Design Alabama: The Public Forum for Design in Alabama, Volume 5, Issue 1, 1994

              Fall/Winter 1994
Volume V
Issue I
$2.50
eSI• a ama
THE PUBLIC FORUM FOR DESIGN IN ALABAMA
Design Alabama, Inc.
Sheila Wright, Director
Board of Directors:
Officers
Chairman
Kenneth M. Penuel
Southern Company Services
Birmingham
Vice Chairman
Joseph H. Donofro
Donotro & Associates
Dothan
Secretary
Sue M. Parker
University 01 Alabama
Tuscaloosa
Treasurer
Lloyd Phitpo't
Philpo't Design
Decalur
Members
Hobert Allen, P .C., Attorney
Robert H. Allen
Mobile
Faye DeMassimo
Feoeral Highway Administration
Montgomery
Nancy Mims Hartsfield
Auburn University
Visual Communications
Auburn
Maior Holland
Major Holland Archilecture
Tuskegee
Carl M. Hunt
The Pinnacle Group, Inc.
Birmingham
Henry Hughes
Internationat Paper
Selma
Sam W. Kates
Wiregrass Museum 01 Art
Dothan
Marl< C. McDonald
Mobile Historic Development Commission
Mobile
Tom Mason
Mason Communications
Mobile
Chartes W. Haine
David Jones Jr. & Associates, Inc.
Birmingham
Michaet Tillman, AlA. IBD
K/P/S Group, Inc.
Birmingham
George H. "Rip" Weaver Jr.
Sherlock, Smith & Adams, tnc.
Birmingham
Anne G. Wright
Mobile Tree Commission
Mobile
Publications Chair and General Advisor
Philip A. Morris, Emeritus
Southern Progress Corporation
Birmingham
VDlume V, Issue I
Cover: Birmingham Museum of Art. A great box window
with a Pilkington-system of glass-on-glass supports makes
a visual and physical connection between the new wing and
the expanded sculpture garden.
I From the Director:
I've been to many places since coming to Alabama and
I've gotten to know people that I would not have otherwise
had the opportunity to meet- people like Sheri Schumacher
featured in this issue or Jenni Zorn of the Garrison Barrett
Group. I see the work of individual designers in this state
as substantive, intellectual and soulful. These contributions
help preserve a unique cultural quality and offer a speCial
blend of artistry, design and rich tradition.
The people I meet and the places I go continue to
convince me that supporters of design are many and
diverse in Alabama. I'm glad to know that I've settled in a
place where design can be a priority and where
partnerships among policymakers, artists, educators and
others are the norm. So to all the silent and "peaceful
warriors" out there, thank you and enjoy this issue.
Sheila Wright
Editor: Sheila Wright
Associate Editors: Tomie D. Dugas, Kathy Holland
Art Director: Nancy Hartslield
Associate Art Director: Ross Heck
Electronic Illustrations: John Morgan
Contributing Writers: Tomie D. Dugas, Kalhy Holland,
Mary Johnson Huff. Philip MorriS, Sheri Schumacher,
Sheila Wright, Jenni Zorn
Photograghy: John O'Hagan, Jonathan Hillyer, M. Lewis
Kennedy, Gary Knight, William Robinson
For more information contact:
Design Alabama, Inc.
Alabama State Council on the Arts
One Dexter Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36130
(205) 242-4076
FAX: (205) 240-3269
-
Missing Issues
Members are asked to contact us immediately if
they lail to receive a copy.
A Special Thanks to Philip MorriS, editor-in­chiel
01 Southern Progress CorpOra/ion, lor his
on-going assistance and advice with this publicalion;
members and staff 01 the Alabama State Council
on the Arts; laculty members at Auburn University
and to al/ others who diligently support Design
Alabama and helpeo with this issue. We appreciate
your support'
Additional Thanks to Our Recent Contributors:
Wolfgang Braun
Myrtle Brown
Cater. Hays. Staub, Inc.
Mary Clem
Ellen E1sas
Roberta Gambte
Victor S. Grimes Sr.
Hillhouse & Associates (James Hillhouse)
Neil Letson
Robinson iron Corporation
Kennedy Studios (Lewis Kennedy)
Lori West Stephens
Larry Simpson
Paut Sumners
John Tisdale
This publication is made possible through funding
by the National Endowment for the Arts, a
lederal agency, and the Alabama State Council
on the Arts. a state agency. DesignAlabama also
receives (or has in the past received) lunding Irom
the following corporations:
Blount Foundation
Alabama Power Company
Alabama Department of
Economic and Community Affairs
star
~ ,LU5\BAMA
IIilI!ia. on your trip
to the New York
world; s fair
Travel and Tourism: Graphic images and
advertising campaigns of Alabama's past and
present p,22
Desi nAlabama
CONTENTS
The Endangered Ten: The challenges of
preserving Alabama's past and its most
endangered properties, p. 8
FEATURE
"DESIGN AND CULTURE"
Inside and Out: The transformation of the
BMA and the evolution
of a process. p 12
BEHIND THE FACADE: A NEW BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM OF ART
Behind the scenes looks at the BMA design process and the
collaborative venture needed to implement success. 12
A JOURNEY OF LIFE AND ART: THE VELO TABLE
A designer travels to Nepal and the Annapurna Region and returns
to make furniture designs from her observations
and experiences. 1 7
ARTICLES
"STARRING ALABAMA" A TRAVEL THROUGH TIME
A closer look at Alabama's Travel and Tourism campaigns and
their graphic images past and present. 22
AAA BUILDING: RIGHT ON TARGET WITH A TEAM APPROACH,
The Garrison Barrett Group of Birmingham reconceptualizes AM's 24
history into Modern terms using a collaborative design process
DEPARTMENTS
Project. News
Work of statewide significance
Historical~Perspectives
Alabama's most endangered historic places,
Design_Makes A Difference
Planning a design comeback for downtown Andalusia,
Details+Of Interest
Noteworthy observations,
DesignA!abama is a publication of Design Alabama. Inc.
We welcome your comments and encourage submission
oj articies. ideas for future issues and especially items lor
our departments.
4
8
7
26
Passage: How nomadic herdsmen define space
and other observations that influence furniture
design. p 17
Project .... News
Project News
is a regular
feature of
lJesignAlabama and
provides
an opportunity
to keep
up-la-date on
design projects
that have an impact on
our communities.
PRATT CITY LIBRARY
PIIA TT CITY LIBRARY
DesignAlabama 4
STUDIO ARTS BUILDING,
BIRMINGHAM
ARC HIT E C T U R E
Located at Five Points
South, the recently com­pleted
Studio Arts
Building has the same
name and site as a
Birmingham landmark
that was destroyed by
fire years ago. In design­ing
the new building, Craig Rogers of
Designform, Inc. chose to maintain the pie­wedge
footprint, curved facade and glazed
masomy of the original. This interpretation
was taken a step further by integrating a com­mon
face brick and limestone trim into the facade
to blend with neighboring facades and accentuat­ing
the horizontal lines playing against the
deeply recessed, monumental window openings.
The building is designed to house restau­rant
and entertainment tenants with 11,000
square feet on two floors. Lane Bishop York
Delahay, Structural Engineers, consulted
on the project Taylor & Miree
Construction Co. was the contractor.
Sherlock Smith & Adams, Inc. and
Barganier Davis Sims have been selected
to design a residence hall for Huntingdon
College in Montgomery. The form and char­acter
of the building is consistent with the
gothic style of the existing buildings on the
140-year -old campus.
The four-story, lO,OOO-square foot build­ing
is comprised of multiple bedroom, apart­ment-
type dwelling units that are designed to
accommodate up to 286 residents.
Construction is scheduled for completion
in August of 1995.
PRATT CITY LIBRARY
The new Huntsville Museum 01 Art takes
its place easily among the city's historic struc­tures.
Architect Robert McAlpine conceived of
the overall design and collaborated with muse­um
specialists. Besides galleries, educational
and administrative areas, there will be a Chil­dren's
interactive gallery. The museum's open­ing
is planned for the spring of 1996.
Additions of 145,000 square feet and a total
renovation of 100,000 occurred at the VA
Hospital in Montgomery with no interruption at
services. The complex project which preserved
and modernized the 1940s building took five
years to complete. Design and engineering
were by Sherlock Smith & Adams, Inc. of
Montgomery
Davis, Speake & Associates' Sun
Valley Elementary School and Pratt City
library revisions will be highlighted in our
tuture issue on education and children's play
areas. Both projects were completed before
1994 at a total of $650,000 for the iibrary and
$3,500,000 tor Sun Valley.
The 8,200-square foot library has at its
most prominent intersection, wings containing
the book stacks enclosed by a rectangular brick
section. The bulk of the library's collection is in
this section.
The entrances of the library are tail narrow
passages Ihat slice diagonally through a large
box-like torm of 50 square feet. This is
enclosed in glass and rises above the adjoining
U.S. AIR FORCE NONCOMMISSIONED
OFFICERS ACADEMY, OPEN CORRI­DORS
AND NATURAL LIGHT
U.S. AIR FORCE NONCOMMISSIONED
OFFICERS ACADEMY, AUDITORIUM
U.S, AIR FORCE NONCOMMISSIONED
OFFICERS ACADEMY, MAIN ENTRANCE
service and book-stacks wings. The library has
a 75-seat meeting room designed to allow for
the area to be used during times when the
library is closed to the public.
Speake's Sun Valley Elementary School
project is designed to use daylighting exten­sively
to reduce both energy use and disorien­tation
commonly associated with finding one's
way through a large facility. Bright, cheerful
colors enliven the interior and a recurring
theme of natural wood provides a sense of
security throughout the interior.
Special attention was paid to the media cen­ter
and art room which occupies the center por­tion
of the facility. Again, the maximum use of
daylighting was used. This element coupled with
the hierarchical spatial arrangement reinforced
the design's commitment to the arts and other
academic subjects for students and their parents.
CORNER ENTRY REFLECTS THE GOTHIC
STYLE OF OTHER CAMPUS BUILDINGS
SHERLOCK SMiTH & ADAMS PRESIDENT
ROUND VAUGHAN AND HUNTINGDON
COLLEGE PRESIDENT DR. WANDA
BIGHAM AT THE JUNE GROUNIlBREAKING
U.S. AIR FORCE NONCOMMISSIONED
OFFICERS ACADEMY, BREAK ROOM
INTERIOR DESIGN
Interiors designed for
the U.S. Air Force
Noncommissioned
Officers Academy
have been nominated for
the Air Force Design
Awards program The
overall design won an
earlier award for Seay, Seay & Litchfield
Architects, a Montgomery firm.
The academy is a large educational complex
located at the Gunter Annex of lVIaxwell Air
Force Base in Montgomery. Interior design was
by Lehayne Livingston and Durand Seay.
EVENTS PAVILION, ZINN PARK, ANNISTON
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
The City of Anniston
Parks and Recreation
Department has con­tracted
with Hale
Building Company,
Inc. to construct first
phase improvements in
Zinn Park located in the historic heart of down­town
Anniston. Construction documents were
prepared by the team of Cecil Jones &
Associates, Inc. and Julian Jenkins
Architect & Associates.
The park features an events pavilion set in a
two-level plaza designed to reflect the history
of the park and its surrounding buildings. The
paviHon is also designed to accommodate a
number of events such as concerts. art shows.
festivals and family reunions. This structure is
on a central axis walkway linking the historic
Women's Civic Club to the north and a pro­posed
municipal complex \0 the south.
A natural amphitheater will be developed on
the wooded hillside located on the northem
section of Zinn Park. A pathway will be con­structed
along the route of a former carriage
path which once serviced the Anniston Inn
formerly overlooking the park
Brick entrance columns with park signage.
decorative lighting and landscaping will be
installed to create a gateway into the park along
Fourteenth Street. The park's existing trees,
many of which were planted with World War I
lVIemoriallVlarkers, will be retained and
clusters of flowering and deciduous trees will
be planted throughout the park.
URBAN DESIGN
r wo major Dothan build­ings
are "evolving,"
according to George
Berger, executive director
of The Downtown
GrouP. a city revitalization
organization. The former
Houston Hotel. now the Troy State University
• Scarlett Woods (WTVY) Building renova­tion
is wei! underway, with three floors left to be
completed.
Also in Dothan. Dothan Opera House
renovations are underway to provide dressing
iDom improvements to comply with the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
and more effiCient lighting and heating.
Two publications by the National Trust
should be of interest to citizens. planners and
elected officials who are responsible for decid­ing
development issues. How Superstore
Sprawl Can Harm Communities and
Preparing a Preservation Plan are both
practical guides for local action. Copies of the
"Superstore" booklet are available to Trust
members for $12 ($13 for non-members) plus
$3 postage Send a check to the National Trust.
Public Policy Department. 1785 Massachusetts
Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20036. For
information. call (202) 673-4031. To order the
pianning bookiet, call (202) 673-4255.
HOUSTON HOTEL, DOTHAN
EVENTS PAVILION, ZINN PARK, ANNISTON
VAMC, MONTGOMERY
VAIVIC, MONTGOMERY
DETAIL, HOUSTON HOTEL, DOTHAN
LEE COIVIER, DAVIIl STODDARD &
PROFESSOR TIN MAN LAU
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Auburn University's
Industrial Design
department is currently
working with NASA's
Microgravity
Laboratory in the design
and development of a
special materials/experimentation workstation
"glove box," to be installed on Space Station
Freedom. This studio is being supervised by
Assistant Professor Randy Bartlett. Bartlett
and his class traveled to Marshall Space
Flight Center in Huntsville to a briefing on this
technology. One of the most significant chal­lenges
of this project is the accommodation for
zero-gravity environment on the space station.
Seniors Lee Comer and David Stoddard
are developing a full-scale operational proto­type
for a man-powered commuter vehicle. This
fully enclosed. street legal vehicle is designed
to accommodate urban transportation needs
through an environmentally sensitive means. It
is anticipated that speeds in excess of 30 mph
can be attained while the driver is completeiy
protected from wind. rain and dust The com­muter
is equipped to accommodate a variety of
day and night driving conditions. Comer and
Stoddard have been working under the direction
of Associate Professor Tin Man Lau in prelim­inary
and final development of this prototype.
SUN VALLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
SUN VALLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
5 Volume V. No. I
GRAPHIC ARTS
A new character appeared
on Alabama Public
Television (APT)and on
the cover of the Viewer
Guide this summer. He's
KAZOO, the official
6.~-......... , representative of
children's programming
on APT, and he's the creation of Davis/Denny
Advertising & Related Services, Inc., of
Birmingham,
Davis/Denny is a full-service advertising,
graphic design, marketing and event
management agency known for its hands-on
approach to solving marketing problems "A
partnership with Alabama Public Television just
seemed perfect to us," says Tim Denny vice
president and creative director. "As an agency.
we believe strongly in doing family things,"
Davis/Denny was asked to create the new
identity for APT's award-winning children's
programming and, after developing the
'KAZOO' character. worked with APT to create
elements of the television animation and a 'kids
club" package including a KAZOO magazine.
The Birmingham Festival of the Arts.
in its 45th year. is the oldest festival of its kind
in the country. Annually. the Festival selects
one country and salutes its industry. culture.
arts and people This year's salute to Holland.
chaired by Fox deFuniak of AmSouth and
Jera Stribling of Alabama Power
Foundation selected Davis/Denny
Advertising & Related Services, Inc, to
develop the logotype.
The logo includes a typical Dutch design
and incorporates a tulip in the double ''I's.''
'1994 is the 400th anniversary of the tulip. so the
tulip was a natural emblem to embrace." says
David Davis. president of Davis/Denny Iris
Gross. executive director of the Birmingham
Festival stated that 'This logotype will be used in
every aspect of the festival and will become visible
worldwide. The festival is one of the top 20
tourism events in the Southeast and is made
possible in part by a grant from the Alabama
State Council on the Arts."
FASHION DESIGN
." :'::~.::::-. '." .
,,~,,:,,; , Southern Alternative
y,...I' '?;7.~.'-' - is about to bloomi Three Q' r.r.".", non-belles from the South
compelled to design
dresses without changing
"=- their lifestyles Michelle
;'. Estes. Melissa
McElroy and Alexandra Keeling have trav­eled
extensively to inspire their collection.
Each partner became interested in fashion
trends stemming from bigger cities and have
begun to offer an alternative to designer labels
by providing dresses of comparable quality at
lower prices The Spring 1995 dress collec­tion
will debut at the Miami. Dallas. Atlanta.
Los Angeles and New York markets.
President Melissa McElroy says that she
feels "inspired to create flowing. feel-good
dresses for the young at heart." Vice President
of Design Michelle Estes has spent much of
her life abroad and attended design school in
PariS. While influenced by the European atti­tude
towards fashions. she's very aware of her
deep Southern roots. "Europeans have such a
classic look because they wear basic cloth­ing."
Estes said. "I want to incorporate this
into our line by putting the basic dress back
into the forefront of fashion." Alexandra
Keeling. vice president of marketing. states
that Southern Alternative designs will "incor­porate
all of the latest styles." Indeed. larger
companies are struggling to relate to the
younger generation. The Southern Alternative
team believes that they "may just have what it
takes to lead the fashion industry into a new
realm." We wish them well.
Hd'T~nd THE 45TH BIRMINGHAM FESTIVAL OF ARTS
Submission Information
DesignAlabama encourages submissions from its readers. Please submit manuscripts along with
illustrations to our One Dexter Avenue address. Color transparencies. black-and-white prints and line
drawings are acceptable.
The current call for entries includes projects. stories. etc. addressing the issue of environmental
design. education and play areas. Please indicate whether your article is being submitted for either the
environmental issue or education and play areas.
Examples of work from all disciplines are needed. This includes architecture. landscape architec­ture.
fashion design, interior design. urban planning. industrial design and graphic design. Articles
related to historic preservation are also welcome.
Entries for Project News and Details of Interest require only a one-paragraph summary
detailing the nature of the project; the design firm, principals and associates involved and any other
details that may be of interest to readers such as unusual or special design features; completion or
estimated completion date; approximate total cost for the project. square footage. etc. A!so include the
name. address and phone number of the client and an individual with the firm that we may contact for
further information.
For additional details concerning the current call for entries or for more information on Project
News or Details of Interest. please contact our office at 205-242-4076 or by FAX at 205-240-
3269 (TDDNoice 205242.4075)
• Articles published in DesignAlabama will be reviewed by at least three individuals and may
differ slightly from that originally submitted. All items selected for actual publication will be
made by a committee and final editorial decisions are at the discretion of the editor.
• Address changes and mailing list correspondence may be directed to the
One Dexter Avenue office.
• No subscription required. Copies available on a first-come. first-served basis free of charge.
• Membership is requested to ensure receipt of future issues.
SOUTHERN ALTERNATIVE
SCARLETT WOODS, WTVY BUILDING, DDTHAN
SOUTHERN ALTERNATIVE
DOTHAN OPERA HOUSE, DOTHAN
SCARLETT WOODS, WTVY BUILDING, DOTHAN
DesignAtabama 6
Design_Makes A Difference
Pia · gA
DesieComeback
. fOFDowntown
<?"BUR.DlNG -L.-"'--'
CWOI NBeR.I CSIKD EBWAANUO<S l,:~~~~~~~I.ANI)SCAPEO ISLANI) f
South Cotton Street, Elevation/Plan - PI.anting Concept
Philip Monis is editor-aI-large for
Southern Living and Southern Accents,
He is Han. AlA, Han. ASlA and
a memher C!f the board of regents of the
T
'' ',', h~ t(rwn"bf,Alldalusia is goihg,t{),}~e(jts::, . ·····.~:~::~:~~~:~:~:~:~1~~~3~;l~~~n~ry
1992 and is the centerpiece'of a Downtown
Andalusia Revitalizati6n Plan subsequently prepared
by Cecil Jones &'Assbciates of Birn1ingFlaI11.,
Alabama I)epartment of EconomiC & COlnn1l1nity
Development (AT)ECA) has approved a $600,000
Community D~vcJopment Block Grant to proceed
with the r~nov~tionof the squarean<:Lfacing stre~t
frontages: A locaimlUch brings the tota!project COst to
$1.2 million.:'In line \\'ith the recommen'dations hf the
plari, this will include'replacement of OlJtd.:'1ted "rater
and sewer lines. new'street surfaces atid other
improvements in the"affected area.
Site of the original Covington CotIniy Courthouse,
the square "vas mad~,a green park when the PJ\~sent
Beaux Arts style cm~hhouse was built, 'a,cross the street
in 1915. Then in 1946 a street was curthrough the
square and the rest paved for parking. \XiJut should
have been a civic landmark at the heart of downtovvn
became a utilitarian eyesore.
The downto;;vn revitalization plan prepared by
Cecil Jones & Associates (Planner Gary Cooper, APA.
and Landscape Architect Dale Fritz. ASLA) embraces
105 acres and many phases. But the crucial first
phase concentrates on using a renovated square to
imprO'le the image of downto\vn and provide a civic
amenity for workers and visitors.
Though the retail role of do\\rntown Andalusia
has declined, as in many towns, the courthouse and
Anwrican Architecture Foundation. other public facilities, plus the often-related business
and professional services nearby, give the area
continued purpose.
From the Do\vntown Andalusia Revitalization Plan
report, here is a description of the design:
"The proposed Courthouse Square design is
oriented to\\'ard the courthouse. reinforcing its place
as the dominant focal point in the area, Lawn would
slope up to a pavilion, which reflects the architectural
quality of the cOUlthouse by repeating its columns and
rooflinc. An open area of decorative paving faces the
cOUlthouse, funher strengthening the visual
relationship betyveen square and building. Viev.rs
along Church Street and East Three I\~otch Street are
maintained, framed by evergreen trees at the corners
of the square. Park benches are provided in these
shaded areas, along \vith trash receptacles and historic
style light fixtures."
To help offset the loss of parking. the first phase
plan for the square renovation specifies angled
parking around its edges, Combined with existing
Andalusia
Byl'hllipMorris
parking along streets frontipg the square and
increased on-street I~arking" on two l\earby streets. the
overall, plan keepsthe 'total parking availability virtual­ly
the same. (The larger downtown. plan specifies
other cOOl'dinatecl, pal;king ',improvements both public
and private.)
The overall plan, adopted by the Andalusia City
Council, includes inventories of existing conditions,
both positiVe and negative. and phased steps to build
qri-the area's resources., These include public
improVClnentsj ,: z6nil1g' ,(l.'rid)and, use"rhanges" ,l)uildigg
fehabilit~Hbri',' ft'affic ,'an(1 pal'ku1g 'improvenlents, and
needed'iltilitie:s woilt,
1n',:an introduction to the repon, Cecil Jones &
Associ .. ites makes note of.several studies On the area
condUCted since the 19605. Onejn 1968 called fOr the
kind of concrete canopies no\'': being demolished in
many tbwns. I\. 1975 Atlbtl:ni l;niv:ersity'Design Project
focused 'on designs for' his:toric buildings which result­ed
in aJew renovation pl'oJects.
The 1992 Alabama Community Design Program
Volunteer Team fielded by Design Alabama helped
stimulate and focus Andalusia's current efforts.
The ACDP team inciuded: Architect Gray PlasseI'
Jr.. FAIA. KPS/Group, Birmingham; Architect Nicholas
H. Holmes III. AlA. Holmes & Holmes. Mobile;
Landscape Architect Cathryn Campbell. then faculty
member at Auburn; l\,lark C. J'.kDonald, executive
director of the ?\Jobile Historic Development
Commission; Tom Canuthers, MBA, Birmingham: and
then-students \Villard Barnes and Christopher Engel of
Auburn and Toure~ Muhammad of Alabama A&?\'J. II
South Side of Square. Existing
South Side of Square. Revised
7 Volume V, No. I
Historical~Perspectives
One of several significant early structures forming part of what may
be Alabama's most complete surviving plantation complex is this
antebellum smokehouse The complex also includes the collapsed
remains of the state's last plantation gin house.
on•
by Mary Johnson Huff
Mary Johnson Huff is a native Alabamian and the author of
16 books on quilting and other aspects of material culture. Her
most recent published works are Star Quilts, 1992, and the text
for The American Quilt: A History of Cloth and Comfort,
1750-1950, both from Clarkson N. Potter, a division of Random
House. The American Quilt was listed as one of 1993's Notable
Books by The New York Times Book Review. Ms. Johnson is an
editor with Black Belt Press of Montgomery and publishes a line of
books for Black Belt under an eponymous imprint.
DeslgnAlabama 8
Although it appears to be beyond hope, the 1820s French-Rivers
House can be restored.
ere
aces
All across Alabama, from the
industrial districts of our cities to the
outlying farmlands, buildings and
sites of historiC significance are grad­ually
vanishing, taking fragments of
our heritage with them. Alabama's
historic places depict every aspect of
our state's origin and development­its
land, houses, workplaces, parks,
roadways, waterways, places of wor­ship
and objects of art. Historic
places help us understand who we
are as well as the meaning of our
accomplishments and shortcomings;
they playa critical role in defining
our unique identity as an amalgam
of many different people and cul­tures.
Once they are gone, so, unfor­tunately,
are the stories they had to
tell. And our visual surroundings are
also the poorer.
"Alabama's Most Endangered
Historic Places" is an annual effort
to bring the stories of 10 to 12
gravely imperiled properties across
the state to the public's attention.
Sponsored jointly by the Alabama
Historical Commission and the
Alabama Preservation Alliance, the
goal of the publicity effort is to raise
public awareness about the historic
value of a broad range of historic
places and buildings. The progress
or decline of each year's choices
will be tracked and publicized.
Implicit in the effort, is, of course,
the hope that solutions will be
found where none existed before,
and that local involvement will
provide the impetus for saving the
site or structure.
"Alabama's Most Endangered
Historic Places" is based on a similar
nation-wide endeavor launched in
recent years by the National Trust
for Historic Places. Alabama will be
The Tallassee Mills complex rises like an
itaiian hJii town from the steep west bank
of the Tallapoosa River.
The Marmaduke Williams House in Tusca\oosa is built on
the same ''I"' plan as the French-Rivers and is about 20
years younger.
among the first to initiate such a
state-wide effort, already begun in
recent years in North Carolina,
Wisconsin and Massachusetts.
Indiana has had considerable suc­cess
with a three-year campaign;
last year alone, five of the 10 proper­ties
listed were saved.
To be eligible for "Alabama's
Most Endangered," a property must
either be listed on or eligible for the
National Register of Historic Places.
Many of the properties will already
be on the "Preservation Watch" list
maintained by the Alabama
Historical Commission, which num­bered
over 200 sites by mid-1994.
Sites are located throughout
Alabama, and they range from the
anticipated-abandoned log cab­ins,
rural churches and columned
plantation houses-to entire neigh­borhoods
or historic areas.
Properties may have a link with
the recent as well as the distant
past, and every conceivable aspect
of our built environment is eligible,
from the mounds of pre-historic
Alabamians to the steel mills of
20th-century Birmingham.
"Alabama's Most Endangered
Historic Properties for 1994" were
selected to express this vast diversity
of our state's built heritage. The con­dition
of each of the properties cho­sen
is in constant flux; by the time
you read this article, the circum­stances
described here may have
changed, hopefully for the better.
The Alabama Historical
Commission cannot save all of these
properties. It has neither the
resources nor the manpower to do
so. There are, however, skilled pro­fessionals
on staff who can and will
give counsel to local community
groups or individuals who are gen­uinely
interested in saving any of
these properties. Because the "Most
Endangered Places" are already on
the "Preservation Watch List" kept
by the Commission, the Commis­sion
serves as a clearing house for
information on the properties.
Each of the 10 properties listed on
"Alabama's Most Endangered
Historic Places" will benefit greatly
from a strong citizen support group.
If you are interested in getting
involved, preservation organizations
are perpetually seeking new mem­bers
and resources. Often preserva­tion
is an aspect of a local historic
society. Many business coalitions
and groups that deal with tourism
have preservation of the local built
environment as a goal.
The Coosa-Tallapoosa River
Basin Archaeological Area
(Elmore and Macon Counties).
Once the seat of Creek Indian civi­lization
and later the site of forts
Toulouse and Jackson, this area is
now threatened by development
proposals, even as archaeological
digs take place. A casino has been
proposed for the Hickory Ground
Site, while both the Fusahatchee
and Autasee sites may well be
destroyed if current gravel mining
operations continue.
Preuit Oaks Gin House (Colbert
County). Part of an unusually com­plete
ensemble of mid-19th century
plantation buildings, the mule­powered
gin on the Preuit Oaks
plantation may be the last planta­tion
gin in the state. The wooden
building has collapsed onto the
machinery, and offers by the owner
to donate the property to a group
which would restore and interpret it
have so far not been accepted.
Brown's Department Store
(Tuskegee, Macon County).
Behind the Italianate facade of this
building is a mid-19th century
retail interior incomparable in
S1. Luke's Episcopai Church, now serving the Azian Baptist congregation. is one of
the best of seven remaining English Gothic Revivai churches in Alabama,
A 1910view of the M & 0 Machine
Shops in Whistler shows a now-gone
clerestory running the iength of the roof.
Alabama. A free-standing stair, a
coved and molded ceiling, orna­mented
plasterwork and balustrad­ed
light well complete a setting that
may have been designed by John
Stewart, of the pre-eminent
Philadelphia architectural firm of
Sloan and Stewart. Virtually no
retail interiors of elegance from the
1850s remain in Alabama; this
one has survived more through
happenstance than any real aware­ness
of its importance, and its
future is uncertain. Auburn
University architecture students
began documentation of the interi­or
this fall.
French-Rivers House (Clarke
County). Representing a number of
important vernacular houses now
threatened, the French-Rivers house
may be the oldest surviving frame
house in southwest Alabama. Its
interior includes a rare paneled
overmantel, a motif seldom seen
beyond the Atlantic Seaboard. It
has been vacant for more than a
decade and is rapidly deteriorating.
Marmaduke Williams House
(Tuscaloosa). This circa 1838 struc­ture
is one of the Tuscaloosa area's
earliest and last remaining exam­ples
of a Federal-period "I" house,
that is, a house whose main block
is two stories high but only one
room deep. The house is also
important as the residence of Judge
Marmaduke Williams (1774-1850),
a key member of the 1819
Alabama Constitutional
Convention. It has been divided
into apartments, damaged by fire
and is a candidate for demolition.
Tallassee Mills (Elmore
County). This vast stone complex
nestled into the steep banks of the
Tallapoosa River was one of the
great manufacturing sites of the
antebellum South and is today one
of the most notable remaining mid-
19th century textile mills in the
nation. During the Civil War its
looms wove cloth for Confederate
uniforms, while the oldest of the
buildings was used for production
of the famous Tallassee Rifle. The
mill ceased operation in the late
1960s, and since then the oldest
structures have been purchased by
a consortium that is systematically
removing all the heart pine flooring
and beams, as well as window sash­ing
and trim, for resale. Without
internal braCing, the exterior stone
walls could begin to spread and
eventually collapse. Although the
consortium has expressed a desire
to retrofit the enormous buildings
for either light industrial or multi­purpose
business and commercial
use, local citizens and officials
remain largely indifferent, threat­ening
the loss of one of the
Southeast's most notable early
industrial landmarks.
Mobile & Ohio Railroad
Machine Shops (Mobile County).
Thought to be the oldest existing
railroad facility in Alabama, the
machine shop for the Mobile &
Ohio Railroad at Whistler is one of
only three surviving antebellum
railway manufacturers in the
United States. Although it was cap­tured
by Union troops during the
Civil War and slated for destruc­tion,
as were nearly all Southern
railway yards, word of Lee's surren­der
a month before evidently
reached Whistler in time to save the
shop. Now badly deteriorated, the
shed and headhouse have until
recently been used as a chemical
storage and manufacturing area.
Efforts by the City of Prichard
(which has absorbed the township
of Whistler) to acquire and develop
the site as a railroad museum have
9 Volume V, No.1
SI. Luke's, which was built in 1853 at Cahaba, is
iisted on the National Register 01 Historic Places.
been hampered by a federally-man­dated
cleanup of the property's
lessee, The City of Prichard has been
awarded an ISTEA grant of more
than $600,000 to develop the site,
but cannot go ahead until the lessee
has cleaned up its toxic dumping.
St. Luke's Episcopal Church/
Azion Baptist Church (Dallas
County). St. Luke's, erected in
1853, is one of a handful of distinc­tive
board-and-batten "Carpenter
Gothic" churches built by Alabama
Episcopalians between 1850 and
1860. The church once stood at
Cahaba, but recurrent flooding of
the site led to its removal to the pre­sent
location in 1878. A small
African-American congregation has
used the building for many years,
but finds its upkeep increasingly dif­ficult
and would prefer a more prac­tical
worship setting. Meanwhile,
the church badly needs stabilization
and repair.
Fort Conde Village (Mobile). A
four-square-block area of some of
the earliest dwellings in Mobile is
clustered near Fort Conde in the
downtown waterfront area. One
notable building is the Hall House,
built in 1836 of stucco with a frame
second story; distinctive Creole
detailing is found in the galleries of
the first and second floor, as well as
in the kickoff roof. Numerous exam­ples
of vernacular, as well as high­style
architecture, make this area a
valuable repository of building
styles. For 10 years the City of
OesignAlabama 10
AI peril in Fort Conde Village are
structures like the Edward Hall House,
buill in 1836 wilh Creole delailing.
A streelscape in Fort Conde Village shows brick sidewalks
and gaslighls insialled by Ihe Cily of Mobile in Ihe 1970s.
Mobile has sought a developer for
the area as a whole, hoping that a
bed-and-breakfast village or shop­ping
district could be made to
attract visitors to the area,
Meanwhile, the buildings have had
no maintenance, and steady deteri­oration
has been the fate of these
fine old houses.
Greyhound Bus Station
(Montgomery). On May 20,1961,
21 young Freedom Riders, hoping
to end discrimination in the inter­state
transport system, pulled into
the Greyhound Bus Terminal in
Montgomery and were met by an
angry mob. The riot that ensued
prodded the Kennedy
Administration along the road to
civil rights reform and signified to
the country that there was no turn­ing
back on the issue of civil rights.
Now, long-range plans for the
expansion of the Federal complex
immediately to the north of the bus
station call for its demolition. The
Greyhound Bus Terminal is one of
those" ordinary" buildings that, in
historian j. Mills Thornton's words,
"have been rendered extraordinary
by the history made there."
PreselVationists hope that a way can
be found for adaptive incorporation
of the bus station into the overall
design of the Federal complex, with
the present waiting room perhaps
given over to a permanent photo­graphiC
and artifact exhibit on the
civil rights movement in Montgomery
and the Deep South. '"
The Greyhound Bus
Station in Montgomery
has "been rendered
extraordinary by the
history madelhere."
Alabama Preservation Alliance
The Alabama Preservation Alliance is a statewide pri­vate
non-profit organization of volunteers dedicated to
the preservation of historic resources, Membership is
open to both individuals and to groups such as local his­torical
societies. The Alliance has established a Revolving
Fund in order to make interest-free loans to organizations
for preservation-related projects. Any project having to
do with a "Most Endangered Historic Place" would, of
course, be given priority.
New members are actively sought; dues are $15.00
per year for the individual, $25.00 for the family.
Benefits of membership include a quarterly newsletter,
two annual meetings (one is a "ramble" in some histori­cally
significant area, and the annual meeting is usually
held in conjunction with the Alabama Historical
Commission's annual meeting) and the opportunity to
meet others in the state with the same interests.
Contributions to the Alliance's Revolving Fund are also
vigorously encouraged; they may be made as memorials.
Fund donations and membership dues may be sent to
The Alabama Preservation Alliance, Box 2228,
Montgomery, Alabama 36102 ....
It is difficult to separate where design and culture
begin and end. The two are'itt1separableJ Thelirst,is a .'~
response to the second and l~h if ftCQIJdliS"tr~ILf~nC~~50yil
the first. It's that simple and,~aJ.atclm~J.~l~l Jj 't;~" <
Design i ~atotaj1);t1mg rati¥~;tiifiJa~inak()1'fra1.tpKtth
i nte II ect, i ~.t~mti o~J~te,Qh n i qle, p~,6j,I~;"pJa,Qe9,~tbjrtrJ$, .. '
thoughts, observations and ci of
specific situations. But then,
~[oducts created ;@;¥ desiign:ers
r:>k> ':-:,',;?{ i;\::',"k
n many ways a surv~~o/EZ~ con-veyed
in stone, earth, wood, metal, furniture, text,
graphics, signage, etc. The items created by design­ers
represent decades of object making and document
subtle and overt changes in our value, economic and
political contexts over a given period of time. Our total
~nviro,rment shifts by our awaren .. of 0 Ives and
t~;thers~ ~Yi!qur!1A ., ..... VU'-4V
i repl \lit~!er,b~l~rJl ���•
Travel, neighbOrhoo
influenced by us as we al
defines our purpose throu
techniques and records our emotional and expressive
responses to change.
From historic landmarks that serve as symbols of our
past to the modern products created by our industrial,
technological and economic needs, design provides
clear evidence of who we are, where we're going and
how we plan to get there. No, there aren't any real dif­ferences
between design and culture. Only a societal
merger exists.
Design and culture. There can be no
separation ... only a transformation ... for better or
worse ... hopefully, for the latter.
Behind
the Facade:
ANew
Bt-rm1-11 am
Museum of A.-t
Top. Before view of Eighth Avenue North entry.
Top right. The new west wing (to the left) is almost invisible
on the city side olSMA lacing Eighth Avenue North.
But the lowered entry (see belore view)
wilh ils slainless steel canopy signals
the complete reworking inside.
Right. Architect Edward Larrabee Sames, FAIA, 01 New York,
the design architect en SMA put an elliptical stair
connecting all three levels in the bow window,
producing a dynamic inside-outside interplay.
DeslgnAiabama 12
Written By Philip Morris
Photography by John O'Hagan
From a complex collaboration between two architec-tural
firms) with technical consultants) a sculptor,
landscape architects) a conscientious contractor and
many others) BMA has reopened with greatly
expanded space and wholly new clarity.
It still marches rather ponderously along Eight Avenue North in downtown Birmingham, large
blocks clad in travertine with alternating horizontal and vertical panels of dark green marble. But
there is a crisp new stainless steel-canopied entry, a hardly noticeable new block of travertine at the
west end, and-behind the facade-a completely new Birmingham Museum of Art.
Gone is the dismal East Lobby, part of a late
addition, \vhich made visitors feel at the bottom
of a well. Gone the cluttered main corridor with
its dropped-tile ceiling. And gone the confused
flooring, partitioning and host of other incoher­ences
accumulated through years of additions
and ren10delings.
As patt of a $20 million project that included
a new 50,OOO-square foot wing, a grand new
sculpture garden and total remodeling of the
existing building, the Birmingham Museum of
An (B1YlA) has been transformed into an
ordered, graceful and, at moments, exhilarating
space for att and people.
PrimalY architects \vere KPS Group of
Birmingham with design architect Edward
Larrabee Barnes, FAlA, of New York, whose
long and distinguished career was focused on
museums. A host of consultants was also
engaged (see bOA").
1110ugh many felt the existing museum offered
little to work with (one architect interviewed for
the job refused to take it unless the whole bUilding
could be reclad), Barnes felt the real issue was
interior flow. A little visual 'cleaning up' and open­ing
up would do for the exlerior.
Barnes' hand is most evident in the new
west \ving which turns the building into an "1."
The addition provides, in ensemble, "dnt BMA
most needed: a grand entlY oriented to visitor
parking, a handsome new auditorium, a spa­cious
speCial-events area (used day-to-day as a
museum cafe) and, above, a suite of temporary
exhibition galleries. This wing can be used inde­pendently
of the rest of the museum.
The wing's most dramatic feature and now
BMA's Signature image is the great bovv' '\vindow
containing an elliptical stair tying the three levels
of the new \ving together. This is the feature
Barnes has described as "the most fun I've ever
had on a stair."
continued to page H
13 Volume V. No. I
City government passed ordinance that
creates the Museum Board of the City
of Birmingham.
Birmingham Museum of Art opened in
City Hall. Collection begins with gifts.
Long-term loan of 29 Italian Renaissance
paintings from the Samuel H. Kress
Foundation.
Funds bequeathed by Mrs. Helen Jacob
Wells to be used for construction of a per­manent
museum building.
Land acquired as future site of BMA.
Building designed by Warren, Knight and
Davis opens. Red Mountain Garden Club
gives garden designed by William Kessler.
"I'm very happy with it," says Barnes, now
retired from practice. "A window was always
there, but at first it was l1at. With a bow, the
stair takes you right out into the garden and the
garden comes in, a lovely dovetailing of the
t'l.VO." The great \vindo'N, using the Pilkington
systenl of glass-on-glass buttresses, also brings
light down into the entry/auditorium space,
turning what would have been a basement into
a first 1100r.
The interplay between the new wing and
the sculpture garden speaks to the other aspect
of the design that pleases Barnes most, the flow
between the garden and the museum.
"Unlike the Museum of Modern Art in New
York or a number of other sculpture gardens I
can think of, this one is a rotational space. You
can go into it, move through and COllie back
into another part of the museum," he explains.
Thus the garden rounds out what he feels is
the BMA's best new characteristic-its smooth
circulation.
BMA's sculpture garden was a collaboration
between Barnes and the well-known New York­based
sculptor Elyn Zimmerman. In contrast to
Kress collection officially deeded to
the museum.
New east wing opened.
Land acquired for future additions.
Museum builds collection of European,
American and contemporary work through
gifts and purchases.
Three-story addition to the east.
Collecting of Asian art begins in earnest.
Early donations of Wedgwood and
other English ceramics by Dwight and
Lucille Beeson.
Opening of new wing making BMA largest
municipal museum in the Southeast
(116,000 square feet)
Barnes' original concept of a single, lTI0I1l11nen­tal
multi-level garden connected by stairs, she
argued for three discreet outdoor rooms appro­priate
for different scale work. These are con­nected
by ramps.
Just outside the bow \vindow, the existing
oak-canopied garden modified with pools and
paving designed by another artist, Valerie
Jaudon, forms the lIrst room, used for smaller
works. Next C0I11eS a sunken space \vith gravel
l100r for changing exhibitions. And then a spa­cious
granite-paved plaza for large contelnpo­rary
pieces completes the loop with access
directly into the new contemporary art gallery.
While Barnes focused on the design of the
new wing and sculpture garden, KPS Group was
engaged luost fully in reworking the existing
n1USeUIl1 and getting the project in shape to be
built \vithin a reasonable budget. If that sounds
cut -and-dried, it \vas not.
KPS Group's Gray Plosser, FAIA, capsules
the evolution of the new IlMA. "It all started
many years ago \vith the concept of adding a
sculpture garden, and there was an early rnaster
plan done by John Camrway \vhich contained
Museum receives accreditation from
American Association of Museums.
African art collection begins.
Long-range planning committee formed.
Edward Larrabee Barnes selected as
architect for expansion.
Bond issue approved by the City of
Birmingham voters includes $5 million
for expansion.
Construction begins. Extensive collection
of 18th Century French paintings and
decorative arts bequeathed by Eugenia
Woodward Hitt.
Renovated and expanded BMA opens
comprising a total of 180,000 square
feet (including 30,000 square foot
sculpture garden).
the idea of a new wing and garden. After that
sat for a while, the museum director and board
decided to proceed with a major fund campaign
and hired Barnes (986) on an hourly basis to
develOp concepts. This went on for nearly two
years, and a S111a11 1110del \vas In,Kle shov..,ring
how things might work."
But during this time, Plosser explains, the
concept and budget were "all over the place."
KPS Group was deSignated by B!vLA board chair­man,
William M. Spencer III, to, in his words,
"make this happen." Thus, KPS Group became
lead architect with Barnes as design architect. A
costly scheme that involved parking decks in
conjunction 'with the sculpture garden \vas
reworked and the KPS Group/Barnes collabora­tion
moved ahead.
The decision to completely renovate the
existing lOO,OOO-square foot Il1useum greyv' out
of the climate-control consultant's recommenda­tion
that the entire museum should be upgraded
to curatorial-quality space since most of the col­lection
remains on display at all times. If the
whole place had to be torn up for that, the rea­soning
\vent, \vhy not correct all the existing
The expanded sculpture garden. a collaboration with Sculptor Elyn Zimmerman of New York, reaches all the
way to 21st Street. A massive pergola defines the north edge.
This view down the main corridor of the renovated existing wing represents the new clarity of space. Original
dropped cei!ings were removed and galleries rearranged.
OesignAlabama 14
A greal bow window with a Pilkington system of glass-an-glass supporis makes a visual and physical
connection between the new wing and Ihe expanded sculpture garden.
sho11comings in the process.
So there Vias additional fundraising and the
tough decision: to close the lTIUSeU111 for a year
and a half and put the collection in storage while
the renovation proceeded. This was facilitated by
completion of new basement-level curatorial/stor­age
space before work began on galleries (so the
collection could be stored on site).
Using an understated modern vocabulary
inherent in the original 1959 art 1110cierne pavil­ion
by Warren, Knight and Davis and Barnes'
sin1plc palette of 111<1terials, the existing building
was reordered and rel1nished.
The inost dr~lI11atic change is visible in the
long ground floor corridor which had its
dropped ceilings lifted. Openings to gaileries
were relocated, enlarged and deeply defined
with white plaster walls. It has become "an
event:' to use Plosscr"s phrase, though an under­stated
one th"t. like the rest of the interior.
defers to objects on display.
At the end of this 111ain floor corridor, the
upper half of the former East Lobby has been
Hoored over to become pal1 of the spacious
conten1porary gaJlery. Floors throughout this
level are nenv blond oak.
The clarifying effect of the Barnes/KPS
Group design is evident in the original \\.iest
Lobby, the core of the original pavilion. Deep­toned
terrazzo l1oors. white walls and black
111arble stairs relnain, but the once-clumsy bal­cony
railing is no\\' slin1 stainless steel and glass,
opening up the space. And to make the city-side
"Unlike the Museum of Modern
Art in New York or a number
of other sculpture gardens
I can think of, this one is
a rotational space. You can go
into it, move through and come
back into another part
ofthe museum."
II
entrance lTIOre direct and inviting, a forbidding
set of exterior steps was relnoved and a ne\v
glazed opening set at sidewalk leveL A great
stainless steel-clad bracket canopy previews the
contemporary lift found inside.
On the level above is another pleasing case
of opening up. A great \vindo\v long sealed to
provide low light curatorial space has been
exposed, allo\ving a s\veeping vie\v of the reno­vated
Linn Park. Palt of the new Asian galleries,
this one houses sculpture, so natural light is a
blessing rather than a curse.
Reviewing the completed project, Barnes
says he is very happy with how the existing and
new elen1ents \vork and feels that the generous
ceiling heights and proportions of the renovated
galleries make them very beautiful spaces for
alt-better than some of ]\;e\v York City'S cele­brated
modern-era museums.
KPS Group's Plosser is proud of the' on­schedule,
on-budget aspect of this velY complex
job; the state-of-the-a11 climate and security sys­tem;
the pa11nership work by contractor Brice
Building Co.; and the public/private cooperation
it took to see the project through.
"For the first time since it was built, the inte­rior
is of-a-piece," Plosser says. "The city has, in
essence, a \yhole ne\v building."
Binninghan1 lVIUSeUlTI of Art has long had a
collection an10ng the best in the region. It nov.,'
has a building up to those standards. !III
Pbilip Ji10rris is edilor-al-la};~elorSouthern
Living cmdSouthernAccents. He is HCJJl. AlA.
Hon. ASLA and a member Cij'/he board oj'
regent,; (?/li1e Anzerican Architecture
Foundation.
John OHagan, pbolographer }!'ith Southem
Progress C07p. :)' OXl1WOl- HOltS-e boo!.? divisioJl, is
also an arcbileclural pb%grapbeJ'
15 Volume V, No. I
Urban Design Aspects
The BMA project came under the City of Birmingham's
active urban design review process then led by Michael
Dobbins, FAIA. The major exisiing plus was its location in
the heart of the evolving Cultural District and walking-dis­tance
proximity to downtown, Birmingham-Jefferson Civic
Center (BJCC), new Alabama School of Fine Arts and other
urban sites.
High on the city's agenda was an enhanced entrance
from the city side facing Eighth Avenue North, plus opening
the new wing visually to the existing Commemorative
Garden Walk leading from Linn Park to BJCC. In tum, the
garden walk was redesigned to complement the BMA
expansion and 21 st Street streetscape improvements were
made to create a more pedestrian friendly route from BJCC
to BMA and the city beyond.
r-LEGENO l
1. Norti) Entry
2. Auditorium Lobby I
3. Auditorium '
4. Education Gifices
5. Education Siudio
6. Art Storage
7. Registrar
8. Exhibition Preparation
~o ~i~:;;~try Silop J i 11. Curaiors' OHice
I 12. Loading Dock L-. __ _
1
.'
A Multiple Client
On the BMA side, a sequence of directors during the life
of the project added further complication The design
process began under Dr. Douglas Hyland. Acting director
Gail Treschel took over after work had begun, and new direc­tor
Dr. John Schloder came on board well into construction.
Within the museum staff key sub-clients emerged in the
person of curators like Dr. John 'Netenhall, curator of paintings
and sculpture. Similarly, board trustees including Margaret
Livingston, Thomas N. Carruthers Jr, James E. Simpson,
Henry Lynn Jr and Henry Goodrich provided input.
I LEGEND---
! 10. Scuipture Garden
L. ___ ~
----------- ---.------------------ ----------- -- --------._-.
Contractor
Brice Building Company, Inc., Birmingham
Ben \\levins, Senior Project Manager
Denzel Clark, On-site Project Manager
Brice Building Company played a large pari in achieving
the designs of architects and planners for the BMA renovation.
There were design revisions and conflicts that had to be
resolved. And when it came down to practical considerations
of scheduling, maneuvering around the trees in the sculpture
garden that were to be saved and planning moves from exhibit
space to storage and back again, the contractor was a key
partner in the success of the project.
, Ii: ;1: ' , : : i : t , ' ., -,<.~ i
'0 .0
Architects: KPS Group, Birmingham. Gray
Plosser, Rick Davidson, Richard Allen, Debbie
Simmons
Structural Engineer: Lane, Bishop, York,
Delahay, Inc, Birmingham.
DesignAlabama 16
Environmental Consultant: Garrison-Lull,
New York. Bill Lull
Design Architect: Edward Larrabee
Barnes/John MY Lee & Partners, New York.
Edward L. Barnes, Anne Wattenburg, David Adler
Consulting Engineer (Climate Control):
Jones, Nail, DaVIS, Ailanta, Georgia.
lighting Engineer: Howard Brandston Lighting
Design, Inc., New York.
landscape Architect: Reece, Hoopes &
Fincher, Atlanta and Birmingham
Contractor: Brice Building Co, Inc,
Birmingham. Ben Nevins, Denzel Clark
AJourn fLi
e
In the fall of 1993, Sheri Schumacher took sabbatical leave and traveled to
Nepal. She went there to "examine the social structure and cultural life of the
indigenous peoples" and to research various industries and physical infra­structures.
She observed nomadic conditions that reflected the "shifting and
constant movement" so prevalent in our own society. Her investigations
evolved into select pieces of fumiture that "addressed issues of orientation,
placemaking, transitory and sedentary tendencies in society, sacredness and
ritual. " At the time of this writing, the work is being exhibited in the Alabama
State Council on the Arts Gallery in Montgomery. The information that fol­lows,
traces some of the diverse impressions that formed the basis for the
design of her Vela Table.
Traveling, observing other cultures and incorporating impressions
from them in her furniture designs are important aspects of Sheri
Schumacher's interior journey as artist. The recipient of several grant awards
including a design fellowship frorn the Alabarna State Council on the Arts,
Ms. Schumacher recently experienced in-depth study of the social structure,
cultural life and physical infrastructures of Nepal. During the last four weeks
of her stay she trekked in the Annapurna Region - eating and sleeping in
" private homes and teahouses. Along the way, she photographed and
sketched life in more than 50 villages. -==
The Annapurna Region includes the largest concentration of villagesl'()w~~t~)
/ ~ '0
in Nepal. It is built almost entirely of stone by people of Tibetan~~:nd ~~.
Buddhist faith. These individuals are strong advocates of ~ra~esif~
Independence from China. Their reverence for nature, numa~.• .~e~\~,. lt~.~C'
sacredness of life provided inspiration for Ms. SChumancher~~
'''. ... _L\ , II
profound influences for her work including the Velo Table. v .~L __ --_7
In the sketches, photographs and excerpts from her writings, Ms.
Schumacher traces her diverse irnpressions that later formed the basis for
the design of the Velo Table. These too, represent the creative process in its
ultirnate form: from simple observation to end product. We invite you in this
article to explore the irnages and her comments and to place them into con­text
with photographs of the final piece. Enjoyl
17 Volume v, No. I
A Joumey of Life and Art:
"I am committed to academic leadership and design practice
that is visionary and on the frontier of the discipline of Design. In my view Design education
and practice must confront the philosophical, cultural and technological demands within our society and
must embrace the intuitive, functional, poetic and essential humanization of design. My responsibility as an
educator and as a designer is to develop, cultivate and bring into view the principles and language of design
and to encourage others to assume an active and creative relationship
Nomad
Nomadic herdsmen define
place with a simple tent shelter.
This is usually placed adjacent to a
primitive Buddhist temple on the rim of a
given pass. There are no roads; walking
over trails is the primary mode of trans­portation.
Distance is typically judged
by the length of time it takes to
get from one place
to another.
OesignAlabama 18
with their daily environment. JJ - Sheri Schumacher
Stilt Dwelling
Stilt dwellings are common
and are considered roadside stores.
They measure approximately 6' x 8' x 10'
and are elevated to prevent flooding
during the monsoons. Space is econo­mized
by innovative storage methods and
by having pieces serve dual functions such
as one side of the wall folding down onto
supporting piers. The dwellings are made
from scrap wood and metal - specifically,
flattened cans. A mobile version is a
bicycle cart used for cooking
and sitting upon.
~
.. .n ... J'. a.,7
----tJ ~ 1,-
I
I;. - --
'U n ~
Machine
There is a flow and rhythm to the
performance of basic tasks with machines
of a pre-industrial society.
Movement engages the whole
body in a "dance."
Woven dwelling
Indigenous and recycled materials such as threads of bamboo straw and reeds, plaster,
wood, stone and mud mortar, flattened tin and paraffin cans are used for weaving
dwellings, Roofs are made of thatch, corrugated tin or slate,
p4A6-0f''';' ~ A"'O
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\- ,!.l.; • ..1
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IbI L
I
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n <!-<-i
01 0 0 ·n I ~' I )~
1 I
Stone Dwelling
Stone - with a minimum of timber
for posts, rafters and door frames - is the predominant building material
in the mountain region. Wooden doors and windows are framed with a wash of reddish
earth or bands of color denoting hierarchy. The small window openings provide little
naturallighL In some cases the only opening is a hole in the roof used
for venting the stove or fire.
19 Volume V. No. I
Dwelling Roof
Wall-to-wall clusters of dwellings form a
large terrace of flat roofs that accommo­date
movement from house to house.
They are placed above ground level which
provides a great advantage when winter
snows pile huge drifts against stone walls.
The roof is a place for performing
household tasks: threshing crops,
pounding grain, weaving and sewing
blankets, repairing saddles
and harnesses.
'"
/~
-
T J
~ ----.,
""-
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1 11
DesignAlabama 20
(1
Dwelling Interior
The typical dwelling is a single 8' x 10' x 7' living space with a hearth. It is both a
kitchen and a bedroom. Few furnishings are used and these typically consist of low
benches, stools or woolen mats for resting and wooden storage boxes or shelves
against the wall. The benches and rope beds are turned onto their side to save space
when they are not in use. Some dwellings have small rooms furnished as Buddhist
temples with an altar, ritual objects, books and scrolls in painted chests.
r:; :;--;,- -- .:
U
Sacred Objects
The Himalayas is a place of
many shrines and temples. These are
scattered across the land and are used for
worship, ceremony and animal sacrifice.
Prayer and consciousness of the sacred
involves motion. Mantras (sacred words)
are cast in metal prayer wheels and are
etched on stones or on fiags Travelers
place the stones in stacks and flags wave
above in the wind. The turning of prayer
wheels represents the cycle of life and
death and calls the universe and
deity to attention.
The Velo Table
"My recent work is about redefining
furniture in response to what I view as the
nomadic condition of contemporary
society. The Velo Table is an
example of this. "
- Sheri Schumacher
'F"""'~=W---- -- -. --- - .. -- - ---
~~""" -----------------c~
The Velo Table is a portable, flexible, compact piece of furniture that houses essential and functional elements for everyday life.
It encourages user participation. The name is derived from the terms "velocipede" and "velocity" emphasizing propulsion,
speed and movement. The configurations of the table, two stools, rope bench, eight storage boxes, canopy
and four candles provide a place to work, eat, sit, sleep and store belongings.
Sheri Schumacher teaches architecture and
interior design at Auburn University She
created the Vela Table in 1994.
Drawings and travel photos
by Sheri Schumacher
Velo Table. 1994. Sheri Schumacher. Maple,
aluminum, hot rolled steel and rope. Wood
Fabrication: Sheri Schumacher with Peter
Fleming. Metal Fabrication: Davis Machine
Works. Photographed by
William Robinson.
21 Volume V. No. I
This September 1941 ad invites citizens
to visit the training sites of our future
heroes. The design is typical of the era
With white space at a premium. *
VucatimlViu
Alubum81
This October 1967 ad which ran during
George Wallace's last campaign for the U.S.
presidency demonstrates how emphasis on
the governor's photo diverts attention
from the ad. Note the photo caption that
reads: "Alabama's first family: Lurleen B.
Wallace, Governor of Alabama [and] Gov.
George C. Wallace." *
III
by Tomie D. Dugas
By la~ the state travel agency cannot pay for advertising within
Alabama, so much of the state's vacation literature is unfamiliar
to Alabamians, Check it out as we review graphic design of
Alabama's travel advertising through the years,
Traveling Through Time
Designer/illustrator Tazewell Morton experi­mented
with line gestures to forge this fresh
graphic approach. He related that designers
broke away from the tyranny of copywriters
during thel960s when OttO Storch, director
of McCall's magazine, revived the publication
with dynamic, trend-setting formats. *
Alabama's promotional materials from
the 1940s to the present echo early
themes contrasting the old and new
South, the romantic and the progressive.
Reflecting pages in the state's history,
Alabama's trave! advertising varies from
targeting specific attractions and activities
to portraying a state of mind. Techniques
range from the patently sentimental to
innovative and modern.
Under the direction of the Bureau of
Publicity and Information created in 1951
(now the Bureau of Tourism and Travel),
a simple campaign formalized the 1940s
focus on "today's pleasures amid historic
yesterdays." Entitled "There's a treasure
of pleasure in sunny Alabama," the series
emphasized the state's pleasant winter di­mate
and added: "The roads are good yet
still being improved ... and P.S. It's all
ball! It's your vacation, our celebration."
This series with its strong graphic format
and its successor campaign, "Take a fun
break," gained Alabama recognition as
one of the best promoted states from the
Discover America Travel Organization.
"Take a fun break" debuted in 1970
with a funky logotype and lighthearted
casual tone: "Stop. Pour yourself a cup of
fun ... And you'll find it in Alabama sea­soned
exactly to your taste."
In the early I 970s "Alabama has it all"
burst on the scene running until 1979
with variations in type styles and formats.
Part of the campaign, an "Interstate inter­ludes"
brochure, was created during the
Arab oil embargo featuring short side
trips off the interstate: "See Alabama a
tankful at a time."
Steiner and Bressler Advertising in
mighty, mighty economica1!" Birmingham created "Alabama the beauti-
In the early 1950s, Gov. Gordon ful" while Fob James was governor.
Persons was prominently featured as host During its reign from 1979-86, typefaces
of the state in ads welcoming visitors. changed but the simple photographic for-
This practice continued during the admin- mat remained.
istrations of George and Lurleen Wallace
and Albert Brewer.
"Alabama! The state of surprises!"
developed by Barney and Patrick of
In 1964 Gov. Wallace chose the Mobile beckoned tourists from 1987 to
Birmingham ad agency of Luckie & Forney, 1993 during Gov. Guy Hunt's administra-developers
of his winning gubernatorial tion. Traditionally Alabama has not been
campaign, to create a series of ads pro- marketed as an end destination. Rather
moting the state. The agency held the state campaigns have appealed to travelers
account throughout the Wallace era, passing through as a variation of this
developing promotional materials through series has with its "Give us one more
the mid-I 970s. Their "Star variety! Star night" ads. Another promotion, "The
values!" ads broke ground in 1965 with a
strong graphically-related campaign.
The more traditional "Vacation via
Alabama!" ads followed in 1966 through
1967 and the "This year tell 'em ... " series
in 1968. Photographs and snappy slogan
headlines invited travelers and business
persons to stop and enjoy the state's vari­ety
of attractions: "This year tell 'em
where you shot one dozen dove in two
hours, And a birdie on a par three."
In 1969, during Brewer's tenure, the
Alabama reunion" in 1989, invited all to
the celebration: "It's going to be a rea!
whimdoozie."
"Stars fell on Alabama" made its debut
in 1994. Huey, Lewis, Cook and
Associates of Birmingham designed the
logo, and Jesse Lewis and Associates
developed the campaign. In the series,
real Alabamians introduce attractions and
activities to the public. As with all previ­ous
campaigns, vacation guides and, since
the I 970s, a toll-free number, playa
This February! 969 ad is dramatic but prOVides little
information to back up its pitch for a vacation gUide. *
Alabama 150 series promoted the state's prominent role in getting out the word
sesquicentennial with the theme "Have a about Alabama.
DesignAlabama 22
This I 970s ad typifies the "Alabama has it
all" series with a strong masculine feel and
silhouette halftones. *
Magazine pullout section from the I 970s uses silhouette
halftones in a circus layout, a popular technique. Inside
pages adopt a storybook approach with large body text and
mellow photos. However, crowded margins and monoto­nous
texture of type do not invite readership. *
..
This 1978 ad departs dramatically from the mas­culine
tone of the series developed when Luckie
& Forney he!d the account. Its overly decorative
elements and custom script !etters render it
busy and unreadable. A glaring example of poor
deSign, it has no focal point. *
Technology and Taste
Design styles reflect to a considerable
degree the technology of the time.
During the I 940s and I 950s, type was a
solid block of letters created by letter­press
(hot type), infiexible by today's
standards. Copywriters wrote the ads,
typesetters set the type and designers at
the end of the assembly line put it all
together. Initially design was an ending
point, not a starting one. Ads were clut­tered
with activity, and the aesthetic use
of white space was nonexistent. The slow
conversion to photocomposition (cold
type) during the 1960s offered greater
creative license. Then in 1984, the
Macintosh computer further enhanced
type fiexibility by putting designers in the
typesetter's seat.
Television is a formidable competitor
for all types of print media, The electron­ic
media's speed of delivery and the pub­lic's
penchant for channel-hopping have
inspired the print media to deliver faster
messages in more varied formats.
Introduced at a time when graphic
design was coming to the forefront, the
"Star variety! Star values!" series in 1965
forged a transition from text to image
dominance. The illustrations are innova­tive
and bold stylized gestures. Lines of
text set in hot type m'lrror the imagery,
but are too cramped for readability. The
logotype set in Globe Gothic is a modern
style for the period. Its thick and thin sans
serif strokes parallel the art style.
Beginning with the "Vacation via
Alabama." and "This year tell 'em ... "
series, the ads become more headline­type
dominant. GraphiC design during the
1960s was characterized by a trend
toward large pictorial elements and short,
sparkling headline copy.
The sesquicentennial series projects a
strong sophisticated style with type
bleeding off the top and the 150 marching
down the page. During the 1960s bold
economical forms strived to provide
thought-provoking imagery.
"Take a fun break" evokes casual
informality with its cartoony-script
Alabama logotype. It is reminiscent of
psychedelic styles which, along with
eclectic and modern or corporate, char­acterized
the decade.
A Bureau favorite, this series boasts
that "Alabama has it all." It changed type­faces
and formats over the years, with one
version featuring action photos, another
airbrush art and others mixing photos
with brightly rendered illustrations.
The well-received "Alabama the beau­tiful"
utilizes a simple. elegant format. It is
reminiscent of the trend-setting ads cre­ated
by McKinney & Silver for South
Carolina in the early ! 970s and reflects
the dean, simplified forms of modernism.
As with the previous two long-lasting
campaigns, "Alabama! The state of sur­prises!"
series evolved over the years
with severa! distinct versions.
The current campaign, "Stars fel! on
Alabama," is casual and friendly, with the
logo a strong feature. The Alabama logo­type
reinforces the theme as predomi­nant
bar letters provide a natural location
for the star to cross. The logo. designed
to "marry Alabama's rich past with its
present and progressive future," res­onates
with a familiar refrain. *
T omie O. Dugas js 0 tree/once journalist Gnd
designer in Auburn. Aioborno.
This 1983 ad in a simple format marks the
first time black heritage as a package has been
promoted in Alabama. Note the graceful
Goudy typeface with well-balanced letterspac­lng
(kerning) which supports the message
"Alabama the Beautiful." *
DeSigned along a strong centra! axis, the
illustration by Mike Lester serves as the
dominant focus in the ad, counterbal­anced
with photos. Note how the text
flows around the photos, a technique
facilitated by the Macintosh computer. *
ALABAMA
This! 989 version of the "Alabama! State of Surprises"
works well as a foreign ad in its simple. elegant, almost
sensual style-no words required but "Alabama." It
invokes post modernism's classical flavor that sometimes
has been criticized for emphasizing style over substance. *
This 1994 ad's multiHfoca! point technique works
because the eye moves counterclockwise from the
headline to the figure, the logo and the toll-free
number as it combines the visual and verbal into a
unified message. The series is a concession to TV's
rhythmic flow of imagery, typography and sound. *
23 Volume V, No, I
OesignAlabama 24
MA Entrance and Reception desk, Garrison Barrett Group, Birmingham, Alabama AAA General Office Space, Garrison B,
Ri
ptoach
Recently AlAbama
America (AM) decided to
newTacility. Theysoughtastructure i
able image and a wamn, friendly, responsive, activity-oriented com­pany.
Specifically, they desired a functional building that would
accommodate various services currently provided by AM and
house intemal operations. They also envisioned a space that would
capture years oltradition (the Alabama chapter was established in
1924) while easily making the transition to the next century.
In their selection of a design team, CEO Frances M. Smith
and AM's Board of Directors searched for a firm that could 'chal­lenge
and assist them" in conceptualizing what this new image
might be and how a facility could visually represent this. They
found this combination in the work of the Bimningham-based
Garrison Barrett Group.
From the outset Lee Ousley, director of interior design, and Art
Killebrew, project architect, worked closely with Ms. Smith and the
building committee to establish a design consistent with their future
goals and vision. They began their process by conducting inter­views
with members of the building committee and AM employ­ees.
Specific questions relating to essential spatial requirements,
• In ••
growth, placement of work areas and personal work­needs
were explored in great detail. Consistently these con­versations
addressed the issue of future growth. The company has
changed tremendously since 1924, and the owners see the same
trend developing Torthe future. The Garrison Barrett Group's plan
takes this into consideration and is designed to be flexible and
adaptable to AM's ongoing needs.
Designers working with this project were careful to cultivate
strong, open working relationships and to be sensitive to their
client's needs. "I was new to the process and questioned every
decision and detail," states Ms. Smith. "I worried about every­thing,
but as the relationship developed, I became trusting olthe
firm and knew their vision was AAAs vision which was to produce
a creative, high quality, timeless design. Indeed, they far exceed­ed
our expectations."
The AM project was a success for both client and design­ers.
The former gained a building tailored to their needs and
business purpose. The latter enjoyed a challenging and extreme­ly
satisfying project that reinforced their dedication to a collabora­tive
design process. III!!
3roup, Birmingham, Alabama AAA Building Exterior., Garrison Barrett Group, Birmingham, Alabama
The Garrison Barrett Group held several internal "brain-storming"
sessions to explore creative ideas and concepts
concerning AAA Alabama's function as a travel er)terprise.
From these seSSions, a design team was appointed to work
with the organization and to provide ideas, concepts and
architectural direction. Architect Jeff Dungan admits, "It was
quite a challenge to design for a bUSiness as diverse as AAA."
Indeed, the site selected was very challenging given its geo ....
etry and topography. Nevertheless, the finished facility is
almost sculptural. "It seemed appropriate that each depart-ment
should have its own identity," continues Mr. Dungan.
Therefore, Garrison Barrett chose an interior perspective
utilizing different materials "to create the look of five or six
smaller buildings unified by a central space or 'concourse' ."
The AAA building conveys the energetic, progressive
spirit desired by the client without denying the company's
roots. "They (the client) wanted to establish a strong corpo-rate
image while allowing for an active, pubHc-oriented
enVironment," states lnterior Designer Lee Ousley,
The carpet used throughout the facility was designed by
Ms. Ousley and provides a warm neutral background accent-ed
with crescent shapes in rich jewel tones. "The design of the
carpet is playful and unifying," said Ms. Ousley and "is used to
pUfi specific color into the furnishings and signage and to
color code the various departments." !II.
({They wanted to establish a strong
corporate image while allowing
I for an active, public-oriented
environment. " Lee Ousley
Jenni Zorn is business development and marketing coordinator
with The Garrison Barrett Group in Birmingham. She has a
degree in interior design from Colorado State University and has
worked with Garrison Barrett since February of this year.
25 Volume V. No. I
Deiaiis+of Interest
Details of Interest
is a regular
feature of
DesignAlabama
and highlights
a wide variety
of events and
resources.
In this issue,
a retrospective
of 1994
is presented.
+
DesignA!abama 26
A w
"~., / ........"
.:' .-,'- _.' .. ,\
:.· .. ~'.) .• \.,.I
"-, '\~~ -! ~
'.< ,.
A
1994 AlA DESIGN AWARD
WINNERS
Five Design Awards were presented during
the annual Alabama Council, American
Institute of Architects convention at
Perdido Beach Resort. Firms and projects
receiving awards were. Gresham Smith &
Partners, Birmingham, for the Alabama
Power/1925 Headquarters Renovation;
KPS Group, Inc. with David Jones, Jr.,
Associates, Birmingham, as the associate
architect, for the Birmingham Airport
Modernization, Birmingham; Giattina
Fisher Aycock Architects, Inc.,
Birmingham. for Gateway Campus,
Fairfield, Thompson, Ventulett,
Stainback & Associates, Inc., Atlanta.
Georgia, with The Architects Group, Inc •.
Mobile. as the associate architect for the
Mobile Convention Center, Mobile; and
Jones & Herrin Architecture/lnterior
Design. Huntsville, for Belle Mont House,
Tuscumbia, Alabama.
1994 ASLA AWARDS
COMPETITION
MERIT AWARD
Hoover High School-Hoover, Alabama
Since 1990, Nimrod Long and
Associates has been consultant to Giattina
Fisher Aycock Architects in the site selec­tion
for Hoover's elementary, middle and high
school campus. The site was selected for its
gentle terrain, central location and large size.
The landscape architect provided planning for
circulation routes, layout design. athletic facili­ties
and pianiing design. The site and adjacent
Cahaba River were enhanced by providing a
300' buffered setback and a series of stormwater
detention ponds and filtering stations. +
MERIT AWARD
Liberty Park-Birmingham, Alabama
Located on 1-459 near Overton Road in
Jefferson County, Uberty Park is a 340-acre
wooded tract of land overlooking the Cahaba
River. Nimrod Long and Associates was
the landscape architect on the master planning
team which designed the roadway circulation
plan and designated land use. The parkway and
individual building sites were logically placed
around a natural ravine on the site and new
plantings were carefully integrated into the
existing vegetation and the other natural fea­tures.
The first developed office building is
carefully sited among mature hardwoods,
resulting in beautiful views of the natural sur­roundings
from every window. +
R D s
HUMANITIES COUNCIL
HONORS EDITOR
Philip Morris of Southern Progress
Corporation recently received the Alabama
Humanities Council award for his continued
contributions to Alabama and the Birmingham
community. In a ceremony held on September
30. the Design Alabama board member
discussed the relationship between design
and the humanities and noted the powerful
influence good design has on developing
successful communities.
AUBURN
ACCOLADES
Industrial designer Tom Hardy recently
received a Presidential Design Award for
his accomplishments. Hardy is an alumnus of
Auburn University and is a member of the
School of Architecture's Advisory
Council. He was presented the award by
President Bill Clinton. Hardy currently
works in the Boston, Massachusetts, firm
Design Continuum.
Auburn University student Chris
Schwab recently won second place in the
International Housewares
Manufacturers Association's 1994
Student Design Competition. Schwab.
currently in his third year of studies, received
$2.000 and an all-expenses-paid trip to
Chicago to exhibit his work at the
International Housewares Show.
Schwab's work was directed by Auburn
Associate Professor Bret Smith.
Auburn's fourth-year student Brian Peters
received an award for his design of a vehicular
hand control for drivers with physical disabili­ties.
His receipt of the Industrial Design
Excellence Award, Silver Medal, was
acknowledged in the June 7th issue of
Business Week Magazine. Peters' work
was directed by Auburn Associate Professor
Tin Man Lau.
Another Auburn fourth-year student Shea
Tillman designed a seating system which will be
displayed at the International Woodworking
and Furniture Fair DESIGN EMPHASIS '94
to be held in Atlanta. Tillman's work was also
directed by Auburn Associate Professor Tin
Man Lau. +
INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER
ASSISTS IN REVIEW
Industrial designer Brenda Peters assist­ed
in the extenSive review of the National Arts
Education Standards for Grades K
through 12. The standards were developed in
conjunction with the Consortium of National
Arts Education Associations. The
Industrial Designers Society of America
has endorsed the standards based upon Peters'
recommendation. Peters' insights and contribu­tions
to this effort will assist in the implementa­tion
of the standards in schools across the
country and throughout Alabama. Peters is cur­rentlyan
Industrial Design faculty rnember at
Auburn University. +
BIRMINGHAM FIRM RECOGNIZED FOR INVENTIVE USE OF BRICK
Evan Terry Associates has received accolades for its design of the Zamora Shrine
Mosque in Birmingham The building uses custom brick colors and shapes as part of its Islamic
patterns and symbo'.ism. The architecture "parades the tun" of the Masonic Order. a fraternal and
charitable organization which had its origins in masonic trade unions The buiiding was featured in
a Brick in Architecture publication of the Brick institute of America. Engineers on the pro­ject
were lane Bishop York Delahay, Inc •. McWilliams Engineering and Jackson Renfro
Associates, Inc ••
IT PAYS TO SAVE A TREE
There are economic benefits to developers
and communities that conserve trees says
Alabama writer Jack Petit. Petit's book on
saving trees during land development is due
out in 1995. It is part of Global ReLeaf for
New Communities. a joint program between
American Forests and the National
Association of Home Builders. The New
Communities program pairs developers with
natural resource experts and gives media
recognition to developers who adopt the pro­gram's
goais. he said.
Formerly a writer for the urban forestry
department at American Forests. Petit pursues
urban forestry on the Gulf Coast where he
hopes to open his tropical rainforest plant col­lection
as a public attraction. +
URBAN STUDIO BENEFITS
STUDENTS, COMMUNITY
Tuskegee University's urban architec­ture
project put students to work pianning
design solutions for Montgomery neighbor­hoods.
Models of student proposals were dis­played
in the lobby of the State Arts
Council. There for the unveH',ng were (!eft to
right) Timothy Johnson. student: Timothy
Barrows, professor; Raj Sehgal" aSSOCiate
dean; Sheldon Maycock. student; Major
Holland. professor; John Bowman of Balch
& Bingham a iaVi firm located in restored
downtown offices; and AI Head. director of
the State Council. •
MOBilE CINEMA SAVED
Another great downtown cinema has been
saved for posterity. Around Downtown. the
publication of Main Street Mobile. the
Mobile Historic Development
Commission and the Mobile Downtown
Redevelopment Commission reported that
the city's "infamous Triple X Movie Theater.··
NATIONAL
ENDO\VMENT
FOR THE
TS
A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
The National Endowment for the Arts
provides grants that wii! advance the disci­plines
of architecture. landscape architecture.
urban design and planning. historic preserva­tion,
interior design, costume and fashion
design industrial and product design and
graphic design. Grants are awarded on an
annual basis to both individuals and organiza­tions.
The Design Arts Program also devel­ops
and funds special programs - Leadership
lntitiatives - that strive to make the public and
decision makers more aware of the benefits of
good design. The Mayor's Institute on
City Design and the Federal Design
Improvement Program are two of these ini­tiatives.
For more information and/or a grant
application. call 202/682-5437
The Endowment's Design Arts Program is
also exploring the formation of a US. design
council as a way to maximize design as a
national resource to help achieve economiC.
environmental. educational and social goals.
For a copy of their recent proposal. "White
House Council on Design'" contact Thomas
Grooms at the number listed above. +
originaily the Crown Theater. has a new owner
who plans to rehabilitate the building.
Old photos of the Crown reveal a baroque
revival building with a Doric colonnade capped
by comedy and tragedy masks. Two pairs of urns
and two crowns were mounted above the parapet
wall. David Naman, the new owner. plans to
bring back the fantasy elements. He has restored
several other buildings on Dauphin Street. •
DHR FACIlITIES ENHANCE LIFE AND WORK
An open house was recently held at the new Washington County Department of Human
Resources (DHR) building in Chatom. Design and interiors for the 12.042-square foot faciiity was
by Barganier Davis Sims Architects. Montgomery. The firm has produced several other DHR
buildings.
More than 20 county DHR facilities have been built sinoe 1990. according to state DHR represen­tative
Sandra Parler. State and local DHR representatives work with local governmentai units to
fund the projects. "Some of our offices were in really bad shape:' said Porter. "The building project
has not only given our employees better working conditions. it's also been good for our clients'
self-esteem. Having pleasant surroundings shows them that they are worth something. and it makes
them want to take better care of the facilities." •
URBAN FORESTS RECEIVE SUPPORT
"Trees ... are the infrastructure of our ecosystem" noted Anne Wright in a communique from the
Alabama Urban Forestry Association (AUFA). Ms. Wright. who has been active ;n the organiza­tion
since its inception. recounted accomplishments of the organization in its first eight years
AUFA is an information resource and a support organization for small towns as weil as cities.
Individuals and groups which want to develop an urban forestry tree management plan can contact
the AUFA through the Alabama Forestry Commission in Montgomery.
AUFA sponsors an urban forestry awards program. tree-planting events and an annual convention.
The organization has provided seminars leading to the certified arbOiist designation .•
CHIUlREN'S GALLERY PLANNED FOR HUNTSVILLE MUSEUM OF ART
McDonnell Douglas. a long-time sponsor of Huntsville Museum of Art exhibitions and
programs, has pledged $75.000 toward the creation of a hands-on art education galiery for the
museum's new building. Charles F. Marvin. vice preSident-general manager. MoDonnel1
Douglas Aerospace-Huntsville Division. announced the company's coilaboration with the museum
in "making educational adventures possible." The gallery will be designed by a group of art educa­tion
professionals to capture the interest of youngsters through the use of "activity stations" rang­ing
from basic to complex and offering activities from hand-mechanical to electroniC .•
MISSION, GOALS SET FOR REGIONAL ARTS GROUP
The Southern Design Arts Task Force of the Southern Arts Federation (SAF) recentiy
completed a fact-finding study to determine a course of action in support of good design in Southern
communities. The mission statement adopted by the group has as its stated goals
"To assist the South in developing livable communities with a sense of pride of place. a vision for
the future and a plan of action. guided by a commitment to design excellence. sustahed economio
development and the preservation and enhancement of the South's unique character and history."
The group plans to carry out its mission by providing resources and opportunities for networking
that will benefit Southern communities of ali sizes. The task force was chaired by Philip Morris.
former president of Design Alabama .��
AUBURN UNIVERSITY'S STUDENTS
COMPETING AND REDESIGNING
ational 1* @.:p FORUM
MMkM4Y§
Auburn University Visual Communications student Heather Thompson created the winning
design in a poster competition for the 1994 Renaissance Faire in Florence. Alabama. She
received a $500 award. and her entry was used to advertise the October 22-23 event..
Auburn University Visual Communications students are responsible for the new !ook of the Phi
Kappa Phi Journal National Forum. Russ Grimes. under the direction of Associate Professor
Ross Heck. redesigned the cover format with masthead and interior layout. Wendell Janzen creat­ed
the cover illustration of the first redesigned issue under the direction of ASSOCiate Professor John
Morgan. Students in Morgan's class supplied illustrations for articles in the journai .•
27 Volume V, No. f
Desi nAlabama
Volume V, Issue I
PUBLIC DESIGN AWARENESS AND EDUCATION
DESIGN ALABAMA IS WORKING TO CREATE AWARENESS ANO APPRECIATION FOR THE OESIGN DISCIPLINES
THAT INFLUENCE OUR ENVIRONMENT. WE BELIEVE THAT THE QUAlITY OF LIFE AND ECONOMIC GROWTH OF
THIS STATE CAN BE ENHANCED THROUGH ATTENTION TO AND INVESTMENT IN GOOD DESIGN.
Architecture
Architects practice the art
and science of creating,
preserving and
remodeling buildings.
Ideally they work to
articulate an image of the
client who owns the
building, what happens
there and what it means to
the community. Once the
aesthetic and functional
aspects of a design are
conceived, engineers and
other professionals are
consulted to make the
building work according
to the laws of physics,
safety and access codes,
and necessities such as
Landscape
Architecture
Landscape architects
specialize in exterior
environments. Theyapply
creative and technical
skills to overall site plans,
landscape grading and
drainage, irrigation,
planting and construction
details. Their task is to
preserve and enhance the
environment and define
space between and around
buildings, including
entrances and functional
or decorative areas.
Planning streetscapes,
gardens, parks or
gateways are also
examples of jobs for the
electricity and plumbing. landscape architect.
Architects are required to
have a working knowledge
of all these building
elements.
ThiS issue of DesignAlabama was designed and produced on
Macintosh Computers utilizing OuarkXPress 3.3. Proofs were printed
on a laserWriler Selecl36D and final oulpul on a Compugraphic 9400.
Interior Design
Interior designers
organize spaces inside
buildings, making them
functional and pleasing
to the senses The
designer's presentation
to the client usually
includes floor plans,
color charts, photo­graphs
of furnishings,
samples of materials for
upholstery, draperies
and wall coverings and
often color renderings
or sketches. Every aspect
of the interior is the
concern of the designer
from the first presentation
to the installation of the
last accessory.
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Urban Design
Urban designers and
planners are concerned
with the functional and
visual relationships
between components of
the physical environment
in the broadest sense.
Among other things, their
work results in unified
plans and proposals for
transportation systems,
industrial parks,
subdivisions, downtown
renewal projects and
shopping malls. They
formulate plans and
policies to
meet the social. economic
and physical needs of
communities, and they
develop the strategies to
make these plans work.
This involves identifying
urban problems and
opportunities, analyzing
and implementing options
and evaluating results.
Industrial Design
Industrial designers are
responsible for function
and aesthetics in the
manufactured products
people use every day
Toothbrushes. toasters,
cars, computer terminals
and telephones are
examples of items
industrial designers
make usable and desirable
for human beings. Colors,
textures, smells and
sounds are some of the
elements they conSider,
and in addition, any
mechanical or electrical
components of a product
must work properly,
efficiently and safely.
Speciallhanks to all who have supported Design Alabamal
Design Alabama, Inc.
Alabama State Council on the Arts
One Dexler Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36130
(205) 242·4076
FAX: (205) 240-3269
Graphic Design
Graphic designers create
effective visual
communications
"Graphic" refers
to the art that
communicates and
"design" to the aesthetic
arrangement of the
elements, including typa,
illustration and/or
message in relation to a
targeted audience.
Through concept and
art direction, designers
produce an appropriate
advertisement, TV
commercial, magazine
format, brochure or any
number of other visual
communication projects.
Fashion Design
Fashion designers are
style arbiters of dress who
interpret the mood of a
generation, intuit popular
taste and understand
merchandising and
business principles They
affempt to resolve the
contradiction between
art and industry in order
to construct a collection
of clothing and
accessories with a unique
sense of style and taste,
enabling people to create
a personal statement
about themselves in the
way they dress