|
small (250x250 max)
medium (500x500 max)
Large
Extra Large
large ( > 500x500)
Full Resolution
|
|
VOLUME I ISSUE II $2.50 ." abama ---::--~ I I (J'" tli,' 0 ".,', t,'I' 1 2 3 4 VOLUME I, ISSUE II DESIGN ALABAMA. INC. IS SUPPORTED BY: THE AlABAMA STATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS THE BLOUNT FOUNDATION THE ALABAMA POWER COMPANY. MR. A. F. DELCHAMPS. JR. r---s 6 If response to the first issue of this journal is any indication, Design Alabama's future looks promising. Many thanks to those who have already become charter members. THE MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER/JOURNAl 7 8 Cover: Design Alabama, Inc. Baard of Directors Philip Morris, Chairperson Soulhern living Charles Raine, Vice Chairperson Tuskegee Universily Nancy Hartslield. Secrelary Auburn University Ann Adams. Cily .OI Birmingham Margaret Carpenter, Compos-it, Inc. 1. Birmingham 2. Mobile Design Alabama, Inc. has been very busy this year planning and doing projects such as the Clanton 1-65 interchange charrette and the Court Square student project, which you will read about in "Details of Interest." The "Designing Alabama" exhibition displayed in the Alabama Artists Gallery this summer was well attended, and a video presentation will be completed this fall. These initiatives are an important part of what we're working to accomplish in Alabama. Charles Greiner, Greiner, Yare & Partners Joseph Lee. Alabama A & M Universily Janel Miller. Tiller/Butner/Rosa Archilecls Sue Morrow Parker ,University of Alabama 3. Gulf Shores 4. Decatur 5. Mobile 6. Birmingham 7. Mobile In regard to the potential of Design Alabama, The Public Forum for Design in Alabama, an editorial in the Huntsville News stated that "One can even see a positive effect, over a decade or so, on that most wispy of creatures, Alabama's "image" in the mind of its neighbors and the rest of the world. "We need your sustained support, encouragement and cooperation in order to see that decade pass, and to accomplish the things that will create those positive effects. Mr. Robert H. Allen, attorney and past president of the Historic Mobile Preservation Society commented, "Design Alabama, Inc. represents a new direction in Alabama and one I am confident will meet with much Ken Penuel. Alabama Power Co. 8. Birmingham lloyd Philpol.lnlergraph Corp. success." EDITOR: BECKY MULLEN ART DIRECTOR: NANCY HARTSFIELD ARCHITECTURE Architects practice tile art and science of creating, preserving and remod-ellng buildings. Ideally tIIey wart to articulate an Image of tile client who owns the building, what happens there, and what it means to tile community. Once the aesthetic and func-tional aspects of a design are conceived, engineers and otller professionals are consulted to make tile building wort accord-ing to the laws of physics, safety and access cades, and ne-cessities such as electricity and plumb- Ing. Architects are re-qulred to haYe a wort- Ing knowledge of all tIIese building elllllBllls. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE Landscape architects specialize In exterior environments. They apply creatlI8 and technical skills to oY8rall site plans, landscape grading and drainage, irriga-tion, 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 street-scapes, gardens, parks or gateways are also examples of jobs for tile landscape architect. (See the article on page 7.) INTERIOR DESIGN Interior designers organize spaces Inside buildings, making tIIem func-tional and pleasing to be In. The designer's presentation to tile client usually in-cludes floor plans, color charts, photo-graphs of furnishings, samples of materials for upholstery, draper-ies and wall cover-ings, and often color renderings or sketches. Every aspect of the interior is tile concern of tile designer from the first presentation to tile in-stallation of tile last accessory. (See tile article starting on page 20.) URBAN DESIGN Urban designers and plaMers are con-cerned witll the functional and visual relationships be-tween people and tIIeir physical envi-ronment in the broadest sense. Among otller things, their wort results In unified plans and proposals for trans-portation systems, in-dustrial parks, sub-divisions, downtown renewal projects, and shopping malls. They formulate plans and policies to meet the social, economic, and physical needs of connunlties, and tIIey develop the strategies to make tIIese plans wort. This Involves IdenU-tying urban problems .. d opportunities, _lyzIngand Implementing options, .. d tmlluat- Ing results, (See tile feature spread startJal ....... 8.) INDUSTRIAL DESIGN Industrial designers are responsible for function and aesthet- Ics In tile manufac-tured products people use every day. Tooth brushes, toasters, cars, computer terminals and tele-phones are examples of items industrial designers make usable and desirable for human beings. Colors, textures, smells and sounds are some of the elements tIIey consider, and In addition, any me-chanical or electrical components of a prod-uct must wort prop-erly, efflclenUy, and safely. Ed Pryce.Tuskegee Anne WrighLSIreeIscajJes. Mobile Represenlalive Mary Zoghby.Mobile • Becky Mullen Executive Director Design Alabama is a publication of Design Alabama, Inc. We welcome your comments and encourage submission ·of articles, ideas lor future issues and especially items for our departments. For complete information contact:: Design Alabama, IDC. Alabama Stale Council on thl Arts One Deiter Alenue Montgomery, Al3&I30 (205) 261-401& GRAPHIC DESIGN Graphic designers create effectlY8 visual connunica-tion. "Graphic" refers to tile art tIIat com-munlcates, and "design" to tile aes-tIIetic arrangement of tile elements, inc Iud-ing type, Illustration, and/or photography. A graphic designer analyzes the client's product and/or message in relation to a targeted audience, and through concept and art direction produces an appropri-ate advertisement, TV commercial, magazine format, brochure, or any number of other visual connunlcation projects. FASHION DESIGN Fashion designers are style arbiters who interpret the mood of a generation, Intuit papular taste, and understand merchan-dising and business principles, They attempt to resolve the contradiction be-tween art and industry in order to construct a collection of clotlling and accessories witll a unique sense of style and taste, ena-bllng people to create a personal statement about tIIemselves in the way tIIey dress. (See tile article starting on page 25'.) Several Alabama newspapers have been redesigned to keep up with changing times. p.14 CONTENTS Planned scenic vistas on the interstate enhance the experience of travelling in Alabama. Interior design detailing can create a unique image for the client. p.16 p. 20 FEATURE "URBAN DESIGN It's Everybody's Business." An Introduction to the discipline and how four Alabama cities 8 profit from practicing it. ARTICLES "FRONT PAGE NEWS." Several Alabama newspapers have recently undergone changes in design. This article tells why and shows the difference. " INTERACTING WITH THE INTERSTATE." Interstate design in Alabama is recognized for excellence. A look at interstate elements and issues. "GETTING INTO YOUR SPACE." This article shows how interior designers work to make your space. and your image. what you want it to be. DEPARTMENTS Project. News Work of statewide significance. Design.Makes A Difference "Campus Landscape. The University of Alabama." Details+Of Interest Noteworthy observations. Historical'iPerspective "Fashion Design: Expressions of Change." 14 16 20 4 7 22 25 TIlls I ..... 01 1IesI .. 1" ....... designed .nd produced o •• Macillosh $I: utllltlllll hgelllII ... Proofs ... prlllotl out 0 .. ta.WrItor Plus loti 11111 output ... D. I. L lOll. !!tsI"lI'UN would llketo IlptISS lis lfIPf8cIIllD. to c...,. .. ·It. Inc. lor 1111 use ollis cotnpU1or facilities. prooflllll.nd paste-up. Fashion has always been an indicator of social attitudes and trends. p.25 urniact ... News Project News is a regular feature of Desjgn Alabama and provides an opportunity to keep up-to-date on design projects that have an impact on our communities_ DesignAlabama 4 U R BAN PLANNING Donald J_ Cosby has been commissioned by the Department of Urban Planning of the City of Birmingham to prepare a revitalization strategy for the area which is roughly defined as First Avenue North. This area encompasses the neighborhoods of East Lake and Roebuck and extends up Parkway East to the city limits. The work began in December with a defined mission; to identity strategies which would promote and generate commercial revitalization. The impetus for this study came from the neighborhoods and East Lake Methodist Churchnot the merchants. The rationale of these groups is that a healthy commercial district will help maintain vibrant residential areas, active community facilities, and institutions such as churches. The initial part of the work is to be complete within 12 months and will identify a program or project which will demonstrate a specific solution to a generic problem. The uniqueness of the approach is that (1) the end product of the 12 month process wi II be a specific construction project-not a plan and (2) the strategy is to evolve from the residents of the community-this wi ll be their program, geared to the unique aspects of the area. The study involves tasks such as comparative analysis, goal setting, economic assessment, and revitalization plans and strategy. BRYCE HDSPIT Al, TUSCAlDDSA PARAMOUNT CENTER, MOBILE ARCHITECTURE The City of Mobile is planning for the construction of the Mobile Convention Center, currently being designed by Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates of Atlanta, who will work in association with The Architects Group of Mobile. The selected site for the center is on the watertront downtown. The building will have up to 280,000 square feet, will cost approximately $44 million dollars and is estimated for completion in late 1991. According to the feasibility analysis conducted by Economics Research Associates in February of 1987, the source of funds to support the new convention center will result from annual tax revenue generated, at a level of $5,728,562. The projected total direct and indirect annual visitor expenditures after completion is $126,124,000. The Architects Group is currently in the construction phase of two dormitory buildings for Bryce Hospital in Tuscaloosa. The project totals 132,000 square-feet and the estimated completion date is September of 1989. The client is the Alabama Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, who have seen the completion of prototypes of these bui ldings at Searcy Hospital in Mount Vernon, Ala. This design has proven its costeffectiveness, and the Bryce Hospital dormitories will be very similar The projected cost of the project is $9.5 miff ion. Ray Sumlin Construction Company of Mobile is the building contractor Paramount Center, a speculative office building, is a recent project of Architects Diversified, Inc. of Mobile. The building utilizes curtain wall glass and marble skin with overscaled steel columns. Hennan Maisel & Company, Inc, is the owner and Patco Construction Co., Inc. built the 42,000 square-foot center. FRONT ELEVATION, MERCHANT'S WAlK, HOMEWOOD Construction is underway for a new classroom building and resource center for St. Paul's Episcopal School in Mobile. Architects Diversified, Inc. executed the deSign, and Haas Construction, Inc. is the building contractor The building is an addition to the campus of one of the oldest and most prominent schools in Mobile. The architects combined traditional forms with some of the more recent additions to the campus. The plan is generated from a modular repetitive classroom with exterior corridors and open-air exterior galleries and balconies. The unique element in this building is the central radius point forming the slightly curved balconies. Special attention has been paid to brick detailing and fenestrations. The 10,000 square-foot building will be completed in early fall of 1988. The firm of P. Lauren Barrett Architects, Inc. is in the construction phase of a new retail speCialty center called Merchant's Walk. Newport-Pacifica is the client. The center is being constructed on the site of the recently condemned and demolished Tara House Motel and will bring downtown Homewood's retail edge close to the heavily traveled Independence Drive and well established Hollywood residential area. The 24,000 square-foot center features an L -shaped grouping of small shops, each with a mezzanine overlooking the first fioor, allowing high vaulted ceilings with natural light in place of the usual low dropped acoustical ceilings Materials, scale, and color have been selected to relate to the nearby residential neighborhood which predominantly consists of painted stucco homes in the Spanish mission style. Charles & Vinxant Construction Company is the building contractor CLASSROOM BUILDING AND RESOURCE CENTER, ST. PAUL'S EPISCOPAl SCHOOL, MOBILE Tiller/Butner/Rosa, Architects of Montgomery are completing a project lor the Alabama State Department of Mental Health & Mental Retardation at the Partlow State School and Hospital, located in Tuscaloosa. The two buildings in this phase of construction are the Health Services Facility, 20,200 square-feet, and the Physical Training Center, 11 ,600 square-feet. This project represents the first step in a new direction in care for the mentally handicapped at Partlow, with the goal 01 providing a "normalized" living environment and comprehensive support services. Each building is completely accessible to handicapped individuals. Controlled daylighting and specially designed indirect artificial lighting are an integral part 01 the design. Blakene, Construction is the building contractor Jones & Herrin ArchltectureJlnterior Design recently saw the completion of the new Huntsville/Madison County Public Library. The library Board of the City of Huntsville commissioned the 120,000 square-foot building which cost $8,600,000. Traditional forms, colors and shapes are used but are assembled in a modern fashion. Included in the design are many innovative leatures including an ice storage HVAC system, three future expansion areas totalling over 20,000 square-leel, and controlled circulation. To compensate lor the site's limited vistas, an interior focus was created. A vast, three-story atrium gives a sweeping interior view. The success 01 the building lies in the fact that its interior was designed as the building was designed. The objectives of architecture and interior design co-mingled into finished lorm, each complementing the other Universal Construction Co. was the building contractor ABOVE: PHYSICAL TRAINING CENTER, PARROW STATE SCHOOL AND HOSPITAL, TUSCALOOSA HUNTSVILLE/MADISDN PUBLIC LIBRARY Narrows, Brown, Parsons & Associates are in the construction phase 01 the Charles and Thelma Dixon Wing for the Houghton Memorial Library, on the campus of Huntingdon College in Montgomery. The wing is being added to the original library, built in the 1920's. The center section contains a two story atrium! reading room with exposed wood scissor trusses and skylights overhead. The brick and limestone exterior 01 the addition was designed to be sympathetic in both scale and detailing to the existing library and the surrounding buildings. The 18,190 square-loot building will be completed in January 011989 at a cost of close to $2 million. Andrew & Dawson is the building contractor. ABDVE: FIRST FLDOR PLAN, CHARLES AND THELMA DIXON WING, HOUGHTON MEMORIAL LIBRARY, HUNTINGDON COLlEGE, MONTGOMERY RIGHT: FOSTER CORNER, DOTHAN BEFORE AND AFTER RIGHT: STUDENT CENTER, ALABAMA Joseph L. Donofro and Associates have chosen to demonstrate their commitment to downtown revitalization in Dothan by purchasing and renovating a bui lding for their new offices. Named Foster Corner, the building was one of two historic restoration and several other adaptive reuse projects taking place in Dothan. As a result of these projects, a group called the "Downtown Group" lormed to revitalize downtown Dothan. Great pains were taken to restore the exterior to its original appearance when built in 1907, in spite 01 the fact that no photographs exist. The building has 14,000 square-Ieet and cost approximately $35 per square loot to renovate. The interior design concept called lor an atrium to be carved out of the center 01 the structure, creating one single main entrance with balconies running the circumlerence 01 the second floor around the atrium. Daphne Donofro is the interior designer SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF, TALLADEGA PHOTO; TlIIY TRIOLO The Alabama Institute for the Deaf & Blind contracted with Barganier/McKee/ Sims Architects Associated to design a $2.5 million Student Center for the Alabama School for the Deaf. Wesley Construction of Talladega, where the school is located, recently completed the 35,000 square-foot bui lding. The campus provides a twenty-four hour a day learning/living environment for the hearing impaired students who live there. All spaces were kept as open as possible to enhance visual contact and make the spaces more inviting. Typical of some of the special features in the center is a "hearing loop" in the multipurpose room and television viewing areas. This provides better sound for those students with hearing aids. The exterior was designed to be a prominent and unifying elemento()n the campus. A tower with cupola provides a focal point for both students and visitors. Barganier/McKee/Sims has done several school campus projects recently. Among them is the new Conecuh County High School in Evergreen. Currently in the construction phase, the estimated completion date of the $4.3 million building is January, 1989. Ray Sumlin Construction Company is the building contractor The firm worked closely with the Superintendent, the School Board and User Committee of Conecuh County Schools to accommodate the needs of the community. The result of their efforts will be a functional facility with numerous specialized features, including a 1,100 spectator gymnasium, a band room, a spacious locker/ commons area with exterior views, and a media center located in a quiet zone of the building. Trees and a creek on the west edge of the property were lelt undisturbed. BELOW: CONECUH COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL, EVERGREEN 5 Volume 1, No.2 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE Jefferson County's Office of Planning and Community Development is presently making plans to undertake a public park project in the unincorporated Lowetown community, located just north of Interstate 20/59 near the Tuscaloosa County line. Lowetown is a predominantly black community of approximately 156 people The community as well as the general area of the county is rural residential and agricultural in nature. "Priority One" site and recreation needs for the park include an access road, ballfield, picnic and bar-beque facilities, and a walking trail. Grover & Associates of Birmingham was awarded the contract to design the park and the project is currently in the design development phase RIGHT: HENRY J. BOOTH POLICE MEMORIAL PARK, MOBILE Woolpert Consultants have prepared a Master Plan and construction drawings for a 10.25 acre park located in mid-town Mobile. The project will be implemented in four phases at a cost of $1.9 million. It is conceived as a neighborhood park and will serve as the City of Mobile Parks & Recreation Department Headquarters. Formal gardens will act as a focal point for visitors to the new headquarters building. A gazebo will be located toward the southern end of the site, which will be developed primarily in an informal manner with benches. meandering paths, a fountain, a small pond with a waterfall, and various types of lighting. Sumlin and Sons is the contractor for Phases I & II. "9. ti Fortunately, Some Books At Judson College Havent Changed In 150Years. - __ m •••.••••• '. _n_· DesignAlabama 6 INTERIOR DESIGN Hatcher Design Associates of Birmingham contracted with Giattina, Fisher and Company, Architects to execute the interior design of the Children's Hospital lobby. With a total of 5,000 square-feet the addition to and renovation of the lobby will provide a new architectural focal point for the complex, and includes a central information area for in-patient and outpatient services. This two-story space is topped with a large skylight and includes a playful porcelain tile floor pattern. Local artist Bob Tucker has been commissioned to create a school of wcoden fish that will be suspended and surrounded by white walls with natural ash and mahogany panelling and millwork. Brice Building Company is the contractor Having been awarded the job of designing the corporate offices for Alabama Federal Savings and Loan, Hatcher Design Associates had the task of converting a building constructed in 1968, unique in its design and shape, into organized spaces suitable for the needs of a large and growing company. The objectives were to adapt the 72,000 square-foot building to the functional requirements of the client, while maintaining a very conservative budget, and to establish the image and reputation of the company Hatcher Design worked in association with David & Rogers Architects, Inc. on the project The building Contractor was Active Construction. BELOW: LOBBY, AlABAMA FEDERAl SAVINGS & LOAN HEADQUARTERS, BIRMINGHAM GRAPHIC DESIGN Siaughter/Hanson & Associates, with offices in Dothan and Birmingham. produced a series of four color advertisements for Judson College in Marion, Alabama. The purpose of the ads was to tacilitate an increase in enrollment and to promote their Sesquicentennial celebration. The "Bible" ad was featured in the "What's New Portfolio" in the January 11, 1988 issue of ADWEEK's Marketing Week. Spectrum Color produced them. Another series of ads was prepared by Siaughter/Hanson for The Bradford Group in Birmingham. The target audience was people affected by chemical dependence to increase enrollment in Bradford's program. This campaign also included a series of television ads with the same theme. The ads won a 1987 7th District Addy Gold award. The Ad Shop, Inc. produced them. For information about submitting projects for publication contact Becky Mullen at 261·4076. BELOW: PRINT ADS, JUDSON COllEGE AND THE BRADFORD GROUP Dhe large, green quadrangle with Denny Chimes at the center has long given the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa a memorable image. But a few years ago a closer look would have diminished the aura: many trees were mature and dying; dusty patches fronted many buildings; and parking lots appeared to be encroaching on the campus everywhere. Since 1983, that tendency toward seediness has been reversed. A landscape design is being implemented on a number of fronts. New trees are being planted. A handsome forecourt fronts Carmichael Hall. Parking lots serving new campus buildings are being screened with low grass-covered berms and softened with trees. "This work has had a significant impact on the campus," reports Robert Wright, Vice President for Financial Affairs at the university. "It has upgraded the appearance and helps in recruiting both students and faculty." Design is making a difference. "The impetus for improvement came from many sources, but it got its real start when we found out we had a landscape architect on campus," says Wright. "Jack Brown, who was acting department head of engineering graphics, brought to our attention that he had a young man who had a lot to offer." The young man is Brian Graham, ASLA, a landscape architect who teaches engineering graphics at the university. Landscape Architect Brian Graham, ASLA, both teaches and helps reshape the campus. In 1983, after approval from Dr. Joab Thomas, Graham prepared a landscape master plan for the campus. The initial focus was on the quadrangle where new walkways, sitting areas,light standards and trees have given definition to an already welcoming open space. The rows of traditional cast iron light standards serve both functional and aesthetic needs. creating a colonnade along the walkways leading from Denny Chimes to the library. The same walkway has been enhanced with rows of Bradford pear trees. Also on the quadrangle, new oaks, maples and other trees (with trunks 3 inches or more in diameter) have been planted to create a new generation of shade trees. A terrace that traces the foundation of the university's original rotunda fronts the library. As part of the master plan, each building fronting the quadrangle will eventually be given a new entry court like that completed at Carmichael Hall. Lloyd Hall is next. These will create more urbane small settings with attractive paving. seat walls and intensive planting for each building, complementing the more pastoral quadrangle. A high priority has been given to upgrading the appearance of new parking lots. Those at the new Moody Music Center and elsewhere are defined by continuous earth berms that contain the perimeter and help soften the effect of paving and cars. Trees and other plantings complete the parking lot landscape program. Eventually existing Design_Makes A Difference parking areas will be similarly treated. One of the most noticeable and successful components of the University of Alabama landscape master plan is the new standard 'sign used to mark each building. Graham developed a simple sign in painted, cast concrete with integral molding that picks up on the classical style of the university. Standard lettering on dark brown removable panels can be updated as needed. Graham, a 1973 graduate of Mississippi State in landscape architecture, went on to do graduate work at the University of Mississippi. He wanted to teach and was offered a position at the University of Alabama in 1981. He believes strongly in a team effort, and he credits both the university administration and the maintenance staff headed by Bill Columbus with the success of the design and implementation. "A design isonly as good as the people who fund it, install it and maintain it," Graham says. "We all have to work together to develop an attractive landscape setting for the university." Along with general upgrading along the lines already seen, Graham has developed plans for two previously overlooked features of the campus that show great promise. Marr's Spring. the original source of water for the campus. has a new wooden bridge. and new walks, seating and planting will be installed over the next four years. Chi Omega Sorority is supporting this improvement. CAMPUS LANDSCAPE PLAN,THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA • New cast iron light standards and rows of Bradford pear trees strengthen the walkways leading across the University of Alabama quadrangle from the library to Denny Chimes. Along with new walks, sitting areas and plantings, this Is part of the university's campus landscape master plan. Palmer Lake, which is readily accessible from nearby dorms, has been a barren patch with a few trees up to now. But the Student Government Association has earmarked funds to begin implementation of Graham's master plan: a lighted jogging path, small pavilions, general planting and a large pavilion for student functions .• -by Philip Morris. The new standard sign for buildings at the University of Alabama campus are both practical and handsome: a painted pre-cast concrete unit with molding that reflects the classical buildings that predominate. TIle dark brown sign panel is removable. Fronting Carmichael Hall is a Graham-designed improvement: a brick court wrapped by a new retaining wall that repeats the character of the stairs. Looking over a recent landscape installation are (left to right) Johnny Tucker, groundskeeper; Joe Callaway, superintendent of landscape and grounds; Jack Echols, associate director of physical plant; and Bill Columbus,director of physical plant. , 7 Volume 1, No.2 en en LI.I z en = I I 1 m e-n >- Q = 113 a>-: LI.I > LI.I -e-n I-n[ ess you're familiar with it, the subject of urban design probably conjures images of cities, specifically the downtown or "urban" areas, the size of At[anta or New i blocks and blocks of skyscrap-ers and mi[lions of people. However, urban design goes hand in hand with planning; a process that is crucial to the efficient functioning, growth and development of any city, whether that city is the size of Birmingham or Mobi[e or Decatur or Gu[f Shores. A city becomes the co[lective representation of the people who inhabit and influence it over time. Having a vision of who we are and what we value a[lows control overthe changes which inevitably occur, when we articulate that vision through what we build and how it a[[ fits together. Urban designers and planners study the many elements of an entire city area - downtown, neighborhoods, routes of travel, location of utilities, etc. - and make recommendations based on the needs, issues, problems and assets of the community. Every member of the community has a stake in decisions that are then made; urban design is everybody's business. Various tools have traditionally been used to control growth and development, such as zoning, regulations, ordinances, requirements, and building codes. The primary concerns should always be public health, safety, and we [fare. But, cities must use these tools as part of a well-conceived, comprehensive plan and p[anning process which is based on solid ideas about strengths and resources and how those will be used to their full potential. By fo[lowing through on such a plan the we [fare of the citizenry can be completely served. Without planning and attention to design, development can too easily become haphazard, in opposition to the kind of controlled growth and conservation of existing resources that result in a vibrant, pleasant place. The City of Birmingham employs Urban Designer Mike Dobbins, who has extensive professional experience in planning and design He says that "Three elements define urban design as a system for developing or revitalizing urban areas a holistic approach; an inclusive process; and visualization of alternative courses of action." By looking at the city as a whole, including and involving all the people who use and have a stake in the city in the decision-making process, and taking the time to visualize what the different alternatives would accomplish, the process of city-making becomes complete. "Increasing use of urban design methodology to sort out and act on a city's development agenda is certain to improve the acceptance, durability, and quality of decisions made." Of course municipal governments as we know them are limited in the extent to which they can determine whatacity becomes and rightly so. Partnerships between the public and private sectors are desirable in the p[anning process. Mayor Jan Dempsey of Auburn counted a city/citizen plan for growth and development among her top priorities when running for office in 1980. AUBURN 2000, a comprehensive land use plan, was adopted by the Auburn Planning Commission in December of 1983. The zoning ordinance based on the plan was finished a year later and is amended by annual review. Since then public investment in the downtown area has amounted to $3 million, with other projects on the drawing board. "The city is working to setan example to encourage more private investment. Public/private partnership is crucial to what we want; a vital urban core and a quality environment overal[," says Mayor Dempsey. Private investment in the downtown area on three projects alone is at a leve[ of over $5 million. Mike Dobbins brings up another important point. "Public pressure to improve both the workability and appearance of the bui[tenvironment represents both a base and new standards of accountability for architecture and related design practices" In other words, designers also share responsibility to the community in whatthey design. Architects, for example, practice urban design when a building is created to harmonize with the existing surroundings, orwithin the "context" ofthearea. However, architects must also respect the wishes oftheir clients. Private citizens and corporations who finance and control the built environment have the lion's share of responsibility for what a city looks, and feels [ike. Johnston-Rast & Hays is a Birmingham based deve[opment corporation that demonstrates sensitivity to good design and planning. "The first thing we say when we sit down with an architect to discuss a project is that we want a building that compliments what's already there," says Vice-President Robert Sch[eusner. For example when planning for Financia[ Center in Birmingham a nearby church was taken into consideration. "The church had been in its location for a long time and is a very beautiful building," said Schleusner. "We chose to set Financial Center back so that the church would remain highly visible." Successful city-making also depends on public awareness of the advantages of good design Signs of this awareness include the existence and activity levels of historic preservation societies, beautification boards, and clean city commissions. Aesthetic sensibility and a concern for the quality and resources of a city's environment are atthe heart of these organizations. They can play important roles in the overall quality of a city's environment, and provide vehicles for the voice of the community in planning issues. It is most important that people think of planning as an on-going process, not just producing a document. "P[anning is not something you do once and then say, 'OK we have a plan,' planning is something you do everyday. Continual planning is something every good business does. That's what every city should be doing," says Darre[[ Meyer, Chairman of the Graduate Program in Planning atAuburn University. The following articles highlight A[abama cities which have successfully dealt with general, or specific, ongoing planning issues. The leaders of Gu[f Shores saw the opportunity and need for comprehensive planning after Hurricane Frederic hit in 1979, knowing that intensive redeve[opment and new development would fo[low. The City of Birmingham began by implementing specific design projects which successfully demonstrated the aesthetic and economic advantages to be gained from investment of this nature. Now areas of Birmingham such as Five Points South are models of revitalization, and work continues. In Decatur, attention to preservation and revitalization of the downtown area has been consistent over the last 20 years. Leadership and the level of investment downtown continues to evolve through an active Main Street organization which serves as liaison between the public and private sectors. The Architectura[ Review Board in Mobi[e has been successful in dealing with the issue of integrating fast-food restaurants into growing and revitalized historic districts. [n each case, emphasis has been placed on the quality of life and economic development, looking to the future of the city .• GULF SHORES HAVING RECOVERED FROM A HURRICANE, THIS IS THE STORY OF A CITY'S CONTINUING STRATEGY FOR CONTROLLING GROWTH AND MANAGING ITS RESOURCES. n 1979 Hurricane Frederic devastated Gulf Shores, destroying much of what had largely been, prior to that time, a "sleepy" Southern beach community relatively undiscovered by developers and tourists. About a year before the storm, development inter- . est had become apparent with the increase of site plan submittals, for construction of condominiums and other beach related business, made to the Planning Commission. The damage done by Frederic literally "cleared the way" for both new and redevelopment. The pace of construction rapidly accelerated as business entrepeneurs flocked to Gulf Shores in the wake of the hurricane. The Mayor and Town Council realized very quickly that something had to be done to properly control and regulate theexploding growth with which they were faced, if the quality of life was going to be maintained for re sidents and tourists alike, in what was evolving into a seashore resort community of 75,000 summer residents and tourists but only 1300 permanent residents. Efforts were led by Dr. Thomas B. Norton in his role as Mayor. A planning consultant, Barbour/Cooper & Associates of Birmingham (now Barbour, Cooper & Partners), was hi red to draft a comprehensive zoning ordinance. Numerous public hearings were held over the course of two years to resolve differences among community residents and developers regarding provisions of the new ordinance. On May 10, 1982, the ordinance was ~dopted. Since that time it has been amended, as any dynamic document of its type should be, to reflect changing conditions. In its present form the ordinance defines specific di stricts and includes a table of permitted uses buffer protecting upland areas from flooding and wave action. and serves as a sand reservoir that feeds and aids beach stabilization. Acting in concert with the. Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), Gulf Shores established as part of the zoning ordinance a construction setback line forty feet behind the primary dune line for residential construction and five for commercial construction. In addition to this rear setback facing the dunes and the water. side setbacks between buildings and front setbacks from the highway were established to preclude overcrowding and to preserve the beauty of the beach and the view of the Gulf. Early in 1984 the town entered into a contract with ADEM to act as their local agent in preserving the integrity of the construction setback line and protecting the beach and its dune system. To date this effort has been most successful. A Special Census was taken in 1984 because of the influx of people to the community. As a result, the "Town" became a City with 2,164 residents. The Special Census was contracted because the city govem-within each district. ment realized urban planning must be an Certain uses are allowed "by right" in a ongoing project. Visitor and resident re-given district, while other more controversial uses are allowed only by "special exception" with the approval of the Board of Adjustment. Any variance to the ordinance quirements must be balanced and met, and in order to accomplish this goal. the number and ages of the population must be determined. It is estimated that today's popula-must be approved by the Board based tion is between 2.500 and 3,000 residents. strictly upon "unnecessary hardship." In- A small city yes, but one with big city corpora ted in the ordinance are regulations problems and advantages. which control, among other th ings: the Refocusing from shoreline to in land subsize, location, and illumination of signs; lot urban development, the city drafted and configuration and access; height of walls, passed a set of Subdivision Regulations in fences, and hedges; minimum number of spaces and landscaping for each business parking 101; and lot size and construction configuration for service stations. During the condominium and beach house "building boom," regulations were necessary to protect the primary sand dune system along the beach, which serves as a RIGHT: TO FURTHER ENHANCE THE QUAlITY OF LIFE FOR BOTH RESIDENTS ANO TOURISTS, CITY OFFI· CIAlS HAVE COMMITIEO TO A LONGRANGE LANDSCAPING AND BEAUTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR All GULF SHORES SmEETS, PARKS AND PUBLIC FACILITIES, AS SHOWN HERE IN JOHNNIE SIMS PARK. 1986 to ensure well planned, attractive and orderly residential developments and to preserve and enhance the quality of life for all of the City's more permanent residents and property owners. Highlighting the subdivision regulations, they require: fully developed underground utilities or a performance bond prior to fina l plat approval; minimum specifications for street design; preservation of natural features and amenities; an approved drainage plan to control erosion, sedimentation. and storm water runoff; minimum building setbacks, front and rear of 30 feet, and side setbacks of 10 THE PUBLIC BEACH, LOCATED ON GULF PLACE IN THE SOUTHERN AREA OF GULF SHORES, FEATURES THREE PAVILIONS AND A BOARDWAlK WHICH ARTFUU Y DISGUISES A WEU PlANNED AND CONSTRUCTED BULKHEAD (THE RETAINING WAll). IT ELEVATES LAND BEHIND IT ABOVE THE BEACH AND OFFERS SOME PROTECTION FROM STORMS AND THE "SCOURING EFFECT" OF WAVES. TWICE DESmOYED BY HURRICANE WAVE ACTION, THE BULKHEAD WAS RECONSTRUCTED AT A COST OF $560,000 TO WITHSTAND A lOCI-YEAR STORM IN ORDER TO PROTECT PRIVATE AND PUBLIC PROPERTY LOCATED JUST NORTH OF IT. vacant and improved lots are kept mowed, clean, and free of unsightly vegetation and debris. Sign size and appearance is regulated by the Sign Ordinance. In the words of Mayor Thomas B. Norton, "Our course has been set; our task is to preserve and enhance the beautiful natural environment with which we have been blessed. To that end, we feel we've made an excellent start. Gulf Shores is a unique feet. community-a great place to live, work In 1986, with the Subdivision Ordinance, and play." the City has adopted and vigorously en-fo rces "weed," "abandoned auto." and By Charles Hamilton, Director of Public "trash pickup" ordinances to ensure both Works, andPatsyHollingsworlh, Coordi-nator, Special Programs and Events Photos: David Bunch LEFT: THE GULF SHORES SIGN ORDINANCE REGULATES THE SIZE AND APPEARANCE OF SIGNS. ': ..• ~~ li:-r 2 " -4(1 .. - ... . ABOVE: DURING THE "BUILDING BOOM," REGULATIONS WERE NECESSARY TO PROTECT THE PRIMARY SAND DUNE SYSTEM AlONG THE BEACH. SETBACKS WERE EST ABlISHED TO PRECLUDE OVERCROWDING AND TO PRESERVE THE BEAUTY OF THE BEACH AND THE VIEW OF THE GULF. 9 Volume 1, No.2 BIRMINGHAM TWO QUESTIONS IMMEDIATELY ARISE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT URBAN DESIGN. look at urban design at work in Birmingham, the state's largest city, shows it is happening on many fronts. Architects should be doing urban design on any building in an urban context, argues Jaquelin Robertson, a leading commentator on urban design issues and recently dean of architecture at the University of Virginia. Many recent Birmingham buildings show such urban design sensitivity, ranging in size from the new Alabama Power Company headquarters downtown designed by Geddes, Brecher, Qualls & Cunningham in conjunction with Gresham & Smith, to the new Highland Avenue office building by Crawford McWilliams Hatcher Architects that picks up the rhythm and scale of adjacent houses. Generally, a concern for context can transform the traditional architect-client team into an agent for urban design. But without a doubt it is the City of Birmingham itself which has become the leading client for urban design in the metropolitan area and the state. It did not happen overnight or by fiat. How did Birmingham start doing urban design? By doing it. Modest projects deemed successful made way for others. Today there are more than 20 urban design projects at various geographic scales active in the city, Much of the urban design work is done by the city's Urban Planning Department headed by Mike Dobbins, but many projects are done under contract by landscape arChitects, architects and planners, or teams of each. A map showing areas where design review and urban design is taking place would look like a patchwork quilt. The total area begins to be impressive, Birmingham's first involvement with urban design in recent times can be traced to Birmingham Green. Designed by an architect- landscape architect tearn and implemented in the early 1970's, it was a streetscape improvement (fortunately, not a mall) for seven blocks of 20th Street (and adjoining cross streets). While it might not qualify as full urban design, it did have the effect of translating the potential of street into three dimensions and it did include some voluntary sign modification by property owners, This was not just traditional zoning-map planning. This was something else. Not incidentally, it was a public-private partnership. A few years later, under David Vann's administration, the city put up local fund- RIGHT: THE NOW·CELEBRATED FIVE .... POINTS SOUTH REDEVELOPMENT ~~--~-.-.-..... -.----~--.,----.. --.--..... -~ ...... - .. -. WAS STIMULATED BY BIRMINGHAM'S PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS AND URBAN DESIGN PROCESS MANAGED UNDER AN ADOPTED COMMERCIAL REVIT ALIZA TION OISTRICT PLAN. THIS SHOWS THE PUBLIC .-.-S-.P-.A. --C-E- .I-M-.P-R.. OVEMENT PLAN BY LAND· ~-~.-.-.-~~-------.----.. ". SCAPE ARCHITECTS BLALOCK, BARBOUR & COOPER ( NOW BARBOUR ~~~- COOPER & PARTNERS). DesignAlabama 10 WHO DOES IT? WHO IS THE CLIENT? ing for an American Institute of Architects R/UDA T (regional urban design assistance team) to come to Birmingham and explore possibilities for older commercial areas in Woodlawn, North Birmingham and Ensley. The process was successful, and urban design/streetscape projects funded by the city in cooperation with local merchants groups were implemented. This work served as a model for later projects, the most celebrated being Five Points South. Meanwhile, the city began exploring ways to extend the success of the Birmingham Green streetscape. Highland Avenue, a tired old streetcar boulevard winding through declining neighborhoods on the city's south side, was up for improvement. In a crucial move, City Council Member Angie Grooms Proctor worked to have control of the project put in the hands of Landscape Architect Mike Kirk, ASLA. This turned out to have more profound urban design impact than Birmingham Green did. Instead of taking a 4-lane roadway with an abused median (mainly used for parking) and widening it to six lanes as a traffic engineer might suggest, Kirk developed a design that reduced the number of moving lanes from four to two, one in each direction. A major factor in getting this through, other than the fact that Highland carries mostly local neighborhood traffic, was the gain of angled parking along the street to serve older apartments and businesses that needed it. There was room, also, for improved sidewalks, a narrow planted median and roadside plantings. Rather than dividing the neighborhood, the Highland Avenue project turned it into a linear park for walking, jogging and circulation, stimulating major reinvestment in the neighborhood that continues to this day. Birmingham has since implemented similar projects in a variety of neighborhoods including Bush Hills, West End, and, most recently, Norwood, the latter two low income neighborhoods. Another fortunate move that helped put the City of Birmingham solidly into urban design was the arrival of Architect Mike Dobbins in the late '70's. He was Yaleeducated, had worked in New York City's urban design department during the lindsay administration and more recently taught at Tulane School of Architecture. When his wife Peggy landed a job at the University of Alabama, Dobbins began his Birmingham public service career with Jefferson County as a land planner. When given an opportunity, he joined the city as the neighborhood revitalization coordinator. It turned out to be a classic case of the right person in the right place at the right time. Dobbins had the patience to attend endless neighborhood meetings, always making the case for urban design. This work eventually led to more responsibilities. And with the City of Birmingham firmly organized at the neighborhood level, the constituency for urban design began to develop a grassroots foundation. At the level of city administration, the urban design process just seemed to work. Urban design efforts have broadened and deepened under Richard Arrington's leadership. This list of active and proposed projects under what Birmingham calls Commercial Revitalization Districts shows the neighborhood base: North Birmingham, Woodlawn (Phase I & II), Five Points South (Phase I & II), 4th Avenue North (Phase I & II), Ensley, 2nd Avenue North, Pratt, Tuscaloosa Avenue (West End), Birmingham Green, I 9th Street, Five Points West, Lomb Avenue, First Avenue North (Eastlake), Smithfield, Norwood, 7th Avenue South, Wylam. Each area is organized as a district where the city makes public improvements while improvements to private property A RECENTLY-ANNOUNCED OFFICE AND RETAIL DEVELOPMENT FOR FIVE POINTS SOUTH AT THE CORNER OF HIGHLAND .. ~.~--~----"-.. ~.---'------ AVENUE CAME UNDER THE CITY'S DESIGN REVIEW PROCESS, RETAIL AT GROUND LEVEL WAS A HIGH PRIORITY. ARCHITECTS ARE SMALLWOOD, R!!'II~_L~!._ STEWART & STEWART ASSOCIATES OF ATLANTA. DEVELOPER: KOVACH AND ASSOCIATES OF BIRMINGHAM, A GROWING PERCENTAGE OF BIRMINGHAM'S CITY CENTER IS NOW GETTING SPECIAL HANDLING THROUGH OVERLAY URBAN DESIGN DISTRICTS, PUBLIC SPACE DESIGN AND DESIGN REVIEW OF NEW BUILDINGS. SIMILAR METHODS ARE ALSO BEING APPLIED IN SELECTED NEIGHBORHOODS BEYOND THE URBAN CORE. (facades, signs, etc.) come under design review. The core of the city is seen as a series of neighborhoods, each with its own potential and need. But there are also larger urban design concerns at work. These include what is called the Cultural District (across the north end of downtown) and Midtown (the once-industrial now no-man' $-land between downtown and DAB.) A very large portion of the Eastern Area is being studied in concert with Jefferson County and other jurisdictions. simiiar to traditionallarge- scale land use planning. There are a number of key components that drive the City of Birmingham's urban design work. much of it formulated by Dobbins both from his local experience and his involvement with national urban design circles (he was recently chairman of the AlA's national urban design committee). One factor is the importance of neighborhoods as the basic building block of the city. Another is the primacy of the street as the organizing framework for a vital city with the corollary principle that developments should reinforce and support the street and its life. Yet another is that historic building and social fabric should be protected and permitted to shape the future. Much of the success of these urban de' sign developments in Birmingham is attributable to a common sense approach, to the public/private cooperation implicit in most and to the above factors being in tune with what the community sees as important. But that is not the same as laissezfaire. The Birmingham attitude is that the city bean active participant in city-making. Recent major development projects-the AmSouth-Harbert Center under construction and the recently announced Renaissance Plaza office building at Five Points South-were shaped by city urban design goals. And for the better. There is, of course, other urban design work going on in the Birminghan: metropolitan area. UAB's sophisticated master development plan covering 70-plus square blocks is a story in itself. There have been some steps made toward urban design in the older suburb of Homewood, though hesitant. Major developments along U.S. 280 have excellent land and landscape plans. And both Riverchase and the City of Hoover have taken some care in shaping development. But, for the most part, there is not much beyond better subdivision or office park planning, and almost nothing relating one development to another. The suburbs, particularly the older ones, and possibly some new higher density development may soon be putting urban design to work. But for the time being the action is all in the city. From a modest beginning about 15 years ago, the City of Birmingham has become a model for many kinds of urban design. Quite simply, they found out it works. By Philip Morris, Executive Editor, SOUTHERN LIVING magazine, Chairman, Design Alabama, Inc. CENTRAL BUSINESS AREA A, CIVIC CUTER GFFICE PARI 8, CUlTlllE IIIS1RICT C, CUlTlllE IIIS1RICT WBT D, __ lAM 8REEII E, 21ST StREET F, 41H AvaJE S, 19TH StREET H. 2ID AvaJE I, MID-_ J. FIVE.f'IIIIIlS SIIUTH ABOVE: THIS MAP PREPARED BY THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM'S URBAN PlANNING DEPARTMENT SHOWS VARIOUS DISTRICTS IN THE CITY CENTER WITH URBAN DESIGN PROCEDURES IN PLA=CE=-. _ LEFT: IN ADDITION TO CITY STAFF, MANY URBAN DESIGN PROJECTS ARE COMMISSIONED TO LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS AND ARCHITECTS. THIS IS A PORTION OF A STREETSCAPE PlAN FOR THE COL TURAl DISTRICT AlONG 22HD STREET BETWEEN 8TH AND 9TH AVENUE NORTH PREPARED BY LAND· SCAPE ARCHITECTS GREINER, VARE & PARTNERS. 11 Volume 1, No.2 DECATUR "THE CITY OF OPPORTUNITY" CONTINUES A STRONG PLANNING TRADITION IN EFFORTS TO CREATE A UNIFIED URBAN CORE • THE CHALLENGE IS IN THE UNIQUE DOWNTOWN CONFIGURATION. istoric events and an abundance of natural resources led to the development of two adjacent towns in the area that is now the City of Decatur. However, the city has continued to have two distinct downtown areas, known as Bank Street and 2nd A venue, which are tied together by Lee Street. Since 1927, when the present City of Decatur was sanctioned, the downtown areas have experienced much of the same pattern of growth and decline as in other cities, yet at different times and at different rates. Over 20 years ago, efforts to create a unified urban core began. In 1962 city planners presented the city with a "Civic Center Master Plan," complete with scale model. While an actual civic center was part of the plan, the term applied generally to the purpose of the area. Intended to revitalize the central business district as well as rehouse and centralize civic and governmental agencies, it provided for the needed expansion of civic and municipal services, anticipated future growth, and instituted a Public Building Authority. Necessary changes were made, as is the nature of the planning process, but most of the governmental facilities were constructed. Construction of the Civic Center itself as well as parking garages. the museum, auditorium, and exhibit hall facilities were viewed as premature. A special commission has recently been established by the City Council to look at the feasibility ofacivic center, and parking issues are still being studied. Urban renewal funds administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) were used extensively to bring about the changes outlined in the Civic Center Master Plan. While that program often was not sensitive to what existed. there were cases where clearance of land for specific new uses was strategic. In Decatur. there were several areas in the THIS MAP SHOWS THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND IDENTIFIES COMMERCIAL REHAB COMPLETED OR IN PROGRESS (-), AND NEW CONSTRUCTION (X). DesignAlabama 12 downtown district which were cleared for redevelopment. In excess of $10 million of federal funds were spent over a 20 year period on the Waterfront, 2nd Avenue, Lee and Bank Streets. "The results of urban renewal in Decatur set the tone for redevelopment. Urban renewal financed the purchase and clearance of a blighted area shopping cen- structures. By this time the National Main ter concepts Street Center had been successful in its and relate the "Main Street Project" and was offering turn of the resources for interested citizens dedicated centuryarchi- to historic and economic rehab. Phow: Beth Maynor THE SEVEN·BLOCK BANK STREET COMMERCIAL tecture of 2nd Avenue to the new modern structures in the civic center area. Off street areas were cleared and parking lots createdall to be within one block of the shopping area; parking on 2nd Avenue was removed; prestressed AREA DOWNTOWN AND ADJACENT VICTORIAN concrete NEIGHBORHOOD COMPRISE A CERTIFIED NATIONAL canopies along with eight feet HISTORIC DISTRICT. the relocation --~-~ .. ----~------ ... - .. ~ .. ---.--~~---.----------.-------------- across were of industrial uses so that a 'civic center' re- constructed three feet away from the builddevelopment area could be located in the ings; landscaping was done; and two pedes-middle of what used to be the two towns. The railroad spur line literally split Lee Street and had to be relocated. Urban renewal played an important part in the posi~ ive Change that has occurred over the last 20 years in Decatur," said Rob Walker. the city's director of planning. Urban renewal funds were also used for preservation. On Bank Street urban renewal funds were spent to demolish one block of deteriorated. vacant buildings and close a cross street which created a three acre lot adjacent to the Old State Bank building. Plans were carried out for rehabilitation of the bank building and its certification as a nationallandmark. The unimproved adjacem three acre property was sold to a hotel chain and a city appointed Design Review Board worked with owners to create a building design compatible with the area. [The Bank Street Project was completed by 1973.J On 2nd Avenue, an experimental approach was taken. The Decatur Downtown Association was fonned and worked with city planners researching options for the declining downtown business area. The result was a plan to create a pedestrian area of modem design which would pattern trian areas with benches, planters, and a fountain were installed. Work on this three block project took about a year and was so disruptive to businesses that many more customers were lost. This and other problems with the canopy plan offer an example of a well-intended but unsuccessful project based on the premise that making modern physical alterations downtown would revive the area. Although no Decatur tax dollars were spent, the ·'white elephant" project remains as does the controversy between the "love them or hate them" groups. [In 1974 urban renewal funds were renamed Community Development Block Grants. Work on 2nd A venue was complete by 1978.J After the completion of the canopies, the city entered into a public/private partnership to restore a majestic art deco theatre just north of the canopy blocks. The plan was to preserve the structure (now an Alabama Landmark), provide Decatur with a performing arts center downtown. and encourage revitalization of the area. This project was very successful, and private developers were encouraged. A few began to take risks by rehabilitating large vacant PhOtos: Tim Roberts THE OLD STATE BANK AND ART DECO PRINCESS THEATRE ARE HISTORIC REHABS WHICH GREATLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE CHARACTER OF BANK STREET AND 2ND ~~~~!~~R~S_P~C.!I"E..LY,~~~J~I!_UI!JlI,!G~AIIE~~OUII.~~~~F_~~1'II1'IIUNIJ,(I'II.ID~~~D PROVIDE LESSONS IN PERIOD ARCHITECTURE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVING OUR HERITAGE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE CITY PLANS. Decatur developers researched and speculated individually for a while,. each one developing plans for his own acquired properties. Eventually a small group introduced the "Main Street" concept to Decatur. The city. noting the renewed private interest, agreed to help establish and finance a public/private, non-profit organization known as the Downtown Area Revitalization Effort of Decatur, Inc. DARE of Decatur was established in 1984, committed [Q support, encourage, and promote the revitalization of the entire downtown area. As an umbrella group, DARE acts as a liaison between the public and private sectors. In excess of $60 million of private monies have been reinvested in the last five years for 65 commercial building rehabs and 18 new buildings. On-street parking has been returned to 2nd A venue and one owner was granted City Council pennission to remove the canopy sections in front of his building. Ideas for block rehabs continue to emerge from the public and private sectors as do future plans for a downtown exhibition hall, a riverfront development for public as opposed to industrial use, and for historical zoning of the DARE area (now multizoned) to preserve historical integrity and ensure compatible future developments. by Suzanne !ida, Executive Director of DARE of Decatur, Inc. ... lJISCUSSING PLANS F()I!TIlE MOST RECENT IlISTORIC-REHAB-IN-I'ROGRESS ON 2ND AVENUE ARE; (LEFT 10 RIGHT) -- -----.-.------_ .. - ... SH11I.~E~Hltl'lll'll0ND~ PRESIDENT OF nAR!...lIlc~LI'IIJ\'(~II.B1LLJ,DUKES, lJIRECTOR OF PLANNING ROB WALKER, BUlLlJING OWNER AND FORMER MAYOR GILMER BLACKBURN, AND SUZANNE IIDA, I MOBILE HISTORIC DISTRICTS: FAST FOOD, FAST TASTES AND FAST DESIGNS - HOW CAN AN ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD STOMACH IT? t seems inevitable with the increasing popularity and successofhistoric districts that the fast food industry would eventually want to be included within that area of growth. Historic districts, especially those with a business zoning after years of being ignored, are now being noticed and courted by the likes of McDonald's, Popeye's, Burger King. et a1. While the attention can be flattering, the problems create a delicate design situation. In historic districts which have Architectural Review Board (ARB) control and jurisdiction. the problems are theirs to resolve. The ARB is restricted, by the very ordinance creating it, to decisions on design and not matters of zoning. use or program. Only the architectural elements of mass, size, scale, height, exterior materials, color, landscaping. etc., are within the parameter of the ARB's focus. To a great extent, the actual building for many of the fast food restaurants is their image, their identity. Tocreate, support and reinforce the feeling and thought that all of the Popeye's or Burger Kings, et al. have the same quality fast food , a conscious effort is made to have all of the franchise buildings look identical--<lespite any regional or local design heritage. This factor is compounded by the high cost of franchises, causing the franchiser to be highly supportive of the corporate "image and standard." The ARB in Mobile has been in existence since 1963, and enjoys strong community support and good relations with the municipal government. Yet dealing with the issues surrounding the building of a fast food restaurant is still both a perplexing and trying exercise. With each caseMcDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's Popeye 's, Arby's, Taco Bell and recently a proposed Checker's-the ARB has attempted to infl uence the fi nal design, rec - ers' desires to build their classic suburban image in-town intact. The ARB in Mobile has been satisfied with victories such as maintaining the prevailing set-back, use oflocal exterior materials, inclusion of landscaping to mask the parking areas and soften the front appearances, adding to the initially proposed height of the buildings to reflect the scale of traditional Mobile buildings, and having them basically viewed as background buildings along the street. The ARB cannot change the basic program of the proposed buildings with their central focus on the automobile. As long as the automobile is the client and people are not encouraged to stay and dine inside, the building's footprint on the site will be proportionally minor and subservient to the vehicular demands of access and ease. What will the vis itors to Mobile notice about the variety fast food restaurants located in the Church Street East and Oak leigh Garden Historic Districts? The McDonald's. while now recognized as a typical McDonald's unit, was actually the ognizing that the results will be more a first of the new house-l ike non-golden arch product based on a series of compromises building built. It is sited up to the street like than on design of a sympathetic, compat- the other buildings in the area, has better ible architectural statement. In each case than modest landscaping, and a brick the zoning was correct. In most cases the screening wall around the enti re parking proposed projects were to be located on area. The Popeye 's is perhaps the only non-ei ther vacant land or on property with non- BELOW: SITE PlAN FOR THE lava stone unit in the entire chain. It is a simple stucco building with cast iron columns along the front-a perfectly comfortable background building. It too has a street related set-back and a landscaped area in front. Both the Wendy's and Arby 's are remarkable for their plain and unobtrusive image upon the street. The Taco Bell highlighted its building by nestling it within excellent landscaping. By recognizing the beauty of its site-large live oaks-and by listening to the adjacent residential neighborhood who wished no rear access/exit for cars, Taco Bell undertook an ambitious landscape plan that limited the site 's potential but won neighborhood and ARB praise. As a result the ARB limited its demands of their proposed new corporate image building to minor detailing. The Burger King, on the other hand, can only be viewed as an ARB defeat. The extended suburban set-baCk, lack of landscaping, and the traditional (early 1970's) Burger King building all add up to the worst historic buildings. As an added complication, Mobile' s building pattern and rhythm along Government Street-the major downtown vehicular artery and a highly sought after location-is of detached buildings, thus supporting the fast food franchis- TACO BELL ON GOVERNMENT STREET. POPEYE'S ON GOVERNMENT STREET IN ABOVE: SENSITIVE PlANNING RESUlTS IN AN ESTABlISHMENT WHICH RESPECTS THE CONTEXT IN WHICH IT IS PlACED. LARGE, EXISTING OAl( TREES WERE LEFT THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, THE RESULT OF INTACT TO MAINTAIN THE BEAUTY OF COORDINATION BETWEEN OWNER AND THE PROPERTY. ARCHITECT1IRAL REVIEW BOARD. MOBILE'S WEll·KNOWN CANOPY OF TREES ALONG GOVERNMENT STREET, WHERE WAYS TO COMBINE HISTORIC DISTRICT WITH MODERN CONVENIENCE ARE BEING FOUND. of fast food infill within a downtown area. In all cases, the ARB in Mobile has tried to have the fast food franchisers discuss their projects as early as possible, preferably prior to drawing their plans. The ARB has tried to be firm , consistent, yet willing to compromise for mutual benefit. By not creating a rigid, adversarial atmosphere. the ARB has gained concessions in building mass, scale, materials, height, and landscaping. While better examples offast food restaurants in an urban area may be found in other cities, the ARB in Mobile has not been compromising in its responsibility to take on an issue. One cannot simply wish a problem away or take self-righteous positions that beg the point and ignore or go against the legal charge of the ARB. To have such a sensitive design problem resolved by politics is neither an appropriate nor defensible situation for an ARB. Until the zoning, and the politics, of the downtown historic districts take the necessity of maintaining the urban setting into account, the higher aesthetic values and quality design issues of the ARB will be strained and compromised in order to derive good design from building types that are the antithesis of city living. By Michael S. Leventhal, Director, Mobile Historic Development Commission Photos: Devereaux Bemis THIS IS AN EXAMPLE DF THE SIGNATURE LAVA STONE STRUCTURE UTIUZED BY THE POPEYE'S CHAIN, ON GOVERNMENT STREET NEAR THE INTERSTATE. 13 Volume 1, No.2 AUBURN-Looks aren't everything, but editors and publishers of newspapers in Alabama know that a well-designed, attractive newspaper can better serve readers by communicating the news more effectively. "Quite a few newspaper people in Alabama are considering design changes in their newspapers," says Bill Keller, executive director of the Alabama Press Association in Birmingham. "With the quality of graphics on television and in magazines, newspapers fear that if they don't upgrade the design of their papers, then readers won't consider them the first-class products that they are." Newspaper design in Alabama must include more than a passing glance at USA Today, which premiered Sept. IS, 1982. Newspaper design and typography consultant Dr. Mario R. Garcia, author of '"Contemporary Newspaper Design," calls USA T ada.v the "single most important development in newspaper design" this decade. Any discussion of newspaper design near the tum of the century must be based on a "before-and-after USA Today perspective," says Garcia. Garcia, director of the Graphics and Design Center at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg, Fla., explains in his book that USA Today has: -Excelled in packaging the contents of the ""'c>.,,,, ir 7' , ... ~". i uA .. U ..... newspaper in an easy-to-find, easyto- follow style. -Managed to offer surprises for the reader, in spite of a highly formatted structure for its pages. -Combined a magazine look with traditional newspaper orientation. -Introduced informational graphics for most stories and did it in such a way as to make reading of the text almost By Ed Williams other newspapers. "I think the only criticism one could make of USA Today is that the stories are so brief. But this has taught us that we need to get a lot of news in a small space." Ed Williams is an associate Computer technology available to USA Today is also being utilized by Alabama newspapers. Weekly newspapers are making use of Apple Macintosh personal computers, for ex-professor in the Auburn University Journalism Department and teaches a course in newspaper design. He is also advisor to the campus newspaper~ The Plainsman, unnecessary, which is a plus fornewspa-per scanners. USA Today also emphasized short, easy-to-read stories. -Showed color everywhere, especially in a full-page weather package that has become the newspaper's trademark and its most often imitated feature, not only in the United States, but abroad. Also, Garcia says that USA Today has "dared to experiment." Veteran newspaper publisher Shelton Prince of The Selma Times-Journal sees USA T aday as having a positive effect on ample, to produce the kinds of infonnational maps, charts and diagrams found in USA Today and other large newspapers. "Most of us in the weekly newspaper business have gotten into design because of the unlimited graphic abilities of personal computers that we never had before," says Mike Kelley, editor and publisher of The Independent Advertiser, a twice-weekly newspaper in Chilton County. David Moore is editor of The Andalusia Star-News, a five-day newspaper in Cov-ington County. He utilizes a Macintosh and Mac Draw software to produce informational graphics almost daily. He designs graphs that illustrate crime and fire statistics in the county, unemployment figures and schoo! test scores, for example. "Computers have definitely changed the look of newspapers," he said. "We can provide graphic elements to the page, and stories dealing with statistics and demographics can be explained in a graph. Personal computers and the graphics that can be produced have changed the design as well as the content of my newspaper." Newspapers have changed dramatically in their appearance, but unlike some newspapers that often undergo a "sudden drastic redesign," editor and president James Denley said The Birmingham Post-Herald has allowed its design to "slowly evolve." Today's Post-Herald is an "entirely different newspaper than the newspaper of a decade ago. There are improved visual elements, better packaging of news and, because of improved press capacity, more use of color," Denley said. Denley says USA Today has affected other newspapers, but it's "only one of a myriad of factors that have caused newspapers to take steps to be more visually oriented. The television generation itself has greatly affected the presentation we give our readers." • ~ Mayot laIlIs ®o<J! rapid growth 81 A &au.n: Oiscover\t maycm.'>W theories 01 '"'"'elSe At ~" C$u"f~~. §iimelf __ ""'_ COUncIl _1'OSIlIutiOII to cut ties _ KIIIgbt '~"'.':::,:' '-'O:':Yc: -:,t·;~t~i ~~f~~~ ~f\~~ ~}ji~ ~--- - -- Design reflects changing times i 1WoI ............. . ,i Ii .!>.!_...,..,. ... _ illtQ! !'OST!lIE tulR J!IiI i II·~_'~~ II "~:; '-~ " ~;t [ 1':o, -~,; The state's largest newspaper, The Birmingham News, recently underwent a redesign. In a page 1 story on Sunday, March 13. the editors noled that the newspaper was displaying" a dillerent look. better reorganization, new features." Changes in the newspaper include an expanded index on the front page, a section of national and international news, and a distinct section of local DesignAlabama 14 ;!4;r ........... "' ... ,.; I ' ~;~.i'J~~: I ·III.! ell::! I " I L.~~~~ ___ ,_J '''''U~.U .. news. The design changes that were unveiled coincided with The News' 100th birthday. and the Sunday newspaper also contained a centennial special edition. 'With today's edition, The News inaugurates its latest redesign to start our second 100 years." This was noted in a news article with the headline, "Oesign reflects changing times." 1987 Rusty Starr, editor of The Gadsden Times, says his newspaper underwent a reorganization of content in 1987 that has been appreCiated by both readers and the newsroom staff. To make the newspaper more reader friendly, national and state news are packaged. "Organizing the world, national and state news in a logical order on certain pages, instead of scattering it throughout the paper, is a help to the reader, "Starr said. "II he's not interested, he can skip the story, and you've saved the reader an immense amount 01 time." 1988 While most 01 the changes at The Gadsden Times have been in the reorganization 01 content. Starr said the design of the newspaper has undergone some "fine tuning to make the paper look neater." "For graphic appeal, we did some minor things like adding a few column rules (border tapes) above and below page logos, and standardizing some of our news briefs packages." Larger photos are being published, and the newspaper now runs "strictly bold headlines. instead of a mixture of bold and light headlines.' .. Today's Post-Herald is an entirely different newspaper than the newspaper of a decade ago. ~ A.walusia ;§tar-Nl'ws 1982 Good design should work hand in hand with good con- -_=._-.- E... ""-'-, " I 1---'---'-= I - Anbalullia ~ar-Ne1U5 1988 paper. "Good design helps you when you go lishing for read tent, said David Moore, editor of The Andalusia Star-News. Good design makes the content easier and more interesting to read. Modular design provides organization to the front page, THE A'iJ)\U :SL\ ST\R-'iEWS ers," Moore says But it has to be accompanied by interesting stories, photos and graphs. "II you don't catch the reader with something that interests him, but a high story count entices the reader, he said. Moore believes editors should 'design with a purpose," providing various points of entry into the front page Page 1 promotional or "teaser" boxes can help entice readers inside the news- ~ MONDAY _ 1986 "We live in an age of TV - USA Today is sort of a television newspaper," says Mike Scogin, editor and publisher of The Atmore Advance, a twice weekly newspaper in Escambia County. "Because of the television competition, newspapers have got to grab the reader even more that in the past" Scogin advocates modular design which provides an orderly look to the newspaper. Most newspapers in recent years have adopted the modular design which calls for organizing news text and photos in rectangular blocks to provide a less cluttered look to the page. At a small newspaper such as Atmore, costs you're going to lose him." Moore agrees that USA Today has made newspapers everywhere more design conscious, although he thinks that "the nation's newspaper" is too liberal in its splashy use of color. 1987 prohibit frequent use of color on the front pages. Although Scogin thinks that color may help newspaper sales, "anyone who uses color should use it judiciously. A little dab of color goes a long way." By nature, newspapers are primarily black and white, but Scogin says newspaper designers should utilize devices such as border tapes, shadow boxes and screens to eliminate gray areas on the pages. Overall, readers of The Advance are pleased with their newspaper, Scogin believes. "I think the people here see the paper as being professional. A newspaper has more credibility if it looks neat and is well planned." 1986 Gary Gengozian, publisher and editor of The Times-Journal in Fort Payne, has made some "cosmetic changes" in his newspaper. For example, "The" was added to The TimesJournal nameplate. Gengozian says minor design changes have been implemented in The Times- The Times-Jo~aT ~~~~ Gengozian said. 1988 Journal. The nameplate of the newspaper was enlarged on page one, and boxes, reference lines and teasers are utilized. The newspaper now uses a bolder text typelace. "We have a lot of older readers, and they say the bolder type is easier to read," .. A well-designed, attractive newspaper can better serve readers by communicating the news more effectively. ~ r ::.== ~ I~'";'~~ I mht lMuni5uiIk mime!! 1987 On August 31 , 1987, The Huntsville Times introduced a new design to readers "without -- -~.- Accord said near on city districting ... Gno)" ...... __ - ~ . 1988 Recent content changes had included 'intensified" local governmental coverage, expanded a great deal of fanfare," editor Pat McCauleysaid, although he did write a column that day explaining the 'new look" of The Times. Changes in the THE HlSrSVILLE TL\IES business and economic news, deeper coverage of church life, upgraded photography and original graphics to illustrate newspaper included new typefaces, new page design, new sectional organization, new graphics and a new nameplate. 'This 'new look: is not only skin deep, however:' he explained. 'Appearance serves a purpose, but content is paramount, and as many of our cosmopolitan readers have noticed, the content of The Timeshas changed over recent months." news and feature articles. Based on a survey of Times readers, new features and comics were added and less popular ones were dropped. After a period of hearing reader comments, both pro and con, managing editor Bob Ward commented, ' ... what has come through in readers' expressions is the fact that they notice and they care about what happens with this newspaper." Garcia says modular design has become a dominant visual element in U.S. newspapers, 'providing a sense of precision, of architecture.' 15 Volume 1, No.2 SENSITIVE PLACEMENT OF INTERSTATES OFFERS RIDERS OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENJOYING NEW VISTAS. RIGHT: BIFUCATED INTERSTATE IN NORTHEASTERN ALABAMA. By ANN ADAMS INTERAC'nNG WITH THE INTEnE lIach of us has memorable feelings for special views along the interstate, particular locations that trigger a train of thought as we pass by. It may be a civic pride induced by a city's skyline or a reverie in nature from seeing herefords grazing on rolling hillsides. Staff from the State Highway department cited the following places as their personal favorites: - a long, graceful expanse of pasture land in Conecuh County - going south on 1-65 over the floodplain, then the river and seeing the Montgomery skyline rise in the distance - a dense grove of pines in a valley below Greenville - crossing the Mobile Bridge - I-59 in Northeastern Alabama, flanked by the state's highest mountain - the mysterious swamps under 1-20 in western Alabama ABOVE: TIED ARCH BRIDGE, KIIOWII AS THE MOBILE BRIDGE, 0111-65 . . BElOW: VIEW OF MOIITGOMERY COMIIIG III 011 Hi5 FROM THE IIORTH. PIIlTO: IEClY IlUUU Your purpose need not be limited to arriving but can include some pleasure in getting there. In Alabama, much of the interstate in rural areas fits almost perfectly with the terrain. O he scale and rhythms encompassing our common road experiences were non-existent until construction of the limited access interstates began in the 1950's. The federal government's involvement in road building is a fairly recent occurrence. Alabama's Senator William Bankhead sponsored the first legislation, the Federal! Aid Highway Act of 1916, providing the program of mutual cooperation at state and federal levels for road management and standards. Prior to this, our colonial legacy basically broadened Indian trails into wagon roads. Walt Whitman's "long brown paths" quickly changed into "long grey ribbons" as asphalt became the choice building material after 1885. The National System of Interstate and Defense Highway Act of 1956 set the goal of connecting cities with a population of over 50,000. This proved to be the nation's largest public works project with the federal government funding 90% of the cost of 41 ,000 miles. The Highway Trust Fund, collected primarily from taxes on gas and automobile equipment, grew at an unanticipated rate. However, so did the cost of building the interstates: from $673,000 per mile in 1955 to the present estimate of almost $4 million per mile. The first section of interstate to open in Alabama was along 1-65 from Kimberly to Cullman in 1959. Now we enjoy close to 1000 miles of interstate, and when a few miles near Mobile and the Huntsville Spur are completed the original system will be finished. Alabama's achievements in this area are recognized by those in the highway building profession. One of our interstate's lesser known heroes is Mr. Robert E. Norton, who worked with an intuitive design sense in roadway layout for 40 years. someone who grew up in Barbour County during the first decade of this century. Because R. E. Norton excelled in drafting class at Lewisville High School, the principal, who had a degree in civil engineering, encouraged him to pursue similar studies at the University of Alabama. His first job in roadbuilding came when he was hired to layout a road adjacent to an existing road near Abbeyville. The supervisor had assumed he would parallel the old road but his design for the new one was different. Compliments for the new, smoother and straighter road influenced the county road commissioner to recommend him for employment with the State Highway Department. In the Construction Division, he worked as a "instrument man," designating grade lines. While following assignments, he lived in twenty-four places throughout Alabama, acquiring a special knowledge and appreciation for the natural Designing highways seems an unlikely fate for landscape. When he became location engineer for the 17 Volume 1, No.2 ABOVE LEFT: MR. ROBERT E. NORTON RELIED ON THE BEAUTY OF NATURE TO BREAK THE MONOTONY OF DRIVING AS HE DESIGNED ALABAMA'S INTERSTATES. RIGHT: DR. RAY DICKENS STUDIES ROADSIDE VERBENA, ONE SPECIES OF WILD·FLOWER BEING EMPHASIZED IN A THREE·YEAR RESEARCH PROJECT AT AUBURN UNIVERSITY. Interstate System, his goal was to disturb the terrain as little as possible. Mr. Norton is best known for "curves unseen" and designing widely divided and bifu,,*Y'd lanes as a rule rather than an exception. The motorist's experience of flowing through the countryside is enhanced when the road angles are placed at the crests of hills. As one tops the hill, new vistas are revealed. When one is driving on a straight road, attention can be focused on the scenery instead of distracting curves. The technical term "bifucation" was suggested in the interstate manuals as landscape amenity, allowing roadways to be located independently in elevation either vertically, horizontally or both. An excellent example of bifucation is along I-59 in northeast Alabama near Fort Payne, where one lane clings to the side of the mountain while the other lane is elevated, offering a broad view of the valley. Norton relied on the beauty of nature to break the monotony of driving. Features of the natural landscape such as tree groves and rock outcroppings were detennining factors in establishing the amount of width and curvature in the mediums. His study of aerial maps led him to recommend bifucation for economic as well as aesthetic reasons in some of the roughest areas. Designing in harmony with the terrain was often less expensive than levelling a massive area for a roadbed. Other elements affect our experience of the interstate. Billboardsare necessary for information, but have to be controlled in order to avoid ruining the beautiful views we have with excessive clutter. Rest areas and welcome centers are developed to give a positive impression of the state and to provide necessary services. Research being done with wildflowers may one day make driving through the state even more pleasant. BILlBOARDS .". hen the Interstate System was prom posed, President Eisenhower expressed his hopes about opening views to virgin land and his fears about cluttering these views with excessive signage. It was Lady Bird Johnson's special interest in DesignAlabama 18 BELOW: IN ALABAMA, CLDSE TO 900 PERMITS A YEAR ARE ISSUED FOR NEW BIUBOARDS. scenic beauty that led to the passage of the Highway Beautification Act of 1965. "Ironically the very legislation that envic ronmentalists fought for to help regulate billboards was weakened with amendments proposed by the billboard lobby. The Act's intent was to ban billboards outside commercial and industrial areas within 660 feet of federal roads. The effect of this distance requirement has been to increase the size of billboards. In 1965 the common size of signs was 672 square feet, 30 feet high. Now there are jumbo signs of 2,500 square feet (the area of a tennis court), with no height restrictions, resulting in IS-story engineering feats. Phony zoning occurred when some states declared all roadside property commercial. Another loophole allows the designation of "unzoned commercialproperty" on 600 feet of either side of commercial areas, encouraging spot and strip zoning of small pieces of property in rural areas with a shed or a couple of parking spaces. thus making the land eligible for 4"-"'" billboard placement. In 1978, the billboard industry persuaded Congress to pass a "fair compensation" amendment whereby companies are paid to remove non-conforming signs (signs not meeting distance or zoning requirements) and to give preference to removing those signs recommended by billboard companies. The effect was that taxpayers payed for the removal of a few small and obsolete signs, but no funds have been allocated for sign removal since 1982. The 5th Amendment requires the payment when private property is taken for public use. However, the courts continue to uphold the right to regulate billboards based on a 1918 case establiShing the "parasite principle"- i.e., billboards don't derive their value from the private land they stand on but from the public roads they stand next to. Hence, an industry that exploits windfall values which the public inadvertently creates is in effect a public parasite, and the community has a right to regulate it. The proliferation of signs on federal roads is apparent with approximately 14 billboards per ten miles on a national average. In Alabama, close to 900 permits a year are issued for new billboards with 9,212 permits being granted between 1971- 1987. The State Highway Department staff is aware of their obligation to remove nonconforming si~nage but can only administer the law and funded programs. REST AREAS AND WELCOME CENTERS ~ labama has twenty-six official.rest IiII areas operated by the State Highway Department, anil eight welcome centerS operated cooperatively by the State Highway Department and the Bureau of Tourism and Travel. Location decisions were based on placement between each major city and cities and the state line. Over $4 million dollars is spent annually On maintenance of these facilities to keep them operational twenty-four hours a day. Recently an incentive program was established to give awards for excellence, utilizing unannounced inspections. The Bureau of Tourism and Travel is responsible for staffing the welcome centers, while the Highway Department keeps the grounds. Welcome centers can be enjoyed equally by visitors and residents of Alabama, and are worth the stop. The Grand Bay Welcome Center on I-IO at the Mississippi state line is decorated with fresh flower arrangements and there are picnic shelters under graceful shade trees. Staff members distribute free soda, route travelers to their destinations, reserve overnight accommodations, and otherwise are on7 hand to give any information needed. National Weather Service reports are also available. Many of the welcome centers have outstanding site development, including sweeping ramps, appropriate buffers and separation of traffic, footpaths. pet paths and picnic shelters. The style of architecture varies widely. One of the more sensitive sites is the Robert S. Hardy Welcome Center in Clebume County (architect. Pat Williams; landscape design, Cliff Dixon). This building's unobtrusive exterior, made of native stone and wood materials, blends well with the natural environment. Often travellers take in the beautiful view while rocking on the back porch in handmade furniture by craftsman, David Hand. These details create a simple, inviting center. WILDFLOWERS nne quarter of one percent of all feda eral money allocated for landscaping is designated for wildflower planting. In Alabama, Professor Ray Dickens of Auburn University's Department of Agronomy and Soils is conducting a threeyear research project to identify and propagate wildflowers for the Interstate System. Emphasis is being placed on increasing the abundance of two species, verbena regida ("roadside verbena") and showy evening primrose. Plans are underway for trial sites throughout the state and the creation of "wildflower areas" in the right of ways. The Alabama Conservancy is also assisting in a few small community based experiments in wildflower plantings. Some states, including Texas and North Carolina, give high priority to their wildflower programs. Studies have demonstrated as much as 29% reduction in littering in areas planted with flowers. Once an area is made more attractive, the usual offenders, who seem to have no inhibitions about adding to the accumulation of trash. are more hesitant to litter.. BIRMINGHAM EXPLORES THE POSSIBILITIES As the Interstate System is developed to meet the mission of moving more traffic efficiently for long distances, the challenge is how to best provide a transportation path and contribute positively to the environment. Design features and amenities of highest priority to the State Highway Department concern safety and the driving experience. But it cannot be forgotten and should not be ignored that the Interstate is a large and looming reality for the people who live nearby.lttakes creative initiatives to maintain the essence of a place altered by an eight-lane interstate, and to recapture for people the space surrounding a structure constructed for automobiles. Some groups in the Birmingham area are committed to using interstate property for improving the quality of their community. The City of Birmingham has become increasingly more aware of the importance of design in contributing to a community's pride and economic viability. Mike Dobbins, Director of Urban Design and Planning, believes perceptions are a key to working with the Interstate System in the city. Ramps from the Interstate are most often called "exits" but this connotes leaving something that is happening and going somewhere else that mayor may not be as exciting. If all ramps into the city are termed "entrances" then there exists an attitudinal base for expectations, a sense of going to, or entering something special. A community's willingness to improve its formal entrance is much stronger than an appeal to "dress up the back door." Birmingham's Cultural District, encompassing the northern area of downtown near the Civic Center, Museum of Art and municipal complex, is being deSignated with special graphics and public landscaping. The initial implementation of the plan has begun with I-59's Entrances at 17th and 22nd Streets. Charles Greiner, landscape architect, screened the underside of the Interstate, and some of the more barren views, with special plantings and by creating mounds adjacentto the ramps. To reenforce the idea of a gateway to the Cultural , . PItOTO COURTESY RED MOUllTAlI MUSEUM OF SClEiCE. ABOVE: RED MOUNTAIN EXPRESSWAY CUT WHICH REVEAlED OVER 200,000 YEARS OF EARTH'S HISTORY. BELOW: HIGHlAND AVENUE OVERLOOK PlAZA (CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS), INITIATED BY THE CITY DF BIRMINGHAM AS A PEDESTRIAN AMENITY FOR THE EXPRESSWAY. District, he and designer Bob Moody created towers with banners in view from I-59. The banners are conceived as a super graphic system with the Cultural District's abstract logo of stars and bright colors hung as frozen ribbon through the tower. The Downtown Farmers market operated by Operation New Birmingham is located under the expressway between 1st and 2nd Avenue North on land leased from the State Highway Department. The market is self-suppporting; farmers are charged rent on a per day basis to increase opportunities for selling fresh produce directly to the public. Festive banners create a sense of enclosure for the market. The City not only takes advantage of the space under the roadway but has recently developed an overlook sitting area on Highland Avenue where the expressway bridge offers a view of the down- PIIlYO: IIU RIClEJI town skyline. Ornamental iron fencing, special treatment of the pavement and planters for community garden projects will increase the enjoyment of this area. The Red Mountain Science Museum was founded as a center to interpret the geological history of the area when the expressway cut revealed 200,000 years of the story of an ever-changing world. Audio tapes, guided tours and signs assist in interpreting the natural features seen on a 1/3 mile elevated walkway above the expressway. Southtown Housing Community used their Neighborhood Association funds to commission artist Vance Wesson to create murals on the expressway's retaining wall running several hundred feet adjacent to apartments. The placement of the expressway had created abrupt dead-end streets, ending in high walls that collected large amounts of graffiti. The mural project involved children working with the artist and created a new sense of pride and ownership that has kept the walls graffiti-free. A model anti-litter program for the Interstate is sponsored by the Harbert Corporation. John Harbert was impressed with the cleanliness of the freeways in northern Europe, and he became committed to doing something about the litter problem in the Birmingham area. For fourteen years he has hired thirty-four young people during the summer to pick up litter along the interstate. In addition to providing job opportunities and being a public service, there is another objective - to increase public awareness of the existence of litter by piling the bagged trash at highly visible interchanges. The Harbert Corporation frequently responds to inquiries from other cities and corporations interested in developing similar programs. For more information contact Don Franklin, P.O. Box 1297, Birmingham, AL 35201, or phone 487-5500. The Interstate System offers us a scale of organizing. we have never had before. Rather than seeing it as an aesthetic curse, we can begin imagining how our interactions with it can contribute to creating a more delightful environment .• Ann Adams is community resource officer for the city of Birmingham and a member of the board of Design Alabama, Inc. BELOW: DOWNTOWN FARMER'S MARKET, A UVELY USE OF THE SPACE UNDER THE EXPRESSWAY. 19 Volume 1, No.2 GETTING INTO YOUR SPACE What percentage of time do we spend indoors during the day, working, eating, shopping, and taking care of other business? Seventy-five percent? Whatever, it is a significant amount for most of us. In many cases an interior designer has created the spaces in which you may find yourself doing these things, whether they be comfortable and inviting, or awe-inspiring, or simply functional. When clients or customers enter a building their overall impression of the establishment, which began with the architecture and landscaping, is completed by the interior design. Meanwhile, the day-to-day function of any place, be it a bank, corporate office, restaurant or municipal building, depends on where things and people are located, how accessible they are, and how easy it is to move from one place to another. Designer Rebecca Hatcher of Binningham describes her profession as "the heart of architecture." In fact, the architecture of a building and its interior are inextricably linked, each depends on the other, according to the needs and wishes of the client, to deternline what a building will end up being. It is the interior designer's job to make the space inside the building work for the client. Interior design is influenced by the latest developments in work stations, ergonomics, acoustics, lighting, finishes, building codes, communications, and environmental control. The interior designer's objective remains constant for all types of projects, but every project is different. For example a designer would choose specific furniture types and upholstery for restaurant use that would be different from furnishings specified for a corporate office. Image, durability and function are all factors in the selection process. Image design is becoming more and more important to businesses as competition increases for both customers and skilled employees. Interior designers interpret client image ideas into three dimensional and tangible space. The "concept" is a group of ideas or an attitude about the project that gives the client and designer something to base decisions on. A bank client for instance might want to project an image of being established, aggressive and "with it" in a new downtown office building. An interior design concept could be to use traditional elements, such as DesignAlabama 20 DESIGNERS BOB MOODY, REBECCA HATCHER AND LIBBY FLYNN DISCUSS A PROJECT. mouldings, columns, rich wood and fabric finishes, in a refined, contemporary translation. When discussing interiors, questions about the difference between interior design and interior decoration always arise. Design deals with the organization of the space; it is the process of shaping the space to meet the minimum functional requirements. Every interior design project does include decoration because it deals with the total concept of the space. Decoration is the embellishment of that space, in addition to its minimum functional requirements. The interior design process impacts every functional and aesthetic aspect of the interior space. When the public views a well designed 'room, it ap- "Interior design to me still remains the most relevant art form. " -Bob Moody pears to have "order and logic." This is not by accident. It is a result of planning and coordination, and includes such things as planning for the HV AC duct work and thennostat location, designing to highlight an existing piece of artwork or furniture, lighting for a specific task or designing custom furniture that compliments the space. To better understand the complexity of this process, each phase is defined and examined based upon an actual project, a private dining club. PROGRAMMING Programming is gathering infonnation about the project requirements which are then out- C ontractinterior design Isa$47 billion market. This figure, based on estimates made by McGraw Hil! Construction Information Group and the professional interior design associations, 'lnc!udes design fees, building products and furnishings. In 1987, despite a projected 5% decline forecast for new non-residential building construction, interior contract design was expected to grow by 20%, with remodeling and renovation the fastest growing segments of the industry. More than hall 01 these projects will be contracted by oliices, financial institutions, and trade businesses. There are two interior design associations in Alabama which serve their members by oliering continuing education, addressing issues which affect the profession, educating the public and increasing awareness 01 the profession. Public service is also an important activity They are the state chapters of the American Society of fnterior Designers (ASID) and the Institute 01 Business Designers (IBO). The principal difference between the organizations is that IBD requires its members to be engaged in 80% commercial work, i.e. non-residential. Alabama was the first state to require licensing of interior designers by law. lined in a drawing and used to define and review the forthcoming design documents. It's a way to determine how much space the client needs and how to plan for functional needs. For this project, the program stated that the club would seat approximately 200 persons, be served by a remote kitchen, have one large centrally located bar, would use existing art as a focal point and that the design would incorporate a blend of traditional and contemporary elements within the constraints of the existing space. SCHEMATIC DESIGN Schematic design is the designer's first illustration of possible design solutions. The purpose of this phase is to assist the client in understanding the program, verify feasibility of the project, and obtain client approval in order to proceed with a design solution. Bubble diagrams were done to explore and test relationships between the separate functions within the space. Schematic design solutions were presented to the client as a sketch floor plan drawn to scale, which indicated the preliminary space and furniture layout. It included proposed wall finishes, flooring, colors, lighting, electrical, moulding, cabinet work and budget. DESIGN D EVE LOP MEN T Design development drawings are based on the approved schematics and begin to describe the overall project, including new elements which were not a part of the previous schematic phase. While some finishes may have been generally discussed in the schematic phase, the bulk of interior finishes, -- <. t--- .............. PROGRAMMING = DESIGN DEVELOPMENT CONSTRUCTION design details, furnishings, and any other items substantially impacting the design of the project, must now be reviewed and approved by the client. With an approved design scheme, the scope of the club's design process was expanded to examine, in greater detail, all of the elements of the interior, including ceiling plan, bar layout and equipment selection, lighting, plumbing, mechanical system design, custom furniture design, furniture selection, furniture fabric selection, finish selections, and coordination with the contractor. The construction and furniture budgets are also reviewed in greater detail. CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS Based upon the approved design development drawings, the designer will proceed with the construction documents which include all of the necessary information forsuccessful construction of the project. L- -g -• . • • - . I .. ~ ,.. .....-v.JCI .......... --..,.... , ... ~ -,. • .. SCHEMATIC DESIGN "Interior design is a continual education process for designer and client. Each new project brings new issues and new elements in shaping interior space." -Stephania B. Walker, ASID, IBD "A pleasant and functional environment, either in a home, workplace or public space contributes greatly to a person's physical and mental well-being." T - Helen Middleton, ASID BIDDING he designer will assist the client in preparation for bidding the project or in negotiating the construction contract with a selected contractor. Detailed furniture, upholstery and artwork specifications are prepared by the designer at this time for use by the owner. CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION The designer will review the ongoing construction process periodically and as required to assure that construction is in compliance with the construction documents. During the construction administration phase of -, .' J , ~:. DESIGN DEVELOPMENT 318" • 1' - 0' ..... ' """"....-............. ..- .... ,.,(. ...-:t; ~ .. --- -~- • ,,---.' .. ' ...... ~. ~ ~. '"' '" CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION the club, the designer reviews subcontractor shop drawings, observes construction, accommodates owner changes, and coordinates consultant review of the construction and furniture deliveries. In our example, the most Significant problem to arise during construction concerned the fabric selected for the two hundred dining chairs. A shortage of stocked fabric meant that the fabric would have to be manufactured in Europe, shipped overnight to the port of entry, "walked" through customs, shipped overnight to the chair manufacturers (who would have the chair frames standing ready for upholstery), immediately put on a truck and delivered one day before the club had to open. The designer had to coordinate this effort with the furniture dealer, the owner's scheduling consultant, the contractor and, most important, assure the owner that the chairs would arrive on time. Construction went smoothly and the chairs arrived earlier than scheduled. The design process is much more than selecting colors or choosing furniture; it is a deliberate, methodical, alI-encompassing procedure that requires professional attention. The designer plays an integral role in the process, from the first programming meeting to the day the client occupies the space. ChOOSing to contract with a qualified and experi· enced designer is the best assurance that the project will run smoothly .• The study sketches and ideas of the design development phase are transformed into the explicit construction documents required for final pricing and construction. The construction document package is a set of drawings done by the bar and equipment consultant, mechanical and electrical engineers and the designer. The designer is responsible for coordination of all the information within the set of documents. For example, the designer sees that the 'electrical engineer has pro��vided power to the kitchen consultant's specified equipment, housed within the cabinets that were drawn by the designer. THE COMPLETED PRIVATE DINING CLUa STANDS READY FOR DINNER This article was written as a resuU of a formal discussion among some of Birmingham's leading interior designers, and was compiled primarily by Libby S. Flynn formerly of KiddJPlosserlSprague Archilects. 21 Volume 1, No.2 Details+Of Interest From Fort to Port An Architectural History of Mobile, Alabama, 1711-1918 by Elizabeth Barrett Gould (University of Alabama Press, 1988) DesignAlabama 22 BOOK REVIEW o he rehabilitation of old buildings has become one of the fashionable trends of the eighties. Yet the appreciation of buildings as artifacts-in terms of what they can tell us about our culture-has lagged woefully behind. For every serious inquiry into how the built environment evolved (and by extension, how it can be more wisely managed), there are dozens of glib articles treating our stock of old buildings more as prestige backdrops for today's lifestyles than as objects of legitimate scholarship Elizabeth Barrett Gould's From Fort to Port: An Architectural History of Mobile, Alabama, 1711-1918 is a timely reminder that the wellresearched architectural history of a given city can greatly sharpen our vision of the past and of the urban setting in particular, along with the interwoven political, social and economic forces that produced it For Alabama, the book is especially significant as the first full-fledged narrative architectural history ever to deal with a single community. Mrs. Gould treats her subject objectively, carefully sifting fact from supposition. And she comes well-qualified for her task, being an emeritus professor in art history at the University of South Alabama, as well as consulting architectural historian with the Mobile Historic Development Commission. Mrs. Gould's years of devoted research among a wide array of primary source materials is evident throughout the book. Particularly impressive is her skillful use of municipal tax records, city council minutes, original building contracts ferreted out of county archives, and even French colonial repositories, to help piece together a colorful and diverse story. On this architectural journey through Mobile's past, one senses the rhythms of a whole society, the waxing and waning of the King Cotton economy, the days of the lumber baron, and, always, the abiding presence of the sea which brought both prosperity and periodic devastation. Yet gradually a city with a distinctive architectural accent, an identifiable sense of place, ernerged. Unfortunately, one of the silent rnessages ernerging frorn Elizabeth Gould's book is the fact that modern Mobile has carelessly sacrificed much of that distinctive flavor to an ofttimes specious "progress." Elegant, coherent streetscapes of lacey ironwork verandas beneath towering live oaks have gradually yielded to a cacophony of plastic, neon and asphalt, or sirnply to forlorn empty lots amid inner-city abandonrnent A disheartening number of fine buildings pictured in the book carry the word "destroyed" in their caption. And for the rnost part it is rnan, not nature, who has been the chief agent of destruction. The conservation of multilayered, richly textured built environrnents depends upon our perception of thern as a fragile resource rather than as merely a cornrnodity to be exploited and tossed aside. Mrs. Gould's book is a rnajor contribution toward the understanding of one such environrnent and will hopefully inspire studies of equal merit dealing with other Alabama cornmunities. Review by Robert Gamble, Architectural Historian, Alabama Historical Conunission. CHILTON MARKET I.. CLANTON, ALABAmA Interstate Interchange Opportunity The charrette team discusses possibilities for the Clanton interchange on the porch of the Chilton County Chamber of Commerce building, located very near the interchange. From left to right: Rip Weaver, The Land/Plan Group, Inc., Montgomery; Skip Pennington, Guy Arello/design & illustration, Birmingham; Steve McDowell, Raintree County Studio, Clanfon; Dale Fritz, Barbour-Cooper & Partners, Birmingham; Philip Morris, SOUTHERN LIVING, Birmingham; Guy Arello, Guy Arello/design & illuStration; and Pat Gallagher, Infown Architects Inc., Birmingham. Clanton's Community Development Director Obie Littleton observes the process. People of Clanton gather to see what the team accomplished during the day. m n April 5, the people of Clanton got together with landscape architects, an architect, graphic deSigners, and design advocates to explore tourisrn opportunities which exist for the Clanton area at the 1-65/Hwy 31 interchange. Irnplernenting good design concepts at the interstate "parkway" would have a direct and substantial econornic irnpact on the city, and would be a rnodel of interstate interchange design for the entire state. The day was spent "brainstorrning," on a design for the area, an activity referred to as a charrette. It began with a meeting of those interested in the project to discuss Clanton's assets, and issues to be addressed in planning, for the benefit of the deSign team. "Things like highway interchanges tend not to be designed because no one is really responsible for them. They turn out to be a no rnan's land. On the other hand when people stop here or think about stopping here, they're really concerned about whether it's a nice experience or not," said Philip Morris in the Tuesday rnorning meeting. This interchange has been rezoned and falls within the city lirnits, giving Clanton an unusual opportunity to rnake it a special place. There are many things about the area which can be enhanced to draw more people in to visit as they travel through the state. For example, Chilton County is known all over the country for peaches. There are many farrns in close proximity to the interchange, and the possibility of creating a "peach trail" detouring off the interstate through the county has been discussed. There is the opportunity , to market other crops grown in the area as i well, extending the tourist season beyond spring when the peaches are harvested. The catalyst for the project is the factory store mall being built at the interchange. "We have given a lot of consideration to the design and the impression we're going to make on the people passing on the interstate. If you : can create an identity to this intersection other . than a cornrnercial identity, if you can create an aesthetic design identity that would cause people to stop and recreate, tl1at would be irnportant to the success of my project," said developer Torn Underwood. The key issues are landscape, sorne degree of architecture, and signage and graphics relating direcily to businesses and tourisrn. By the end of the day, the design team had prepared recornrnendations lor a landscape plan for the entire area, guidelines for the architectural detailing of buildings, and a graphic irnage/marketing theme. The plan is now under.consideration by the City of Clanton. This project was conceived by and is a technical assistance initiative of Design Alabama, Inc. MAJOR LANDMARK LOST Seibels·Ball·Lanier Mansion, Montgomery Seibels·BalH.anier Mansion as it appeared in 1934. III Iter a year long touch-and-go battle to save it, Montgomery's historic Seibels-BallLanier mansion has been demolished. According to F. Lawerence Oaks, Executive Director of the Alabama Historical CommisSion, it is probably the Single most significant house to be lost by the state in several years. preSidential candidate Stephen A. Douglas (of the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates) at his palatial residence when Douglas visited Montgomery in the late 1850's. Seibels himself opposed the secession movement, and his mansion remained darkened on the night of January II, 1861 , when surrounding homes were illuminated to celebrate Alabama's withdrawal from the Union. Like Robert E. Lee, however, Seibels cast his lot with the Confederacy once Civil War became inevitable. An extensive renovation in 1948 removed the mansion's ornate wrap-around porch, along with the tall rooltop observatory and a handsome interior spiral stair. In recent years vandals had also destroyed or stolen other features. Yet the great brick house, with its wide eaves and tall windows, remained an imposing landmark overlooking the state capitol and downtown Montgomery from a commanding hilltop setting. OPERATION NEW BIRMINGHAM 19th Street: Design Solutions, Continued D n 1985 Operation New Birmingham included a 19th Street Task Force in its body 01 Committees, to address City Center activities and areas of development. It had long been recognized that the 19th Street retail district was experiencing hard times, and the redesign of the street by Pedro Costa in 1981-82 represented an attempt to make the area attractive to shoppers once again alter years of falling vitality and business activity Although much about the elaborately landscaped Costa plan was admirable, it failed in the end to create a revitalization; in fact, the costs and construction period involved in the 19th Street redesign resulted in a further erosion of business along the thoroughfare. Also, it came to be considered a very un-Birmingham ian place and was consigned to a sort of oblivion in the minds of most Birmingham shoppers. A charrette (design "brainstorming") was held in February to bring public attention to the problems of 19th Street and to arrive at recommendations for modification of the Costa design. These modifications were to make the street more usable and attractive, reversing the recent trend of declining business activity and subsequent neglect and desertion of buildings in the area. The charrette was not intended to produce a completely new design for the retail district, but to find ways to capitalize on the good that presently exists, and remove or improve what is bad. Participating were teams of Auburn University landscape architecture and planning students. Local design professionals acted as advisors and team captains There were recommendations appearing in each team's presentation that were of general concern to the whole group. From these a short list of "most wanted" improvements was compiled, concerning street parking, planting, street furniture, lighting, and emphasis on the excellent architectural character of the buildings in the district. . A public meeting was held to present the findings and get feedback on the results. It was well attended and newspaper and TV coverage was substantial. The project was under the primary direction of landscape architect Edah B. Grover, a member of the 19th Street Task Force. Other local design professionals and Birmingham City officials were very involved, and Urban Impact, Inc. were co-sponsors. Auburn students study 19th street before brainstorming for design solutions. Built in the mid-1850s, the Seibels mansion was a major example of the Italianate style of architecture that became popular in Alabama just before the Civil War. Architectural historians regard it as one of the few Alabama houses of its era that could be considered truly in the national architectural vanguard, observes the Historical Commission. When it was erected, innovative features incorporated into the Seibels residence included a highly functional asymmetrical floorplan, gas lighting throughout. and an advanced insulation system that made use of sand between the massive floor joists and hollow-wall construction system. "It was definitely state-of-the-art building technology for the 1850s:' says Historical Commission architectural historian Robert Gamble. To the last the Seibels mansion also preserved its attached two-story brick slave quarters. A local development group, the New Philadel-· phia Corporation, had worked out plans to refurbish the Seibels mansion as a restaurant and inn. But the scheme fell through in April when the group, which held an option on the property, was unable to secure financing through local ........................... .. John J. Seibels-ambassador, lawyer and owner of the house during the Civil War-is believed to have entertained Democratic banks. Owners of the house, the Southern Poverty Law Center, proceeded with demolition. JUBILEE 88! ~ ________ • _________ ~ Festival Folly Competition . -_..... "~-'- -..........-.. Lea Verneuille's design concept for the Jubilee Folly. The scaffolding represents building; active participation in preserving and creating an architectural heritage for the city. III competition among Montgomery architects age 29 and under was held to design a symbolic/monumental structure, built for Jubilee 1988, the city's annual festival held Memorial Day week-end. Lea Verneuille of Seay, Seay & Litchfield won first prize, Mike Ellis of Narrows, Brown and Parsons took second, and Brenda Forrester of Chambless & Associates was awarded an honorable mention. The jury, made up of representatives of organizations and businesses sponsoring the project, felt that Verneuille's concept 'made a significant and graphic statement in support of historiC preservation in Montgomery, and in this sense is relevant to both the community celebration of Jubilee and the importance of architecture in the life of the city," which is exactly what Verneuille was trying to communicate. I 'wanted to make Montgomerians mindful of our architectural heritage, and aware of the importance of working to maintain and enhance the beauty of the city for the future." The project was sponsored by the Montgomery Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, Architectural Panel Systems, Woolard Brothers Plastering, The 187th Civil Engineering Squadron of the Alabama Air National Guard, and the Montgomery Chapter of ASSOCiated General Contractors. 23 Volume I, No.2 COURT SQUARE Auburn Students Work on Capital Ideas III n April 29, third and fourth year students of landscape architecture from Auburn University presented design proposals for Montgomery's Court Square. The week-long studio project started on Monday with a visit by the students to get a feel for the area, and to learn about its history from Mrs. Mary Ann Neeley, director of The Landmarks Foundation, and plans for the future of downtown from Mr. Stan Umstead, city planner. The students brought to the design of Court Square their sensitivity to the historic significance and civic value of the place, and an understanding of the need for appropriate pedestrian urban spaces coupled with functional concerns of vehicular traffic patterns. As Montgomery has grown and changed so has Court Square. These 13 conceptual designs suggest how Court Square might appear as downtown continues to evolve. The proposals address the importance of the fountain and Court Square as a civic space of enduring value. The students' charge was to give Court Square the physical prominence that it has already achieved symbolically in the minds of Montgomery residents. Three basic design alternatives were explored: 1) Traffic circulation through Court Square remains the same and the redesign of the pedestrian areas is the major concern, 2) Court Square is returned to a traffic circle around the fountain and Court Street is reopened to cars, and 3) Traffic through the Square remains the same, Court Street mayor may not be reopened and the pedestrian spaces are reconsidered. Serving on Friday's jury were Rip Weaver, president of the Alabama Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), Philip Morris, executive editor of SOUTHERN LIVING and chairman of Design Alabama, Inc., and Brian LaHaie and Catherine S Campbell of the Landscape Architecture Department. The concept presented by Ken Mullins was named best. His design resolves with clarity the passage of cars through Court Square and returns the fountain to its prominence as a civic monument. The addition of trees along the perimeter softens the edges of the Square. Rusty Smith was awarded second place, and both Kevin Young and Curtis Schrand received honorable mention. Sponsors of the project were the Landmarks Foundation, Balch and Bingham, a law firm located on Court Square, and Design Alabama, Inc. The drawings were displayed this summer in the Alabama Artists Gallery, (located on Court Square) as part of the "Designing Alabama" exhibition co-sponsored by the State Arts Council and Design Alabama, Inc. Both the student project and the exhibition were initiatives of Design Alabama, Inc. Ken Mullins presents his winning proposal for a future design of Court Square. Proposal for Court Square DesignAlabama 24 WAY TO GO MOBILE A Public Urban Design Forum Over 230 people attended the urban design forum in Mobile. III n May 16 over 230 Mobilians gathered at the Riverview Plaza to address the need for better public awareness and activity in planning for the future of their city, Michael Levanthal of the Mobile Historic Development Commission said that the forum was "designed to present a layered perspective of the various components that need to be actively pursued, intellectually and actually, if the future of this City is to be guided, rather than left to happenstance." The half-day program was sponsored by Streetscapes and the Historic Mobile Preservation Society and included presentations by Mayor Arthur Outlaw; Dick Huffman of WRT, a planning firm based in Philadelphia; Dick Ryan, architect for the Texas Main Street Program; Marcia Bansley; Nancy Anne Dawe and Ed Macie of Trees Atlanta; Dr. Michael Thomason, history professor, University of South Alabama; Frank McRight of VOTE, (Voters For Opportunity Through Education); and Becky Mullen of Design Alabama, Inc. VIDEO The condition of downtown was a primary issue, Downtown, with ail of its history and atmosphere, could be an invaluable asset to the City of Mobile, Development of a convention center on the waterfront makes the need for planning downtown revitalization immediate, and the city has taken steps to encourage it. "We need to restore our downtown area to its Southern charm, add more trees and plants ane sidewalk lighting, stores with apartments upstairs, and otherwise encourage a pede
Click tabs to swap between content that is broken into logical sections.
Title | Design Alabama: The Public Forum for Design in Alabama, Volume 1, Issue 2, 1988 |
Description | This is the Volume I, Issue II, issue of Design Alabama: The Public Forum for Design in Alabama, a newsletter dedicated to all types of design in Alabama. This issue features articles on the theme "Toward Urban Design". The newsletter also describes different types of design projects in architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, engineering, interior design, industrial design, graphic design, and fashion design plus historic buildings and sites. |
Article List | 1. Campus Landscape Plan, The University of Alabama; 2. Urban Design: It's Everybody's Business: Gulf Shores, Birmingham, Decatur, Mobile; 3. Front Page News; 4. Interacting with the Interstate; 5. Getting Into Your Space; 6. Historical Perspective: Fashion Design: Expressions of Change |
Creators | Design Alabama, Inc.; Alabama State Council on the Arts; Auburn University |
Date | 1988 |
Decade | 1980s |
Editor | Mullen, Becky |
Art Director | Hartsfield, Nancy |
Writers | Morris, Philip; Hamilton, Charles; Hollingsworth, Patsy; Iida, Suzanne; Leventhal, Michael S.; Williams, Ed; Adams, Ann; Flynn, Libby S.; Stewart, Carolyn Thomas |
LC Subject Headings |
City planning -- Alabama Fashion design -- Alabama Interior decoration -- Alabama Engineering design -- Alabama Highway engineering -- Alabama Urban renewal -- Alabama |
TGM Subject Headings |
City planning Urban renewal Clothing & dress Fashion designers Textiles Interior decoration Interior design Interiors Roads |
EOA Categories |
Peoples -- Domestic Life Business & Industry -- Retailing Arts & Literature -- Architecture Business & Industry -- Economy Arts & Literature -- Decorative Arts Geography & Environment -- Human Environment -- Cities and Towns Geography & Environment -- Human Environment -- Transportation Routes Peoples -- Urban Life |
Type | Text; images |
Format | |
File Name | Volume I Issue II DA.pdf |
Source | Design Alabama, Inc. |
Digital Publisher | Auburn University Libraries |
Language | eng |
Rights | This image is the property of the Auburn University Libraries and is intended for non-commercial use. Users of the image are asked to acknowledge the Auburn University Libraries. |
Submitted By | Carter, Jacqueline |
Transcript |
VOLUME I
ISSUE II
$2.50
."
abama
---::--~
I I (J'" tli,' 0 ".,', t,'I'
1 2 3
4
VOLUME I, ISSUE II
DESIGN ALABAMA. INC. IS
SUPPORTED BY:
THE AlABAMA STATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS
THE BLOUNT FOUNDATION
THE ALABAMA POWER COMPANY.
MR. A. F. DELCHAMPS. JR.
r---s 6
If response to the first issue of this journal is any
indication, Design Alabama's future looks promising. Many
thanks to those who have already become charter members.
THE MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER/JOURNAl
7
8
Cover:
Design Alabama, Inc.
Baard of Directors
Philip Morris, Chairperson
Soulhern living
Charles Raine, Vice Chairperson
Tuskegee Universily
Nancy Hartslield. Secrelary
Auburn University
Ann Adams. Cily .OI Birmingham
Margaret Carpenter, Compos-it, Inc.
1. Birmingham 2. Mobile
Design Alabama, Inc. has been very busy this year planning
and doing projects such as the Clanton 1-65 interchange charrette
and the Court Square student project, which you will read
about in "Details of Interest." The "Designing Alabama" exhibition
displayed in the Alabama Artists Gallery this summer was
well attended, and a video presentation will be completed this
fall. These initiatives are an important part of what we're working
to accomplish in Alabama.
Charles Greiner, Greiner, Yare & Partners
Joseph Lee. Alabama A & M Universily
Janel Miller. Tiller/Butner/Rosa Archilecls
Sue Morrow Parker ,University of Alabama
3. Gulf Shores 4. Decatur 5. Mobile
6. Birmingham 7. Mobile In regard to the potential of Design Alabama, The Public
Forum for Design in Alabama, an editorial in the Huntsville
News stated that "One can even see a positive effect, over a
decade or so, on that most wispy of creatures, Alabama's "image"
in the mind of its neighbors and the rest of the world. "We need
your sustained support, encouragement and cooperation in
order to see that decade pass, and to accomplish the things that
will create those positive effects. Mr. Robert H. Allen, attorney
and past president of the Historic Mobile Preservation Society
commented, "Design Alabama, Inc. represents a new direction
in Alabama and one I am confident will meet with much
Ken Penuel. Alabama Power Co.
8. Birmingham lloyd Philpol.lnlergraph Corp.
success."
EDITOR: BECKY MULLEN
ART DIRECTOR: NANCY HARTSFIELD
ARCHITECTURE
Architects
practice tile art and
science of creating,
preserving and remod-ellng
buildings.
Ideally tIIey wart to
articulate an Image of
tile client who owns
the building, what
happens there, and
what it means to tile
community. Once the
aesthetic and func-tional
aspects of a
design are conceived,
engineers and otller
professionals are
consulted to make tile
building wort accord-ing
to the laws of
physics, safety and
access cades, and ne-cessities
such as
electricity and plumb-
Ing. Architects are re-qulred
to haYe a wort-
Ing knowledge of all
tIIese building
elllllBllls.
LANDSCAPE
ARCHITECTURE
Landscape architects
specialize In exterior
environments. They
apply creatlI8 and
technical skills to
oY8rall site plans,
landscape grading
and drainage, irriga-tion,
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 street-scapes,
gardens,
parks or gateways are
also examples of jobs
for tile landscape
architect. (See the
article on page 7.)
INTERIOR
DESIGN
Interior designers
organize spaces
Inside buildings,
making tIIem func-tional
and pleasing to
be In. The designer's
presentation to tile
client usually in-cludes
floor plans,
color charts, photo-graphs
of furnishings,
samples of materials
for upholstery, draper-ies
and wall cover-ings,
and often color
renderings or
sketches. Every
aspect of the interior
is tile concern of tile
designer from the first
presentation to tile in-stallation
of tile last
accessory. (See tile
article starting on
page 20.)
URBAN
DESIGN
Urban designers and
plaMers are con-cerned
witll the
functional and visual
relationships be-tween
people and
tIIeir physical envi-ronment
in the
broadest sense.
Among otller things,
their wort results In
unified plans and
proposals for trans-portation
systems, in-dustrial
parks, sub-divisions,
downtown
renewal projects, and
shopping malls. They
formulate plans and
policies to meet the
social, economic, and
physical needs of
connunlties, and
tIIey develop the
strategies to make
tIIese plans wort.
This Involves IdenU-tying
urban problems
.. d opportunities,
_lyzIngand
Implementing
options, .. d tmlluat-
Ing results, (See tile
feature spread
startJal ....... 8.)
INDUSTRIAL
DESIGN
Industrial designers
are responsible for
function and aesthet-
Ics In tile manufac-tured
products people
use every day. Tooth
brushes, toasters,
cars, computer
terminals and tele-phones
are examples
of items industrial
designers make
usable and desirable
for human beings.
Colors, textures,
smells and sounds are
some of the elements
tIIey consider, and In
addition, any me-chanical
or electrical
components of a prod-uct
must wort prop-erly,
efflclenUy, and
safely.
Ed Pryce.Tuskegee
Anne WrighLSIreeIscajJes. Mobile
Represenlalive Mary Zoghby.Mobile
• Becky Mullen
Executive Director
Design Alabama is a publication of Design Alabama, Inc.
We welcome your comments and encourage submission ·of
articles, ideas lor future issues and especially items for
our departments. For complete information contact::
Design Alabama, IDC.
Alabama Stale Council on thl Arts
One Deiter Alenue
Montgomery, Al3&I30
(205) 261-401&
GRAPHIC
DESIGN
Graphic designers
create effectlY8
visual connunica-tion.
"Graphic" refers
to tile art tIIat com-munlcates,
and
"design" to tile aes-tIIetic
arrangement of
tile elements, inc Iud-ing
type, Illustration,
and/or photography.
A graphic designer
analyzes the client's
product and/or
message in relation to
a targeted audience,
and through concept
and art direction
produces an appropri-ate
advertisement, TV
commercial, magazine
format, brochure, or
any number of other
visual connunlcation
projects.
FASHION
DESIGN
Fashion designers
are style arbiters who
interpret the mood of
a generation, Intuit
papular taste, and
understand merchan-dising
and business
principles, They
attempt to resolve the
contradiction be-tween
art and industry
in order to construct a
collection of clotlling
and accessories witll
a unique sense of
style and taste, ena-bllng
people to create
a personal statement
about tIIemselves in
the way tIIey dress.
(See tile article
starting on page 25'.)
Several Alabama newspapers
have been redesigned to keep up with
changing times.
p.14
CONTENTS
Planned scenic vistas
on the interstate enhance the experience
of travelling in Alabama.
Interior design detailing
can create a unique image for
the client.
p.16 p. 20
FEATURE
"URBAN DESIGN
It's Everybody's Business."
An Introduction to the discipline and how four Alabama cities 8
profit from practicing it.
ARTICLES
"FRONT PAGE NEWS."
Several Alabama newspapers have recently undergone changes
in design. This article tells why and shows the difference.
" INTERACTING WITH THE INTERSTATE."
Interstate design in Alabama is recognized for excellence. A look
at interstate elements and issues.
"GETTING INTO YOUR SPACE."
This article shows how interior designers work to make your
space. and your image. what you want it to be.
DEPARTMENTS
Project. News
Work of statewide significance.
Design.Makes A Difference
"Campus Landscape. The University of Alabama."
Details+Of Interest
Noteworthy observations.
Historical'iPerspective
"Fashion Design: Expressions of Change."
14
16
20
4
7
22
25
TIlls I ..... 01 1IesI .. 1" ....... designed .nd produced o •• Macillosh $I: utllltlllll hgelllII ... Proofs
... prlllotl out 0 .. ta.WrItor Plus loti 11111 output ... D. I. L lOll. !!tsI"lI'UN would llketo IlptISS
lis lfIPf8cIIllD. to c...,. .. ·It. Inc. lor 1111 use ollis cotnpU1or facilities. prooflllll.nd paste-up.
Fashion has always been
an indicator of social attitudes
and trends.
p.25
urniact ... News
Project News is a
regular feature of
Desjgn Alabama
and provides an
opportunity to keep
up-to-date on design
projects that have an
impact on our
communities_
DesignAlabama 4
U R BAN
PLANNING
Donald J_ Cosby has been commissioned by
the Department of Urban Planning of the
City of Birmingham to prepare a revitalization
strategy for the area which is roughly defined as
First Avenue North. This area encompasses the
neighborhoods of East Lake and Roebuck and
extends up Parkway East to the city limits.
The work began in December with a defined
mission; to identity strategies which would
promote and generate commercial revitalization.
The impetus for this study came from the neighborhoods
and East Lake Methodist Churchnot
the merchants. The rationale of these groups
is that a healthy commercial district will help
maintain vibrant residential areas, active
community facilities, and institutions such as
churches. The initial part of the work is to be
complete within 12 months and will identify a
program or project which will demonstrate a
specific solution to a generic problem. The
uniqueness of the approach is that (1) the end
product of the 12 month process wi II be a
specific construction project-not a plan and
(2) the strategy is to evolve from the residents of
the community-this wi ll be their program,
geared to the unique aspects of the area. The
study involves tasks such as comparative analysis,
goal setting, economic assessment, and revitalization
plans and strategy.
BRYCE HDSPIT Al,
TUSCAlDDSA
PARAMOUNT CENTER,
MOBILE
ARCHITECTURE
The City of Mobile is planning for the construction
of the Mobile Convention Center, currently
being designed by Thompson,
Ventulett, Stainback & Associates of
Atlanta, who will work in association with The
Architects Group of Mobile. The selected site
for the center is on the watertront downtown.
The building will have up to 280,000 square
feet, will cost approximately $44 million dollars
and is estimated for completion in late 1991.
According to the feasibility analysis conducted
by Economics Research Associates in February
of 1987, the source of funds to support the new
convention center will result from annual tax
revenue generated, at a level of $5,728,562.
The projected total direct and indirect annual
visitor expenditures after completion is
$126,124,000.
The Architects Group is currently in the
construction phase of two dormitory buildings
for Bryce Hospital in Tuscaloosa. The project
totals 132,000 square-feet and the estimated
completion date is September of 1989. The
client is the Alabama Department of
Mental Health and Mental Retardation,
who have seen the completion of prototypes of
these bui ldings at Searcy Hospital in Mount
Vernon, Ala. This design has proven its costeffectiveness,
and the Bryce Hospital dormitories
will be very similar The projected cost of
the project is $9.5 miff ion. Ray Sumlin
Construction Company of Mobile is the
building contractor
Paramount Center, a speculative office building,
is a recent project of Architects Diversified,
Inc. of Mobile. The building utilizes curtain
wall glass and marble skin with overscaled steel
columns. Hennan Maisel & Company, Inc,
is the owner and Patco Construction Co.,
Inc. built the 42,000 square-foot center.
FRONT ELEVATION, MERCHANT'S WAlK,
HOMEWOOD
Construction is underway for a new classroom
building and resource center for St.
Paul's Episcopal School in Mobile.
Architects Diversified, Inc. executed the
deSign, and Haas Construction, Inc. is
the building contractor The building is an
addition to the campus of one of the oldest
and most prominent schools in Mobile. The
architects combined traditional forms with
some of the more recent additions to the
campus. The plan is generated from a
modular repetitive classroom with exterior
corridors and open-air exterior galleries and
balconies. The unique element in this
building is the central radius point forming
the slightly curved balconies. Special
attention has been paid to brick detailing and
fenestrations. The 10,000 square-foot
building will be completed in early fall of
1988.
The firm of P. Lauren Barrett Architects,
Inc. is in the construction phase of a new
retail speCialty center called Merchant's Walk.
Newport-Pacifica is the client. The center
is being constructed on the site of the recently
condemned and demolished Tara House
Motel and will bring downtown Homewood's
retail edge close to the heavily traveled
Independence Drive and well established
Hollywood residential area. The 24,000
square-foot center features an L -shaped
grouping of small shops, each with a
mezzanine overlooking the first fioor, allowing
high vaulted ceilings with natural light in
place of the usual low dropped acoustical
ceilings Materials, scale, and color have
been selected to relate to the nearby residential
neighborhood which predominantly
consists of painted stucco homes in the
Spanish mission style. Charles & Vinxant
Construction Company is the building
contractor
CLASSROOM BUILDING AND
RESOURCE CENTER,
ST. PAUL'S EPISCOPAl SCHOOL, MOBILE
Tiller/Butner/Rosa, Architects of
Montgomery are completing a project lor the
Alabama State Department of Mental
Health & Mental Retardation at the
Partlow State School and Hospital, located in
Tuscaloosa. The two buildings in this phase of
construction are the Health Services Facility,
20,200 square-feet, and the Physical Training
Center, 11 ,600 square-feet. This project
represents the first step in a new direction in
care for the mentally handicapped at Partlow,
with the goal 01 providing a "normalized"
living environment and comprehensive
support services. Each building is completely
accessible to handicapped individuals.
Controlled daylighting and specially designed
indirect artificial lighting are an integral part 01
the design. Blakene, Construction is the
building contractor
Jones & Herrin ArchltectureJlnterior
Design recently saw the completion of the
new Huntsville/Madison County Public
Library. The library Board of the City of
Huntsville commissioned the 120,000
square-foot building which cost $8,600,000.
Traditional forms, colors and shapes are used
but are assembled in a modern fashion.
Included in the design are many innovative
leatures including an ice storage HVAC
system, three future expansion areas totalling
over 20,000 square-leel, and controlled
circulation. To compensate lor the site's
limited vistas, an interior focus was created. A
vast, three-story atrium gives a sweeping
interior view. The success 01 the building lies
in the fact that its interior was designed as the
building was designed. The objectives of
architecture and interior design co-mingled
into finished lorm, each complementing the
other Universal Construction Co. was the
building contractor
ABOVE: PHYSICAL TRAINING CENTER,
PARROW STATE SCHOOL AND
HOSPITAL, TUSCALOOSA
HUNTSVILLE/MADISDN PUBLIC LIBRARY
Narrows, Brown, Parsons & Associates
are in the construction phase 01 the Charles and
Thelma Dixon Wing for the Houghton Memorial
Library, on the campus of Huntingdon
College in Montgomery. The wing is being
added to the original library, built in the 1920's.
The center section contains a two story atrium!
reading room with exposed wood scissor
trusses and skylights overhead. The brick and
limestone exterior 01 the addition was designed
to be sympathetic in both scale and detailing to
the existing library and the surrounding
buildings. The 18,190 square-loot building
will be completed in January 011989 at a cost
of close to $2 million. Andrew & Dawson is
the building contractor.
ABDVE: FIRST FLDOR PLAN,
CHARLES AND THELMA DIXON WING,
HOUGHTON MEMORIAL LIBRARY,
HUNTINGDON COLlEGE, MONTGOMERY
RIGHT:
FOSTER CORNER, DOTHAN
BEFORE AND AFTER
RIGHT:
STUDENT
CENTER,
ALABAMA
Joseph L. Donofro and Associates have
chosen to demonstrate their commitment to
downtown revitalization in Dothan by purchasing
and renovating a bui lding for their new
offices. Named Foster Corner, the building was
one of two historic restoration and several other
adaptive reuse projects taking place in Dothan.
As a result of these projects, a group called the
"Downtown Group" lormed to revitalize
downtown Dothan. Great pains were taken to
restore the exterior to its original appearance
when built in 1907, in spite 01 the fact that no
photographs exist. The building has 14,000
square-Ieet and cost approximately $35 per
square loot to renovate. The interior design
concept called lor an atrium to be carved out of
the center 01 the structure, creating one single
main entrance with balconies running the
circumlerence 01 the second floor around the
atrium. Daphne Donofro is the interior
designer
SCHOOL FOR THE
DEAF,
TALLADEGA
PHOTO; TlIIY TRIOLO
The Alabama Institute for the Deaf &
Blind contracted with Barganier/McKee/
Sims Architects Associated to design a
$2.5 million Student Center for the Alabama
School for the Deaf. Wesley Construction
of Talladega, where the school is located,
recently completed the 35,000 square-foot
bui lding. The campus provides a twenty-four
hour a day learning/living environment for the
hearing impaired students who live there. All
spaces were kept as open as possible to
enhance visual contact and make the spaces
more inviting. Typical of some of the special
features in the center is a "hearing loop" in the
multipurpose room and television viewing
areas. This provides better sound for those
students with hearing aids. The exterior was
designed to be a prominent and unifying
elemento()n the campus. A tower with cupola
provides a focal point for both students and
visitors.
Barganier/McKee/Sims has done several
school campus projects recently. Among them
is the new Conecuh County High School in
Evergreen. Currently in the construction
phase, the estimated completion date of the
$4.3 million building is January, 1989. Ray
Sumlin Construction Company is the
building contractor The firm worked closely
with the Superintendent, the School Board
and User Committee of Conecuh County
Schools to accommodate the needs of the
community. The result of their efforts will be a
functional facility with numerous specialized
features, including a 1,100 spectator gymnasium,
a band room, a spacious locker/
commons area with exterior views, and a
media center located in a quiet zone of the
building. Trees and a creek on the west edge
of the property were lelt undisturbed.
BELOW: CONECUH COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL, EVERGREEN
5 Volume 1, No.2
LANDSCAPE
ARCHITECTURE
Jefferson County's Office of Planning
and Community Development is presently
making plans to undertake a public park
project in the unincorporated Lowetown community,
located just north of Interstate 20/59
near the Tuscaloosa County line. Lowetown is
a predominantly black community of approximately
156 people The community as well as
the general area of the county is rural residential
and agricultural in nature. "Priority One"
site and recreation needs for the park include
an access road, ballfield, picnic and bar-beque
facilities, and a walking trail. Grover &
Associates of Birmingham was awarded the
contract to design the park and the project is
currently in the design development phase
RIGHT:
HENRY J. BOOTH POLICE MEMORIAL
PARK, MOBILE
Woolpert Consultants have prepared a
Master Plan and construction drawings for a
10.25 acre park located in mid-town Mobile.
The project will be implemented in four phases
at a cost of $1.9 million. It is conceived as a
neighborhood park and will serve as the City of
Mobile Parks & Recreation Department
Headquarters. Formal gardens will act as a focal
point for visitors to the new headquarters
building. A gazebo will be located toward the
southern end of the site, which will be developed
primarily in an informal manner with
benches. meandering paths, a fountain, a small
pond with a waterfall, and various types of
lighting. Sumlin and Sons is the contractor
for Phases I & II.
"9.
ti
Fortunately, Some Books At Judson
College Havent Changed In 150Years.
- __ m •••.••••• '. _n_·
DesignAlabama 6
INTERIOR
DESIGN
Hatcher Design Associates of Birmingham
contracted with Giattina, Fisher and Company,
Architects to execute the interior design of the
Children's Hospital lobby. With a total of
5,000 square-feet the addition to and renovation
of the lobby will provide a new architectural
focal point for the complex, and includes a
central information area for in-patient and outpatient
services. This two-story space is topped
with a large skylight and includes a playful
porcelain tile floor pattern. Local artist Bob
Tucker has been commissioned to create a
school of wcoden fish that will be suspended
and surrounded by white walls with natural ash
and mahogany panelling and millwork. Brice
Building Company is the contractor
Having been awarded the job of designing the
corporate offices for Alabama Federal
Savings and Loan, Hatcher Design
Associates had the task of converting a
building constructed in 1968, unique in its
design and shape, into organized spaces
suitable for the needs of a large and growing
company. The objectives were to adapt the
72,000 square-foot building to the functional
requirements of the client, while maintaining a
very conservative budget, and to establish the
image and reputation of the company Hatcher
Design worked in association with David &
Rogers Architects, Inc. on the project The
building Contractor was Active
Construction.
BELOW:
LOBBY, AlABAMA FEDERAl SAVINGS &
LOAN HEADQUARTERS, BIRMINGHAM
GRAPHIC
DESIGN
Siaughter/Hanson & Associates, with
offices in Dothan and Birmingham. produced
a series of four color advertisements for
Judson College in Marion, Alabama. The
purpose of the ads was to tacilitate an increase
in enrollment and to promote their Sesquicentennial
celebration. The "Bible" ad was featured
in the "What's New Portfolio" in the
January 11, 1988 issue of ADWEEK's
Marketing Week. Spectrum Color produced
them.
Another series of ads was prepared by
Siaughter/Hanson for The Bradford
Group in Birmingham. The target audience
was people affected by chemical dependence
to increase enrollment in Bradford's program.
This campaign also included a series of
television ads with the same theme. The ads
won a 1987 7th District Addy Gold award.
The Ad Shop, Inc. produced them.
For information about submitting
projects for publication contact Becky
Mullen at 261·4076.
BELOW: PRINT ADS,
JUDSON COllEGE AND THE BRADFORD
GROUP
Dhe large, green quadrangle with
Denny Chimes at the center has long
given the University of Alabama campus
in Tuscaloosa a memorable image. But a
few years ago a closer look would have diminished
the aura: many trees were mature
and dying; dusty patches fronted many
buildings; and parking lots appeared to be
encroaching on the campus everywhere.
Since 1983, that tendency toward seediness
has been reversed. A landscape design
is being implemented on a number of
fronts. New trees are being planted. A
handsome forecourt fronts Carmichael
Hall. Parking lots serving new campus
buildings are being screened with low
grass-covered berms and softened with
trees.
"This work has had a significant impact
on the campus," reports Robert Wright,
Vice President for Financial Affairs at the
university. "It has upgraded the appearance
and helps in recruiting both students
and faculty." Design is making a difference.
"The impetus for improvement came
from many sources, but it got its real start
when we found out we had a landscape
architect on campus," says Wright. "Jack
Brown, who was acting department head
of engineering graphics, brought to our attention
that he had a young man who had a
lot to offer." The young man is Brian
Graham, ASLA, a landscape architect who
teaches engineering graphics at the university.
Landscape Architect Brian Graham,
ASLA, both teaches and helps reshape
the campus.
In 1983, after approval from Dr. Joab
Thomas, Graham prepared a landscape
master plan for the campus. The initial
focus was on the quadrangle where new
walkways, sitting areas,light standards and
trees have given definition to an already
welcoming open space. The rows of traditional
cast iron light standards serve both
functional and aesthetic needs. creating a
colonnade along the walkways leading
from Denny Chimes to the library. The
same walkway has been enhanced with
rows of Bradford pear trees.
Also on the quadrangle, new oaks, maples
and other trees (with trunks 3 inches or
more in diameter) have been planted to
create a new generation of shade trees. A
terrace that traces the foundation of the
university's original rotunda fronts the library.
As part of the master plan, each building
fronting the quadrangle will eventually be
given a new entry court like that completed
at Carmichael Hall. Lloyd Hall is next.
These will create more urbane small settings
with attractive paving. seat walls and
intensive planting for each building, complementing
the more pastoral quadrangle.
A high priority has been given to upgrading
the appearance of new parking lots.
Those at the new Moody Music Center and
elsewhere are defined by continuous earth
berms that contain the perimeter and help
soften the effect of paving and cars. Trees
and other plantings complete the parking
lot landscape program. Eventually existing
Design_Makes A Difference
parking areas will be similarly treated.
One of the most noticeable and successful
components of the University of Alabama
landscape master plan is the new
standard 'sign used to mark each building.
Graham developed a simple sign in
painted, cast concrete with integral molding
that picks up on the classical style of the
university. Standard lettering on dark
brown removable panels can be updated as
needed.
Graham, a 1973 graduate of Mississippi
State in landscape architecture, went on to
do graduate work at the University of Mississippi.
He wanted to teach and was offered
a position at the University of Alabama
in 1981. He believes strongly in a
team effort, and he credits both the university
administration and the maintenance
staff headed by Bill Columbus with the
success of the design and implementation.
"A design isonly as good as the people who
fund it, install it and maintain it," Graham
says. "We all have to work together to
develop an attractive landscape setting for
the university."
Along with general upgrading along the
lines already seen, Graham has developed
plans for two previously overlooked features
of the campus that show great promise.
Marr's Spring. the original source of
water for the campus. has a new wooden
bridge. and new walks, seating and planting
will be installed over the next four years.
Chi Omega Sorority is supporting this
improvement.
CAMPUS
LANDSCAPE
PLAN,THE
UNIVERSITY OF
ALABAMA
•
New cast iron
light standards and
rows of Bradford pear trees
strengthen the walkways leading
across the University of Alabama
quadrangle from the library to Denny
Chimes. Along with new walks, sitting
areas and plantings, this Is part
of the university's campus
landscape master plan.
Palmer Lake, which is readily accessible
from nearby dorms, has been a barren patch
with a few trees up to now. But the Student
Government Association has earmarked
funds to begin implementation of
Graham's master plan: a lighted jogging
path, small pavilions, general planting and
a large pavilion for student functions .•
-by Philip Morris.
The new standard sign for buildings at
the University of Alabama campus are
both practical and handsome: a painted
pre-cast concrete unit with molding that
reflects the classical buildings that
predominate. TIle dark brown sign
panel is removable.
Fronting Carmichael Hall is a Graham-designed improvement:
a brick court wrapped by a new retaining wall that repeats the
character of the stairs.
Looking over a recent landscape installation are (left to right)
Johnny Tucker, groundskeeper; Joe Callaway, superintendent of
landscape and grounds; Jack Echols, associate director of
physical plant; and Bill Columbus,director of physical plant.
,
7 Volume 1, No.2
en
en
LI.I z
en =
I I 1
m
e-n >- Q = 113 a>-:
LI.I > LI.I
-e-n I-n[
ess you're familiar with it, the subject of
urban design probably conjures images of
cities, specifically the downtown or "urban"
areas, the size of At[anta or New
i blocks and blocks of skyscrap-ers
and mi[lions of people. However, urban design goes
hand in hand with planning; a process that is crucial to
the efficient functioning, growth and development of any
city, whether that city is the size of Birmingham or Mobi[e
or Decatur or Gu[f Shores.
A city becomes the co[lective representation of
the people who inhabit and influence it over time. Having
a vision of who we are and what we value a[lows control
overthe changes which inevitably occur, when we articulate
that vision through what we build and how it a[[ fits
together. Urban designers and planners study the many
elements of an entire city area - downtown, neighborhoods,
routes of travel, location of utilities, etc. - and
make recommendations based on the needs, issues,
problems and assets of the community. Every member of
the community has a stake in decisions that are then
made; urban design is everybody's business.
Various tools have traditionally been used to
control growth and development, such as zoning, regulations,
ordinances, requirements, and building codes.
The primary concerns should always be public health,
safety, and we [fare. But, cities must use these tools as
part of a well-conceived, comprehensive plan and p[anning
process which is based on solid ideas about
strengths and resources and how those will be used to
their full potential. By fo[lowing through on such a plan
the we [fare of the citizenry can be completely served.
Without planning and attention to design, development
can too easily become haphazard, in opposition to the
kind of controlled growth and conservation of existing
resources that result in a vibrant, pleasant place.
The City of Birmingham employs Urban Designer
Mike Dobbins, who has extensive professional
experience in planning and design He says that "Three
elements define urban design as a system for developing
or revitalizing urban areas a holistic approach; an
inclusive process; and visualization of alternative
courses of action." By looking at the city as a whole,
including and involving all the people who use and have
a stake in the city in the decision-making process, and
taking the time to visualize what the different alternatives
would accomplish, the process of city-making becomes
complete. "Increasing use of urban design methodology
to sort out and act on a city's development agenda is
certain to improve the acceptance, durability, and quality
of decisions made."
Of course municipal governments as we know
them are limited in the extent to which they can determine
whatacity becomes and rightly so. Partnerships between
the public and private sectors are desirable in the p[anning
process. Mayor Jan Dempsey of Auburn counted a
city/citizen plan for growth and development among her
top priorities when running for office in 1980. AUBURN
2000, a comprehensive land use plan, was adopted by
the Auburn Planning Commission in December of 1983.
The zoning ordinance based on the plan was finished a
year later and is amended by annual review. Since then
public investment in the downtown area has amounted to
$3 million, with other projects on the drawing board.
"The city is working to setan example to encourage more
private investment. Public/private partnership is crucial
to what we want; a vital urban core and a quality environment
overal[," says Mayor Dempsey. Private investment
in the downtown area on three projects alone is at a leve[
of over $5 million.
Mike Dobbins brings up another important
point. "Public pressure to improve both the workability
and appearance of the bui[tenvironment represents both
a base and new standards of accountability for architecture
and related design practices" In other words, designers
also share responsibility to the community in
whatthey design. Architects, for example, practice urban
design when a building is created to harmonize with the
existing surroundings, orwithin the "context" ofthearea.
However, architects must also respect the wishes oftheir
clients. Private citizens and corporations who finance
and control the built environment have the lion's share of
responsibility for what a city looks, and feels [ike.
Johnston-Rast & Hays is a Birmingham based deve[opment
corporation that demonstrates sensitivity to good
design and planning. "The first thing we say when we sit
down with an architect to discuss a project is that we want
a building that compliments what's already there," says
Vice-President Robert Sch[eusner. For example when
planning for Financia[ Center in Birmingham a nearby
church was taken into consideration. "The church had
been in its location for a long time and is a very beautiful
building," said Schleusner. "We chose to set Financial
Center back so that the church would remain highly
visible."
Successful city-making also depends on public
awareness of the advantages of good design Signs of
this awareness include the existence and activity levels of
historic preservation societies, beautification boards,
and clean city commissions. Aesthetic sensibility and a
concern for the quality and resources of a city's environment
are atthe heart of these organizations. They can play
important roles in the overall quality of a city's environment,
and provide vehicles for the voice of the community
in planning issues.
It is most important that people think of planning
as an on-going process, not just producing a
document. "P[anning is not something you do once and
then say, 'OK we have a plan,' planning is something
you do everyday. Continual planning is something every
good business does. That's what every city should be
doing," says Darre[[ Meyer, Chairman of the Graduate
Program in Planning atAuburn University. The following
articles highlight A[abama cities which have successfully
dealt with general, or specific, ongoing planning
issues.
The leaders of Gu[f Shores saw the opportunity
and need for comprehensive planning after Hurricane
Frederic hit in 1979, knowing that intensive redeve[opment
and new development would fo[low.
The City of Birmingham began by implementing
specific design projects which successfully demonstrated
the aesthetic and economic advantages to be
gained from investment of this nature. Now areas of
Birmingham such as Five Points South are models of revitalization,
and work continues.
In Decatur, attention to preservation and revitalization
of the downtown area has been consistent
over the last 20 years. Leadership and the level of
investment downtown continues to evolve through an
active Main Street organization which serves as liaison
between the public and private sectors.
The Architectura[ Review Board in Mobi[e has
been successful in dealing with the issue of integrating
fast-food restaurants into growing and revitalized historic
districts.
[n each case, emphasis has been placed on the
quality of life and economic development, looking to the
future of the city .•
GULF SHORES
HAVING RECOVERED FROM A HURRICANE, THIS IS THE STORY OF A CITY'S CONTINUING STRATEGY FOR CONTROLLING GROWTH AND
MANAGING ITS RESOURCES.
n 1979 Hurricane Frederic devastated
Gulf Shores, destroying much
of what had largely been, prior to
that time, a "sleepy" Southern beach
community relatively undiscovered
by developers and tourists. About a
year before the storm, development inter- .
est had become apparent with the increase
of site plan submittals, for construction of
condominiums and other beach related
business, made to the Planning Commission.
The damage done by Frederic literally
"cleared the way" for both new and redevelopment.
The pace of construction
rapidly accelerated as business entrepeneurs
flocked to Gulf Shores in the wake
of the hurricane.
The Mayor and Town Council realized
very quickly that something had to be done
to properly control and regulate theexploding
growth with which they were faced, if
the quality of life was going to be maintained
for re sidents and tourists alike, in
what was evolving into a seashore resort
community of 75,000 summer residents
and tourists but only 1300 permanent residents.
Efforts were led by Dr. Thomas B. Norton
in his role as Mayor. A planning consultant,
Barbour/Cooper & Associates of
Birmingham (now Barbour, Cooper &
Partners), was hi red to draft a comprehensive
zoning ordinance. Numerous public
hearings were held over the course of two
years to resolve differences among community
residents and developers regarding
provisions of the new ordinance. On May
10, 1982, the ordinance was ~dopted. Since
that time it has been amended, as any dynamic
document of its type should be, to
reflect changing conditions. In its present
form the ordinance defines specific di stricts
and includes a table of permitted uses
buffer protecting upland areas from flooding
and wave action. and serves as a sand
reservoir that feeds and aids beach stabilization.
Acting in concert with the. Alabama
Department of Environmental Management
(ADEM), Gulf Shores established as
part of the zoning ordinance a construction
setback line forty feet behind the primary
dune line for residential construction and
five for commercial construction. In addition
to this rear setback facing the dunes
and the water. side setbacks between buildings
and front setbacks from the highway
were established to preclude overcrowding
and to preserve the beauty of the beach and
the view of the Gulf. Early in 1984 the town
entered into a contract with ADEM to act as
their local agent in preserving the integrity
of the construction setback line and protecting
the beach and its dune system. To date
this effort has been most successful.
A Special Census was taken in 1984 because
of the influx of people to the community.
As a result, the "Town" became a City
with 2,164 residents. The Special Census
was contracted because the city govem-within
each district. ment realized urban planning must be an
Certain uses are allowed "by right" in a ongoing project. Visitor and resident re-given
district, while other more controversial
uses are allowed only by "special exception"
with the approval of the Board of
Adjustment. Any variance to the ordinance
quirements must be balanced and met, and
in order to accomplish this goal. the number
and ages of the population must be determined.
It is estimated that today's popula-must
be approved by the Board based tion is between 2.500 and 3,000 residents.
strictly upon "unnecessary hardship." In- A small city yes, but one with big city
corpora ted in the ordinance are regulations problems and advantages.
which control, among other th ings: the Refocusing from shoreline to in land subsize,
location, and illumination of signs; lot urban development, the city drafted and
configuration and access; height of walls, passed a set of Subdivision Regulations in
fences, and hedges; minimum number of
spaces and landscaping for each business
parking 101; and lot size and construction
configuration for service stations.
During the condominium and beach
house "building boom," regulations were
necessary to protect the primary sand dune
system along the beach, which serves as a
RIGHT: TO FURTHER ENHANCE
THE QUAlITY OF LIFE FOR BOTH
RESIDENTS ANO TOURISTS, CITY OFFI·
CIAlS HAVE COMMITIEO TO A LONGRANGE
LANDSCAPING AND BEAUTIFICATION
PROGRAM FOR All GULF SHORES
SmEETS, PARKS AND PUBLIC FACILITIES,
AS SHOWN HERE IN JOHNNIE SIMS PARK.
1986 to ensure well planned, attractive and
orderly residential developments and to
preserve and enhance the quality of life for
all of the City's more permanent residents
and property owners. Highlighting the subdivision
regulations, they require: fully
developed underground utilities or a performance
bond prior to fina l plat approval;
minimum specifications for street design;
preservation of natural features and amenities;
an approved drainage plan to control
erosion, sedimentation. and storm water
runoff; minimum building setbacks, front
and rear of 30 feet, and side setbacks of 10
THE PUBLIC BEACH, LOCATED ON
GULF PLACE IN THE SOUTHERN AREA
OF GULF SHORES, FEATURES THREE
PAVILIONS AND A BOARDWAlK WHICH
ARTFUU Y DISGUISES A WEU PlANNED
AND CONSTRUCTED BULKHEAD (THE
RETAINING WAll). IT ELEVATES LAND
BEHIND IT ABOVE THE BEACH AND
OFFERS SOME PROTECTION FROM
STORMS AND THE "SCOURING EFFECT"
OF WAVES. TWICE DESmOYED BY
HURRICANE WAVE ACTION, THE BULKHEAD
WAS RECONSTRUCTED AT A COST
OF $560,000 TO WITHSTAND A lOCI-YEAR
STORM IN ORDER TO PROTECT PRIVATE
AND PUBLIC PROPERTY LOCATED JUST
NORTH OF IT.
vacant and improved lots are kept mowed,
clean, and free of unsightly vegetation and
debris. Sign size and appearance is regulated
by the Sign Ordinance.
In the words of Mayor Thomas B. Norton,
"Our course has been set; our task is to
preserve and enhance the beautiful natural
environment with which we have been
blessed. To that end, we feel we've made an
excellent start. Gulf Shores is a unique
feet. community-a great place to live, work
In 1986, with the Subdivision Ordinance, and play."
the City has adopted and vigorously en-fo
rces "weed," "abandoned auto." and By Charles Hamilton, Director of Public
"trash pickup" ordinances to ensure both Works, andPatsyHollingsworlh, Coordi-nator,
Special Programs and Events
Photos: David Bunch
LEFT: THE GULF SHORES SIGN ORDINANCE
REGULATES THE SIZE AND APPEARANCE
OF SIGNS.
': ..• ~~
li:-r 2
"
-4(1 .. - ... .
ABOVE: DURING THE "BUILDING BOOM,"
REGULATIONS WERE NECESSARY TO PROTECT
THE PRIMARY SAND DUNE SYSTEM
AlONG THE BEACH. SETBACKS WERE EST
ABlISHED TO PRECLUDE OVERCROWDING
AND TO PRESERVE THE BEAUTY OF
THE BEACH AND THE VIEW OF THE GULF.
9 Volume 1, No.2
BIRMINGHAM
TWO QUESTIONS IMMEDIATELY ARISE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT URBAN DESIGN.
look at urban design at work
in Birmingham, the state's
largest city, shows it is happening
on many fronts.
Architects should be doing
urban design on any building
in an urban context, argues Jaquelin
Robertson, a leading commentator on urban
design issues and recently dean of
architecture at the University of Virginia.
Many recent Birmingham buildings show
such urban design sensitivity, ranging in
size from the new Alabama Power Company
headquarters downtown designed by
Geddes, Brecher, Qualls & Cunningham in
conjunction with Gresham & Smith, to the
new Highland Avenue office building by
Crawford McWilliams Hatcher Architects
that picks up the rhythm and scale of adjacent
houses.
Generally, a concern for context can
transform the traditional architect-client
team into an agent for urban design.
But without a doubt it is the City of Birmingham
itself which has become the leading
client for urban design in the metropolitan
area and the state. It did not happen
overnight or by fiat. How did Birmingham
start doing urban design? By doing it. Modest
projects deemed successful made way
for others. Today there are more than 20
urban design projects at various geographic
scales active in the city,
Much of the urban design work is done by
the city's Urban Planning Department
headed by Mike Dobbins, but many projects
are done under contract by landscape
arChitects, architects and planners, or teams
of each. A map showing areas where design
review and urban design is taking place
would look like a patchwork quilt. The total
area begins to be impressive,
Birmingham's first involvement with urban
design in recent times can be traced to
Birmingham Green. Designed by an architect-
landscape architect tearn and implemented
in the early 1970's, it was a streetscape
improvement (fortunately, not a
mall) for seven blocks of 20th Street (and
adjoining cross streets). While it might not
qualify as full urban design, it did have the
effect of translating the potential of street
into three dimensions and it did include
some voluntary sign modification by property
owners, This was not just traditional
zoning-map planning. This was something
else. Not incidentally, it was a public-private
partnership.
A few years later, under David Vann's
administration, the city put up local fund-
RIGHT: THE NOW·CELEBRATED FIVE
.... POINTS SOUTH REDEVELOPMENT ~~--~-.-.-..... -.----~--.,----.. --.--..... -~ ...... - .. -.
WAS STIMULATED BY BIRMINGHAM'S
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS AND URBAN
DESIGN PROCESS MANAGED UNDER AN
ADOPTED COMMERCIAL REVIT ALIZA TION
OISTRICT PLAN. THIS SHOWS THE PUBLIC
.-.-S-.P-.A. --C-E- .I-M-.P-R.. OVEMENT PLAN BY LAND· ~-~.-.-.-~~-------.----.. ".
SCAPE ARCHITECTS BLALOCK, BARBOUR
& COOPER ( NOW BARBOUR
~~~-
COOPER & PARTNERS).
DesignAlabama 10
WHO DOES IT? WHO IS THE CLIENT?
ing for an American Institute of Architects
R/UDA T (regional urban design assistance
team) to come to Birmingham and explore
possibilities for older commercial areas in
Woodlawn, North Birmingham and Ensley.
The process was successful, and urban
design/streetscape projects funded by the
city in cooperation with local merchants
groups were implemented. This work
served as a model for later projects, the
most celebrated being Five Points South.
Meanwhile, the city began exploring
ways to extend the success of the Birmingham
Green streetscape. Highland Avenue,
a tired old streetcar boulevard winding
through declining neighborhoods on the
city's south side, was up for improvement.
In a crucial move, City Council Member
Angie Grooms Proctor worked to have
control of the project put in the hands of
Landscape Architect Mike Kirk, ASLA.
This turned out to have more profound
urban design impact than Birmingham
Green did. Instead of taking a 4-lane roadway
with an abused median (mainly used
for parking) and widening it to six lanes as
a traffic engineer might suggest, Kirk developed
a design that reduced the number
of moving lanes from four to two, one in
each direction. A major factor in getting
this through, other than the fact that Highland
carries mostly local neighborhood
traffic, was the gain of angled parking
along the street to serve older apartments
and businesses that needed it. There was
room, also, for improved sidewalks, a narrow
planted median and roadside plantings.
Rather than dividing the neighborhood,
the Highland Avenue project turned it into
a linear park for walking, jogging and circulation,
stimulating major reinvestment in
the neighborhood that continues to this day.
Birmingham has since implemented similar
projects in a variety of neighborhoods
including Bush Hills, West End, and, most
recently, Norwood, the latter two low income
neighborhoods.
Another fortunate move that helped put
the City of Birmingham solidly into urban
design was the arrival of Architect Mike
Dobbins in the late '70's. He was Yaleeducated,
had worked in New York City's
urban design department during the lindsay
administration and more recently
taught at Tulane School of Architecture.
When his wife Peggy landed a job at the
University of Alabama, Dobbins began his
Birmingham public service career with
Jefferson County as a land planner. When
given an opportunity, he joined the city as
the neighborhood revitalization coordinator.
It turned out to be a classic case of the
right person in the right place at the right
time. Dobbins had the patience to attend
endless neighborhood meetings, always
making the case for urban design. This
work eventually led to more responsibilities.
And with the City of Birmingham
firmly organized at the neighborhood level,
the constituency for urban design began to
develop a grassroots foundation. At the
level of city administration, the urban design
process just seemed to work. Urban
design efforts have broadened and deepened
under Richard Arrington's leadership.
This list of active and proposed projects
under what Birmingham calls Commercial
Revitalization Districts shows the neighborhood
base: North Birmingham, Woodlawn
(Phase I & II), Five Points South
(Phase I & II), 4th Avenue North (Phase I &
II), Ensley, 2nd Avenue North, Pratt, Tuscaloosa
Avenue (West End), Birmingham
Green, I 9th Street, Five Points West, Lomb
Avenue, First Avenue North (Eastlake),
Smithfield, Norwood, 7th Avenue South,
Wylam. Each area is organized as a district
where the city makes public improvements
while improvements to private property
A RECENTLY-ANNOUNCED OFFICE AND
RETAIL DEVELOPMENT FOR FIVE POINTS
SOUTH AT THE CORNER OF HIGHLAND
.. ~.~--~----"-.. ~.---'------
AVENUE CAME UNDER THE CITY'S DESIGN
REVIEW PROCESS, RETAIL AT GROUND
LEVEL WAS A HIGH PRIORITY. ARCHITECTS
ARE SMALLWOOD, R!!'II~_L~!._
STEWART & STEWART ASSOCIATES OF
ATLANTA. DEVELOPER: KOVACH AND
ASSOCIATES OF BIRMINGHAM,
A GROWING PERCENTAGE OF BIRMINGHAM'S CITY CENTER IS NOW GETTING SPECIAL HANDLING THROUGH OVERLAY URBAN DESIGN
DISTRICTS, PUBLIC SPACE DESIGN AND DESIGN REVIEW OF NEW BUILDINGS. SIMILAR METHODS ARE ALSO BEING APPLIED IN SELECTED
NEIGHBORHOODS BEYOND THE URBAN CORE.
(facades, signs, etc.) come under design
review.
The core of the city is seen as a series of
neighborhoods, each with its own potential
and need. But there are also larger urban
design concerns at work. These include
what is called the Cultural District (across
the north end of downtown) and Midtown
(the once-industrial now no-man' $-land
between downtown and DAB.) A very
large portion of the Eastern Area is being
studied in concert with Jefferson County
and other jurisdictions. simiiar to traditionallarge-
scale land use planning.
There are a number of key components
that drive the City of Birmingham's urban
design work. much of it formulated by
Dobbins both from his local experience
and his involvement with national urban
design circles (he was recently chairman of
the AlA's national urban design committee).
One factor is the importance of neighborhoods
as the basic building block of the
city. Another is the primacy of the street as
the organizing framework for a vital city
with the corollary principle that developments
should reinforce and support the
street and its life. Yet another is that historic
building and social fabric should be
protected and permitted to shape the future.
Much of the success of these urban de'
sign developments in Birmingham is attributable
to a common sense approach, to
the public/private cooperation implicit in
most and to the above factors being in tune
with what the community sees as important.
But that is not the same as laissezfaire.
The Birmingham attitude is that the
city bean active participant in city-making.
Recent major development projects-the
AmSouth-Harbert Center under construction
and the recently announced Renaissance
Plaza office building at Five Points
South-were shaped by city urban design
goals. And for the better.
There is, of course, other urban design
work going on in the Birminghan: metropolitan
area. UAB's sophisticated master
development plan covering 70-plus square
blocks is a story in itself. There have been
some steps made toward urban design in
the older suburb of Homewood, though
hesitant. Major developments along U.S.
280 have excellent land and landscape
plans. And both Riverchase and the City of
Hoover have taken some care in shaping
development. But, for the most part, there
is not much beyond better subdivision or
office park planning, and almost nothing
relating one development to another.
The suburbs, particularly the older ones,
and possibly some new higher density
development may soon be putting urban
design to work. But for the time being the
action is all in the city. From a modest
beginning about 15 years ago, the City of
Birmingham has become a model for many
kinds of urban design. Quite simply, they
found out it works.
By Philip Morris, Executive Editor,
SOUTHERN LIVING magazine,
Chairman, Design Alabama, Inc.
CENTRAL BUSINESS AREA
A, CIVIC CUTER GFFICE PARI 8, CUlTlllE IIIS1RICT
C, CUlTlllE IIIS1RICT WBT D, __ lAM 8REEII
E, 21ST StREET F, 41H AvaJE S, 19TH StREET
H. 2ID AvaJE I, MID-_ J. FIVE.f'IIIIIlS SIIUTH
ABOVE: THIS MAP PREPARED BY
THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM'S URBAN
PlANNING DEPARTMENT SHOWS
VARIOUS DISTRICTS IN THE CITY
CENTER WITH URBAN DESIGN
PROCEDURES IN PLA=CE=-. _
LEFT: IN ADDITION TO CITY STAFF,
MANY URBAN DESIGN PROJECTS
ARE COMMISSIONED TO LANDSCAPE
ARCHITECTS AND ARCHITECTS. THIS
IS A PORTION OF A STREETSCAPE PlAN
FOR THE COL TURAl DISTRICT AlONG
22HD STREET BETWEEN 8TH AND 9TH
AVENUE NORTH PREPARED BY LAND·
SCAPE ARCHITECTS GREINER,
VARE & PARTNERS.
11 Volume 1, No.2
DECATUR
"THE CITY OF OPPORTUNITY" CONTINUES A STRONG PLANNING TRADITION IN EFFORTS TO CREATE A UNIFIED URBAN CORE • THE
CHALLENGE IS IN THE UNIQUE DOWNTOWN CONFIGURATION.
istoric events and an abundance
of natural resources
led to the development of
two adjacent towns in the
area that is now the City of
Decatur. However, the city
has continued to have two distinct downtown
areas, known as Bank Street and 2nd
A venue, which are tied together by Lee
Street. Since 1927, when the present City of
Decatur was sanctioned, the downtown
areas have experienced much of the same
pattern of growth and decline as in other
cities, yet at different times and at different
rates. Over 20 years ago, efforts to create a
unified urban core began.
In 1962 city planners presented the city
with a "Civic Center Master Plan," complete
with scale model. While an actual
civic center was part of the plan, the term
applied generally to the purpose of the area.
Intended to revitalize the central business
district as well as rehouse and centralize
civic and governmental agencies, it provided
for the needed expansion of civic and
municipal services, anticipated future
growth, and instituted a Public Building
Authority.
Necessary changes were made, as is the
nature of the planning process, but most of
the governmental facilities were constructed.
Construction of the Civic Center
itself as well as parking garages. the museum,
auditorium, and exhibit hall facilities
were viewed as premature. A special
commission has recently been established
by the City Council to look at the feasibility
ofacivic center, and parking issues are still
being studied.
Urban renewal funds administered by the
Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) were used extensively to
bring about the changes outlined in the
Civic Center Master Plan. While that program
often was not sensitive to what existed.
there were cases where clearance of
land for specific new uses was strategic. In
Decatur. there were several areas in the
THIS MAP SHOWS THE DOWNTOWN AREA
AND IDENTIFIES COMMERCIAL REHAB
COMPLETED OR IN PROGRESS (-), AND
NEW CONSTRUCTION (X).
DesignAlabama 12
downtown
district which
were cleared
for redevelopment.
In
excess of $10
million of
federal funds
were spent
over a 20 year
period on the
Waterfront,
2nd Avenue,
Lee and Bank
Streets. "The
results of urban
renewal
in Decatur set
the tone for
redevelopment.
Urban
renewal financed
the
purchase and
clearance of a
blighted area
shopping cen- structures. By this time the National Main
ter concepts Street Center had been successful in its
and relate the "Main Street Project" and was offering
turn of the resources for interested citizens dedicated
centuryarchi- to historic and economic rehab.
Phow: Beth Maynor
THE SEVEN·BLOCK BANK STREET COMMERCIAL
tecture of 2nd
Avenue to the
new modern
structures in
the civic center
area. Off
street areas
were cleared
and parking
lots createdall
to be
within one
block of the
shopping
area; parking
on 2nd
Avenue was
removed;
prestressed
AREA DOWNTOWN AND ADJACENT VICTORIAN concrete
NEIGHBORHOOD COMPRISE A CERTIFIED NATIONAL canopies
along with eight feet
HISTORIC DISTRICT. the relocation --~-~ .. ----~------ ... - .. ~ .. ---.--~~---.----------.-------------- across were
of industrial uses so that a 'civic center' re- constructed three feet away from the builddevelopment
area could be located in the ings; landscaping was done; and two pedes-middle
of what used to be the two towns.
The railroad spur line literally split Lee
Street and had to be relocated. Urban renewal
played an important part in the posi~
ive Change that has occurred over the last
20 years in Decatur," said Rob Walker. the
city's director of planning. Urban renewal
funds were also used for preservation.
On Bank Street urban renewal funds were
spent to demolish one block of deteriorated.
vacant buildings and close a cross
street which created a three acre lot adjacent
to the Old State Bank building. Plans
were carried out for rehabilitation of the
bank building and its certification as a nationallandmark.
The unimproved adjacem
three acre property was sold to a hotel chain
and a city appointed Design Review Board
worked with owners to create a building
design compatible with the area. [The Bank
Street Project was completed by 1973.J
On 2nd Avenue, an experimental approach
was taken. The Decatur Downtown
Association was fonned and worked with
city planners researching options for the
declining downtown business area. The
result was a plan to create a pedestrian area
of modem design which would pattern
trian areas with benches, planters, and a
fountain were installed. Work on this three
block project took about a year and was so
disruptive to businesses that many more
customers were lost. This and other problems
with the canopy plan offer an example
of a well-intended but unsuccessful project
based on the premise that making modern
physical alterations downtown would revive
the area. Although no Decatur tax dollars
were spent, the ·'white elephant" project
remains as does the controversy between
the "love them or hate them" groups.
[In 1974 urban renewal funds were renamed
Community Development Block
Grants. Work on 2nd A venue was complete
by 1978.J
After the completion of the canopies, the
city entered into a public/private partnership
to restore a majestic art deco theatre
just north of the canopy blocks. The plan
was to preserve the structure (now an Alabama
Landmark), provide Decatur with a
performing arts center downtown. and
encourage revitalization of the area. This
project was very successful, and private developers
were encouraged. A few began to
take risks by rehabilitating large vacant
PhOtos: Tim Roberts
THE OLD STATE BANK AND ART DECO PRINCESS THEATRE ARE HISTORIC REHABS
WHICH GREATLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE CHARACTER OF BANK STREET AND 2ND
~~~~!~~R~S_P~C.!I"E..LY,~~~J~I!_UI!JlI,!G~AIIE~~OUII.~~~~F_~~1'II1'IIUNIJ,(I'II.ID~~~D
PROVIDE LESSONS IN PERIOD ARCHITECTURE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVING
OUR HERITAGE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE CITY PLANS.
Decatur developers researched and speculated
individually for a while,. each
one developing plans for his own acquired
properties. Eventually a small group introduced
the "Main Street" concept to Decatur.
The city. noting the renewed private
interest, agreed to help establish and finance
a public/private, non-profit organization
known as the Downtown Area Revitalization
Effort of Decatur, Inc. DARE
of Decatur was established in 1984,
committed [Q support, encourage, and promote
the revitalization of the entire downtown
area. As an umbrella group, DARE
acts as a liaison between the public and
private sectors.
In excess of $60 million of private monies
have been reinvested in the last five years
for 65 commercial building rehabs and 18
new buildings. On-street parking has been
returned to 2nd A venue and one owner was
granted City Council pennission to remove
the canopy sections in front of his building.
Ideas for block rehabs continue to emerge
from the public and private sectors as do
future plans for a downtown exhibition
hall, a riverfront development for public as
opposed to industrial use, and for historical
zoning of the DARE area (now multizoned)
to preserve historical integrity and
ensure compatible future developments.
by Suzanne !ida, Executive Director of
DARE of Decatur, Inc.
... lJISCUSSING PLANS F()I!TIlE MOST
RECENT IlISTORIC-REHAB-IN-I'ROGRESS
ON 2ND AVENUE ARE; (LEFT 10 RIGHT)
-- -----.-.------_ .. -
... SH11I.~E~Hltl'lll'll0ND~ PRESIDENT OF
nAR!...lIlc~LI'IIJ\'(~II.B1LLJ,DUKES,
lJIRECTOR OF PLANNING ROB WALKER,
BUlLlJING OWNER AND FORMER MAYOR
GILMER BLACKBURN, AND SUZANNE IIDA,
I
MOBILE
HISTORIC DISTRICTS: FAST FOOD, FAST TASTES AND FAST DESIGNS - HOW CAN AN ARCHITECTURAL
REVIEW BOARD STOMACH IT?
t seems inevitable with the increasing
popularity and successofhistoric
districts that the fast food industry
would eventually want to be included
within that area of growth.
Historic districts, especially those
with a business zoning after years of being
ignored, are now being noticed and courted
by the likes of McDonald's, Popeye's,
Burger King. et a1. While the attention can
be flattering, the problems create a delicate
design situation.
In historic districts which have Architectural
Review Board (ARB) control and
jurisdiction. the problems are theirs to resolve.
The ARB is restricted, by the very ordinance
creating it, to decisions on design
and not matters of zoning. use or program.
Only the architectural elements of mass,
size, scale, height, exterior materials, color,
landscaping. etc., are within the parameter
of the ARB's focus.
To a great extent, the actual building for
many of the fast food restaurants is their
image, their identity. Tocreate, support and
reinforce the feeling and thought that all of
the Popeye's or Burger Kings, et al. have
the same quality fast food , a conscious
effort is made to have all of the franchise
buildings look identical-- |
|
|
|
A |
|
C |
|
D |
|
E |
|
F |
|
H |
|
L |
|
M |
|
P |
|
T |
|
U |
|
V |
|
W |
|
|
|