is a series of octagonal stained-glass skylights in the ceiling,
now put back in use.
"This building required asbestos removal, and for years it
looked like a war zone, a real eyesore," says Dr. Milly Coles, acting
director of ASMS during the renovation. "The architects and interior
designers did a remarkable job turning it into such an asset for the
school. It's wonderful to have a space where the entire community can
gather for assemblies and other events, and the acoustics are superb.
The auditorium picks up the spirit of anyone who goes in there." iii
[
The back wall of the auditorium provides a closer
look at the predomin2tely blue slained-giass
windows that were retained and restored.
15 Volume XII. No. II
14iidsi;apeArcbitect:
Decorative Painting:
IMhi§Mp Clark CorlSt1'ttCtiOtt Gl'Olt/J bie,>- fJelbeSiiCl,Md:
[ Architects Barganier Davis Sims used a crescent plan to 51 the triangular site for Ihe new Montgomery Federal Courthouse. The classically-<;rdered faqade with base, lofty mid-section and attic story cap is visible from the forecourt.
[
Imaginati'le interior layout allowed courtrooms to have high ceilings. The simplified
classical aesthetic is eVident here. [
Warm·!oned marble walls, a painted, beamed ceiling. architecturallighling and other
featUres create an entrance lobby both impressi'!e and \'Ie/commg.
PhOicgraphyby Gary Knight & AssoclJtes Inc., -/;;201)1
Described by its designers as "classical in nature with a modemist attitude," the new
U.S. Courthouse in downtown Montgomery presents a notable example
of architecture shaped by context It literally bends to fit in well. [
A grand upper lobby looks out across lhe citl through a butt·-joilled expanse of
glass, a modern technology thai emphasizes the vast opemng.
DesignAlabama 16
The 31 O,OOO-square-foot building holds six district courtrooms,
four magistrate and four bankruptcy courtrooms, space for the U.S. attorney
and U.S. marshal and offices for district and bankruptcy court clerks. To work
with the triangular site created by the intersection of downtowns two con-joining
grids, architects Barganier Davis Sims decided upon a crescent shape. This also
helped accommodate preservation of the adjacent Greyhound Bus Terminal, a
civil rights landmark.
Because the new courthouse needed to connect with and complement
the existing Frank M. Johnson Federal Building, it was kept horizontal with five
floors. Yet the fagade has an appropriate monumentality: a rusticated ground
floor, three floors above which were treated as a unit with column-like masonry
alternated with full-height glazing and a classical attic story capping the
composition. Limestone, granite and marble reinforce its relation to the existing
building and convey its public importance.
Looking for inspiration to John Russell Pope, architect of the
National Gallery of Art and Jefferson Memorial, the architects adopted a
somewhat abstracted classical language. Great care was taken to maintain
proper proportions and relationships between parts; on the other hand, modern,
butt-joined glass walls without mullions are used to dramatic effect in key
locations. A raised flooring system is used in courtrooms to accommodate
changing needs for wiring access, and the entire building has state-of-the-art
telecommunications and audio-visual capability.
Two other architectural aspects enhance the quality of the interiors.
The linear pian allows natural light to penetrate most areas of the buildings,
including all courtrooms. And the placement and orientation of the judges'
chambers allow the courtrooms to be dignified with high ceilings and
beautiful proportions. III
[
The plans for Hoover's Moss Rock Preserve. a 260-<1c((; public open space featuring spectacular natural rock formations. '(,ere coordinated with
tile adjoining pedestrian·friendly reSidential development calfed The Preserve.
USS Real Eltale, 77Je Cil)' of Hool'er
LaiUlScnpeArthitect: Nimrod Long & A(sociales, BirmingiJam
Architectural Gflitklines: Looney Ricks Kiss ArciJitects, Mempbis
Town Architect: Stelie Mouzon, Huntsville
[
Larrdscape architects Nimrod Long & Associates laid oul a new iWo-lane parkway that
eXlends through a portion of Moss Rock Preserve to the new neighborhood adjacent,
[
An architectural code developed for The Preserve assures that cfassicallyproportioned houses reinforce the pedestrian layout. Smalfer lots near the town center have auto access via rear alleys,
keepmg the street front a~ human scale. [
A native stone-and-shingle structure frames the sidewalk
leading into The Preserve.
PhotograplJyby Jolm OHagan
Two complementary projects, a new residential neighborhood and an adjoining public
nature preserve, are emerging in the City of Hoover as a major new example of civic design
in a suburban location. Landscape architects Nimrod Long & Associates developed the plans for both to
bring out their full potential,
The Preserve is a 300-acre traditional neighbor-hood development (TN D)
that itself establishes a strong civic character with several parks, sidewalks, narrow
streets, alleys, a village center and architectural guidelines that help create a walking­scale
character. The master plan calls for a mix of uses, townhouses and cottage lots
at the center with alley access used to eliminate front drives and garages, keeping
street frontages pedestrian-friendly, Larger estate lots are located toward the perimeter.
"The Preserve will enable residents to connect with nature, socialize with
neighbors and rediscover a quality of life missing in so many developments," says
Jeffrey Boyd, project engineer for USS Real Estate, "We hope it reminds people just
how beautiful and livable a planned community can be,"
Moss Rock Preserve is a 260-acre property purchased by the City of Hoover
a decade ago to protect its exceptional natural landscape. Major features include a cluster
of very large, naturally sculpted sandstone boulders and a vast sandstone outcrop with
a wet-weather waterfall. Several endangered plant species are found here, The rest of
the site is wooded and laced with streams, The master plan calls for a system of 4-Ioot­wide
trails carefully fitted into the setting and a modest parking area. Additional parking
will be provided in the adjacent village center.
A curving, two-lane parkway extends along one edge of
the publ ic preserve and through a portion of the new neighborhood,
linking the two. The contrast between civilized and wild is emphasized
by placement of the village center just opposite the Moss Rock Preserve.
"The Moss Rock Preserve is a treasure that the citizens
of Hoover can pass down to future generations to teach our youths the
value of nature's beauty," says Hoover Mayor Barbara McColtum,
The mayor also has been an advocate of new pedestrian-oriented
planning for the large and growing
suburban city, l1li
17 Volume XII. No, II
Tbe SIde ojA!abmna
'MMA Ciattina Fl~iJer AJ'cock Arcbitects Inc., BiJming!.}{!71l
,~nqh&qa MBA !Jtructural Engineers. Birmingbam
It"r!t{WitiMMA Ross~Ke!6} LaJldscajJeArc!Ji!ech!~. Birnzingham
'dkiN4i1iiiWkttj@i Sherrod Co,} Birmingham
[ At dusk, the exposed S!fuctural elements of lhe long-span shop building (right) and the glass walls of the tlJD--SlOry classroom and circulation spine show clearfy.
OesignAlabama 18
The use of glass, seen here from the
shop bUl!ding, 'lisuaf/y connects interior
spaces and opens the whole center to
natura) ligM and views of the woods
and sky.
l The clearly expressed elements of the training center's program are (left to right) the
corrugated sleek/ad meeting bUilding, rhe glass and concrete classroom/circulation
spine and the farge loft shop Dwidmg.
PhOiographyby Jcnn O'Hagan
On a 20-acre site adjacent to the new Honda manufacturing plant in lincoln, the State of Alabama
had designed and built a facility for training employees. Architects Giattina Fisher Aycock designed a classic
modern ensemble in concrete, steel and glass that is both functional and dignified.
The design organizes the programmed uses into three discrete but
interconnected volumes:
* A linear two-story bar of board-formed concrete housing
classrooms and offices
* A cubic meeting space clad in corrugated steel
* A large, rectangular shop of long-span steel and glass.
The exterior concrete wall of the two-story bar cuts into the ground
in line with the slope so it has a low-profile on the approach side, In addition
to accommodating class and meeting rooms. this component also serves as the
main circulation spine, tied into the cubic meeting building at the west end and
paralleling the large shop to the east. The large areas of glass visually connect
interior spaces, as well as opening interiors to the woods and sky.
While the training center bustles as a place to learn practical
skills, the architects sought to place simple building forms in the landscape
in a way that recalls the serenity of a Japanese rock and sand garden. Modern
simplicity in materials and form serves that purpose well.
"The success of this center is two-fold," says Lee Hammett,
who oversaw the project for Alabama Industrial Development Training, a
state office, "It enhances learning with a peaceful environment and good
natural light. And the layout of the facility, with classrooms adjacent to the
shop floor, responds to the combined classroom and hands-on instruction
that goes on there, The whole place really helps individuals learn." II!!
[
While it bustles with activit/ when in use. Ihe training center's architectural
quality is serene.
Birmingbam City Schools
1tt#Jiiti#1 Davis Architects inc.. Birmingbam
G011J;al~; Webb Sirengl/; fIlC., Birming/;(lnl
StriiiflUral1Jng{neer: Marlin, Brk~ges & Associates Inc., Birmingbam
Ihiu,{Mi,tjmltiMi SileWorks, Birming/;Clnl
liUUU,fii4i AL.f. Harris Inc.,' BirmingiJam
[ The new Minor Elementary Schoof balances traditional forms with a lively playaf materials and shapes to give a fresh boos/to f1a inner-{;ity neighborhood. [ A circular vertical circulation tower serves as a hinge between the original 1920s school (dght) and the mulliple additions.
Photography by Rion Riao/Creative Sources ,t;2Wf
Can a new school design help to boost pride in an inner-city neighbor-hood? After more than a year in
operation, Minor Elementary School located in Birmingham gives every indication it has
done just that.
"The kids love it. It's so much better than what we had before," says
school principal Dave Porter. "And it appears to have helped residents to become
more involved with the school and related activities, like the annual neighborhood
cleanup campaign"
For Davis Architects, the charge was to consolidate two existing
elementary schools into a single one ior 600 kindergarten through fifth-year
students, incorporating an existing three-story 1920s brick "gothic" structure.
Through a series of meetings with area residents, the architects learned they wanted
something that would both serve students well and give a boost to the community.
[
Th. e new four·story wing is clad in red brick like the original.
while the new gymnasium (feft) has a deep portico to give it
cIVic landmark character. [
Translucent exterior waif panels bring amp!e natural light to
mtenor spaces. which are also enlivened with color and
architectural features.
f!.. key element introduced by the architects is the cylindrical tower
studded with small glass-block windows that serves as the main circulation route
between floors and as a hinge between new and old, freeing the added elements
•
to step down the steeply sloping site. The tower with its pyramidal metal
roof cap also appeals to young imaginations with a sense of adventure.
The addition includes a four-story wing with 18 classrooms,
a gymnasium with clerestory windows, a curved media center, a music/
band room, a multi-purpose room and offices. The original school has
renovated classrooms and an expanded lunchroom and kitchen.
While many of the new building elements are clad in red
brick to complement the original, other components are sheathed in
lighter brick, stone, stucco, glazed tile, exposed concrete and translucent
panels to produce an engaging animation and play between parts.
Similarly, interiors are enlivened with color and materials, as well as the
architectural elements. III!
19 Volume XII. No. II
[
The comprehensi'lesignage program puy/ides attractive and consistent directions to parking and major destinations. plus a sense of identity
for downtown Mobile.
Pholo!]{~phl by KPS Group
The City of Mobile has begun to implement a
signage and wayfinding system, showing how a
comprehensive approach to public signs can
make a difference in how the city is perceived,
OesignAlabama 20
Under the direction of Birmingham's KPS Group and with design
assistance by Douglas/Gallagher, a Houston graphic arts firm, a complete graphic
standards manual was created covering all aspects of signage content, design,
placement and fabrication: all together called "environmental graphics," First
phases have been implemented for downtown Mobile with notable impact.
Among the objectives of the Mobile environmental graphics program:
'" Deve!opand reirifol'ce an identity/or dou:ntoU'nJfobile, establiShing boundaries
.., JdenliJj; key entry points into the downtown area
'" Define pathways for rehiw/ar traffic into and au! oftbe downtown area
"'Define jXlthu'tl)'s for rebicular traffic to parking areas
'" Define patJJIl'aysjor pedestriall::.-jrom parking areas to tbe cit)'~· amenities and {fl'ellls
'" Create all mrareness oj destillations and promote those destinations
tlUiQiii Cizr a/Mobile
IttmiMj KPS GJ'Oup, Birmingbam
Urban PlIlnner: KPS Group, Bil'mingham
GraphiCs Consnltant: DOllglas/Gallagher, HOllston, Texas
Volkert & Associates, Mobile
[
Existing light standards, like Ihese near Ihe Mobile Convention Cenler, are often used 10
display Ihe new signage. keepmg clutter 10 a mmimum,
[
Landmarks, like the Saenger
Theatre, have signs nearby that
provide historical background
for passersby-
'" Empbasize special aspects o/tbe cily which make it unique and interesting
'" Redllce tbe t'fSllal dUUer or oreruse o/signs to reduce con/usioll
'" EnJxllIce the perception of/be ciZr as a stt/e, dean and we/coming elwil'Omnent
'" Create a !:>J'Slem conSisting o!simjJfe components that are easi~'jilbriCtlted (Iluf
easily maintained.
"Our directional sign system has been an extremely effective
way to guide the traveler into and throughout our downtown," says Elizabeth
Sanders, director of Main Street Mobile. "We are able to inform the visitor
about destinations of interest and thereby subtly educate the populace on
our history, our civic institutions and our places oi entertainment. A comiortable
and informed visitor is able to spend more time enjoying our city and less
time lost and frustrated, That benefits us all"
If a major purpose of such an attractive signage system is not
only to help people find their way but also to help establish a sense of place,
it certainly begins to show in downtown lvIobile. II
[
Anew pedestr.i8rrrriendlY street w. as created between the existing
Brookwood Vi/fage mafl. wl!h new shop fronts added to the center.
and free-standmg restaurants built to enclose the outside edge of
!nestreel.
lihUliN Colonial Properties Trust, Birmingbam
'MMA IffdFAsimciates. Birmingham
1)eve16~t Consultant: Street Works. WiJile Pifdns. N. Y
eArthiteet: iVimrod Long & Associate..~; Birmingbam
$triWtural Engineer: 71icker]ones Eng/nee}: Birmingham
Civil Engineer: Walter Schael Engineering, Birmingbam
l,Iitb/iii,]i Brasfield & Gorrie, Birmingham
[ These before/after views sf/ow where the new two-story Great Hall was built fronting the slreet and perpendicular to the existing mal!, creating a new main entrance.
Pholography by Gabriel Beflzur
From the time Brookwood Village was built in the 1970s, the mall facing Shades Creek Parkway
straddling the border between Homewood and Mountain Brook had "village" in its name, but it was massive and
modern in its exterior appearance. A recent renovation has given it a friendly new street
presence - including a new dedicated public street running along its front.
Following purchase by Colonial Properties Trust. headquartered in
Birmingham, a proposed mall upgrade was changed to a complete reconfiguration
on the recommendation of a New York-based retail consultant. HKW Associates of
Birmingham became the lead deSign firm to carry through the transformation. They
were asked by the client to develop a new character that evoked the true village
shopping environments found nearby in Mountain BroOk, one ihat gave the shopping
center a more appealing exposure. It didn't even have a ground-level entrance.
The ground level facing the central portion with its exposed parking
decks was raised. and a new street with sidewalks, benches. light fixtures, plazas
and fountains. deSigned by Nimrod Long & Associates, was built parallel to the
enclosed mall behind. The developer and the City of Homewood together covered
the cost of the street construction. To animate and enclose the new space, free­standing
restaurants were located along the outside.
New shop fronts also face the street. and a neVi two-story conservatory­style
structure set at right angles to the interior mali creates a dramatic main entrance.
Inside. the Great Hall, as it is called, was designed by the architects to feel like a
continuation of the street. Exterior and interior materials blend. and a colossal garden
pavilion with native-stone columns and exposed metal trusses marks
the crOSSing of the new hall and the existing renovated mall. A stone­textured
tile used for the flooring throughout continues this exterior
street feeling.
"The visual appearance of Brookwood Village has been
transformed," says Richard Yielding, a vice-president with Colonial
Properties. "Our new street, individual storefronts and front door are
inviting. com-fortable and aesthetically pleasing. The response has
been very positive." III
l Free.standing reslaurants animate
the new street, including the ambience
of outo'oor dining terraces.
21 Volume XII. No. II
Designer@lProfile
rom t e raun .........
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
FREDERICK LAW OL~ISTED, THE FATHER OF L-\t'\DSCAFE ARCHI+
TECTURE IN A\IERICA, once said of his work, "If man is
not to live by bread alone, what is better worth doing
than the planting of trees," This is a point that land­scape
architect Cathy Gerachis rcadily agrees upon, as
long as it is a tree that is correct for the location and
soil. "Getting good soil and horticultural information
for a site can be a big challenge," Gerachis admits.
Apparently, only one of the many challenges to
designing from the ground up.
Landscape architects are specialists in exterior
environments. By applying their creative and techni­cal
skills to the overall site plans and landscape grad­ing,
as well as the drainage, irrigation, planting and
construction details, they preserve and augment the
environment while defining the exterior space. As the
department head for the landscape architecture sec­tion
of Good'\V)'n, Mills & Cawood Inc. in Mont­gomery,
Gerachis has had the opportunity to apply
these skills to a variety of projects - from the site
plan for EastChase, Montgomery's newest shopping
attraction, to the development of the Shakespeare
Gardens at Blount Cultural Park.
"When Mr. Blount hired Edwina Von Gal to design
the garden, she needed a local landscape architect to
help pull things together. \Ve were hired to develop
the construction draWings, she did the conceptual
drawings and MCAlpine-Tankersly Architects was
hired to design the architcctural components," Ger­achis
explains. "In the end, we took all three pieces
DesignAlabama 22
and pulled them into a package that worked." Along
with the visible parts of the garden, Gerachis' tcam
designed the more practical aspects of the project,
including an extensive water drainage system that
runs under the large planting beds and behind the
walls in order to keep the lower areas from flooding.
Of course, the Blount Cultural Park garden is an
exceptional gem among its kind, but even the design
of a simple community park can offer
unique challenges. No longer the pas­toral
landscape with a quaint wood­en
bench, parks have increasingly
become a mixed-use public space
that meets the various recreational
needs. Gerachis was presented with
such a task when designing the Spain
Park Sports Complex in Hoover. She
had to not only satisfy the communi­ty's
athletic reqUirements but also
their dcsire for retaining a public
green space. Gerachis incorporated
baseball fIelds, softball fields, a two­story
restroom/concessions building
with press box and a 200-car parking
lot into the park's design while suc­cessfully
retaining the surrounding
natural area as a passive park with walking trails and
pavilions. Developed adjacent to the recently com­pleted
Spain High School, Gerachis was able to use
excess earthwork from the school's construction as
fill dirt for the ballfields. "This was a unique opportu­nity
for two public entities to work together in a
cooperative manner," she says.
Planning community gateways and streetscapes is
also a responsibility of the landscape architect. Ger­achis
has recently been working with the City of
Prattville on the redevelopment of its downtown
area. The work has included the relocation of over­head
power lines and a redesign of the strectscape
lefl: Designed from a sketch by the renowned landscape
architect Russell Page, Gerachis and her team helped to
make the Shakespeare Gardens in the Blount Cultural Park
come to life.
right: The recently completed Spain Park Sports Complex
(bottom) accurately reflects Gerachis' vision for a mixed­use
public green space (top).
by Karen H. Seale
environment. Because of Prattville's rural past. Ger­achis
targeted the town's traditional "New England"
style as inspiration for her designs rather than actual
historic details. "There weren't that many elements
to dra\v on from Prattville's history, because the
streets weren't paved until the '20s," she notes. "All
they had for side\valks were wood planks prior to
that, which was very typical for many of Alabama's
rural towns." Now to the point of construction,
Prattville \vill soon boast a fresh new look for its revi­talized
downto\-vn area. "Our main point \-vas to give
it a facelift and be supportive of \-vhat is already hap­pening
from a real estate standpoint."
It is the role of the landscape architect to
enhance our perception of a place. More than just a
planter of bushes or, as Olmsted so nicely put it,
trees, the landscape architect often assists with initial
land planning, as well as lending the project a sense
of scale and demeanor through finishing touches like
the placement of signage, retaining walis, fencing and
the like. ""To insure a project's overall success, we are
involved with many of the big decisions made at the
beginning, as well as with the details at the end," Ger­achis
explains. \Vhether the front entrance to a resi­dential
neighborhood, the landscaping around a
shopping center, the layout of a park or even the
streetscape of your community'S main street, the
landscape architect helps to define the lay of the
land in which we live, work and play. @7
SHELTER FOR THE SOUL
Referring to the project as "Shelter for the Soul," 22 Auburn
University students have spent the last year developing a new
way of thinking about simple, decent homes for Alabama's
low-income families.
Introduction by Karen H. Seale
below: Marquita, the youngest member
of the Johnson family, enjoys the large
front porch of her new home.
The students' initial goals were to improve the energy efficiency, durability,
livability and community integration of Habitat for Humanity's housing
designs in Alabama. The project, later dubbed DESIGNhabitat, began in
August 2001 when DesignAlabama approached Auburn University's College of
Architecture, Design and Construction about creating a new house design for
Habitat. With the help of the Alabama Association for Habitat Affliliates, three
main objectives were determined for the project:
• Reflect the culture and context of Alabama
• Respond to the climate of the region
• Redefine "affordable" as a life-of-the-home concern.
A class curriculum was formulated, and 22 architecture and building sci­ence
students took up the challenge to develop this new prototype. After a
semester's worth of research and a six-week design studio, the student teams
presented four prototype models for review by the project partners. From the
four, one plan was selected to go on
to construction as HOUSE: 1A, the
first of 50 DESIGNhabitat houses to
be built in the state. In his project
report, Professor David Hinson, who
led the students through the year­long
program, documents the
results of the DESIGNhabitat initia­tive
and its success at meeting the
defined goals. The following is an
excerpt from his report.
far left and left: The most prominent feature of
House:1A is the room·scaled screened porch.
The porch serves as both the entry threshold to
the house and as a valuable extension of the
family's social spaces. The porch shares a com·
mon wall with the living room, and these two
spaces are connected via operable doors. When
open, these doors strengthen the connection
between the living room and porch and make this
modestly scaled home seem larger.
23 Volume XII. No. II
REFLECTING THE CULTURE AND CONTEXT OF ALABAMA
Perhaps more than any other single building type, it is the houses
of a community that contribute the most to our sense that we inhabit
someplace specific and unique. The aggregate effect of these houses,
whic,1 are diverse in scale and form yet designed in a common lan­guage
of materiais and design features, creates a background texture
or fabric that we identify with that particular place and culture. In many
residential neighborhoods across Alabama, especially those con­structed
prior to the mid-20th century, the architectural fabric has
gained its warp and weft from such factors as the need to make homes
comfortable and durable in the Alabama climate, social customs and
practices and the particular palette of construction materials avaiiable
to local builders.
The combined effects of events such as the widespread adoption of central air condi­tioning
and the homogenization of the homebuilding industry over the last 40 years have
served to blur, if not completely erase, the design traditions that gave each part of the coun­try
its unique feel. This impact is most visible at the affordable end of the housing market,
which offers homes that are Simultaneously "everywhere" yet represent no specific sense of
place or cultural tradition. In Alabama, like much of the country, these homes are built with­out
regard to the climate or social traditions of the state and require a high percentage of the
homeowner's resources to maintain and keep comfortable.
Starting from the belief that this sense of place is valuable, both to the homeowner and
to the larger community, the DESIGNhabitat house incorporates severa! key features that,
taken together, serve to ground the home in the vernacular design customs of Alabama
communities. These features work to enhance the livability of the home and to help build
and renew the larger architectural fabric that makes so many Alabarna communities unique.
Key Strategies:
• Utilize porches to expand living space and enhance social interaction.
• Position the home to support the pattern of the surrounding neighborhood.
• Use buiiding details and materials to strengthen connections with the community.
RESPONDING TO THE CLIMATE OF ALABAMA
The DESIGN habitat house responds to the challenge of saving environmental resources
and reducing operating and maintenance costs to the homeowner via an integration of tradi­tional
passive design strategies and advanced energy-saving systems and technologies.
This integrated approach reflects a careful response to the climate of the southeastern
United States, material availability and durability and building practices that are compatible
with Habitat's volunteer-centered building process.
The DESIGNhabitat house has earned an ENERGY STAR certification from the
Environmental Protection Agency (the first house in Alabama to earn this designation) indi­cating
that the design and construction strategies will result in 20 to 30 percent lower costs
for heating, cooling and water heating.
Key Strategies:
• Use proper solar orientation to minimize summertime solar gain.
• Use insulation with appropriate R-values and minimize air infiltration through the
"envelope" of the house.
• Take advantage of comfort ventilation strategies.
• Don't oversize air-conditioning equipment.
• Don't install ductwork in the attic.
o Control duct leakage.
DesignA!abama 24
above: The DESIGNhabitat house features a 7:12 roof pitch along with the open
eaves common to many working-class neighborhoods in the state.
above: The House:1A plan features a clear delineation between the more pri­vate
bedrooms at the rear 01 the house and the SOCial spaces 01 the program:
the kitchen, dining area and living room. This organizational strategy is
expressed in the overall massing 01 the home, which leatures a shift in the roof
line and gives the roof lorm mOre detail and "street presence."
REDEFINING "AFFORDABLE" AS A LlFE-OF-THE-HOME CONCERN
Habitat has established a solid reputation for constructing well-built houses and for strik­ing
an admirable balance between keeping the "first cost" of its homes at a sustainable level
while seeking to provide homeowners with structures that can be maintained at a reasonable
cost. As the DESIGNhabitat project team analyzed how HFH approached this delicate balance,
it became clear that the primary point of conflict between these two goals lies with the issue
of how long the initial systems and materials used in the house can be expected to last.
Research suggests that failure to replace and/or repair key building elements at the end
of their useful life is a leading source of serious damage and decay in residential building
- a problem made most acute for families of limited economic means. The students' analysis
of the typical materials used in Habitat homes led them to focus on a few key systems, such
as roofing and cladding, where the projected useful life of the materials was iess than or
equal to the standard 20-year Habitat mortgage period. The students also evaluated the foun­dation
options for the ease with which they allowed for ongoing maintenance and change.
Key Sirategies:
• Seiect solutions that are cost effective over the life of the home.
• Design to accommodate change and maintenance.
• Build "termite-defensible" foundation systems.
HOUSE: lA
The prototype House:1A was constructed by Auburn University architecture students in
the spring of 2002. Although the original design proposal selected by the DESIGNhabitat pro­ject
advisors was a three-bedroom scheme, the first home was built in a four-bedroom con­figuration
to respond io the needs of the Johnson family, owners of the home
left: Placing the home closer to the street creates many more opportu­nities
for casual social interaction with neighbors and passersby_
These neighborly relationships play an important role in sustaining a
sense of community.
below and below left: In order to create a more compatible fit with
older residential neighborhoods, the DESIGNhabitat house features
fiber-cement siding, a synthetic alternative to wood utilizing recy­cled
paper and cement. Impervious to insects and durable in
Southern climate conditions, the malerial is projected to lasl twice
as long as vinyl.
In the final accounting, the project was built for $25,600 in purchased materials and ser­vices,
plus $10,000 in donated maierials and $5,000 in donated services. The values
assigned to the donated materials and in-kind services reflect retail costs and include some
items which could be obtained for less if purchased in a competitive market. An analysis of
the budget suggests that a four-bedroom version of the House:1A prototype could be built
by Habitat affiliates for about $37,000 to $39,000 and a three-bedroom version for $35,000
to $36,000.
2x4 CAMPAIGN
House:1A illustrates that it is possible to respond to the challenges outlined and to real­ize
these benefits within the framework and values of Habitat for Humanity. While the pro­ject's
original goals were limited to answering this question, the AAHA leadership became
convinced that the DESIGNhabitat project would have an even greater impact on affiliates if
they could construct their own versions of House:1A.
To accomplish this end, the AAHA has developed a program, called the 2x4 Campaign,
to provide encouragement and incentive to build DESIGNhabitat homes in al137 HFH affili­ates
in Alabama. Via a combination of small grants, special pricing from material vendors
and continued technical assistance from Auburn University, the 2x4 Campaign includes rne
ambitious goal of building 50 DESIGNhabitat homes within four years. The campaign begins
in the fali of 2002. For more information about the DESIGNhabiiat program or the 2x4
Campaign, please visit the Auburn University Web site at www.designhabitat.org or contact
Karen Seale with DesignAiabama at 334-353-5081. *
25 Volume XII. No. Ii
DesignAlabama 26
Project Alabama designs are fashiolled from recycled T·shirts tflkelt apart tben
reassembled ill differellt p(lttems (Iud embellisbed Il'itb elaborate detail.
FOR
Alabama is known for many
people, places and events - George
Washington Carver, first home of
America s space program, birthplace
of the civil rights movement - yet the
state has never been on fashion s
radar. Not untzl now.
Heres a look at three enterprising
Alabama women who have turned
their passion for fashion into success-ful
careers. And while doing so, these
rising clothing and accessories
designers are putting Alabama on
the fashion map. How about Gucci
in Gadsden? Fairhope Fashion Week?
ASHlon by Jessica Armstrong
nataLie ehanin: f{)-pojeet ALabama
Like the miniskirt of the 1960s anl the power suit of the 1980s, the "Alabama T-shirt"
has become one of the hottest fashion statements of the new millennium. Just outside
Florence, a group of women are stitching one-of-a-kind shirts - supermodel Cindy
Crawford owns one in "funky sludge green" - that sell for as much as $2,000 and are
selling out in stores in New York, London, Paris and Tokyo.
Based on the quilting circle tradition, Project Alabama was created less than two years
ago by Natalie Chanin, who retumed to her hometown of Florence after studying design
theory and textiles in college and a stint in Europe as a costume designer and film stylist.
Project Alabama now employs about 70 local women who turn scraps of fabriC into
couture-worthy, wearable works of art based on Chanin's designs.
The basic designs are relatively conservative, says Chanin, hoping to ultimately revive
the region's textile industry. It's the elaborate detailing, she notes, that makes each piece
"very feminine, sexy and fun." Old-fashioned craftsmanship meets cutting-edge design.
Soft fabric from well-worn T-shirts is cut into several different patterns. A technique
called reverse applique is frequently used. Two pieces of different colored fabric are
sewn together. The top fabric is stenciled and spray painted, then the spray painted area
is cut away, revealing the different colored fabric underneath. Embroidery or beadwork
or a combination may outline the cutout, increasing the opulence and value of the piece.
A single item can take weeks to complete.
"We use very toned down colors and do a lot of over-dying, so the colors are extremely
rich," Chanin explains. "The colors are layered and have a lot of depth. Everything is
made from recycled materials, so it feels like you've had it forever, like a favorite T-shirt
you love to sleep in."
Ihis season's sold-out collection includes dresses, outenvear, bathing SUits, skirts and
pants. Lola Schnabel, daughter of painter and filmmaker Julian Schnabel, recently collab­orated
with Project Alabama on a line of shirts featuring Schnabel's sketches of aliens,
zombies and other sinister images. Chanin also designs hats, handbags and jewelry. Yet
it's Project Alabama's original I-shirt that seems to be the darling of the fashion world.
"]'m known as the I-shirt lady," laughs Chanin, who's also called "Alabama" outside her
native state.
Thirty-two stores in the United States, Europe and Asia sell Project Alabama's cre­ations,
including Barneys in New York and Jeffrey's in Atlanta. The demand will likely
increase thanks to all the publicity. Vogue magazine can't seem put out an issue without
a couple of references to Project Alabama. Its March issue featured a three-page article
about the company.
Bonnie Gober lives an hour away in Red Bay and is one of several group leaders. The
20 women in her group sew at home and meet weekly at her house, where they gather
around her table chatting, sewing and getting instructions for their next sewing project.
"It's like the old-time sewing circle," she says. "It provides income and social time.
Everybody in my group is very enthusiastic about their sewing. ,.
Despite Project Alabama's meteoric rise, Chanin is navigating a slow, well-managed
course. She'd like to turn an old, vacant general store into a production facility. Future
plans may also include manufacturing machine-made goods at more affordable prices.
Yet hand-stitchery will remain Project Alabama's cornerstone.
"I don't think there's a person in this world who hasn't slept under a quilt, evoking a
memory of a grandmother and the past," says Chanin, now designing quilts and home
products. "So much care and love go into each garment. That's what people appreciate."
ELaLne "d-ohnson: ELaine WeapabLe Apt
Luxuriously functional creations are also coming out of Dothan, where Elaine Johnson
designs distinctive handbags at home. She has produced more than 800 of them since
starting Elaine Wearable Art about two-and-a-hall years ago.
Johnson credits her "sense of drama and taste for finery" to her mother, who once
told her a tale about a queen who came to town the night she was born. The queen was
also expecting a baby, and, by a twist of fate, the babies were switched in the hospital. "I
mix all kinds of fabrics and designs," explains the retired high school gnidance counselor.
"You can do anything you want if you're a princess. Each purse is different, and you can
wear it with anything."
Three Christmases ago, Johnson made some small purses decorated with
Impressionistic nudes. She carried them to a meeting and soon after started getting
requests for more. Her purses are made of a variety of fabriCS including brocade, velvet,
satin, tapestry and vintage fabrics. On the canvas pocket of many of the handbags she paints
a nude fignre or a face, whimsical but with strong features in the 1920s flapper's style.
(hm/illS desigll for this T-shir! features rcwerse applique ol/tlilled witlJ rUllJlf11g stitcbes tbat are kllot/ed olltside to
add [0 tiJe lextrlre oj the garmcllt.
27 Volume XII. No. Ii
r1 soft, old pair of bltle jea1ls is rec.ycled into a Irendy ha1ldbag accented b)'
10lmsol1s trademark portrait of a 1920s flapper-style young woman pail/ted
til acrylic 011 lite caln'as pocket.
Dothan artist Elainejohl1sOIt
desig1ls fa1lciful pllrses sure to
make yOll1lg girls feel like royalty.
Afairy' princess wearillg a jeweled
crOlm is the focal point of this
haltdbag that can look right with
jllst about allY 01ltfit from jealls
to a prom dress.
Elrlille jolmsoll surroullded b)' her one-of-a-ki1ld halldbags embellished ll'ith
brocade, ['eh-et, tapestry', satin and other rich fabriCS,
"hy are both durable and luxurious and wear like leather," she says.
Johnson creates the designs, cuts the upholstery-grade fabriC and paints the canvas pockets
with acrylics, which are durable and dry qUickly. Using a silk-screening process, she can
work on six paintings at a time. The pieces are then sent to an upholsterer who stitches
them together. "I've always enjoyed anything one-of-a-kind and anything fancy and flam­boyant,"
adds Johnson, a member of the Alabama State Council on the Arts and founding
president of Dothan's Wiregrass Museum of Art. Her handbags were sold retail in stores,
but she now sells wholesale directly from her home, where customers can see her handi­work
on display. Prices range from $65 to $150. She also creates "princess purses" for
young girls, embellished with a jeweled crown.
Turning old denim jeans into works of art is her latest venture. The jeans, which sell
for $75 to $125, are taken apart and put back together with bits of tapestry, painted
faces and velvet piping. \\'hile the demand for her purses and jeans is high, Johnson has
shunned suggestions to mass produce. People have asked her about customizing pillows
and other items that can be made of fablics and painted canvas. She's most interested in
accessories that can be carried and may design backpacks and briefcases.
Her handbags are carried by fashionable women and girls from Cape Cod to the Deep
South. "It's been word of mouth and word of wear," she says. "That's how they've ended
up all over the country."
..Leslie SC.push;9: Uppseedaisees
Some of the most comfortable pajamas ever to slip between a pair of sheets are also showing
up all over the country. It shouldn't come as a surprise. Lowlgewe-Jr that's as comfy as it is
stylish is destined to be a hit. The Birntingham-based Uppseedaisees' populmity is spreading
faster than kudm even though it was launched just two ye-ars ago. Alabama native Courienay
COX-Arquette wore an Uppseedaisees robe in an episode of "Friends." Diane Sawyer,
Faith Hill and Amy Grant are just a few of the famous Uppseedaisees fans. Uppseedaisees
(\\Ww.uppseedaisees.com) has been mentioned in Women's Wear Daily, YM and US
Weekly and on the "Rosie O'Donnell Show," where the company's marabou-trimmed
slippers made an appearance. The Alabama-designed robes and slippers have been in
goodie baskets given away at the Da)1ime Emmy Awards and the Latin Grammy Awards.
Uppseedaisees is the brainchild of Leslie Scrushy, who created the company after her
child was born, when looking in vain for loungewear that offered comfort, style and sup­port
with built-in shelf bras. She decided to design clothing to meet her needs and those
of many other women - outfits cozy enough for nursing a baby, yet smart-looking and
pulled-together enough to venture outside.
"I look at trends, though I'm not always keen on eveI')1hing I see," notes Scrnshy,
who is married to Richard Scrushy, chairman and CEO of HealthSouth Corp. "We offer
a specialty line of what is current; what you'd see in a magazine that's hip and fun but
appropriate for all ages. One of our biggest sales was to a lady in her 70s."
DesignAlabama 28
Bright colors in whimSical patterns defined much of last spring's line, with patterns
inspired by watercolor paintings commissioned by Scrushy. Fabrics are cut and sewn
according to her exclusive patterns, with such names as "Miss Thang," "Smartee Pants"
and "Sneekee Peekee."
Uppseedaisees clothing line is canied in fine speCialty shops and depa11ment stores from
coast-to-coast. Parisian is one of the biggest retailers that carries the Uppseedaisees line.
The fall line features solids in copper, garnet, blush, pistachio and other colors rich
and distinctive but easy to coordinate. Two lines are produced each year using all-cotton
fabric. Next spring, a dash of sexiness will characterize the designs. A company in Dothan
manufactured the lines until it recently went out of business. Now manufactured in a new
plant in Peru, Scrushy has been able to offer her clothing at a lower price but maintain
the same profit margin. A two-piece outfit sells for about $60. A portion of the profit
goes to Heifer International, a program that helps impoverished women around the
world become self-suffiCient.
"I created the company out of a desire to help women," says Scrushy. "As the company
grows, so does our ability to contribute to charities that empower women." And no
doubt, she'll continue to offer women clothes that both look good and feel good. ©
lippseedaisees Of/I fits (Ire co.!")' (/.11([
comfortable for IOllllgiJlg, yet are
stylisb ellollgb to It'ear in pJlblic,
Semshy's clotbing li1le is carried iTlfilte specialty shops and department
stores across tbe col/Illry, iJlcilldillg Parisialls in :tlabulIla.
-AlA 2002
DESIGN AWARDS
A jury of four prominent architects from Georgia
selected this year's Alabama Council of the
American Institute of Architects' annual design
awards presented in July at Point Clear, Ala.
HONOR AWARD
ArchitectureWorks, PC, of Birmingham revitalized the brick
and wooden structure of the old Birmingham Publishing Co. for
its own offices. Originally built in the 1920s, the building was
converted into a complex of inter -related spaces connected by
an open-air courtyard Along the street edge, partitions define
the walkway connecting both studios and help delineate between
the formal and more informal spaces of the courtyard and studio.
AWARD OF MERIT
KPS Group Inc. of Birmingham designed the Student
Recreation Center on the campus of Georgia State University in
Atlanta, Ga. The building had to adhere to the campus master
plan, accommodate existing parking structures and be distin­guished
from other campus structures by a "rugged appear­ance."
The design expresses the center's role as a retreat for
non-academic fun. Transparency throughout allows visitors to
see from the lobby virtually every activity offered.
HONORABLE MENTION
Giattina Fisher Aycock Architects Inc. of Birmingham
created the Alabama Veterans' Memorial in Birmingham The
memorial park was conceived as a place for reflection, education
and celebration to honor the 430,000 Alabamians who have
served our country in the five wars of the 20th century. The
design offers a serene and enduring palette for a variety of
expressions, ideas and personal interpretations.
Top to boNom:
Alabama Veterans' Memorial
Memorial Column Detail
ArchitectureWorks Building
Cabin irt Mentone
Liberty Anima! Hospiia!
Georgia Staie Universi~1
Student Ree Center
Lakeshore Foundalior:s
Fitness, Rec & Education Center
Details+of Interest
A w A R s
Krumdieck A + I Design Inc. of Birmingham designed a 1 ,200-
square-foot cabin in Mentone. The residential structure inCludes
a loft bedroom, board-and-batten siding, a galvanized roof and
an artistically designed gable structure. Its perpendicular deck
allows the owners to view the river from both directions while
maintaining privacy provided by the untouched nature around them.
KPS Group Inc. of Birmingham designed the Lakeshore
Foundation's Fitness, Recreation & Education Center in
Homewood to provide recreational and therapeutic opportunities
for the physically disabled. The two-story, 127,OOO-square-foot
building is 100 percent accessible and has a field house, natato­rium,
fitness center and administrative offices linked to the lobby
for ready orientation. A 30-foot-high curtain wall system creates
a panoramic view of the natural area to the rear.
The only design award not assigned by jury is the Member Honor
Award. Members of the Alabama Council attending the convention
voted for the best architectural work submitted. This year's award
was presented to Krumdieck A + I Design Inc. for the
cabin in Mentone.
Also at the convention the Alabama Masonry Institute (AMI) pre­sented
its annual Top Block Award to Cohen & Co. Inc. of
Birmingham for the Liberty Animal Hospital in Birmingham.
29 Volume XII, No. II
Engineering Excelhmce Awards
Volkert & Associates of Mobile won the 2002 Engineering
Excellence Grand Award given by the American Council of
Engineering Companies of Alabama for its design of the Three
Mile Creek Severe Weather Attenuation Facility. An Honorable
Mention Award was presented to Gresham Smith & Partners
of Birmingham for its Green Springs Highway revitalization.
Fiumartin Wins Paper Company Award
Fitzmartin Inc. of Birmingham has won an Award of
Excellence from Mohawk Paper for its design of the BioCryst
Pharmaceuticals Annual Report for the year 2000. The design
firm has been engaged to produce BioCryst's annual report for
next year. its fourth consecutive annual report designed for the
pharmaceutical company.
Two Auburn University industrial design students won awards at
Design Emphasis, the advanced-level student furniture design
competition at the recent International Woodworking Machinery
and Furniture Supply Fair - USA®. Daniel Green received
first place in the Contract Furniture category for his "16 Degree
of Comfort Modular Chair." Court Edmondson was awarded
second place in Case Goods for his 'Television Cabinet" In
addition, Akiko Nakatsugawa was one of the finalists dis­playing
work in the gallery. The competition included 225
entries from 44 schools, with 65 finalists selected from 27
schools to display their work in the Design Emphasis Gallery
during the trade show held in Atlanta last August
DesignA!abama 30
Top to cottom:
Daniel Green with
"16 Degree of Comlol'!
Modular Chair"
and award
Court Edmondson with
"Television Cabinei'
Akiko Nankatsugawa
wiih table displayed in
the Design Emphasis
Galiery
The Rosenbaum House in Florence has been restored and is
now open to the public as a museum. When under construction
in 1940, more a than 100 visitors a day flocked to see it, with
upwards of 500 on Saturdays. Now the pubiic again has access
to the only house in Alabama by architect Frank Lloyd Wright,
which he designed in 1939 for newiyweds Stanley and Mildred
Rosenbaum. The restoration returns the home to the look and
fee! of its 1940s roots. It is an exampie of a style Wright termed
Usonian, which he designed to be affordable for middle-class
families. Wright also designed an addition for the home completed
in 1948. The Rosenbaum House was listed on the Nationai
Register of Historic Places in 1978 when only 38 years old,
breaking the standard 50-year-old requirement Don lambert
of Florence was the supervising architect on the project, which
cost between $600,000 and $700,000. A 1-cent sales tax sup­plied
funding for the restoration.
Rosel1baum House
,--------, Construction began in mid-summer
on restoration and new construction
for Vulcan Park overlooking down­town
Birmingham from Red
Mountain. The original rustic beaux
arts tower designed by Warren,
Knight & Davis as part of a WPA
Great Depression project, completed
in 1938, has been stripped of white
marble cladding, an enclosed obser­vatory
and attached elevator shaft
I---~~ __ ---j added in the iate 1960s. The restora-
L_-="~;;;:'_~ tion of the sandstone-ciad tower and
design of a new free-standing elevator is in the hands of Atlanta
preservation architect Jack Pyburn. Aligned with the south ele­vation,
the new elevator will not be visible from primary down­town
and Southside views of the monument. The concrete sup­ports
allow views through to the original stone, plus they are tri­angu!
ar in plan and slightly stepped as they rise to reduce bulk
and reflect the tower's subtle taper.
HKW Architects of Birmingham has designed the new 24,000-
square-foot Vulcan Center to fit the overall WPA-era character
that the park restoration/renovation will create. The one-story
building, fronted by a standstone and steel arbor, will have a
museum tracing the history of the Birmingham region on the
main level. A function room with views of downtown set into the
ridge below will be available for events.
Landscape architects Nimrod long & Associates researched
period records and drawings to develop the site and iandscape
plan for Vulcan Park. The original three terraces leading up to the
tower from the parking area below will be recreated. The axial
promenade will be re-established, though it will no ionger be the
main approach due to accessibility issues. The original cascades
will not be rebuilt; the panels between walks filled with turf to
facilitate special events.
The conceptual master plan and exhibit design for Vulcan Park
and the new Vulcan Center are by Amaze Inc. of Boston. The
nonprofit Vulcan Park Foundation developed the plans, raised
the funds and will operate the site under a long-term lease from
the City of Birmingham.
With support from an Alabama Historical Commission grant,
Main Street Mobile engaged the Project for Public Spaces
to help with development of a Pubiic Space Master Plan for
downtown. Last spring a workshop was held in which teams of
downtown stakeholders evaluated Cathedra! Square, Dauphin
Street, Bienville Square, Royal Street, Government Street, Water
Street, Cooper Riverside Park and the proposed Federal
Courthouse site. These evaluations were based on aitractiveness,
comfort, functionality and other aspects. Workshop input was
paired with focus group data and employee and business sur­veys
to develop a master pan. It will include recommendations
and strategies for improving and animating existing public space
such as streets and sidewalks, as weil as identifying opportuni­ties
for developing new public spaces. The Project for Public
Spaces is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping commu­nities
and landholders design and manage public spaces Its final
report for Main Street Mobile wili be released in the fail.
In October, the Chattahoochee Indian Heritage Center's sacred
flame was dedicated at Ft. Mitchel! Sculpture designer Kathy
Hamrick of Eufaula and fabricator Sranko Medenica of
Birmingham completed the 4-ton flame element for the sacred
fire, which was installed in March. The centerpiece of the plaza
soars 20 feet high and is fashioned of bronze and steel with a
ground finish It is framed by horizontal Dakota mahogany gran­ite
"logs" piaced together so each points towards a cardinal
direction. Four yellow Brazilian granite pillars, symbolic of the
ears of corn, are piaced upon the logs of the sacred fire. The
plaza is inlaid with brick pavers in the pattern of the stomp dance.
Visitors approach the plaza on a winding path through the woods
that opens up to a summit platlorm patterned after the traditional
square ground meeting place. Bronze plaques inform about the
culture and lifestyle of the Creeks and list the names of the
Indian families who inhabited the area before removal to the
west. A nature trail that wraps the piaza is surrounded by native
trees, shrubs and plants whose uses for food, medicine and cer­emony
by the Creeks are detailed on plaques. To the south of the
plaza is an amphitheatre that steps down dramaticaily to a great
ball playing field.
More than $1million was raised through the nonprofit
Chattahoochee Indian Heritage Association for the project initiated
by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission in 1987. Celebrating
completion of major phases of the eftort, the annual Southern
Indian Reunion this year focused on "Sharing the Spirit."
Representatives from the Yucni, Seminole, Choctaw, Cherokee
and Muskogee Creek nations, former inhabitants of the area, met
with today's area residents and shared their cultures. A pole-bail
game and stomp dance mixed with bluegrass music and cake
walks in a fitting symbolic setting.
Jaxon Co. of Eufaula was responsible for design supervision
and construction of the facility. Mike Hamrick was architect
and Kathy Hamrick designer. Cathy Gerachis of Montgomery's
Goodwyn Mills and Caywood was landscape architect.
Sacred F.ire Sculp!ure aI the Crercanooc.hee ir.dian HerHage Cemer
Places in Peril 2002
The Alabama Historic Commission and Alabama Preservation
AiHance present their ninth annual list of "Places in Peril," high­iighting
some of the state's most significant endangered historic
sites in 2002,
Conecuh County
Courthouse,
Evergreen - Designed
by renowned Alabama
architect Frank
Lockwood, the 1900
sturdy brick courthouse
was designed fm the ages, The original fagade has been changed
by several unsympathetic alterations, but the handsome neo­classical
revival courtroom and original rear fagade remain,
Alabama's counties that have demolished their historic court­houses
learned that successor buildings fall far short of the
originals, As a result, no main historic county courthouse has
been demolished in some 30 years, Though the structure needs
substantial repairs, it is hoped that these lessons will not be lost
on the Conecuh County Commission who wants it demolished,
The Cedars,
Huntsville - This
stately brick federal
period I-house is a
commanding land­mark
along Pulaski
Pike in Huntsville,
Constructed during the 1820s, it features stylistic elements
found on some of the best homes built during the height of the
colonial era, including rubbed brick lintels and Flemish bond
construction, Despite subdivisions nearby, it retains its rural
feel, including a boxwood-lined walkway, large barn and mature
trees, The house and 37 acres have been on the market for several
years, but with no offers, the structure is suffering from neglect
HistoriC Choccolocco
Valley, Calhoun County - A
land where bucolic mid-19th
century piedmont farms are
set against a backdrop of
unspoiled mountain views, the
Choccolocco Valley is one of
the state's most historic places,
Early hornes such as the 1840s Borders House, two 19th-century
schools and Downing's Mill are picturesque and important parts
of the historic landscape, In recent years, however, "leapfrog
development" has led to mini-subdivisions and cul-de-sacs in the
area, Without comprehensive planning and zoning, the character
of this special region may be eroded within a few short years.
Street Manual Training School, Dallas County - A long­time
centerpiece of African-American education in Dailas
County, the National Register-listed school was established by a
national,y supported group led by Dallas County native
Emmanuel Brown in 1904, An industrial training school that
served generations of Alabamians until it closed in 1971, today
lies deteriorating, The large complex includes the Brown home
built in 1906, girls and boys dormitories, a 10,000-square-foot
industrial building, a two-story brick administrative building and
several other buildings and structures, A group of alumni and
trustees is dedicated to preserving the property, but needs funds
to accomplish its goals.
Historic Neon Signs, Statewide - Signs have been a part of
the roadside landscape for centuries, By mid-20th century, elec­trified
neon signs came to symbolize the technology and auto­mobile
culture of the age, serving as signposts to food, lodging
and goods throughout the nighttime landscape, In Alabama, many
signs have been lost due to neglect and or willful destruction,
Others, like the Moon Winx Lodge in Alberta City, or the Alabama
Power sign in Attalla, are local landmarks. This listing seeks to
raise awareness about the importance of these vanishing icons,
Moulthrop House,
Eufaula - This once-stately
Queen Anne house was
completed in 1899 out of
bricks produced at builder
Robert H. Moulthrop's own
brick company, A two-story
building with a central tur­ret
and irregular interior plan, the Victorian landmark retains a
fine veranda, Part of the property includes the recently vandal­ized
Shorter Cemetery, which contains the grave of Civil War-era
Gov, John Gill Shorter. The house and 25 acres on the edge of
Lake Eufaula are for sale at a high price, with the horne adver­tised
as of "no value," The house is restorable and would make a
wonderful estate or could forrn the centerpiece of a new develop­ment
at the site,
Lowe Mill Village
and Associated
Resources,
Huntsville - The
Lowe Mill village is
an outstanding intact
example of an early 20th-century mill viliage, Lowe Mill, started
as a cotton textile mill in 1900, is one of two historic textile mill
buildings still standing in Huntsville, In the 1940s it was con­verted
to General Shoe/Genesco, and in the 1960s produced
most - if not all- combat boots used in the Vietnam War.
Within the village are approximately 400 residential structures
from classic shotgun houses to bungalows to pyrarnidal hipped­roof
dwellings, The art deco 1940s Centre Theatre and Drugstore
and former JC, Brown's Mercantile are two of the most signifi­cant
commercial buildings, The area has suffered from improper
zoning and development, demolitions and practice burnings by
the fire department Several groups are working to revitalize the
neighborhood Other important imperiled mill villages in
Huntsville include the Dallas, Lincoln and Merrimack comrnunities,
Shellhorn Mill, Pike County - A mill has
been located in this historic crossroads
community since at least 1834, and parts
of the current early 20th-century structure
may date back to that tirne. The mill con­tains
all of its original components,
including the raceway, flume and con­trols,
The miller's house is located nearby, as is the former
Youngblood's Store, The current owner would like to see it pre­served
but does not have the financial resources to restore it
Kolumi Site, Montgomery- This 18th-century Upper Creek
town located on the lower Tallapoosa River was described by
naturalist William Bartram during his visit in 1777. But within
the site two earthen MissiSSippian Period mounds associated
with a little-researched era known as the "Shine Complex" testify
to its prominence as a town a thousand years ago, Other archae­ological
investigations reveal a presence that goes back to at
least c, 300 AD, The family who formerly owned the site gener­ously
donated it to the Poarch Creek tribe, whom they thought
would be conscientious stewards of the homesites and graves of
their ancestors, Recently, Poarch Creek leaders have began
developing a portion of the site as a location for a new bingo
hall, The tribe failed to do proper archaeological investigations
before construction, It is hoped that they will treat the archaeo­logically
sensitive areas at Kolumi with greater respect
The Clemens
House, Huntsville­Constructed
as a
one-story federal
period brick house
in the 1820s, this
downtown, National
Register-listed
Huntsville landmark was once the home of Jeremiah Clemens, a
first cousin of Mark Twain, Clemens was elected to the U. S
Senate in 1849 and served until secession in 1861, a move he
opposed, About 1874, the house was extensively remodeled in
the Italianate style, at which time a second story was added, The
current owner, Huntsville Utilities, has been an excellent stew­ard,
but wants the house relocated so the site can be used for
new offices and parking, It is hoped that listing the site can
encourage finding a way to integrate the current building into
office expansion plans, If that proves impossible, hopefully an
organization can save the house by moving it
The Coley Building,
Mobile - This hand­some
mid-19th century
building in downtown
Mobile contains cast
iron elements in its
fagade, It is the last
standing building on a
block that once reputedly
housed a iDW of coupon and currency brokers during the first
half of the 19th century, During the Civil War, the building was
seized by the Confederates from a Union collaborator. As part of
the Battle House redevelopment project, the Retirement Systerns of
Alabama plans to dernollsh the building for a parking deck, It is
hoped that the listing will encourage them to look at other options,
such as incorporating the building into the deck.
David Hinson, an Auburn University architecture professor,
has been awarded a $10,000 design feiiow­ship
from the Alabama State Council on the
Arts to assist with the continuation of his
. work on Habitat for Humanity housing in
Alabarna. The council awards fellowships of
$5,000 to $10,000 to individual artists from
all disciplines in the design arts based on merit of work, career
achievement, career potential and service to the state, This com­ponent
provides awards to recognize artistic excellence, as well
as professional commitment and maturity and to contribute to
the further development and advancement of the artist's profes­sional
career.
The council is currently taking applications for its 2003 fellow­ship
program, Applicants are encouraged to be as specific as
possible about the proposed use of fellowship funds in order to
illustrate the seriousness of their professional intent The dead­line
for applications is March 1,2003, For more information
please contact Randy Shoults, Cornrnunity Arts program manager,
334/242-4076 or randy@arts,State,aLus,
DeSign Exhibit
DesignAlabama announces the unveiling of its touring exhibit,
"Design Makes a Difference," as part of its public design aware­ness
and education program, From ballparks to shopping malls,
this exciting exhibit illustrates the positive impact that design is
making in the lives of Alabama's citizens, The exhibit is currently
on display at the Alabama Artists Gallery in the State Council on
the Arts offices and is scheduled for a statewide tour in 2003,
For information on sponsoring the exhibit in your community,
please contact Karen Seale, executive director, at 334/353-5081
or designalabama@attnet •
"Design Makes A Difference' Exhibit at the Alabama Artists Gaiief}'
31 Volume XII, No, II
Desi nAlabama
Volume XII, Issue II
PUBLIC DESIGN AWARENESS AND EDUCATION
DesignAlabama Inc. works to increase awareness and value of the design disciplines
((The quality
that influence our environment. We believe that the quality of life and
of expectations
economic growth of this state are enhanced through attention to and
determines the
G R ESH A M
SMIT H AN O
PAR T N ERS
investment in good design.
quality of
DESIGN MAKES A DIFFERENCE
our actions. JJ
- Andre Godin "The road to excellence
(The difference between
is always under
utility and utility plus beauty
construction. ))
is the difference between
- Unknown Author
telephone wires and
a spider web. "
- Edwin Way Teale
Alabama Architectural Foundation
GRAHAM FOUNDATION
This publication was made possible through funding by the contributors listed above.
For additional information about DesfgnAlabama. please call (334) 353-5081.