|
small (250x250 max)
medium (500x500 max)
Large
Extra Large
large ( > 500x500)
Full Resolution
|
|
Spring/Summer 2004 Volume~X, Issue I $4.00 Des.• ama THE PUBLIC FORUM FOR DESIGN IN ALABAMA Three {3} Dimensi Board of Directors Debbie Quinn, Chair Fairhope City Council Fairhope Nancy Mims Hartsfield, Vice Chair Auburn University, Professor Emerita Montgomery Michelle G. Jordan, Secretary City of Decatur Planning Department Decatur Joseph R. Donofro, Treasurer Donoiro & Associates Architects inc. Dothan Amelle Adcock Cenira! Alabama Electric Cooperaiive Prattvil!e Elizabeth Ann Brown Alabama Historical Commission Montgomery Charles Callans Birmingham Realty Birmingham Janet Driscoll DriscoJi Design Montgomery Scott Finn Auburn University Auburn Cathryn Campbell Gerachis Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood Inc. Montgomery 80 Grisham Brookman! ReaJiy Birmingham Debra Hood Greenville Robert Martin Southern Progress Corp. Birmingham larry Watts Birmingham Regional Planning Commission Birmingham Gina Glaze Clifford, Executive Director Philip A. Morris, Director Emeritus Desi nAlabama Volume IX, Issue I Cover: Montgomery's riverfront & urban core are being invigorated by an exciting new master plan. This publication is made possible through funding by the following contributors.' Advantage Marketing Cmmnunicatians Alabama Association of Regional Councils Sloss Real Estate Group, Inc. KPS Group, Inc. operation New Birmingham Suppart the Arts Tag Advisory Cammittee DAVIS ARCHITECTS ~kinnel' + BRASFIELD &GORRIE WILLIAMS, BLACKSTOCK ARCHITEC S GlAlllNA FISHER AYCOCK Editor: Gina Glaze Cliliord Managing Editor: Tomie Dugas Art Director: Nancy Hartsfield Associate Art Director: Ross Heck Assistant Art Directors: Tomie Dugas Dana Gay Wei Wang Contributing Writers: Jessica Armstrong Elizabeth Via Brown Tomie Dugas Philip Morris DesignAlabama encourages submissions Irom Its readers. Articles about work Irom all design discipHnes are requested, as well as copy related to historic preservailon. Please submit copy along wiih visuals (photos, siides, drawings, etc.) to DesignAlabama Inc., PO. Box 241263, Montgomery, AL 36124. Items lor Project News and Details of Interest should include a paragraph summary detailing the nature of the project, the design firm, principals and associates involved and any other details that may be of interest such as unusual or special design features, completion date. approximate cost, square footage, etc. Also include the name, address and phone and fax number of the client and an individual whom we may contact for further information. Direct inquiries to (334) 353- 5081 or mail to: designaiabama@arts.state.al.us. Past journal issues are available for $6.00 including postage and handling. Contact DesignAlabama at the above numbers for availability information and to order. A special thanks to Phifip Morris for his ongoing assistance and aDVice with this publication. © 2004 DesignAlac·ama Inc. ISSN# 1090-0918 This issue of DesignAiabama was designed and produced on Macintosh Computers utiiizing OuarkXPress 4.1. Proois were printed on a HP 4000N and final output on a Compugraphic 9400. Casting an icon in a new light. p.7 DesignAiabama is a publication of DesignAlabama Inc Reader commenis and submiSSion of articles and ideas for lulur€ issues are encouraged. Bringing new life to the r i verfro nt/ downi own. plO FEATURES "Urban Design" CONTENTS Working with nature in coastal developments. p.24 pI a QQiD9JQlhr~~P if ll~Q~l0 Q? .. . ..~_. MONTGOMERY RIVERFRONT & DOWNTOWN 9 MASTER PLAN 10 BIRMINGHAM CITY CENTER MASTER PLAN 14 .-,,--~-,.~~------- SOHO SQUARE, HOMEWOOD ROSS BRIDGE, HOOVER HELENA PLAN ARTICLES THE EASTERN SHORE TRAIL WALKS THROUGH ALABAMA'S COASTAL BYWAYS DEPARTMENTS ProjectANews Workof StatewideSignifican~~__ ................ . Design.Makes A Difference Vulcan Park: A Monumental Fit Designer~Profi Ie b~ndscapeQesi gner:~h adWat~i~s__ ... .._~ ........ Historical'i'Perspectives 16 17 20 22 4 7 24 DepotRel)Q.:NewU.s~es for ~lab~~il'sTrain Stations~ __ ...... __ 26 Details+Of Interest Noteworthy Observations 29 ___ ....... ___________ •• " ••••• _____ _ , ___ " •••••• _____________ ", ••• ". _________ , ____ , .,,_'M •• __________ _ Overhauling depots for new purposes. p.26 Project.A..News Project News is a regular feature of DesignAlabama and provides an opportunity to keep up-to-date on design projects that have an impact on our communities. "f' rchitecture • y The Ross Bridge Renaissance Hotel of Hoover is sited in the picturesque Shannon Valley surrounded by woodlands and a new championship golf course. The seven-story hotel designed by Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood of Birmingham houses 260 guest rooms, dining and conference facilities and a spa A landmark within the Ross Bridge Village, the eloquent. grand-scale manor with its stucco and stone fa~ades features modern amenities cloaked in oldworld ambience. In the grand lobby, natural finishes from the exterior follow through to the interior. Stone and wood give way to high ceilings with prominent wood trusses and elegant iron and crystal chandeliers. Natural stone fireplaces and plush upholstered seating are set off by coppery patina tones and fresh vibrant colors. .... Giattina Fisher Aycock was an integral part of the redevelopment of three abandoned downtown Birmingham buildings into a mixed-use complex of 57 loft apartments. 25.000 square feet of office space, covered parking for 200 cars and a small publiC park. The Jemison Flats project which interconnected the three historic buildings in the city's central business district, is a successful example of urban redevelopment and adaptive reuse. Working with a tight budget and respectful of historic guidelines, GFA's design team researched materials and layouts to minimize partitions, maximize light infiltration and create visual interest in each living unit. In the early stage of construction, one apartment was built as a full-scale mock-up to test materials, evaluate partition heights and refine the detailing and overall flow To optimize the number of apartments and bring natural light through each space. the units were designed as long rectangles, with kitchens and open living areas at the glazed exterior walls where daylight and city views are amenities. Bedrooms and baths are primarily internal, with translucent partitions of corrugated plastic to draw borrowed daylight inward. An economical alternative to glass, the plastic partitions serve as light filters and also offer dimensional texture. Commercial renovations include the restoration and re-glazing of a skylit dome in the original meeting hall for the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce. This space is now the offices of a local advertising agency. On the first level, sunlight now illuminates commercial spaces The 1980s-era dark glazing was replaced with clear glass in wood framing as in the building's original design The architects worked with a local blacksmith to create a handcrafted steel door and copper canopy at the main entry Outside. the design team orchestrated sidewalk improvements, selected street trees, updated light poles and designed a landscaped urban park for loft residents, commercial tenants and the general public. Jemison Flats Exterior, Lobby and Door Detai! DesignA.iabama 4 .... Sloss Furnaces is being renovated to irnprove educational resources, stabilize on-site historic structures and add a Visitor Center and Exhibit Gallery. A master site plan for improvernents to this unique National Historic Landmark has been designed by HKW of Birmingham. Construction drawings are almost cornplete on the Visitor Center, site access and exhibits that are estimated to cost approximately $13 rnillion. Regions Bank Parking Deck Addition The rnaster site plan was developed to accommodate tourism, special events, metal arts, education and interpretive park space. Exhibit design firrn Van Sickle and Rolleri is creating exhibits that showcase the iron industry in Birmingham. The main exhibit centers on the furnace with simulated hot iron flowing under visitors' feet as they approach the furnace before proceeding inside to experience the iron-smelting process through their senses. The story is told 'first person' through the words of actual workers taken from an extensive oral history collection. Future phases of the master plan call for improvements to the Metal Arts cast house and the creation of additional studio spaces Plans also include improving site access for events, creation of a greenspace/urban park and eventually a recreated portion of Sloss Quarter - the cornpany town where many employees once lived. .... Cole and Cole Architects of Montgomery is working with historic St John's Episcopal Church in the capital city on a $6.3 million expansion and renovation. The church is adding a 20,OOO-square-foot education building and will renovate 20,000 feet of existing space The historic sanctuary dating to 1855 and where Confederate President Jefferson Davis once worshipped will not be renovated. However, the parish hall will be returned to its late 19th/early 20th-century appearance with the addition of a new kitchen and the former kitchen converted to a dining area. The 1950s Sunday School building will be restored and a new wing added on to its north end. Recessing the two-and-ahalf story new building away from the worship center will create a courtyard and open space thai reaches out to the downtown area. Leslie A. Cole is the architect .... The new Auburn Universiiy Poultry Science Building, a Classical Revival edifice, marks a move away from the Modern and Post-Modern styles erected on campus in the latter half of the 20th century This move follows adoption of guidelines recommended by IDEA image consultants. Blondheim & Mixon Inc. of Eufaula designed the 86,OOO-square-foot building with an ornamented formal exterior and a forrn-follows-function interior for offices, classrooms and labs. The exceptions are a conference roorn and the monumental reception area with formal decor including wainscoating, decorative rail and pilasters. Two-thirds of the space is dedicated to state-of-the-art labs and includes a Biosafety Level III lab that will figure into biological terrorisrn research. Challenges for the architect SL Jor,n's Episcopal Church Ross Bridge Renaissance Hotel and (top) lobby Detai! related to these specialty areas were access control for security and air movement One-fourth of the buiiding area is dedicated to mechanisms for moving air safely through the building. Completion for the $18.4 million structure is anticipated in late summer. Mike Hamrick of Blondheim & Mixon is proj- · eet architect and Rebecca Hatcher of Hatcher Design : Associates Inc., Birmingham, the interior designer. A.. , Williams-Blackstock Architects of Birmingham has designed a 700-space addition to the Regions parking deck on 4th Avenue North. Work will begin this spring and will • double the size of the existing deck. The facility is designed to resemble a building rather than a parking deck with bays at ground level which mimic storefront windows. The Birmingham Parking Authority says the structure will help accommodate · the growing number of employees in the city center. A.. : The new Dothan Regional Airport Terminal, which replaced • an outdated terminal building, is a $3.5 million. 28.000- square-foot facility which can now compete against other regional hubs such as Montgomery, Tallahassee and Columbus. The main objective of the project designed by Waid McNamara Parrish of Dothan was not only to make room for additional carriers but also to use the facility to provide travelers a positive experience flying in and out : of the Wiregrass area. For these reasons, the building, completed in fall 2002, was designed in the vernacular of the area that combines today's technology with the charm of the area's traditional roots. : The Terminal Building houses ihree carriers with expansion room for a fourth, four rental car companies, a restaurant and administrative offices for the Airport Authority. The building features a bracketed colonnade the full length of the passenger drop-off and pick-up areas along with a drivethrough canopy. The interior of the building focuses on a : two-story circulation axis space from the main entry to the enplaning and deplaning waiting area. AU Poultry SCience Buiiding Dothan Regional Airport Terminal and (top) Interior Deiail ngineering II Y Polyengineering Inc. of Dothan designed the recently completed Enterprise Sports Complex. Its four softball fields meet adult and youth tournament requirements At the center, a three-story building containing 4,300 square feet houses concessions. mechanicals and rest rooms on the first floor. The second level contains a large meeting/observation area, two offices, a restroom and open observation balcony covering the first floor perirneter The scorekeeper's area is on the 3rd floor The complex was designed based on a master plan which includes future playgrounds, picnic pavilions, a maintenance facility and additional parking Glenn Morgan was prinCipal engineer and project manager and Jon Carn architect. A.. . Thompson Engineering and Watermark Design Group, subsidiaries of Thompson Holdings of Mobile, are responsible for the new Cruise Ship Terminal and Maritime Museum to be built at Mobile Landing The terminal, a $20 rnillion facility, will include retail space, meeting facilities and a parking garage Carnival Cruise Lines will begin cruises to Mexico from the terrninal in fall 2004. The Maritime Center, with groundbreaking scheduled for November, will house a regional visitors mall,ferry terminal and interactive maritime heritage experience. Design of the building'S interiors and exteriors evokes Mobile's rnaritime connection to the world. Mobile Landing is an 8-acre maritime transportation complex on the Mobile River. Completed last year were 1,400 feet of new docking space for large ocean-going vessels, a riverfront pedestrian promenade, an amphitheatre and plaza connection with the existing Cooper Riverside Park, parking areas, an internal street system, security lighting, dockside power and water and landscaped space for the public. Mobile Landing is being funded through a combination of public and private dollars. Thompson Engineering has provided project management services for the design and construction of the complex. Dan Dealy of Thompson Holdings Inc. is project manager for the Mobile Landing development and Rich Mueller, AlA, of Waterrnark Design Group project architect for both the Cruise Ship Terminal and the Maritime Center. Barganier Davis Sims Architects of Montgomery recently completed the interior design for Dr. Scott .'. Sprayberry'S new Orthodontics Clinic in Auburn. Design services included: space planning, lighting and rnillwork design and interior finish, furnishings and artwork selection. A slate floor and wall fountain, frosted glass doors and expresso-stained walnut millwork and furniture set the relaxed, yet sophisticated tone for the office. Tooth-shaped stools, a photo booth and game stations are fun for younger patients, while an expresso station and private work area make mom's and dad'S waiting experience less painful. Troy State University has a new ouadrangle focal point on campus based on a 1930s design by the Olmsted Brothers, the renowned New York architects who designed the city'S Central Park and North Carolina's Biltmore Estates. The Troy State plan was partially implemented then filed away and forgotten before resurfacing in the late 1990s in a desk drawer in Troy City Hall. The TSU Nationa! Alurnni Association raised funds to support the project. To create the new Bibb Graves Quadrangle, a horseshoe- shaped drive and parking lot that separated the quad from various campus buildings was removed and replaced by green space. The focal point of the project, a departure from the Olmsted design, is a large fountain and wading pool with a bronze 9-fooHall Trojan warrior statue designed by TSU alumnus Larry Strickland. Wide brick walkways spoke outward from the fountain toward the buildings and connect to a loop walkway surrounding the quad. Four broad plazas mark the quad's principal compass points The addition of decora- : tive light poles, benches and swings contribute to making the new/old quad a pedestrian-friendly environment. ~ Trojan Warrior Being PositionS{j in the TSU Quad Mobile Landing aild (top) Maritime Center and Cruise Ship Terminal 5 Volume iX. No. i One of the highest priorities in the restoration of Vulcan and the surrounding visitor's center was to create an area for learning which would establish a link to the community and • its history. The interpretive and interactive exhibits throughout the Vulcan Visitor Center make this connection. 'Exhibits' in this case extends to include all elements of the visitor center from outdoor displays that can be observed and touched, to interior interpretive areas associated with the traditional museum experience. Amaze Design Inc. and Southern Custom Exhibits Inc. of Anniston sought to create quality exhibits and visitor amenities that would help attract and maintain a targeted visitor flow of 20,000 per year. While a number of goals were used as pOints of reference for the overall design of the project, the need for community connections and accessibility were paramount in the design of the exhibits. As visitors enter the center directly from the plaza, they are greeted by a floor-to-ceiling exhibit of massive artifacts representative ofthose forged in Birmingham during its heyday. The multicultural-based exhibits, which depict Birmingham and the surrounding region's history, are organized into eight areas including: Recipe For A City, Frontier Town, The Vulcan Story, Becoming Birmingham, Depression & Decline, Towards a New City and Birmingham Each title lends itself to the thematic contents of the exhibit and include newly created items alongside the old -linking the past represented by Vulcan and the city's iron and steel roots to the current dynamic, multHaceted city. Vuican Visitor Cenier (top and middle) ASF Web Site DesignAlabama 6 .-~.-- • .g ._" ... ~---------. Montgomery Web design firm LWT/KBK New Media recently launched a pair of high-profile projects: newly redesigned Web sites for The Montgomery Convention and Visitor Bureau (CVB) and the Alabama Shakespeare Festival (ASF) The new CVB Web site is an interesting example of Web design driving the look of traditional creative work. LWT/ KBK's creative director, Laura Rainey, created a photographic design element which conveys Montgomery's historical past and its impact on the present - from a visitor's perspective. LWT Communications (sister agency to LWT/KBK) collaborated on the project using this concept to design creative for the CVB's new advertising campaign. In approaching ASF's site redesign, one of the biggest concerns for LWT/KBK was obtaining high quality artwork for each of the plays. Stock illustration wasn't an option for this project. LWT Communications, ASF's advertising agency of record, agreed and both companies felt strongly that something special should be commissioned. Two artists, one from New Zealand and one from California, were retained, and the results are spectacular. The illustrations were utilized in all of the print work and throughout ASF's Web site and broadcast e-mails. Please visit the CVB's Web site, www.visitingmontgomery.com. and ASF's Web site, www.asf.net. A AI Eiland, creative supervisor in the Office of Communications and Marketing at Auburn University, was challenged to redesign the iogo for the student transit system. To increase ridership and build student confidence, major changes regarding routes and schedules had been proposed. Eiland felt that the look of the system should reflect the changes it had undergone. The name was retained, but the image was up for grabs. "The use of a tiger reference was an obvious choice, but I wanted the logo to address the transit idea as well, so I introduced the arrows suggesting movement. I incorporated what I call the 'Oh' factor into the design - where two elements are created using the same parts. The viewer may recognize one before the other, but eventually both elements are identified - sometimes with an 'Ohll didn't see that at first: " Eiland explains. Whether you see arrows or the tiger first really doesn't matter, he says. The use of orange and blue, Auburn's colors, adds another layer of familiarity to the design. Monigomery CV8 Web Site While urban design works at the scale of blocks, districts and whole cities (see main feature, p.9), it can also play a role at a more modest size. In the case of University Town Center on The Strip near the University of Alabama, a 57,OOO-square-foot shopping center steps forward to make an urban statement. While the Publix Grocery part of the center had to be set back due to site limitations, the multi-tenant component comes up to make a firm edge along University Boulevard. As part of a streetscape improvement project by the City of Tuscaloosa deSigned by KPS Group of Birmingham, changing the site frorn suburban setback to urban frontage was recommended. Both Bayer Properties, the developer, and Crawford McWilliams Hatcher (CMH) Architects (the team that did The Summit in Birmingham) agreed with the concept Making an L with the parking to the rear and side are two buildings with a small plaza at the juncture providing outdoor dining space and welcoming pedestrians to the internal frontage from University. The plaza also allowed large shade trees to be saved and provide shade. Campus Drive, which extends through the site, provides auto access. A restaurant with a bowed glass wall fronts the sidewalk at the terrace end, and four storefronts extend the rest of the frontage. Food service spaces were placed at the forward ends to animate the street exposure. "Though some tenants did not want entrances both on the sidewalk and parking lot sides, we designed storefronts with high glass transoms and awnings that provide a traditional storefront ambience," says project architect Michael Tilman. "We used a higher level of detail on the whole sidewalk frontage than on the elevations fronting the parking lot." A popped-up roof and band of clerestory windows also anchors the street corner exposure. A x ~_ .... _L __ .... ___ ._~_.~.'" _____ University Town Center TIGER TRANSIT Auburn University T(ansi( System Walks and terraces feature interpre- DesignlllMakes A Difference tive panels descrihing geology, mining histary, WPA-era war\( and, as seen here, key elements in various views. hy Philip Morris The iconic 56-foot-tall statue of Vulcan, Birmingham's exhibit at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, captured most of the attention during a four-year restoration campaign, and rightly so. But now that Vulcan Park (1938) has reopened to great acclaim, visitors can see that the whole ensemble - the statue, the park, the stone tower and overlook, the new Vulcan Center - was a comprehensive project that took some $14 million to accomplish. From planning down to the most intricate exhibit details, many designers had a hand. Above Right: Preservatian architect Jack Pyburn of Atlanta set the new free-standing eleva tar tower 011 the sauth axis so Ihe original would screen it from prinCipal downtawn views. The concrete pylons repeat angles from the oclag08al1938 column. a monumental fit Following the formation of the nonprofit Vulcan Park Foundation (VPF) to raise funds, oversee the project and operate the site under a long-term agreement with the City of Birmingham, a national search led VPF to select Amaze Design Inc, of Boston as the lead firm, Along with a number of consultants in visitor profiling, site Circulation and other specialized fields, landscape architect Nimrod Long & Associates was brought on board to handle park deSign and HKW Architects to design the new Vulcan Center Atlantabased preservation architect Jack Pyburn was later added to focus on the tower restoration and design of a new elevator tower Amaze Design Inc, developed the master plan, in concert with various consultants and with extensive input from user-groups and under the guidance of a planning committee created by VPF, Under the direction of Joe Wetzel, well-known museum/exhibit designer and founder of the firm, Amaze Design also designed the exhibits intended to give an overview of local history (See Project News, p,6) Throughout the process, the client and designers had to balance the need for returning the statue and monument to original condition (the $3.5 million in federal funds demanded high preservation standards) with contemporary visitor demands, including accessibility, 7 Volume IX. No.1 The process was too complex to fully describe in this space, but here are some highlights • The cast iron statue was disassembled, restored and reassembled under the direction of Scott Howell at Robinson Iron in Alexander City. Instead ot the concrete used in 1938 to anchor the statue (which, ultimately, caused its deterioration), a stainiess steel armature connecis ali the parts together and to a new tower plate. • The modern white marble cladding and enclosed observatory trom the late 1960s were removed and the mostly intact original sandstone tower beneath restored. The stone tower base and the open-air steel observation deck were rebuilt from architects' drawings. • After much debate, a new free-standing (and, thus, reversible) poured-concrete eievator tower was placed on the south side of the stone tower so it would be only minimally visible from primary city views. The elevator pylons repeat angles of the octagonal stone tower to reduce their mass and improve the 'fit' • To create ADA-acceptable access and also serve educational purposes, the main entry approach follows the alignment of an existing walk at the eastern edge of the park Panels along this route describe natural and historic aspects of the park and interpret views. The original entry's grass terraces and stone steps, destroyed in the modernization, have been recreated, but not the cascades. Due to accessibility they are gated and will be used only on occasion. • Native sandstone in a random ashlar paitern simiiar to the original stonework is used for retaining walls and other features throughout the park. The Vulcan Center, with the museum level above ground and function room and ofiices below, has an arbor front with stone columns to give it the appearance of a park structure. • Rea!ignment of the entry road to the east side of the expanded parking area gives visitors views of Vulcan atop the stone tower that were not available before. By taking a comprehensive approach, Birmingham now has a singular civic monument and park that has never looked better. Design made a difference every step of the way III DesignA!abama 8 5 1 3 2 4 This photograph published by The Birmingham News when Vulcan Park reopened in mid-Marcil shows the restored statue and 1938 sandstone tower, the recreated WPA-era park and the new Vulcan Center {right). Joel Eliason, project landscape archllect fnt Nimrod Lung & Associates, researched WPA·era projects to help guide the deSign. 2 Exhibits in the Vulcan Park Center give an overview of local history wliile relating the saga of the monumental statue. 3 The grass terraces and iarmal axis ta the Stiuth, wiped out in the late 196Ds modernization, have been recreated as shown in this master plan. Due to accessibility, the pedestrian approach follows a gently graded walkway to the east. 4 Native sandstone, laid in random ashlar pattern like the original tower, was specified for this gateway pylon, retaining walls and port/ans 01 the new building. The new logo echoes the original park graphics. The original apen-air viewing platform was repraduced from architects' draWings, but in stainless steel to reduce maintenance. Due ta unsightly patching discavered when the white marble cladding was removed, all mortar joints an the 124-loot-tall column were tuck pointed ta a depth of about 4 inches, adding $350,ODO to the project cost. Wltat:~tl1edifferencebetwelJn planni ng and urban desi gn? ...... , Essentially, planning has. tended tdconcentrate on maps, subdivision layout, zoning districts and the like ---limited to two dimensions. Urban design generally works in three dimensions, dealing with more complex matters of architecture, historic urban fabric, mixed uses - it wants to determine hovvastreet, block or district will look and feel. Planning _____ "w'w· URBAN in 1bree by Philip Morris " e I Dimensions For towns and cities in Alabama, matters of urban design have mostly been wedded to local historic districts whereby guidelines and design review are used to make sure new buildings or changes to existing buildings are compatible with what's already there. But urban design can be used to shape any part of a community. Past issues of DesignAlabama have spotlighted urban design in action, usually on a project-by-project basis. This issue features a survey of some very exciting work underway to put these more sophisticated tools to work. We lead with MontgometJ! where a dramatic turn toward good planning and urban deSign has produced a plan for downtown and its waterfront already having impact Next comes Birmingham The city has long had an active urban design program, but it's being taken to a new level with the Birmingham City Center Master Plan update now underway To illustrate that older suburbs can find urban design a good tool as well, we present Homewoods Soho Square There a public/private joint venture is turning an under-utilized block in its streetcar-era downtown into an urbane mixed-use complex including a new city hail and a plaza flanked by two structures combining retail and residential. We describe Ross Bridge in Hoover, a 1 ,600-acre residential development with urban design giving place-character to its village center, which will be within walking distance of the new Ross Bridge Golf Resort hotel being built by the Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA) Finally, we include the new comprehensive plan for Helena in Shelby County near Birmingham that offers not the typical strip approach but a centers-based one to create a pedestrian-friendly community. DesignAlabama works to present design at work at all levels. These projects engage planners and urban designers, architects, landscape architects, graphic deSigners and engineers in a more dimensional placemaking task. Their clients - developers, city staffs, elected leaders and others - are partners in the process. These are exciting models for everyone to study. PMip .llorn:," bas !!lore (h{/I! 30 yam; /!,'(j!erieilce iii lJl({grr..ill(! trod, illeludillg (eillll'C3 as 1!.\"I:wlire edifor {{lld e(/ilor-af./mp,e at Southern Liring. Coa~lal Lii"ing mId SOllthern :\CCCIll$. AI/boug/! be refired fil lOGO. ,·j/o/,ris relllains uclire {IS ({Fee/mIce IITllei' (fud re.,/)(x/er/ lecturer OJ! rie.,t!,l1. (IS ud/ CIS (/ I1/t(io}' colI(nb!!Io}' (0 llt'5ignAlabama. 9 Volume IX. No. i m aID Ulli llil<lll Dt'Sig,ner: Sasaki Associates, Basion An:llitett & t'fulller: Brawn Chambless Architects, Mllntgomery Progr:un :>1:Ulagcr: Facility G({~UP, Atlanta Economic Anal),b: Economic Research Associates, Washington, D. C. ElllirolllnCnl:II Engineer: Malcolm Pirnie Inc., Birmingham Cit)' Phlllller: Ken Groves "fIJI! Rin!!jro!l! & f)()II"II/OII'il .I!asler {'kill ii/us/mIt's bOIr existilt!! tllctfllf (ofs siJollld be jilted ill lI'it}) II!!II" l){{ildil/3-~ (iJ/ tltlT/.! grt9'J IIlId boll' fbI! uhole ({fell sl}{Jllid be coJIIlec/ed 10 fbe Im/eljlt!lli. 'fbe !Jaltp(/i"k risible ill fbe IIpj)!!r lIIiddle }i((rl oJlbe jJlau. ()r(~il/(d1.)' slllfer! jill' PiJase 3. _Master Plan Photos courtesy of BIVWll Chambless Architects Under a remarkable turnaround, the City of Montgomery has put planning and urban design high on the civic agenda, Its Riverfront & Downtown Master Plan, a sophisticated study with solid economic underpinning rolled out in 2001, has generated projects that are bringing new life to a neglected urban core and waterfront. DesignAlabama 10 Debate about a proposed baseball park triggered the plan. but it was the election of Mayor Bobby Bright in 2000 that jump-started a new attitude toward planning and design "We had a long period of antiplanning," says architect John Chambless Jr. "It was very frustrating for architects who understand that a master plan helps define the context for designing projects and assures that they add up to something greater." For several years the city had discussed whether there should be minor league baseball, at what level of play, whether a new ballpark was warranted and where it should go. When this issue landed in his lap soon after election, Mayor Bright said a plan was needed to guide this and other civic investments to assure good choices were made. The team put together to conduct the study included: The Facility Group, a public-participation fbi.-- nXell! aerial pbo[ograpb oJfbe J!OI/(~OllleIJ dVimlOlf!! walelfrolll sholl"s (he !lew ballparkjOJ'/be .lIon/SOllie!)' BisCiliis illserted ill/o tbe We/rebollse Dis/i'ief tllld tbe I/elt RirUljivlli Purk lIearby. specialist firm that served as program manager; Sasaki Associates, a The Montgomery Biscuits' new/old-style ballpark opened in highly respected Boston-based firm of planners. landscape architects April in the location the master. plan said it should be: right downtown and architects known for waterfront projects; Brown Chambless Architects where it will attract between 270,000-300,000 visitors a year. (The AA of Montgomery; Economics Research Associates of Washington, DC. also league team will play in-state rivals in Birmingham, Huntsville and a national leader in its field; and Malcolm Pirnie Inc, civil engineers oj Mobile). Incorporating a part of a historic railroad terminal, the $26 Birmingham responsible for the environmental engineering. million. 7.000-seat, city-owned facility is primed to stimulate adaptivereuse of buildings in what's now called the Warehouse District Of five sites considered. this one was determined to have the greatest economic impact on the city, leveraging private investment. Uke /bl' celebmled Crill/tlell )"tmL,· halljlm-k in Baltimore. tbe lie/(" Nil"erurdk Stadrlml fifs illtiJJla/e(r iI/to ils lIrhall se(!illg. Scher/llteri to simi colls/mctioll /!JfsS/lIIIJJlel: I/;elIe.rI/l/;ase0/ fbI' 1((lteJj"l"OlIt 0/lell s/laC{' t!1" Br01(// Cball/Mess .-ircbile!."t.\" of llr)lllgOI!l(!r:r is floe Nirl'i"lmfk /1 sbortlmfl.' (111"f(rfrulll tbe lIell' hal/pm-/.:. fhl' 111'11' RiI'PIIrollf I'm·/'- is fbI' first /)/)(/se (!fa lillear jlark f/)flilCilllllfilllatl'(rfrollt the I"ire!" /bmllgh dowli/owl/ {llId adjacellt lIel:r.:./;bor/)I)od<. The balld s/;elt is (/ tellsile/abl"ic stJ"llc/lIl"e fbtl! jI/"O/"ides corer ({lId/mllll!.' the tira dell". e.rtelldillg west/rolll fbe NicelIrollt P(/rk If calls.fhr dillillg {{II(I sbOjlS oH'dookillg the /Caler (llld pllNrc sjJ(/ce cOIlJlecfed to flt/joillillg Ii/ocks. Designed by HOK Sports Venue of Kansas City, the firm respon- Locafed just a short walk from the new ballpark, the $2,5 million sible for the celebrated Baltimore Orioles ballpark that started the movement Riverfront Park features a tensile-structure bandshell and an expansive lawn away from 'anywhere stadiums' to 'local ballparks,' the Montgomery facility was wrapped by a rough-hewn cypress pergola (the latter eventually to be covered shifted one block east of where the master plan called for it to be. "The original with vines) There is also a splash-pad water feature - jets of water gushing site has a telephone switching facility that would have cost too much to replace,' up from a paved surface - to attract play. "We decided against structured says Chambless. "But moving one block means it's still in the designated area amphitheatre seating in favor of simple, sloping lawn since the park is meant to and actually connects better to the waterfront" be both a place for events, as well as year-round casual recreation," Chambless explains. The park holds up to 4,000 people for special events and, as at the Evident in the title - the Riverfront & Downtown Master Plan - connecting downtown and adjoining neighborhoods to the Alabama River is the baiJpark, views of the river command the site, guiding principle, Though the river was where the city started, over time the railroad Events wili animate the waterfront, but both the master plan and the and related industrial uses created barriers that limited access to this historic, detailed plans for the urban stretch of riverwaik call for retail and restaurants scenic and recreational feature, Re-making connections is now a priority. to bring people down to the river on a regular basis, The multi,level arrangement includes parking below and between 20,000 and 30,000 square feet leased The waterfront part of the master plan designates phased 'Improve, ments stretching 225 miles from Powder Magazine Park west of 1-65 to Northern Boulevard north and east of downtown, A first phase, the Montgomery Riverwaik and Riverfront Park plan prepared by Chambless' firm is now underway with a new public park and amphitheatre above the river completed late last year A multi-level riverwalk extending west to an existing park at the foot of Commerce Street will start construction this summer for restaurants and retail, A new concrete bulkhead protects and reclaims land for the project, but the city and the designers know going in that there will be flooding, "We COUldn't overcome that and have any real connection to the river," says Chambless. "The bulkhead r,as tie-backs that extend 30 feet back from the edge, and we'll have wash-off stations to clean up after high water" 11 Volume IX. No.1 I rball des{!{JI/{lIitie!inl's bare beell adopted {o (1.'SUi'/! {/Jallll'll' bllitdillgs tire (/t-si.',fllerllo reilljon-e 1/;(' bisforic urballilbric. like Ibis COllljJllfl!f-rell!ll!fed mode! tbal il/duile.' (/clifl' gl'Oulld jloor IW.8ji)r jlllilfe jJllrkill,'./ ~'I/'IIctllres, DesignAlabama 12 Along with the ballpark and the new park and riverwalk, the third major component for early action under the master plan is expansion of the convention center and addition of a new 200-room hotel. Doubling the number of hotel rooms currently available adjacent to the convention center will greatly expand the number of events the complex can attract Located at the lower end of Commerce Street, the proposal highlights another key urban design principle: filling in empty spaces and putting building edges back along streets. Applied to a multi-block area designated Civic Square in the master plan, the infill process calls for the urban fabric to be tightened with new buildings at the same time a block-square public space is created in their midst Thus, the new Civic Square will be fronted by historic Union Station on the north, the existing Embassy Suites on the west, the civic center/hotel expansion on the south and historic warehouses across fbI' IIItlsll!fpkm cdtsjor mixed-lise illduilillg re"idelilial ill botb (~\'istillg (llId lIell' buildings ill {be Warebolls/! Dis/riel (/1/d d,ell'/Jere i/O/I'll/OIl'll. Commerce Street to the east It will connect to the waterfront via the existing Commerce At the suggestion of Charleston Mayor Joseph Riley Jr., celebrated Street pedestrian tunnel. for impressive work in urban design and development over the past decades, Montgomery created The Riverfront Foundation, a nonprofit 501 3 organization The $85 million expansion and hotel would, in effect, put back the west side in 2000. Its purpose is to promote and help coordinate efforts on both the public of Commerce Street that was demolished when the original convention center was built and private side. For example, the !oundation has negotiated the new baseball The ground floor facing Commerce would have active uses iike restaurants and shops franchise and is working on the convention center/hotel expansion. Currently it with the hotel above. This sort of remedial urban design - filling in vacant blocks is working to encourage developers to pursue residential and mixed-use projects with appropriately designed mixed-use buildings, including residential units - is a near the new ballpark strategy called for throughout downtown. "It always helps to have a nonprofit group serving as advocates, marketers Introduction of residential units, in renovated buildings as well as new ones, and cheerleaders when a city is trying to do a complex job like revitalization," says will greatly help to make the downtown core and adjacent areas a more vital, animated the foundation's president Judge Mark Kennedy. "Most people in Montgomery place. These would range from loft conversions in the Warehouse District or the Central are truly excited about the prospects. The response to ticket and suite sales at the Business District to appropriately designed new infill houses in Cottage Hill and re- ballpark has been very good. These initiatives represent a paradigm shift People located historic houses in Old Alabama Town. For East Bank (North Montgomery), the who haven't been to Montgomery in a while are astounded." master plan calls for a new neighborhood oriented to river views including townhouses, condominiums and apartments with its own pedestrian-friendly retail center facing a new As the master plan effort got underway, Mayor Bright took steps to small waterfront park. create a fully professional city planning staff. Under new planning director Ken Groves, the city is at work updating ordinances and procedures needed for As the Riverfront & Downtown Master Plan makes clear, some of the proposed implementation. The master plan calls for more flexible categories or overlay improvements may take as long as 20 years to realize. The plan also stresses the impor- zones to encourage a mix of uses and urban design guidelines to assure both tance of public/private partnerships and a range of implementation tools (See Zoning & public and private projects meet expectations (See Zoning & Urban Design, p.12). Urban Design, p.12). Battleship U.SS Alabama 21 the star! ot the tfail. JOQgers of ail ages use the trail in Fairhope. School kids enjoy the new Gator Aliey segment of the traii in Daphne. h Estern hore Trail Iks hrough laba 's oastal y by ELIZABETH VIA BROWN D 1 J)J( \1 []) \\ \1l\.lj{S Ai\j) BfC'/CLlSTS \!AY SOO:\" 1ll\\T: IIll OPP01{lt0.:ll\ IOSiROll (WP]J)\I \11 IIll \\\) FRO.\] THE 'U.S.S. BxrTLESIl!P ALABA'\!:\ A:"Cl-jORED E\ ?vloBlLE Rw TO TllE ESTtAl<Y FESERI"!' 1:\ WEEKS B,w, OC-; ALIll,\\IA HlC>I]WA'r- 98, SOt:TflEAST OF POJ:\T CLE:\R. Now AHoeT T\\'()- Daphne trail skaters T! IIH.DS CO.\IPLETE, Tl JE 33-.\lJLE-LOT\G EASTER:'\" SllOHE Tlnl!. \\AS Jl'ST :\ ])1\ [,\.\J 1') YE:\H.S AGO \\T1E\' TEKO \XlISE.\L-\:,\ OF F.\IlUrOPE BEGA:\ TAU,-E\(i ABDUl' SLCH :\ PATH. Teko Wiseman strolls past a sculpture scene on the Fairhope trail. DeslgnAlabama 22 The lack of side\valks in ne\v housing developn1ents springing up along Alaban1<l's Eastern Shore seen1ed to be pulling neighbors apart, \x/isen1~H1 explains. And she fretted over changes in the charn1ing, close-knit pedestrian lifestyle that had long been a way of life in Balchvin County. \\?hen \Viseman met Stanley Anderson, an avid bicyclist. she found an ally whose frustration centered on the lack of adequate and safe lanes on which he and his cycling iJ'iends could ride, Their plight appealed to other coastal residents, and in 1996, the Eastern Shore Trailblazers \vas formed to work with local governn1ents to establish a netv",'ork of pedestrian/ cycling trails along the eastern shore. Essentially, the idea f()I' an extended path was Wisernan's, says Anderson, and she found others \'''''ho shared her enthusiasm, Retired in January 1993 from the City of Mobile, 'vlisen1an \\;as instrumental in the Port City's "Keep America Beautiful" program, "Retirement just didn't work for me," says the busy community leader.. \\<:ho bas always been an active civic organizer. Today. she works full-time, albeit as a volunteer, with the BakhYin County Trailblazers. Just last year she logged 3,000 miles seeking financial and design assistance for the path, which, when complete, will travel through sic-; communities - Spanish Fort, Daphne, Montrose, Fairhope, Point Clear and Weeks Bay, The 8-mile fenced walkway across the Mobile ]3;11' Causeway to Spanish Fort was already in place vvhen the Trailblazers began their project. and it became ;111 official link in the trail. Currently, the state's Conservation Departn1ent is conducting a clean-up along the causeway in an effort to obtain National Scenic Byway status, vvhich will enhance the trail even further. Other established walking paths, like tbe city sidewalks in Fairhope and several paths near the Grand Hotel at Point Clear) have been incorporated into the long jclunt. Adapting to local rights-of-way, the communities and to the condition of the land through which it meanders, the path is made of concrete sidewalks in some areas and wooden planks in others, .. ,'"., ""-"-'-',,' -.~~~'~'~""'"'~".' istorie Downtown >-"'-."" .•••• ' ' '" •'." . _.,'_.~ .. "~. ,.,_-,0 own Center .~. 71;e Iml!.'!' produced to SflllIIlltiri::e fbe IIr/;lI/! desigll recollllllendatiolis for flelel/tl is /00 smlll! fo r('ad alliJe red/lced set/Ie seell here. bllt fbe liJref!-ilimf!lIsioll(l/ aPPJV({c/J can be seel) ill fIJI;' street elcmliolls ({Jli! the pl(ills In'tJ) buildillg jiJolprillls in fbe urbal/ fbe wbole. into a Town Center with new mixed-use buildings facing sidewalks rather than being set back behind parking lots. As the plan was taking shape, it also incorporated Hillsboro North and Hillsboro South, two new centers envisioned for a large new USS Realty development, as well as another planned for a new development called Riverwoods. These centers would be linked with traditional streets and roadways that provide options for access, avoiding the bottlenecks of the one-way-in/one-way-out approach. A network of open space trails and parks linking neighborhoods and centers is also included. 'If its leaders have the will to see the plan through, Helena could be the shining example of a community of distinctive centers rather than anonymous strips,' Hester says. imii ,~ •. "" ~ ~~:.:':-... ~ ggl ',.,- Meanwhile, the RPC worked with the Auburn center on a similarly dimensioned plan for Cordova in north Jefferson County, and it has also engaged private design firms on others. The new dimension in planning is also embodied in the Center for Regional Planning & Design, a restored warehouse in downtown Birmingham where the RPC shares galleries and meeting rooms with the Auburn Center, Region 2020 and others engaged in shaping the future._ 21 Volume IX. No. I ,:/ -----~-,,-~----- ,"--~//' ,.X F"",,<:,.,, •• , ~:;~~iif~~>~/' ";~~. t ~s ~~.~ .~~;F?'::;:::;':::;';;-~-;~~ llrnUlr",DtJrlBLliJ I2k'BilIlB[j I n ~nj:, ___ / __ c_ ':v , "~~'<'''' lh-lJJJ:'-;z =:-\~I oo-~ '" .;-~ ~~ - '\ ~ -: -~ ~ ~_ :=-----=_ ~ _ ,--LLUJotTIrA~ ~I"-...~ r. ~ -, -- - ," - -- ~ j~ ,-, - -. ~,- -- ",-- __ 'I.kW~ 5~ I';r' :~ y~, [J}{i'. r( ".' :~~/,,?,~,·--:,:~=-~?,,<;:~(Z ,.j doser del(" of/be Historic Dml'llfO/nJ coJ/lJJOllellf oj fie/elias II/(/sfa pkm jJoster ifllls/rates bOil' lIell' bll~/dillp_s {{lid IIses U'ould reil/fo/'t(' exislillg IIrhali/abric alld il/cor/lorate jlllb/(COj!C1I sjlaces. "II:' Helena Plan rr/YJ.n J)t~igrwr: Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham AU Center for Architecture and Urhan Studies. Birmingham " __ ,\.r>c,,"! ,t;", .?-' i ". "("< ~/-/ ,!.:<':c'--';> ---- - The new comprehensive plan for Helena, a formerly rural Shelby County community now seeing much expansion as part of the Birmingham metropolitan area, offers a lot more sense of what kind of place it wants to be than such plans used to have, The poster produced as part of the effort includes building elevations for an expanded historic downtown, OesignAlabama 20 'This is our first effort at designing a plan in three dimensions," says Joey Hester, senior planner with the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham (RPC), "The ideas and images enliven the plan and help people get excited about the possibilities, It gives them something tangible to hold up when a developer comes to town," About two years ago the RPC began a conversation about collaborating on a Helena plan with the Auburn University Center for Architecture and Urban Studies in Birmingham The process would combine the twodimensional kind of map plan done by RPC with the three-dimensional approach used by the Auburn center in its small town visioning work, The effort began in the spring of 2002 and was wrapped up in spring 2003 The Helena Planning Commission adopted the plan in October of that year, and the city council endorsed it in April 2004, "We call this a centers-based approach to planning in contrast to the typical commercial strips," says Hester "Fortunately, Helena has its Old Town which had already been rediscovered as a location for antique stores and restaurants, so it was easy for them to understand our plan to have a series of such pedestrian-friendly town centers," In addition to an expanded Historic Downtown (Old Town), the plan calls for reshaping commercial development at the area's major intersection At {f I!/(,~r (lI!em?cliolllliJere retail is already clustering. tbe /lMJI wfls jiJr sba/lillg (/ [()/m Cellter senwl !~r (/ i!.rid ({lid with bllildillgs brougiJ/lo fbe sid{'lf(dks. l/)re(! olbe!" (('lifers lriff serH~ lIIajor I/CU' !(!sidellliat aretls pIal/lied /0 fIx: U'('sl. Ii s,""Q,~ " "WAY ,0T 'co 01/ Cf""<"?IATfr P.',H~"'C "'~"'T;QN B ?·WAY ''''f' ,., ">'11 WI"" pm;., ! [, PA."~""~' W'TH SOfS ~T9" ,.. D'/.Y v,", -2 ,'Ow ,~:8H..;.) ;>A.~~I~'r ""GT,rN " ?'WAY "WE " Gw ;)'""(:"""1" PA.~K,,,r: \ , /\ V \ ~;-~7!Q,~ f z::':~L.£E;;r " QW w,T" ;"):~~f'"", ~i£.'&..9£i1!i~ -.~ ..... ---... -.. -_.- , .. ~ .. -,.~~.--.. -.-.- \ ~ fl' "q SFRy"'C, ''''';: '·w:.y y,q f' "OW'SQ ;>AR'''''iG .lIas/a Roa(/lIY()' Pfall/o}" Rv)'s Bridge 1'011'11 CI!IIII!}" SbOlfS "freel s(!ctiolls jor mriolls e.oi:cI'" STREET SECTIONS One of the main accomplis/Jments oj the new urbanism Section C, the ~}pica/ residential street, is 26 jeet curb to mOl)ement is the revitxtl of street designs tailored to pedestrian eJlL'iI'OJl- cllrb, and that allou)s parking on either side. Parking on streetj~ both ments. instead oj one-size-fits-afl geared to cars traveling at 45 miles residential and commercial, is lJielfed by nell) urbaniSTll proponents as an how; narroll'er streets and tighter radii for corners serve to slow a trciffic-calming device. GrandArenue has tU)O diJftrent sections; Sec-traffic and make foot or bicycle tracel seifer and more comfortable. tionA in the mixed-lise tOll'n center is 38 feet finm curb to curb which includes one moving kme in each direction and9 jeet on each sidefor Varied street sections, when coupled with hOllses and other para//el parking; Section B from the town center to the botel has a 100- stmetures brought forward toward the sidewalk, giee different character foot right-of way with 38 feet L'ltrb to curb (with parallel parking) and andfeeling to places within a neighborhood or district. lbe graphic tben28-joot-wide pedestrian ways on each side (5-joot-wide walks illustration here shows the plan and eight different street sections being between double rows of trees anti gms;). used jor Ross Bridge Village Cente!: The)' range jrom streets with angled or parallel parking on both sides in areas with mixed uses to intimate residential streets and the accompanying alle-ys. "I'm collvincedjrom what I've seen - taming cars is crllcial to creating livable places, " says LOOJW"}I Ricks Kiss urban plmmer John '«mFossen. "We need tight corner turns with a radius of jiee feet. !fyou have a 25joOl radius like most civil engineers uxmt, cars don't have to stop or even slow down, so it's badforpeople !lying to cross." This attention to the design 'if the public realm, including the L·ista of grand avenue terminated with grand botel, is a ke.v part oj planning in three dimensions .• 19 Volume IX. No.1 " \ / / / / / / DesignAlabama 18 {-lbol'cj lbe f;/all/or Noss Brir(t:,e hul'/! (ellfC'1" wl/s Jbr rollgb(r lim cizr Mocks lillcd /l'ith bllildill/':'s Ib«{ collie to /be sidell1dk. Parkillg is (II1-S{lr'('{ (/lid ill {be middle (!( /be Nach. {be {a!fa (/ccess/bIt! I~r C!lJ:\' flild pedes/rirms tlf ser(;'m! locatiolls. SII!TOlllldill/!.liJe 101m cl'lIfer uHf be s//Ialler-Iot n'sit/cl/!ia/ Ilc(!!.bliorbootl,· serred 1~r af"~l's. Gmllc/ BmrfeamJ uHf rIlllfrollllbe jJarkla!l: !broll:;!}) tbe celller. past flJe park (Illd 011 fo 11)(.' bold (Lq(lj lbL, bi/r/s-ey(' /k!IYJ!'ctilr' s/)ows fix: /?os.,-/JrirZr;(! /Olm eel/ler uit/) fbe Noss Brk(~ (,'o((Resorl bore! ill floe bad'ground. .roU' tlllder cons/ruelioll. fbe bolel desigll is {~r (fOOdlllll . .Ifill," & Ca/rood file. the buildings for access to the interior, both for cars and pedestrians," Also like While the balance of Ross Bridge will be less dense and with residential Celebration, the Ross Bridge village center structures can be either retail or office lots served by driveways from the street, there will be care taken to keep it pedes-with residential above or all residential Structures may also be designed to have trian-friendly, "Garages will be set back behind the house fronts to be at least partly ground floor residential converted to office or retail later if demand calls for il. This screened from the street," says Charles Carlisle Jr, of Daniel Realty, "The developer flexibility in use stands in contrast to the usual suburban separation of uses into and the City of Hoover have worked together to make streets narrower and more separate zones friendly to pedestrians, We have compromised a bit from our initial plan, but we feel the urban design goals will be reached" (See Street Sections, p 19) Adjacent to the village center are townhouse and cottage lots to flesh out its pedestrian-friendly character, as well as a small park to be used for community A good example of the difference? The Grand Boulevard leading from the events, Another major urban design move is Grand Avenue, which leads through town center to the hotel is grand in feeling but the pavement is not as wide as many the village, past the park and along a tree-lined boulevard of grand houses about typical suburban residential streets where speed'rng cars result in demands for speed-one- half mile to the hotel. "It will be a pleasant, easy walk from the hotel to the bumps from residents, Daniel agreed to traffic lanes 2 feet wider than they wanted, but village center," VanFossen says, with double rows of trees on each side, sidewalks, pedestrian bump-outs at intersections and houses served by alleys, not driveways, The 'grand' in this Grand Boulevard will be the open space feeling, not the pavement Residelltial neighboi1Joods SIllTOlllldillg Ibe Ross Brit{!{e 'linnl eel/ler wit! bllte s/!I(liia /!lore urbllN /ols IIl/d ({!fey (Iccess so "Irwts ltit! !Jare (11/ in till/lite. jJede"lritlll- Jrie/l(l~r c/;({!"(Icler. L·rban Designer: Looney Ricks Kiss, Memphis :\]"(.:hiK'(L~: Looney Ricks Kiss, Memphis Goodwyn, MU/s & Caywood, Montgomery LanUsclpe Designer: Holcombe North Pritchett, Birmingham Hoover .. 1" il dece/ol)s. No.~s Brii(r;e lim·n Cel/ler Idf! baw (/ serie~· oJmixed-lIw bllildings Jacing Ross Bril(!{e ParkuYJ), ({cross (f green. Tbe firsl s!rue/llre (rigbt) 100jJen ill 2005. (/ u·ekolllel.~(tfes cellter. /I.·ill resemble (III bisloric resort tmill depot Itilb (I lower (//1(/ dock. Crt/JliI EOII/r.!l"(lrd Ifill extend Ibro/lgb tbe lIIiddle oJlbe 11I"0-block tOim eellter ({lid lead fo fbe got/resort lind bote!. (·rhllll (bt~1I alld (lrcbill!ctllre 011 tbl! 1011"11 ee//ler is kl' Looney Ricks KIS$. (/ feadillg lieu· IIrb(llllsl firm. Urban design has made a comeback on the urban growth boundary thanks largely to the new urbanist movement gathering momentum over the past decade or so. With Mt Laurel and The Preserve well underway, other large-scale developments planned for the Birmingham metropolitan area are moving away from the usual subdivisions-and-strip commercial to more urbane place-making. Ross Bridge, a 1 ,660-acre residential development coordinated with the golf course and resort hotel of the same name by Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA), will include approximately 1,800 single family dwellings, 600 multi-family units and a pedestrian-scale mixed-use village center Developer Daniel Corp with partner USS Realty retained a leading new urban design firm, Memphis-based Looney Ricks Kiss, as urban planner and Holcombe North Pritchett landscape architects of Birmingham as land planner. The urban design has focused on the village center, the 126-acre core of the development where lots are smaller and all served by alleys, true to new urban prinCiples The town center embraces the equivalent of two city blocks at the heart of the viilage and combines residential, office and retail uses, Set back behind a green fronting Ross Bridge Parkway, a new thoroughfare leading through the development, will be a series of buildings ranging from one to four floors, Of varied but compatible architecture, these structures will face Market Street with angled parking on both sides. Grand Avenue, extending from the parkway through the village center, will also be lined on both sides with buildings brought to the sidewalk, and additional mixed-use buildings and townhouses will front adjacent blocks with parking both on-street and within the blocks, "This is similar to the town center at Celebration," says John VanFosen, project urban planner for Looney Ricks Kiss who lives in that success-ful Orlando new urbanist development. "The key is to have breaks between 17 Volume IX, No. I i\rchitCd.: Cohen & Company, Birmingham blndscape :\rchitec!: Holcombe Narlh Pritchett, Birmingham Ci\il Engineer: Walter Schae! Engineering Ca. Inc., Birmingham Soho . Square, I11---III omewood IlJis relldt'rillg I~r Cobel! (- COlllpti/l)' sbo1t:~ fbe lun re/(ti/lresir/enfirl/ bllildings (btl/uHf flal/k /be jJ!{{;:a iJ/ !rOil! of/be lIell' ci~r /Iat/. 1IK/ollr,sfo)'), /mildill,!.! Oil If)!! k:jl will s/(1) £101m 10 //(0 storics as il e ... fellds tOll"ard II/ode,,"/·sm!e bllildfllp.s ill /be bem1 q( f!o/ll(,lCood:~ sfreetc(/r-em dow/lfoll'/!. Homewood makes this clear: Lumping all suburbs together is a mistake. While the city's bucolic residential neighborhoods fit the suburban image, the core of its streetcar-era 'downtown' has an appealing urban feel. A block-square project now underconstruction there will give this early suburb a big boost in urbanity. DesignAlabama 16 Soho Square (for South at Red Mountain, Homewood) includes a new four-story Homewood City Hall facing a plaza flanked by two mixed-use buildings with retail and restaurants on the ground floor and residential condominiums above. Though the block was thinly developed, including a lumber yard on the interior, it connects directly to the existing downtown core. The planning and design for all three structures by Cohen & Company of Birmingham calls for an ensemble of distinctive buildings. There will be parking for 400 cars on one level below grade. allowing a tight urban fit. (Fal" k/lf Jill efr;>f(ffi()II f!f!be IJeI/' JlOIJII!II'OOt! Ci~r flal/. al/chorillg {he lCesl side o/fbe jI{u,;;((. II/akes clew Ihe eirie ,~rlllbolislll q( tbe (/es(":!.II. ()JfJerj70OJ's uHI be clad iii liIJ/(!stol1(,·/JII('d C(lst COlicrete j/{IJ/l'/s while the c%l/Nade e((:;illp. the p/rC(f uHI be of bricf:. Cobeu f- ComJ!m~)' tire arebitl'cts 011 Ibis !!IIifding as we/t. fLt::fI} 011 Ibe sill' J!k/ll {be IIliJ(!1l /;ui/r/ingfoolJ!rilifs afe made denf uHb the tbree sfruetures shapill,Q (Iii iJlljJOrftmlllel( (irk sj)(lcl' Irbile coJlI1('cth(:; If) fbe I!xisfill;:!. dOll'llfOI("II. Avenue North in the heart of Birmingham's loft district. The commercial/residential components of Soho Square, ranging from two up to four floors, will have much the same scale and variety found there. Homewood City Hall, fronted by a plaza extending to the east between the flanking structures, has a classical character with an art mode me tone. Symmetrical wings step back in plan and elevation to emphasize a central gabled pavilion, all faced with limestone-hued cast stone. A brick colonnade at ground level mediates between the building and the plaza and is intended by the architects to This is also a public/private venture. After more than a year investigating represent the people of Homewood coming together. This is civic architecture: possible s'ltes for a new city hall, local developer Scott M. Bryant approached the city 'city hall: not 'municipal building' with the idea of the mixed-use block just across the street from existing municipal buildings. Bryant assembled the property and the city paid the $84 million purchase The retail/residential buildings will front sidewalks and extend existing price. The city will build city hall, and the developer will build the two flanking struc- pedestrian character around and through the block with dining and other uses tures. Homewood Mayor Barry McCulley estimates that tax revenue from the private spilling onto the plaza. There will be a total between 75 and 80 for-sale Soho part of the project should cover the city's $12 million construction costs Flats on upper floors Between 15 and 18 businesses will occupy ground floors. In addition to the 400 underground parking spaces, there will be 200 more behveen "It's a true city center Everyone likes to use that term, but it's real in this the complex and the backs of existing buildings. Construction on both public case:' said architect Richard Carnaggio of Cohen & Company in a newspaper report and private parts of the project will be coordinated with completion scheduled for about Soho Square. Carnaggio and his wife, Tammy Cohen, are architects with a deep fall 2005 • devotion to urbanism. They have their home and office a few doors apart on Second Afier a national searcr!, the city selected Urban Design Associates (UDA) of Pittsburgh, a firm well known for strong community-based planning, to lead the team, Other members include: Kems Pearson Inc', Birmingham, landscape architects: NHB Group LLC, Birmingham, architects: Economics Research Associates, Washington, D,C" commercial market study: Zimmerman Volk Associates, Clinton, N,J, residential market analysis: Glatting Jackson, Orlando, transportation planning, The team came to Birmingham in January to gather information and conduct a series of meetings with varied groups, They returned in early March to conduct a four-day charrette - an intensive design process conducted with stakeholders and interested public brought into the process. The results were presented at a public forum the evening of the final day. UDA principal Don Carter walked the audience through the process with vivid graphics projected on a screen at the Carver Theatre, He surveyed existing conditions, showed summarized lists of citizen opinions and visions, explained the design principles shaping the master plan and then used plans and birds-eye views to illustrate key components of the plan emerging from the team's work, On transportation and pedestrian links, the recommendations extend throughout the city center. These include: • Phasing out all but three pairs of one-way streets in favor of fiNo-way streets that can be designed to slow traffic and accommodate distinctive streetscapes alluned to parlicular neighborhoods or districts • Creating a network of 'green streets' that serve as gateways between the cily center and surrounding neighborhoods, as well as pleasant environments for walking and living • PUtting the now-elevated porlion of t-20/59 below grade instead of rebuilding it as IS, capping the block between the BJCC and Birmingham Museum of Art with a plaza On more specific improvements, Carter said the city center covers such a wide area that efforts should be focused on reinforcing present strengths, The team settled on iour areas: • Creating vital mixed-use districls north and south 01 the new linear park planned along the historic railroad district with the University of Alabama- /lejl] .. 1 doser <,iew vf fbe areas lIor//; ({I/d SOllt/; q/ /be pltllliled {jlle(lf /Jllrk between t/OII"II/OII'II (/111/ U8 IIhete rfiaimixed-llse dis/riels /I'ill be eIlWIIN(~ed. Inclilding lojls 11111/ l!el(' resiilen/ill! -'!ruC/III"I!:;. {BdOlf] "[be telllll led I~I' I rb£1I/ JJes(!{1I :!:i.,·oda/es of I'i!l:;bllr:.~b ilfllstrates tbe ii/milled Inmijimll(/ti()III!I n!~~1 An!illle.wlltb illtv II lie/I" lIIid-rise n'sii/eI!Iitl! "Irel:! ul"er/uokill,!{ tbe l!ell" pllrk. l./Jwllim:,11or,\" !"I!celllfy {llI/wlII/ced (/ lli!le-sfOJ), n/ajl/J"I!siileJlli(// blli/dillg altbis loc(ltiol/. (See Project.Yell·s. pA) Ihlll~1XJrl{/livlI COI/Sllllallls proj}ose I/Jtlt lbee/el'll/ell segmellf 0/1·20/59. I/OU' (/ barrier bellweli lyee (luti i/Oim/oim. be J"C/;uif! beklll' grade. Tbe !JI(I::a ilIlis/Tilled ben:. adj({c(!l1/ 10 fbe Bi!"millgb((/I/ .III1SI'IIIII I~r:lrl, li"ollid mjJ 1/;(' recessed bigblu{v awl creMe (I gellenms pedes/drlllliuk beluw!!I liill! Park (illd BJCC BlflOlngham (UAB) and the cily partnering on the area south ollhe raliroad • Building a new, predominately residential neighborhood north of Kelly tngram Park in the Civli Rights DIi;tlld • Extending the movement to lofls, studios and olher uses for the blocks north and sou!h of the railroad park and east of 20th Street wilh both renovation and new intill sjructures • In conjunc!ion with the proposed lowering of 1-20/59, rebuild connections between the cily, the BJCC and proposed dome expansion. Even with much remaining to be done on matters of design and execution, the powerful images of inviting open spaces and adjacent reSidential blocks and of the awful 1-20/59 barrier gone have already stimulated strong support The UDA-Ied team is forthright about modest growth for Birmingham's city center - 800,000 square feet of new office space, maybe 300,000 square feet for research and development - but optimistiC that the trend to city center living will continue and, possibly. accelerate, All the more reason to use every opportunity to strengthen what's already good, • 15 Volume IX, No.1 This birds·ere pers/Jeclil'e /ookillg nor!bIram !be Jlortb('fII (!({!!.(' l!f fIx (AB lII(!(limf cenl('r IJigbf(r.:.hts Ibe ::OIl{,S where !be currell! IIItISfel"/ikwllpda/e l/'ifl direcl fbe mosl a/fell/ioll. '·65 is 10 the lejt. 1·2(;/59 ({nd [be BJCC IIN/r the to/). t:i\y Center 111aster Plan Images coul'te~J' of [,i'ban Design Associates Planning Con~ul!anl~: Urban Land Associates, Atlanta Economics Research Associates, Washinglon, D.C. Zimmerman Volk Associates, Clinton, N.J. Glatting Jackson, Orlanda l"rban Dcsigner: Urban Design AssOCiates, Pittsburgh .\rchitect NHB Group LLC, Birmingham l.antbcape Architect: Kerns Pearson Inc" Birmingham City Planner: William A, Gilchrist, Birmingham There were gasps from the audience when an architect's rendering of a new public park in the historic railroad district bordered by new residential loft buildings was shown. Even more when another before/after pair showed the elevated 1-20/59 dropped below grade and capped with a plaza between the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center (BJCC) and Birmingham Museum of Art. At the midpoint of work on an updated City Master Plan, it has already created a stir. DesignAlabama 14 About 20 years ago the city established a viable urban design program that, along with public improvements and incentives, has helped revitalize areas like those around Linn Park, the Civil Rights District, Five Points South, Lakeview and the emerging Loft District. For the most part, though, these changes have been gradual. And the last master plan update in 1991 was more guideline than plan, The current one is emerging as bolder and fully fleshed out with specific recommendations for public and private investment. With funding for the project approved by Mayor Bernard Kincaid and the city council, William A Gilchrist, director of planning, engineering and permits, is overseeing the process. It began with a 2002 visit by a panel organized by the Urban Land Institute of Atlanta which produced a report assessing what a master plan should address. There was also a series of locally organized workshops to engage various stakeholders and the public. lbe Inllls/JOrta!ion alit! Iillk· ages parI C!f fIx plal/ corerfllg /be en/ire ei(r eel/fer callsjor tI grid OJ/!,fl?('1/ streels'ldlb wider sidellwlks. lalJdscaping alld accolJlmodations/or pedestfirms alld cyetists. 7be)" also /ink exis!il1g (llld /1/flI!II(!(/ opell s/laces. ZONING & URBAN DESIGN rwo goals ofJlontgomer}"s downtown masler plan - a dynamic mix of uses and buildings responsive to particular context - require cbanges in existing zoning and urban design guidelines for bolh public and primle projecls. Zoning in most cities separates llses into different mapped zones - thus the name. This fraditiollalQ! made sense in protecting neighborhoods from nO.riOllS industries. But one side effie! has been to turn Once diverse urban quarters into sing!e~pUl1)ose areas that often lack vitali!v. The deadness of downtown office precincls after u...'Ol'k hours is now considered a major negative. Cities lookingfor l'eViLyt/ want 2417 cores, jJlaces lfhere people are present 24 hours a dc(r, seven days a week. And, on the opposite end of the spect,,,,,,. it is now seen as a plus to hm·-e at !ea~i limited shoPPing and services within walking distance for residential areas. The implementation jJart of the masler plan calls for either overlay districts applied to specific areas like the Warehouse District or nell) zoning categories that encourage a mLr of office, retmt and residential within the same block or udthin indiFidual buildings. "We are alread)' e.\Perimenting lldth changes to remove the most SBlJere restrictions, " says Ken Groves, planning director for the ci~}'. "We noll' allow mixed-use for most of downtown We've also developed an over/t{v zone that a/JOlt's regulated street vendingfor Dextel; Commerce and tbe riveJji'ont. " On the issue of urban design. the jJlau text calls !orurban design guidelines "to establisb the pb)'sica/ parameters under lehich botb jmblie and private jJrojects will be imjJlemented. " The guidelines jor public prqects would address issues such as open sjJace. gatelVtl)'s. streetscape treatments, lighting, outdoorfurnishings and signage. Tbose forprimte development u/Ould cover such matters as historic context, buildingplacenll3J1t, scale, proportion and massingJa,ades. parking and parking structures and service entries. Groves sa)!s the ci(}' has decided to include design guidelines tbat distinguish between urban and suburban areas under a major revi~ sian of its zoning ordinance. In the meantime. since the ci(v is an actiFe financial partner in projects like the proposed convention center/hate! ev'\pansion, it can require that urban design goals are met. The turnaround in Montgomel)' jJlanning and design will not be geographiiXllly limited to downtoll'n and tbe riveJjront. Fo!lowing a conference on Smart Growth organized by Envision 2020. a nonprofit visioning initiath'e, the ci{Jl is taking a comprehensive approach to hale it del'elops and redevelops cit)'wide. THE CULTURAL DISTRICT For Court Square and sllrrounding blocks, Montgomerys be retail and seroice commercial with !ilJe~lmrk units on upper Riveifl'ont & Downtoum Master Plan calls for butiding on its existing floors. A new parking deck behind commercial buildings at Dexter and physical chamcter and strengthening its role as a cultural resource. ,\'orth P(..>r1)! Street would seme this immediate area. The distinctive shape of the un~square Court Square comes The Davis Theater and the nell' Rosa Parks Museum ne{l}'~F are ji'Ofrl the intersection of two historic grids - Ve1J1 'visible where present cultural attractions. fro}' State CnicersifJ'Montgomw)'1 which Commerce Street and Dexter Ave. meet at an angle '{citb the v'iew up OllJnS and operates the theatre, bas tnt/de streetscape improvements that De.yter to the State Capito!. The square should be restored to a period add to di~trict character. Linking into the neu' Selma to lv/ontgotn81J' civil character ll)ith sun-ounding historic bUildings also restored. Cses bere rights trait should strengthen the area as a destination .• 13 Volume IX, No.1 Visitors traverse raised walkways in the Weeks Bay Reserve. While the trail isn't uniform in appearance, says Anderson, it meets various environmental and disability regulations, and its 8-foot \viclth can accomn10date both ,valkers and cyclists, Trailheads, or rest stops with parking areas, appear in various locations along the trail. To help with funding, some communities have sold hricks, which can be inscrihed in tribute and honor of those donating, Anderson explains. The ne\Yest section have a reason, you just don't go down most of the lanes,' Because County Highway 98 has no shoulders, it's even more difficult ;;lnd sometin1CS dangerous to try to access some of the driveway.'s. Her involvement in the Eastern Shore Trailblazers has led Quinn to a seat on the state's Recreational Trails Grant Committee, a federally funded program for cities and civic groups. Her experience has been re\varding. of the trail opened vvith "The people I have met along the imaginary "The people I have 111et along the inlaginary trail have been wonderfuL vvith a flourish in early April 2004, \vhen the seglnent from the UOlive Creek Bridge in Spanish Fort to 1\orth Main Street trail have been wonderful, with a vision and the energy to make it happen." in Daphne was dedicated, The Alabama Department of Transportation provided a S200,000 grant for the section, which runs along Highway 98 and 1-10 to the Larry Dee Cawyer (sic) Scenic Overlook This section has already been nicknamed "Gator Alley' for its lowlying areas belovv' the underpass. A natural trailhead, the existing county jXlrk at Mullet Point on County Road 1 near the intersection of Highway 98 and County I\oad 32, will be part of the Point Clear Trail, says Julie Bagwell, a resident of Point Clear and former president of the Trailblazers, Construction, which includes the refiguring of some residential driveway curbing, began in 1\'larch with a ground breaking ceren10ny, but \vork on the ren1ainder of the Point Clear Trail depends on funding, The next phase of the trail will be built in the Montrose Historic District, which received a $ L 5 million federal grant, a vision and the energy to make it [the trail] happen," she says, When it finally reaches Weeks Bay Estuary, the East-ern Shore Trail will provide direct access to 12 schools, t\vo com111unity colleges, the u.s. Sport Acaden1Y, at least 13 puhlic parks, two public libraries, four (or more) hotels, three hospitals, two retirement comlll'u[l1i: ties, two golf courses, two horse stables and ccl,u~f!lE'iis restaurants and shopping areas. If her dream were to be fulfilled, says Wiseman, the trail would continue all the way to Fort Morgan and end on Dauphin Island. For no\v, seeking grants for 1110re construction takes most of her energy, but she does take time to walk along the completeci portions of the trail knowing that the Trailblazers are responsible for safe, scenic and frugal 111eanS of transportation along Alabama's Eastern Shore, 'ii' Elizabeth Via Brown is a freelance writer based in Montgomery A couple fides an lilclinalor in Point Ciear. Bicyclist rides throLlgh'Fairhooe's Bayside Park, Debbie Quinn, the liaison between the City of Fairhope and the I3aldv",in County Trailblazers, has supported the project fron1 its beginning. The trail, which vvill run in front of her house in Montrose, should have a positive impact on her family's life, says Quinn, She sees it as a tremendous opportunity for residential contact. shore of Mobiie Bay. 'Because so many people live down long dirt paths Of narrOw paved lanes, it's hard to get to kno\v your neighbors in IvIontrose," explains Quinn. ·'enless 'you The Daphne library is on the trail route. 23 Volume IX. No. I Designer~Profile Landscape Architect: Chad Watkins • ~ln,....,. oasta • til aracter by ELIZABETH VIA BROWN Developing effective landscapes takes more skill than just plugging shrubs and trees into holes in the ground. When a landscape designer puts pencil to paper, a dream is set into motion, and it's the attention to meticulous details that softens the edges of architecture and puts life into hard spaces. Done well, says Chad Watkins, landscape architect with Site/Works Inc. in Orange Beach, the landscaping is part of the overall plan and not an afterthought. The "Luau at Sandestin" features a waterfall streaming into the pool surrounded by palm trees and native plantings. DesignAiabama 24 "You hope the construction contractor completes )'Ollf thoughts and ideas," say's \Vatkins. Landscape architects act as environtnental consultants and instruct contractors &" on \vhere and how u £. to place buildings. ~ Plantings can actually i direct traffic flow and cg allow buildings to be ~ more functionaL As a landscape architect with Site! Works, Watkins works closely with teams of architectural designers and contractors to create an1cnity packages for coastal developments. The finn's deSigns must consider height restrictions, wetland environlncnts~ wind patterns over sand dunes and the harcliness of plant material.. This can be quite a delicate task.. White Sands Holiday Inn and Amber Isle in Orange Beach, a 12-story hote! anel mixed-use cond0I11inilllTI project, has raised 50111<':: concerns from local residents due to its proximity to Gulf State Park and environmentalists' fear that construction \vill endanger the exist-ing natural habitat The 14,4-room hotel and neighboring condo share a playground and pool facilities and were designed to minimize the environmental impact on the beach site, says Watkins, project manager tor the landscaping and amenity master plan, "We want to adel to, not rake away from the existing landscape," says Watkins, By locating the development into existing beach thicket with regard to adjacent \vetlands, it was designed to 111inimize environmental disruption, If it were possible, says Watkins, designers \vould rather cut out a space and drop a building into the natural surroundings. "We can't replicate what is natural, but we do try to save the sculptural quality of nature and turn it into an opportunity'," Taking advantage of opportunity" is what led \\/atkin5, 28, into a career as a landscape architect. Like 111any teenage boys, he I110wed the neighbors' lawns for spending money, but instead of lilniting his service to SUI11n1erS, he used his experience to create a full-time job. After graduation from high school in Tuscaloosa, he entered the landscape architecture progranl at YIississippi State University, but dropped out for a ,>-'ear when he won a large contract for a project in Greensboro. Eventually, he returned to college to complete his degree, but the year off gave him keen insight into the practical side of the business. ·'Theory· ends where practice begins," says Watkins, When he returnee! to his classes, the educational lnaterial made more sense, and he \vas able to view design froln a differ-ent angle. Although he is no\v working full tiIHe with a design fIrm, he maintains his co-o\vnership of Breaking Ground Landscape in Tusca-loosa and returns on \veekends to help oversee landscape renovations and devise solutions for retaining \\.:alls, drainage and site scale 5tor111 \vater. At Site/Works. he has worked as the project landscape architect of Llke Sumter Landing, the second phase of a nev,/ to\V11 in The Villages, Fla. Laid out on a 65-acre site, the project contains 29 buildings that house restaurants, shops, businesses and sales facilities and is anchored by a wharf and market square. In designing the landscape, \vhich was completely originated by the finn. he had to consider the area's hot and humid climate, where rainfall is not a"vays abundant. "I(s a sturdy landscape palette:' Watkins says. "of Southern perennials and tropical plants that suit the architectural character of the buildings."' Site/Works has also been retained to design the landscape for the In this entry area under construction at lake Sumter landing, the walls are therned to replicate old boundary line walls along a property line. development's first 48 homes. In Sandestin, Watkins \vorked as the co-project manager for the landscape and amenity master plan for a 260-plus-vacation compound. A waterfall streams into the pool at the Luau, which is surrounded by palm trees and native plantings. As a landscape architect, \\'atkins says irs his job to design S\Vill1ming pools that enhance the topography of the site, while being accessible, attractive and useful to the residents. While working with KPS Group Inc., Watkins was a member of the design team for various planning and landscape architecture projects including a c0111prehensive pian for the city of Hoover, the strategic development :;lake Sumter Landing Master Plan The drive leading to the lake Sumter landing sales building is reminiscent of an oak~lined lane leading up to a southern plantation home. concept for Auburn, the master plan and landscape plan for RiverWoods in Helena, the University of Alabama Riverwalk in lelscaloosa and the landscape plan lcx dormitories at Spring Hill College in Mobile. Working with clients' desires, but with regard to the natural enVirOnIllent, is \vhat Watkins always hopes to do. Good design begins with a good concept, he says, and it continues even after the project is complete. C? 25 Volume IX. No. ! Historic'i'Perspectives DEPOTREPO III III FAYETTE NEW USES FOR ALABAMA'S TRAIN STATIONS by Jessica Armstrong During America's late 19th century railroad construction boom, more than 80,000 train depots were built. Thanks to their adaptive design, sturdy structure and historical importance, many have been saved for new functions such as retail and office space, restaurants, community centers, museums and transportation services. THROUGHOUT ALABAMA IS A TREASURE TROVE OF THESE EARLY TRAIN STATIONS, once again ,Ul integral part of the communities they served during the peak of the railroad era. "Train stations were certainly the most significant commercial buildings of the 19th and 20th centuries, both in small towns and big cities," explains Elizabeth Brown, deputy state historic preseryation officer. "TRAIN STATIONS WERE CERTAINLY THE MOST SIGNIFICANT COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS OF THE 19TH AND 20TH CENTURIES, BOTH IN SMALL TOWNS AND BIG CITIES." Tbe Ftlyelte ('{)filii), 'mill depo/INtS rebllilt ill 1913 nfter (I ciJYll'idejire desfro)'etl the original buildiug. Today, the 1I1lISOlll}' structure lI,itb a clay tile roof is "ome to tbe Ptl)'eUe CO/miy lJisloriclll Society flJld Cflamber oj COlllmerce (lJuijeallfres {/ milraatl museum hf,ITIQrillg Jbe blli/fling's pusl. "They were built of expensiye and durable materials such as brick, slate, clay lile and marble," she continues. "Train depots have a very recognizable building language. Even people who don't know much about architecture would have little trouble recognizing a train depot. Because these buildings are so substantial, many have survived long after their usefulness as a depot was gone. Availability of enhancement funds in the last decade from the Department of Transportation has meant that many of these buildings have been rehabilitated into new, llsefullives in Alabama's cities and towns." \iany of the stales train depot'> were renovated with the guidance of the Alabama Historical Commission and are on the ~ational Register of Historic Places or are part FORT PAYNE DesignA!abama 26 of historic district'!. A number of Alabama's former railroad stations are now musellJlls. ln FAYETTE, the waiting rooms of the 1913 train depot are now a railroad museum, and the ticket office is used for the Fayette County Historical Society and Chamber of Commerce. Following National Register gUidelines, TurnerBatson, a Birmingham- and Atlanta-based architectural firm, completed the $325,500 restoration project in 2002. The masonry building features a wood roof covered in terra cotta tile. "The depot had been abandoned for AbO/'e: bed (IS (I p(ls~'ellger (iepol 1I11til1970, the Fort p(tylle Imill SIf//iOll many years and the Xo, I challenge was saving the roof," notes is IWIt' the Landmarks of lJeKalh Muse/wI. Be/oil': OrigiJUil pltlllS of the "TRAIN DEPOTS HAVE A VERY RECOGNIZABLE BUILDING LANGUAGE. EVEN PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT ARCHITECTURE WOULD HAVE LITTLE TROUBLE RECOGNIZING A TRAIN DEPOT. BECAUSE THESE BUILDINGS ARE SO SUBSTANTIAL, MANY HAVE SURVIVED LONG AFTER THEIR USEFULNESS AS A DEPOT WAS GONE." project architect James Collins. 1891 s(/IulsJolle hllilllillg were flsed in its res/ort/liOIl, Among the items salvaged were the ticket windows, which divided the segregated waiting room. Constructed in 1891 of Alabama sandstone in the Richardsonian Romanesqlle style, the depot in FORT PAYNE was used as a pa.%engel' station until 1970 and is listed on the :\ational Register of Historic Places. The depot is now home to the Landmarks of DeKalb Museum. ·'The building wasH't in bad shape and was restored using the original plans," museum director Emma Jordan explains. ·,It was found in a book of train depot blueprints." Illustrated in the 1891 issue of Engineering Nell'S, the small but stately structure features a bay window prOjection, veranda and round tower. "r .' ~ .. 1 BESSEMER IlRlIlGEPORT Bessemer ((TId Bridgeport [mill depots are 110ff IlSN/ as lJluseums. Bridgep(}r{:~ pl'e-Ciril War depot tms replaced ill 1891 {cflb a SpIlT/is/; ;}fission-style buildi1lg. illustmting fbe direrse arcbiteclural szrles oj lraill depots ilt Alabamll. SELMA'S old L&S Railroad passenger depot was also constructed in 1891 and is a local history museum that includes a 150-year-old caboose filled with railroad memorabilia (not pictured). Built of stone accented with white quoins. one of the threcstory building's primary design distinctions is a tower with a winding staircase. The Old Depot Museum board operates the city-owned property, says director Jean Martin. For many years the depot was used as a state forensic lab. The old Southern Railway Terminal ill BESSEMER is home of the Bessemer Hall of History museum. Distinguishing features include a terra cotta three-level roof, terrazzo wain-scoting and glue glass windows - a process of applying glue to the panes and drying it to create designs. The BRIDGEPORT train depot's Spanish Mission design illustrates the diversity of architectural styles among Alabama's railroad stations. :\ow used as a museum. HDC "TRYING TO MATCH OLD MATERIALS SUCH AS WOODWORK, MOLDING, ORIGINAL TILE FLOORING, BRICK WORK AND PRESS METAL CEILINGS WAS A HUGE CHALLENGE ••• " A Jom! poiltt oj dou'lllm/"lt .IjJOlllg011l1'1}· is ["l1i(1II Statioll. rl'ritali;:l'd as part oj the cilJ:~ tin'limll! dl'('(!lopmellt. A papular slOP jar risitol's. the first flam' oj the imposillf.: llu/SOlll:1' blliltlblf.: contaius a {beater:. gift sbop miff e."hibiliml space. Contractors ill Bridgeport renorated the 1917. tWO-SIOl)' stucco over masonry building in 1999.;\ few months laler, the building burned and was rebuilt using the original blueprints and modifications designed by Huntsville architects ;\louzon & Associates. This is the third train depot in Bridgeport. The first was huilt hefore the Civil War and the second in 1891 near the present site. The adjacent freight depot was torn down when passenger service ended in 1968. UNION STATION in downtown MONTGOMERY was restored by the Montgomery-based Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood Inc. (Gi\"1C) and is part of the city's riverfront development. The 10,OOO-square-foot, $670,000 project inroh"ed matching original components and details by llsing old, intricate tile flooring and woodwork to complement and preserve the existing structure. The first floor was completed in three pha..<;es - a lobby area and theatre, exhibition space and restroom facilities. Roof leaks caused extensive interior damage, recalls Cliff \Vingard of Gi\1C. "Trying to match old materials such as woodwork, molding, original tile flooring, brick work and press metal ceilings was a huge challenge," Wingard notes. "Also, concealing all of the duct\\'ork that was visible through much of tbe previously constructed station." GoO(l\vyn, Mills and Cawood also restored the GREENVILLE train depot now used by the Chamber of Commcrce with space reservcd for community functions. The 3,200-square-foo! depot was in "deplorable shape," notes Wingard. The 5382,000 project inmlred using materials that either matched or complemented the existing architecture. Cathy Gerachis of GMC oversaw the landscaping that was part of a cityscape project. The Victorian-style EUFAULA freight depot. built in 1890- 1892. is no\\" home to the EufaulalBarbour County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Council. Blondheim & Mixon of Eufaula, who also renovated the Cla}10n depot and will soon begin on the Ashford depot, completed this project Frank Mixon was principal architect on all three projects. Also part of the three-project team Rigbl: 111 tleplorable shape td1en the restoratioll begml, the depot is 1101/: a ceuterpiece af prilleJor the cUi;:ells ofGreelll'ille. were architects Mike Hamrick and Nancie Bush. The CLAYTON depot is used for city offices and public meeting rooms. Another example of late 19th century Victorian railroad architecture, the ASHFORD depot will reopen as a railway museum, along with prO\'jding public meeting space. Vintage railroad items including a caboose are displayed at the CULLMAN depot which also houses the locall:nitcd Way office. The Pueblo-style stucco building was constructed in 1913. Other depots used as museums include those in STEVENSON. GUNTERSVILLE and PIEDMONT. 8elm/': iYorking togetber (0 I"eno-mte fbI' Ellflwla (1I'po/lcere (from the lop) arc!Jitects Jiike Ilamrick. Frank Mi.\"011 allll.'<flllcic Bllsb of BiOlUIIJeilll & Mi.\·01/ mul Carrie J!a/'{{r aj [be Cb(1I11bet oj COli/mereI', lchic/; is a tellmtl ilt the building. 111e sallie arcbilecltrral temll is also l'esjJollsibfejor [be Aslifrml altd C/llyJrm depot restmwliolls. Ahot"l': 711e EuJaula depo[,featlll'- jug lr;dl! orer/)(mgillg eal'CS (/lui dl'CQralil'e trusses, IfllS consll'l/cled ill [IJe ear(l' 1890s a11fl is 110ft tbl! site oj thl! Eufaula/Bm'ballr COIf1lZr Chamber ami a tourism board. GREENVILLE 27 Volume IX, NO.1 CLAYTON Abo!'e: Pitms (lre TIII/lefi/'IIY to ope1l tbe Ashford In/in depot as (/ rm'lIca}' mllseum. 1111! {lepOl I/'{/S '''t' oilly building Iv sun'il'e (I 1915fire. Il'IJic/J ,!estroyed tbe area oj 1011'11 p(!rallel to the milro({d lmelt. STEVENSON When Dorhan's old Dixie Depot reopens, it will once again be used for transportation purposes, as home to the public transportation terminal for the Wiregrass Transit Authority. The estimated $750,000 project, by Waie! 1'-.Ic:\"umara Parrish Architecture in DOTHAN, is intended to make the 4,535-square-fom, two-story structure look much like it did when it was constructed in 1907. Jenkins Monroe Jenkins Architecls did extensive work on the 1886 freight depot in ANNISTON, which was for ... Old Imin depots pro/'ille illelll spaces/or JIIuseums,' (IS et'itiellcerl by the m(/ll}, ill .1labflliUl 11011' lIsed liS museUIIlS, incll/dillg tbe depots ill S/et'ellsoll (Il/l/ Pief/mollt, DesignAlabama 28 lej/: like JIIost ojAI(tblm/(/:~ tl'f/ill depots. the l'ec/(lIIglllflr-sb(/pef! station ill C/uytoll I/'(IS cOllstl'llcfed dUl'illg Ibe iflle 19lb cel/llIl'y. It is IIsed jor ci~)' oJlices (lml prot'ides pl/blic meeting spuce, Righi: All/Jough Ibe CUJ/lJlflll Ir{/ill flepot is IWIl' (l L'lIil(!f/lffl), office, ['isitors (Ire remillded oj its Origi1W/jullclioJ/ witiJ rill/age rai/roml itelllS ami II restored red caboose (}Il display. merly used as their office and also contained a cafe. The twostory, Georgian-style masonry building is straightforward and free of ornamentation, explains architect Julian Jenkins. The building wa..'> designed with freight bays, loading docks and decking at boxcar level. Anniston \ras once a leading manufacturer of cast iron pipe, so "an unusual amount of freight activity took place," he notes. Landscape archi-tect Marquis Hunt, working through Landscape Services in Birmingham, was also involved with the project. Nearby is a passenger depot constructed in 1882-1883. GUNTERSVILLE Bllill ill 1892. tbe (;lIllle/,sl'I'lle //'llill depolll'(IS rel/titlpled/f)/' use liS (/ 1I111Se11JII. I('bieb is opemled by tbe (;tl1ltersrille llistoriml Society. THE CROSSROAD FOR TRANSPORTATION AND SOCIAL INTERACTION, THE RAILROAD STATION WAS A PLACE OF SiGNIFICANCE THAT STAMPED A DEFiNING ARCHITECTURAL MARK ON A COMMUNiTY. WHILE MOST PASSENGER TRAINS NO LONGER ROLL IN AND OUT OF TOWN, TRAIN DEPOTS REMAIN FUNCTIONAL AND NOT SIMPLY DISTlN-GUISHED REMINDERS OF THE PAST. Although trains no longer pull into MOBILE'S GM&O terminal, it will find a new use as a City-operated tt;:lllsportation center for buses and taxis, A light rail system is aho proposed. Bull! in 1907 in the Spanish Baroque style, Gulf Terminal was deSigned by architect Philip Thorton ~Iayre, who also designed stations in Birmingham and Arlanta that have since been demolished, The ornate, domed structure is also being leased for office and retail use. The crossroad for transportation and social interaction, the railroad station was a place of significance that s!<lOlped a defining architectural mark on a community. While most passenger trains no longer roll in and out of town, train depots remain functional and not simply distinguished reminders of the past. '~ Jessica Armstrong is a freelance writer living in Auburn. DOTHAN Jlobiles old 6'J/&O tl'ain lerl1lilUlI is ImdergoiJlg II $20 millioll l'ellOmlioll, lI'bicb (fill trll1lsjorlll fbe Spmlish COI()}liftl-s~}'/e blliltUlIg into II cily frllllspor/filion lel'1l1bui/. nle IIrchiteet Il'/JO flesiglled the bllilt/iug (I/so tlesiglled fhe trllill dejJots ill BirmiJlgiJtlm (/lui cUirmtll. wbich were tlemolisbelL W/Jell Dotbmt's Dixie lJepol reopens, it Il'ill be ({sed (IS II publiC L'IIC/;(ll'flcieristic oj IIl1l1ly in tbe sillte, Anllistolls Georgilln-style J1U1S0JII'Y IrllJISpol'tnlioll tall/ilUll. 1'lJe /Jllf[-c%reflj(lce brick bllilding IfilS colts/rllctefi ill 1907, isjree 0/o1'1wllleTt/lllioll, COllslrueted ill 1882-1883, if /l'tIsjorllleriy tbe oJlices ojJellkills Jl01ll'OeJellkills, lhe f/rc/)ileClll1'flljirlll tJull l'ellOl'(lled lbe t{{'f)-s/ory building. Honorable Mention Giattina Fisher Aycock Architects Inc., Birmingham Jefierson County Domestic Relations Courts, BirminghamAs the Domestic Relations Courts deal with divorce, the goal was to create an environment that would aid in relieving the tension of the process and allow separation of the parties through private space, The exterior reflects separation with two distinct brick patterns separated by a glass wall. A relaxed atmosphere is enhanced through clarity of circulation and function Soft, indi��rect lighting reflected off sculpted ceilings and a light, neutrai palette provide a warm and quiet environment Karrie Kitchens, Pensacola, Fla. and Robert Maurin. Mobile, The Black Freedmen's Living Historicai Farm for Children, Wilcox County - The Black Freedmen's Farm hosts environmental education field trips for area students, as well as annual festivals and various other venues, Until a permanent laboratory can be built, the 'dogtrot' is serving as the environmental education facility, Its frame, which provides protection from the weather for presentations, was made, in part, from roofs fallen from the barn, corrugated tin and wood siding Funds for materials were provided by Auburn University Outreach and the College of Architecture and Design, 2003 Alabama Council AlA Awards Honor Award Giattina Fisher Aycock Architects Inc .. Birmingham, The Junior League of Birmingham - Hugh Kaul Children's Zoo. Birmingham - The Birmingham Zoo now features a 2,5-acre children's zoo where kids can explore and celebrate the state's biodiversity, Visitors enter through tall rock ledges exposing the strata of Birmingham's Red Mountain, This leads to a 50-footlong aquarium/Alabama River Exhibit then to a rock-climbing play area with fossils and lookouts, giant spider web, slide and rope bridge inlo a massive Iree. Circulation is organized around a 240-fool-long, concrete and galvanized steel vine-covered arbor where families can eat and watch their children playing in two interactive water fountains and on the sculpted animals in the tree-shaded play area, The Commons Building houses the restaurant, rest rooms. a gift shop and flexible education space opening to a teaching garden, The building's exposed steel structure with expressed bracing and connections highlights the region's original industry, Glass cladding and cypress siding complete the structure, Honorable Mention KPS Group Inc. (Design Architect), Birmingham, in collaboration with Zervas Group Architects (Architect of Record), Bellingham, Wash, Western Washington University Campus Service Building, Bellingham, Wash. - The 35,000-square-foot. three-story building on the edge of campus houses a visito(s center, student health center campus security and parking, Its location as a 'gateway,' inspired its distinctive welcoming profile it features a WOOd-frame welcome canopy, brick and stone exterior and deep eaves and brackets consistent with campus and Northwest vernacular architecture, This project also garnered the Alabama Council Member Choice Award, Bill Ingram Architect, Birmingham, Gallery Terrence Denley, Birmingham (not pictured) - Rather than raze the 1950s-era gas station, the architect opted for adaptive reuse that transformed the International-style building, The cold harsh characteristics typically associated with this style are softened here by a careful Zen-like landscape and lighting design Though it maintains the scale of its village setting, the gallery stands out as a soothing abstraction to its Tudor-style neighbors. Inside, the organization of space revolves around three distinct galleries subtly set apart by varying ceiling heights. A Award of Merit Interest w A R Lei! to right top to bottom: Giattina Fisher Aycock Architects Hugh Kaul Chiiorerls Zoo Karrie Kitchens & Robert Maurin D s The Biack Freedmens Living Historic.al Farm tor Children Krumdieck A+I Design The Race Control Buiiding at Barbe, MotorspOrls Park Giattina Fisher Aycock Architects Jeiferson COiJn~1 Domestic Relations Courts KPS Group/Zervas Group Architects Western Washington University Campus Service Buiiding Krumdieck A+I Design, Birmingham, Race Control Building at Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham - This monolithic concrete and steel structure was designed to accommodate race monitoring and timing and house media faciiities, hospitality areas (both open and air conditioned) and vehicles certification. Overlooking Pit Road, the structure sports an elevator wrapped in a helical stair giving easy access to its three stories. During the race, officials monitor times from within the third fioor Garage bays at the ground level serve as testing and evaluation facilities. The second floor contains hospitality and outdoor viewing areas, 29 Volume IX. No. I in February, the Montgomery Advertising Federation held its 44th Annual ADDY® Awards showcasing the best in creative design in the Montgomery area. Ed Noriega, director of the Center for Design Technology and Industry at Troy State University (<<dtitsu») was chair of this year's event. LWT Communications won Best in Show in Greater than $5,000 and in Less than $5,000, and LWT/KBK New Media garnered Best of No Show. LWT's Camille Leonard was awarded Art Direotor of the Year. Her agency also won 12 gold awards. Other top winners were Copperwing Design with four golds, Cunningham Group three and LWT/KBK New Media three also. For the third oonseoutive year, Troy State University students won ali the Student Achievement Awards Steven Williams, Best Design; Carol McDonald, Best Concept; and Troy Johnson, Best Wit «dtUsu» students also won in professional categories inoluding a gold by Blake Branch for his 'Antigone' poster ore��ated for the TSU Department of Speech and Theatre. DesignAlabama 30 Tep to bottom lWT Communications Go,ld ADDY ISaies Promclion/Art DjrECwr of the Year Hodges Warehouse -;. Logistics lWT Communications Gold ADOYjMixed iviedia Campaign Montgomer), Convention & Visito(s Bureau Cunningham Group Gold ADOY/Collaierai tlrJa!er,'al Ala. Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Swdenl Achievement A'Nard/Best Design Stephen Williams Troy Staie University Main Street Mobile Awards Main Street Mobile presented its 2004 awards in January to reoognize individuals and organizations that have made a positive contribution to the revitalization of downtown. These awards represent more than $22.5 million in private investment in the revitalization of downtown Mobile. Among the 11 awards distributed was the Leadership Aohievement Award to the Mobile Regis/erand its publisher Howard Bronson for donating their former offioes to thie Centre for the Living Arts. The Outstanding Citizen Award was given to Palmer Bedsole for his leadership and vision in founding the Centre lor the Living Arts. The Downtown Innovation Awards included: Kenny and Kimberly Newman for renovation of the historiC Levy & Wolverton Building; Carbone Properties and Steven E. Walker, direotor of Historio and Downtown Development, City of Mobile, for restoration of the GM&O Railroad Terminal; Henderson & Associates for restoration of the historic Rayfield Building; Julien E. Marx for renovation of the Commerce Building; and John Switzer, developer 01 The Warehouse Condominiums, for his contribution to the residential development of downtown. The Bienville Award was presented to Tom Mason of Mason Communioations for his many years of advocaoy, support and volunteerism for Main Street Mobile. Two President's Awards were presented: one to the Centre for the Living Arts for development of the oontemporary arts gallery Spaoe 301, and a seoond award went to Larry Posner for his foresight and persistence in renovating the buildings of Fort Conde Village. AlA Gold Medal for Mockbee The late Samuel 'Sambo' Mockbee, founder of Auburn University's Rural Studio, has been honored as the 60th recipient of the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal. This is the highest individual award presented by the AlA and is awarded to individuals whose signifioant body of work has had lasting influence on the theory and praotice of architeotUie. He joins the ranks of such luminaries as Thomas Jefferson, Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier and I. M. Pei In 1993, Mockbee and Rural Studio oo-founder D,K. Ruth established the program in rural west Alabama that introduoes students to community servioe through architecture by designing and building affordable homes and oivic structures. In nominating Mookbee for the award, Jamie Aycock, Gull States regional direotor for the AlA, noted, "Sambo and the Rural Studio he founded have transoended both the arohiteotural profession and the academy and have found shelter in the hearts of the populace." AUCAUS Forms Partnership The Auburn University Center for Architecture & Urban Studies (AUCAUS), Region 2020 and the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham (RPC) formed a partnership in August to open the Center for Regional Planning and Design. A primary goal for the new center is to improve the quality of lile for oitizens through responsible planning, quality design and publio/private partnerships (See the Helena project, p.20.) AUCAUS, founded in 1991, is a teaching and outreaoh venue for Auburn University's Sohool of Arohiteoture Located in the historio Young & Vann Building in downtown Birmingham, the center is direoted by Professor Cheryl Morgan and staffed by fourth-year and thesis students. During its 13-year tenure, AUCAUS has worked with more than 20 communities aoross the state helping to develop rong-range visions and strategic plans for revitalization. Community projeots have included work with the Ensley community, Woodlawn, Rosedale and the Birmingham Historioal Society's Buddy-Up Program Top 10 botlom: Levy & vVolvenon Buildirtg GM&O Raiiroad Terminal Siation Commerce Building The l,'·/arehouse Condominiums Rayfieid Bui!diilQ DesigllAlal:iama Update Look for great things to come from DesignAlabama: Three new initiatives have been drafted and are taking shape, as the organization reaches out to the state in its role as a public forum for the design arts, DesignAlabama (DAJ is in the early stages of creating a partnership with the Economic Development Institute (EDI) at Auburn University, Troy State University and Uniontown Cares, a citizen organization in this Blackbelt community The partnership initially intends to create a new signage system for the downtown area in Uniontown (left) in line with previous planning drafted in conjunction with Auburn's EDI for the overall revitalization of the city Design students at Troy State University will create the system with input from the cornrnunity and Uniontown Cares, On the other side of the state, DesignAlabama, in partnership with the Joint Powers Authority (JPA) of McClellan and the Alabama State Council on the Arts, announces the hiring of Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood for a design charrette to be held this summer at FI, McClellan in Anniston, Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood's Birmingham office, under team project leader Jeffrey Brewer, will be working to develop a master plan for approximately 11 acres on the McClellan property (above) for use by arts-related organizations, individual artists, retailers and the general public The master plan directives include preserving open space, creating greenways and developing sidewalks and other pedestrian/bicycle pathways to create the feel of an open market and park, The charrette will consist of three stakeholder meetings, with the first scheduled to take place in June, and the final, where the finished renderings will be presented, will occur in August Partnerships continue to be at the center of DesignAlabama's mission, In addition to the ones mentioned above, DA is working with the Alabama Alliance for Arts Education and other statewide partner organizations of the Alabama State Council on the Arts in the planning of the 2004 Imaginative Learning Workshop Specifically, DesignAlabama is working to develop a design tract for teachers of all grade levels, loosely based on the nationally recognized Box City program The Imaginative Learning Workshop is planned for June 29th - July 1st in Perdido Key. DesignAlabama, as a nonprofit, citizen-led organization providing educational resources and assistance related to urban planning, architecture, landscape architecture, industrial design, graphic design, fashion design and engineering, is working to increase awareness and value of the design disciplines that influence our environment DesignAlabama believes that the quality of life and the economic growth of this state are enhanced through attention to and investment in good design. In the past year, the organization has continued to expand its programs educating Alabama's public, private and governrnental sectors on design arts in a number of forrns, In an effort to make an impact statewide, its "Design Makes a Difference" exhibit continues to tour across the state in both large and small communities including Birmingham. Fairhope, Mobile, Greenville and Troy, Its award-winning, energetic DesignAlabama Journal is published biannually and continues to garner recognition for insightful and timely features. As well, the organization has had articles reprinted in a nurnber of local newspapers and publications in and out of the state, includ',ng the Eufaula Tribune and the National Art Education Association monthly newsletter. Avenues, a local arts and entertainment magazine published in the Birmingharn area, will aiso be running an article on DesignAlabama in its next issue, In short, DesignAlabama continues to make an impact across this state, from north to south and east to west By creating awareness of design and the need for good design, we are all working together to create an aesthetically beautiful state with an excellent quality of iife and oontinuing eoonomic growth, To find out more about the organization or how to become a sponsor, please contact Gina Glaze Clifford at 334-353-5081 or designalabama@arts.state,al,us, t""""·'/·'·""'·"·;P;~u·':rc::h::a:se::·a~· ·"Su p po rt the Arts" car tag and help support educational design art in Alabama schools. Help to increase awareness of design disciplines that influence our enVironment, stimulate economic development and enhance the quality of life for all Alabamians, When you purchase a "Support the Arts" car tag, your $50 registration fee is tax deductible and directly helps arts education programming in Alabama, For further information: www.arts.state.al.us or call your local county probate office. LWT Communications of Montgomery has developed Central Alabarna's first regional tourism map covering the River Region as part of its annual Create-A-Thon, working with the Envision 2020 Tourism and Eoonomic Development task forces, LWT donated its services to design the map which promotes 65 sites across Autauga, Elmore, Lowndes, Maoon and Montgornery counties. Task force members identified historio, entertainment, recreational, cultural and civil rights attractions in the region, and designers at LWT produced the map which will be distributed this spring by chambers of oommerce across the region, • River RegiOrl Map 31 Volume iX. No.1 Desi nAlabama Volume IX, Issue I PUBLIC DESIGN AWARENESS AND EDUCATION DesignAlabama Inc. works to increase awareness and value of the design disciplines "Good plans shape that influence our environment. We believe that the quality of life and good decislons. economic growth of this state are enhanced through attention to and That's why good investment in good design. planning helps U R BAN P LAN N I N G ((Smart Growth is a code word for to make elusive ((Observe always that everything is whatever the user of this term wants dreams come true.)) the result of change, and get used to to achieve concerning metropolitan -Lester Robert Bittel thinking that there is nothing Nature development. Yet different users of loves so well as to change existing forms the term have totally different goals, and make new ones of them. " so (smart growth' can mean almost anything. In spite of its diverse and - Marcus Aurelius, emperor of Rome often conflicting meanings, all parties superficially endorse (smart growth' because it is clearly superior to the alternative: (dumb growth. '" - Anthony Downs For addilional informalion aboul DesignAlabama, please call (334) 353-5081.
Click tabs to swap between content that is broken into logical sections.
Title | Design Alabama: The Public Forum for Design in Alabama, Volume 14, Issue 1, 2004 |
Description | This is the Volume XIV, Issue I, 2004 issue of Design Alabama: The Public Forum for Design in Alabama, a newsletter dedicated to all types of design in Alabama. This issue features articles on the theme "Urban Design: Planning in Three Dimensions". The newsletter also describes different types of design projects in architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, engineering, interior design, industrial design, graphic design, and fashion design plus historic buildings and sites. |
Article List | 1. Vulcan Park: A Monumental Fit; 2. Montgomery: Riverfront & Downtown Master Plan; 3. Brirmingham City Center, Master Plan; 4. Soho Square, Homewood; 5. Ross Bridge, Hoover; 6. Helena Plan; 7. The Eastern Shore Trail Walks through Alabama's Coastal Byways; 8. Landscape Architect: Chad Watkins: Building Coastal Character; 9. Historical Perspectives: Depot Repo: New Uses for Alabama's Train Stations |
Creators | Design Alabama, Inc.; Alabama State Council on the Arts; Auburn University |
Date | 2004-03 |
Decade | 2000s |
Editor | Clifford, Gina Glaze |
Art Director | Hartsfield, Nancy |
Writers | Armstrong, Jessica; Brown, Elizabeth Via; Dugas, Tomie; Morris, Philip |
LC Subject Headings |
Architecture -- Alabama City planning -- Alabama Landscape architecture -- Alabama Urban renewal -- Alabama Historic sites -- Alabama |
TGM Subject Headings |
Historic sites Industrial design Urban renewal Land use Landscaping plans Bridges City planning Cities & towns Trails & paths Parks Coastlines Remodeling |
EOA Categories |
Arts & Literature -- Architecture Business & Industry -- Construction Business & Industry -- Retailing Peoples -- Urban Life Geography & Environment -- Human Environment -- Cities and Towns Geography & Environment -- Natural Environment -- Parks, Reserves and Natural Areas Geography & Environment -- Natural Environment -- Physical Features History -- Historic Sites Sports & Recreation Geography & Environment -- Human Environment -- Transportation Routes |
Type | Text; images |
Format | |
File Name | 2004 Spring-Summer DA.pdf |
Source | Design Alabama, Inc. |
Digital Publisher | Auburn University Libraries |
Language | eng |
Rights | This image is the property of the Auburn University Libraries and is intended for non-commercial use. Users of the image are asked to acknowledge the Auburn University Libraries. |
Submitted By | Carter, Jacqueline |
Transcript |
Spring/Summer 2004
Volume~X, Issue I
$4.00
Des.• ama
THE PUBLIC FORUM FOR DESIGN IN ALABAMA
Three {3}
Dimensi
Board of Directors
Debbie Quinn, Chair
Fairhope City Council
Fairhope
Nancy Mims Hartsfield, Vice Chair
Auburn University, Professor Emerita
Montgomery
Michelle G. Jordan, Secretary
City of Decatur Planning Department
Decatur
Joseph R. Donofro, Treasurer
Donoiro & Associates Architects inc.
Dothan
Amelle Adcock
Cenira! Alabama Electric Cooperaiive
Prattvil!e
Elizabeth Ann Brown
Alabama Historical Commission
Montgomery
Charles Callans
Birmingham Realty
Birmingham
Janet Driscoll
DriscoJi Design
Montgomery
Scott Finn
Auburn University
Auburn
Cathryn Campbell Gerachis
Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood Inc.
Montgomery
80 Grisham
Brookman! ReaJiy
Birmingham
Debra Hood
Greenville
Robert Martin
Southern Progress Corp.
Birmingham
larry Watts
Birmingham Regional Planning Commission
Birmingham
Gina Glaze Clifford, Executive Director
Philip A. Morris, Director Emeritus
Desi nAlabama
Volume IX, Issue I
Cover: Montgomery's riverfront & urban core are being
invigorated by an exciting new master plan.
This publication is made possible through funding by the following contributors.'
Advantage Marketing Cmmnunicatians
Alabama Association of Regional Councils
Sloss Real Estate Group, Inc.
KPS Group, Inc.
operation New Birmingham
Suppart the Arts Tag Advisory Cammittee
DAVIS ARCHITECTS
~kinnel' +
BRASFIELD
&GORRIE
WILLIAMS, BLACKSTOCK
ARCHITEC S
GlAlllNA FISHER AYCOCK
Editor: Gina Glaze Cliliord
Managing Editor: Tomie Dugas
Art Director: Nancy Hartsfield
Associate Art Director: Ross Heck
Assistant Art Directors: Tomie Dugas
Dana Gay
Wei Wang
Contributing Writers: Jessica Armstrong
Elizabeth Via Brown
Tomie Dugas
Philip Morris
DesignAlabama encourages submissions
Irom Its readers. Articles about work Irom all
design discipHnes are requested, as well as copy
related to historic preservailon. Please submit
copy along wiih visuals (photos, siides, drawings,
etc.) to DesignAlabama Inc., PO. Box 241263,
Montgomery, AL 36124.
Items lor Project News and Details of
Interest should include a paragraph summary
detailing the nature of the project, the design firm,
principals and associates involved and any other
details that may be of interest such as unusual
or special design features, completion date.
approximate cost, square footage, etc. Also include
the name, address and phone and fax number of the
client and an individual whom we may contact for
further information. Direct inquiries to (334) 353-
5081 or mail to: designaiabama@arts.state.al.us.
Past journal issues are available for $6.00
including postage and handling. Contact
DesignAlabama at the above numbers for
availability information and to order.
A special thanks to Phifip Morris for his ongoing
assistance and aDVice with this publication.
© 2004 DesignAlac·ama Inc.
ISSN# 1090-0918
This issue of DesignAiabama was designed and
produced on Macintosh Computers utiiizing OuarkXPress
4.1. Proois were printed on a HP 4000N and final output
on a Compugraphic 9400.
Casting an icon
in a new light.
p.7
DesignAiabama is a publication of DesignAlabama Inc
Reader commenis and submiSSion of articles and ideas for
lulur€ issues are encouraged.
Bringing new life to the
r i verfro nt/ downi own.
plO
FEATURES
"Urban Design"
CONTENTS
Working with nature in
coastal developments.
p.24
pI a QQiD9JQlhr~~P if ll~Q~l0 Q? .. . ..~_.
MONTGOMERY RIVERFRONT & DOWNTOWN
9
MASTER PLAN 10
BIRMINGHAM CITY CENTER MASTER PLAN 14
.-,,--~-,.~~-------
SOHO SQUARE, HOMEWOOD
ROSS BRIDGE, HOOVER
HELENA PLAN
ARTICLES
THE EASTERN SHORE TRAIL WALKS THROUGH
ALABAMA'S COASTAL BYWAYS
DEPARTMENTS
ProjectANews
Workof StatewideSignifican~~__ ................ .
Design.Makes A Difference
Vulcan Park: A Monumental Fit
Designer~Profi Ie
b~ndscapeQesi gner:~h adWat~i~s__ ... .._~ ........
Historical'i'Perspectives
16
17
20
22
4
7
24
DepotRel)Q.:NewU.s~es for ~lab~~il'sTrain Stations~ __ ...... __ 26
Details+Of Interest
Noteworthy Observations 29 ___ ....... ___________ •• " ••••• _____ _ , ___ " •••••• _____________ ", ••• ". _________ , ____ , .,,_'M •• __________ _
Overhauling depots for
new purposes.
p.26
Project.A..News
Project News
is a regular
feature of
DesignAlabama and
provides
an opportunity
to keep
up-to-date on
design projects
that have an impact on
our communities.
"f'
rchitecture •
y
The Ross Bridge Renaissance Hotel
of Hoover is sited in the picturesque
Shannon Valley surrounded by woodlands
and a new championship golf
course. The seven-story hotel designed
by Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood of
Birmingham houses 260 guest rooms, dining and conference
facilities and a spa A landmark within the Ross Bridge
Village, the eloquent. grand-scale manor with its stucco
and stone fa~ades features modern amenities cloaked in oldworld
ambience.
In the grand lobby, natural finishes from the exterior follow
through to the interior. Stone and wood give way to
high ceilings with prominent wood trusses and elegant
iron and crystal chandeliers. Natural stone fireplaces and
plush upholstered seating are set off by coppery patina
tones and fresh vibrant colors.
....
Giattina Fisher Aycock was an integral part of the redevelopment of three abandoned downtown Birmingham buildings
into a mixed-use complex of 57 loft apartments. 25.000 square feet of office space, covered parking for 200 cars and a small
publiC park. The Jemison Flats project which interconnected the three historic buildings in the city's central business district,
is a successful example of urban redevelopment and adaptive reuse.
Working with a tight budget and respectful of historic guidelines, GFA's design team researched materials and layouts to
minimize partitions, maximize light infiltration and create visual interest in each living unit. In the early stage of construction,
one apartment was built as a full-scale mock-up to test materials, evaluate partition heights and refine the detailing and
overall flow To optimize the number of apartments and bring natural light through each space. the units were designed as
long rectangles, with kitchens and open living areas at the glazed exterior walls where daylight and city views are amenities.
Bedrooms and baths are primarily internal, with translucent partitions of corrugated plastic to draw borrowed daylight inward.
An economical alternative to glass, the plastic partitions serve as light filters and also offer dimensional texture.
Commercial renovations include the restoration and re-glazing of a skylit dome in the original meeting hall for the
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce. This space is now the offices of a local advertising agency. On the first level, sunlight
now illuminates commercial spaces The 1980s-era dark glazing was replaced with clear glass in wood framing as in the
building's original design The architects worked with a local blacksmith to create a handcrafted steel door and copper canopy
at the main entry Outside. the design team orchestrated sidewalk improvements, selected street trees, updated light poles
and designed a landscaped urban park for loft residents, commercial tenants and the general public.
Jemison Flats Exterior, Lobby and Door Detai!
DesignA.iabama 4
....
Sloss Furnaces is being renovated to irnprove educational
resources, stabilize on-site historic structures and add a
Visitor Center and Exhibit Gallery. A master site plan for
improvernents to this unique National Historic Landmark
has been designed by HKW of Birmingham. Construction
drawings are almost cornplete on the Visitor Center, site
access and exhibits that are estimated to cost approximately
$13 rnillion.
Regions Bank Parking Deck Addition
The rnaster site plan was developed to accommodate tourism,
special events, metal arts, education and interpretive
park space. Exhibit design firrn Van Sickle and Rolleri
is creating exhibits that showcase the iron industry in
Birmingham. The main exhibit centers on the furnace
with simulated hot iron flowing under visitors' feet as they
approach the furnace before proceeding inside to experience
the iron-smelting process through their senses. The story is
told 'first person' through the words of actual workers taken
from an extensive oral history collection.
Future phases of the master plan call for improvements
to the Metal Arts cast house and the creation of additional
studio spaces Plans also include improving site access for
events, creation of a greenspace/urban park and eventually
a recreated portion of Sloss Quarter - the cornpany town
where many employees once lived.
....
Cole and Cole Architects of Montgomery is working
with historic St John's Episcopal Church in the capital city
on a $6.3 million expansion and renovation. The church
is adding a 20,OOO-square-foot education building and
will renovate 20,000 feet of existing space The historic
sanctuary dating to 1855 and where Confederate President
Jefferson Davis once worshipped will not be renovated.
However, the parish hall will be returned to its late 19th/early
20th-century appearance with the addition of a new kitchen
and the former kitchen converted to a dining area. The
1950s Sunday School building will be restored and a new
wing added on to its north end. Recessing the two-and-ahalf
story new building away from the worship center will
create a courtyard and open space thai reaches out to the
downtown area. Leslie A. Cole is the architect
....
The new Auburn Universiiy Poultry Science Building, a
Classical Revival edifice, marks a move away from the
Modern and Post-Modern styles erected on campus in the
latter half of the 20th century This move follows adoption of
guidelines recommended by IDEA image consultants.
Blondheim & Mixon Inc. of Eufaula designed the
86,OOO-square-foot building with an ornamented formal
exterior and a forrn-follows-function interior for offices,
classrooms and labs. The exceptions are a conference
roorn and the monumental reception area with formal
decor including wainscoating, decorative rail and pilasters.
Two-thirds of the space is dedicated to state-of-the-art labs
and includes a Biosafety Level III lab that will figure into
biological terrorisrn research. Challenges for the architect
SL Jor,n's Episcopal Church
Ross Bridge Renaissance Hotel and (top) lobby Detai!
related to these specialty areas were access control for
security and air movement One-fourth of the buiiding area
is dedicated to mechanisms for moving air safely through
the building.
Completion for the $18.4 million structure is anticipated in
late summer. Mike Hamrick of Blondheim & Mixon is proj-
· eet architect and Rebecca Hatcher of Hatcher Design
: Associates Inc., Birmingham, the interior designer.
A..
, Williams-Blackstock Architects of Birmingham has
designed a 700-space addition to the Regions parking deck
on 4th Avenue North. Work will begin this spring and will
• double the size of the existing deck. The facility is designed
to resemble a building rather than a parking deck with bays
at ground level which mimic storefront windows. The Birmingham
Parking Authority says the structure will help accommodate
· the growing number of employees in the city center.
A..
: The new Dothan Regional Airport Terminal, which replaced
• an outdated terminal building, is a $3.5 million. 28.000-
square-foot facility which can now compete against other
regional hubs such as Montgomery, Tallahassee and
Columbus. The main objective of the project designed by
Waid McNamara Parrish of Dothan was not only to
make room for additional carriers but also to use the facility
to provide travelers a positive experience flying in and out
: of the Wiregrass area. For these reasons, the building, completed
in fall 2002, was designed in the vernacular of the
area that combines today's technology with the charm of the
area's traditional roots.
: The Terminal Building houses ihree carriers with expansion
room for a fourth, four rental car companies, a restaurant
and administrative offices for the Airport Authority. The
building features a bracketed colonnade the full length of
the passenger drop-off and pick-up areas along with a drivethrough
canopy. The interior of the building focuses on a
: two-story circulation axis space from the main entry to the
enplaning and deplaning waiting area.
AU Poultry SCience Buiiding
Dothan Regional Airport Terminal and (top) Interior Deiail
ngineering II
Y
Polyengineering Inc. of Dothan
designed the recently completed
Enterprise Sports Complex. Its
four softball fields meet adult and
youth tournament requirements At
the center, a three-story building
containing 4,300 square feet houses concessions.
mechanicals and rest rooms on the first floor. The
second level contains a large meeting/observation area,
two offices, a restroom and open observation balcony
covering the first floor perirneter The scorekeeper's area
is on the 3rd floor The complex was designed based on
a master plan which includes future playgrounds, picnic
pavilions, a maintenance facility and additional parking
Glenn Morgan was prinCipal engineer and project
manager and Jon Carn architect.
A..
. Thompson Engineering and Watermark Design
Group, subsidiaries of Thompson Holdings of Mobile,
are responsible for the new Cruise Ship Terminal and
Maritime Museum to be built at Mobile Landing The
terminal, a $20 rnillion facility, will include retail space,
meeting facilities and a parking garage Carnival Cruise
Lines will begin cruises to Mexico from the terrninal in fall
2004. The Maritime Center, with groundbreaking scheduled
for November, will house a regional visitors mall,ferry terminal
and interactive maritime heritage experience. Design
of the building'S interiors and exteriors evokes Mobile's
rnaritime connection to the world.
Mobile Landing is an 8-acre maritime transportation complex
on the Mobile River. Completed last year were 1,400
feet of new docking space for large ocean-going vessels, a
riverfront pedestrian promenade, an amphitheatre and plaza
connection with the existing Cooper Riverside Park, parking
areas, an internal street system, security lighting, dockside
power and water and landscaped space for the public.
Mobile Landing is being funded through a combination of
public and private dollars.
Thompson Engineering has provided project management
services for the design and construction of the complex. Dan
Dealy of Thompson Holdings Inc. is project manager for
the Mobile Landing development and Rich Mueller, AlA,
of Waterrnark Design Group project architect for both the
Cruise Ship Terminal and the Maritime Center.
Barganier Davis Sims Architects
of Montgomery recently completed
the interior design for Dr. Scott
.'. Sprayberry'S new Orthodontics Clinic
in Auburn. Design services included:
space planning, lighting and rnillwork
design and interior finish, furnishings and artwork selection.
A slate floor and wall fountain, frosted glass doors and
expresso-stained walnut millwork and furniture set the
relaxed, yet sophisticated tone for the office. Tooth-shaped
stools, a photo booth and game stations are fun for younger
patients, while an expresso station and private work area
make mom's and dad'S waiting experience less painful.
Troy State University has a new ouadrangle
focal point on campus based
on a 1930s design by the Olmsted
Brothers, the renowned New York
architects who designed the city'S
Central Park and North Carolina's
Biltmore Estates. The Troy State plan was partially implemented
then filed away and forgotten before resurfacing in
the late 1990s in a desk drawer in Troy City Hall. The TSU
Nationa! Alurnni Association raised funds to support the
project. To create the new Bibb Graves Quadrangle, a horseshoe-
shaped drive and parking lot that separated the quad
from various campus buildings was removed and replaced
by green space. The focal point of the project, a departure
from the Olmsted design, is a large fountain and wading pool
with a bronze 9-fooHall Trojan warrior statue designed by
TSU alumnus Larry Strickland. Wide brick walkways spoke
outward from the fountain toward the buildings and connect to
a loop walkway surrounding the quad. Four broad plazas mark
the quad's principal compass points The addition of decora-
: tive light poles, benches and swings contribute to making the
new/old quad a pedestrian-friendly environment.
~ Trojan Warrior Being PositionS{j in the TSU Quad
Mobile Landing aild (top) Maritime Center and Cruise Ship Terminal
5 Volume iX. No. i
One of the highest priorities in the
restoration of Vulcan and the surrounding
visitor's center was to create
an area for learning which would
establish a link to the community and
• its history. The interpretive and interactive
exhibits throughout the Vulcan Visitor Center make
this connection. 'Exhibits' in this case extends to include all
elements of the visitor center from outdoor displays that can
be observed and touched, to interior interpretive areas associated
with the traditional museum experience.
Amaze Design Inc. and Southern Custom Exhibits
Inc. of Anniston sought to create quality exhibits and visitor
amenities that would help attract and maintain a targeted
visitor flow of 20,000 per year. While a number of goals were
used as pOints of reference for the overall design of the project,
the need for community connections and accessibility
were paramount in the design of the exhibits.
As visitors enter the center directly from the plaza, they are
greeted by a floor-to-ceiling exhibit of massive artifacts representative
ofthose forged in Birmingham during its heyday.
The multicultural-based exhibits, which depict Birmingham
and the surrounding region's history, are organized into
eight areas including: Recipe For A City, Frontier Town, The
Vulcan Story, Becoming Birmingham, Depression & Decline,
Towards a New City and Birmingham Each title lends itself
to the thematic contents of the exhibit and include newly created
items alongside the old -linking the past represented
by Vulcan and the city's iron and steel roots to the current
dynamic, multHaceted city.
Vuican Visitor Cenier (top and middle)
ASF Web Site
DesignAlabama 6
.-~.--
• .g
._" ...
~---------.
Montgomery Web design firm
LWT/KBK New Media recently
launched a pair of high-profile projects:
newly redesigned Web sites
for The Montgomery Convention
and Visitor Bureau (CVB) and the
Alabama Shakespeare Festival (ASF)
The new CVB Web site is an interesting example of Web
design driving the look of traditional creative work. LWT/
KBK's creative director, Laura Rainey, created a photographic
design element which conveys Montgomery's
historical past and its impact on the present - from a
visitor's perspective. LWT Communications (sister agency
to LWT/KBK) collaborated on the project using this concept
to design creative for the CVB's new advertising campaign.
In approaching ASF's site redesign, one of the biggest concerns
for LWT/KBK was obtaining high quality artwork for
each of the plays. Stock illustration wasn't an option for this
project. LWT Communications, ASF's advertising agency of
record, agreed and both companies felt strongly that something
special should be commissioned. Two artists, one
from New Zealand and one from California, were retained,
and the results are spectacular. The illustrations were utilized
in all of the print work and throughout ASF's Web site and
broadcast e-mails.
Please visit the CVB's Web site, www.visitingmontgomery.com.
and ASF's Web site, www.asf.net.
A
AI Eiland, creative supervisor in the Office of
Communications and Marketing at Auburn University,
was challenged to redesign the iogo for the student transit
system. To increase ridership and build student confidence,
major changes regarding routes and schedules
had been proposed. Eiland felt that the look of the system
should reflect the changes it had undergone. The name was
retained, but the image was up for grabs.
"The use of a tiger reference was an obvious choice, but
I wanted the logo to address the transit idea as well, so I
introduced the arrows suggesting movement. I incorporated
what I call the 'Oh' factor into the design - where two elements
are created using the same parts. The viewer may
recognize one before the other, but eventually both elements
are identified - sometimes with an 'Ohll didn't see that at
first: " Eiland explains. Whether you see arrows or the tiger
first really doesn't matter, he says. The use of orange and blue,
Auburn's colors, adds another layer of familiarity to the design.
Monigomery CV8 Web Site
While urban design works at the scale
of blocks, districts and whole cities
(see main feature, p.9), it can also play
a role at a more modest size. In the
case of University Town Center on The
Strip near the University of Alabama, a
57,OOO-square-foot shopping center steps forward to make
an urban statement.
While the Publix Grocery part of the center had to be set
back due to site limitations, the multi-tenant component
comes up to make a firm edge along University Boulevard.
As part of a streetscape improvement project by the City
of Tuscaloosa deSigned by KPS Group of Birmingham,
changing the site frorn suburban setback to urban frontage
was recommended. Both Bayer Properties, the developer,
and Crawford McWilliams Hatcher (CMH) Architects
(the team that did The Summit in Birmingham) agreed with
the concept
Making an L with the parking to the rear and side are two
buildings with a small plaza at the juncture providing outdoor
dining space and welcoming pedestrians to the internal
frontage from University. The plaza also allowed large shade
trees to be saved and provide shade. Campus Drive, which
extends through the site, provides auto access. A restaurant
with a bowed glass wall fronts the sidewalk at the terrace
end, and four storefronts extend the rest of the frontage.
Food service spaces were placed at the forward ends to animate
the street exposure.
"Though some tenants did not want entrances both on the
sidewalk and parking lot sides, we designed storefronts
with high glass transoms and awnings that provide a traditional
storefront ambience," says project architect Michael
Tilman. "We used a higher level of detail on the whole
sidewalk frontage than on the elevations fronting the parking
lot." A popped-up roof and band of clerestory windows also
anchors the street corner exposure. A
x
~_ .... _L __ .... ___ ._~_.~.'" _____ University Town Center
TIGER TRANSIT
Auburn University T(ansi( System
Walks and terraces feature interpre- DesignlllMakes A Difference
tive panels descrihing geology, mining
histary, WPA-era war\( and, as seen
here, key elements in various views.
hy Philip Morris
The iconic 56-foot-tall statue of
Vulcan, Birmingham's exhibit at the
1904 St. Louis World's Fair, captured
most of the attention during
a four-year restoration campaign,
and rightly so. But now that Vulcan
Park (1938) has reopened to great
acclaim, visitors can see that the
whole ensemble - the statue, the
park, the stone tower and overlook,
the new Vulcan Center - was a comprehensive
project that took some
$14 million to accomplish. From
planning down to the most intricate
exhibit details, many designers had
a hand.
Above Right: Preservatian architect Jack Pyburn of Atlanta set the new free-standing
eleva tar tower 011 the sauth axis so Ihe original would screen it from prinCipal downtawn
views. The concrete pylons repeat angles from the oclag08al1938 column.
a monumental fit
Following the formation of the nonprofit Vulcan Park Foundation
(VPF) to raise funds, oversee the project and operate the site under
a long-term agreement with the City of Birmingham, a national
search led VPF to select Amaze Design Inc, of Boston as the lead
firm, Along with a number of consultants in visitor profiling, site
Circulation and other specialized fields, landscape architect Nimrod
Long & Associates was brought on board to handle park deSign
and HKW Architects to design the new Vulcan Center Atlantabased
preservation architect Jack Pyburn was later added to focus
on the tower restoration and design of a new elevator tower
Amaze Design Inc, developed the master plan, in concert with
various consultants and with extensive input from user-groups
and under the guidance of a planning committee created by VPF,
Under the direction of Joe Wetzel, well-known museum/exhibit designer
and founder of the firm, Amaze Design also designed the exhibits
intended to give an overview of local history (See Project News, p,6)
Throughout the process, the client and designers had to balance the
need for returning the statue and monument to original condition (the
$3.5 million in federal funds demanded high preservation standards)
with contemporary visitor demands, including accessibility,
7 Volume IX. No.1
The process was too complex to fully describe in this space,
but here are some highlights
• The cast iron statue was disassembled, restored and
reassembled under the direction of Scott Howell at
Robinson Iron in Alexander City. Instead ot the concrete
used in 1938 to anchor the statue (which, ultimately,
caused its deterioration), a stainiess steel armature
connecis ali the parts together and to a new tower plate.
• The modern white marble cladding and enclosed
observatory trom the late 1960s were removed and the
mostly intact original sandstone tower beneath restored.
The stone tower base and the open-air steel observation
deck were rebuilt from architects' drawings.
• After much debate, a new free-standing (and, thus,
reversible) poured-concrete eievator tower was placed
on the south side of the stone tower so it would be only
minimally visible from primary city views. The elevator
pylons repeat angles of the octagonal stone tower to
reduce their mass and improve the 'fit'
• To create ADA-acceptable access and also serve
educational purposes, the main entry approach follows
the alignment of an existing walk at the eastern edge of
the park Panels along this route describe natural and
historic aspects of the park and interpret views. The
original entry's grass terraces and stone steps, destroyed
in the modernization, have been recreated, but not the
cascades. Due to accessibility they are gated and will
be used only on occasion.
• Native sandstone in a random ashlar paitern simiiar to
the original stonework is used for retaining walls and
other features throughout the park. The Vulcan Center,
with the museum level above ground and function room
and ofiices below, has an arbor front with stone columns
to give it the appearance of a park structure.
• Rea!ignment of the entry road to the east side of the
expanded parking area gives visitors views of Vulcan
atop the stone tower that were not available before.
By taking a comprehensive approach, Birmingham now has
a singular civic monument and park that has never looked
better. Design made a difference every step of the way III
DesignA!abama 8
5
1
3
2
4
This photograph published by The Birmingham News when Vulcan Park reopened in mid-Marcil shows the restored
statue and 1938 sandstone tower, the recreated WPA-era park and the new Vulcan Center {right). Joel Eliason, project landscape
archllect fnt Nimrod Lung & Associates, researched WPA·era projects to help guide the deSign.
2 Exhibits in the Vulcan Park Center give an overview of local history wliile relating the saga of the monumental statue.
3 The grass terraces and iarmal axis ta the Stiuth, wiped out in the late 196Ds modernization, have been recreated as
shown in this master plan. Due to accessibility, the pedestrian approach follows a gently graded walkway to the east.
4 Native sandstone, laid in random ashlar pattern like the original tower, was specified for this gateway pylon, retaining
walls and port/ans 01 the new building. The new logo echoes the original park graphics.
The original apen-air viewing platform was repraduced from architects' draWings, but in stainless steel to reduce
maintenance. Due ta unsightly patching discavered when the white marble cladding was removed, all mortar joints an the 124-loot-tall
column were tuck pointed ta a depth of about 4 inches, adding $350,ODO to the project cost.
Wltat:~tl1edifferencebetwelJn planni ng and urban desi gn?
...... , Essentially, planning has. tended tdconcentrate on maps, subdivision layout, zoning districts and the like
---limited to two dimensions. Urban design generally works in three dimensions, dealing with
more complex matters of architecture, historic urban fabric, mixed uses - it wants to determine hovvastreet,
block or district will look and feel. Planning _____ "w'w·
URBAN in 1bree by Philip Morris
" e I Dimensions
For towns and cities in Alabama, matters of urban design have mostly been wedded to local historic districts
whereby guidelines and design review are used to make sure new buildings or changes to existing buildings are compatible
with what's already there. But urban design can be used to shape any part of a community.
Past issues of DesignAlabama have spotlighted urban design in action, usually on a project-by-project basis.
This issue features a survey of some very exciting work underway to put these more sophisticated tools to work.
We lead with MontgometJ! where a dramatic turn toward good planning and urban deSign has produced
a plan for downtown and its waterfront already having impact
Next comes Birmingham The city has long had an active urban design program, but it's being taken to a new
level with the Birmingham City Center Master Plan update now underway
To illustrate that older suburbs can find urban design a good tool as well, we present Homewoods Soho
Square There a public/private joint venture is turning an under-utilized block in its streetcar-era downtown into an
urbane mixed-use complex including a new city hail and a plaza flanked by two structures combining retail and residential.
We describe Ross Bridge in Hoover, a 1 ,600-acre residential development with urban design giving
place-character to its village center, which will be within walking distance of the new Ross Bridge Golf Resort hotel being
built by the Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA)
Finally, we include the new comprehensive plan for Helena in Shelby County near Birmingham that offers
not the typical strip approach but a centers-based one to create a pedestrian-friendly community.
DesignAlabama works to present design at work at all levels. These projects engage planners and urban
designers, architects, landscape architects, graphic deSigners and engineers in a more dimensional placemaking
task. Their clients - developers, city staffs, elected leaders and others - are partners in the process. These are
exciting models for everyone to study.
PMip .llorn:," bas !!lore (h{/I! 30 yam; /!,'(j!erieilce iii lJl({grr..ill(! trod, illeludillg (eillll'C3 as 1!.\"I:wlire edifor {{lld e(/ilor-af./mp,e at Southern Liring. Coa~lal
Lii"ing mId SOllthern :\CCCIll$. AI/boug/! be refired fil lOGO. ,·j/o/,ris relllains uclire {IS ({Fee/mIce IITllei' (fud re.,/)(x/er/ lecturer OJ! rie.,t!,l1. (IS ud/ CIS (/
I1/t(io}' colI(nb!!Io}' (0 llt'5ignAlabama.
9 Volume IX. No. i
m aID
Ulli
llil |
|
|
|
A |
|
C |
|
D |
|
E |
|
F |
|
H |
|
L |
|
M |
|
P |
|
T |
|
U |
|
V |
|
W |
|
|
|