Design Alabama: The Public Forum for Design in Alabama, Volume 1, Issue 2, 1988

              VOLUME I
ISSUE II
$2.50
."
abama
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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
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en =
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e-n >- Q = 113 a>-:
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-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