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Spring/Summer 1999 Volume IX, Issue II $4.00 THE PUBLIC FORUM FOR DESIGN IN ALABAMA DesignAlabama Inc. Board of Directors: Rip Weaver, Chair Mt Laure! Birmingham Nancy Mims Hartsfield, Vice Chair Graphic Design A.uburn University 80 Grisham, Secretary Southpace Properties Inc. Birmingham Henry Hughes, Treasurer Shades Va/fey Forestry Birming~.am Elizabeth Ann Brown Alabama Historical Commission Montgomery Charles Callans Eastwood Ma!! Birmingham Cathryn S. Campbell Goodwin Miffs and Cawood Inc. Montgomery Les D. Clark Artist Thomasville Marty Ellis Business Council of Alabama Monigomery Tin Man Lau Industrial Design Auburn University Kenneth M. Penuel Southern Company Services Birmingham Lloyd Philpo'! Phi/po't Ergospace Design Decatur Danny Ray Exchange Bank of Alabama Gadsden Kay F. Roney Wallace Community Col/ege Dothan Patricia E. Sherman Patricia E. S,'ierman, Architect Gadsden Laura Quenelle, Director Philip A. Morris, Director Emeritus Southern Progress Corp. Birmingham Volume IX, Issue II Cover: New Student Services Building at the University of Alabama. Photograph by John O'Hagan From the Director DesignAlabama is pleased to announce the publication of the first in a new series of Citizen's Design Primers. Urban Forestry and the Community highlights the importance of landscape planning and design to overall community appearance and provides practical advice on species selection, placement and maintenance. See Details C!f Interest for more information on this exciting new effort to promote design awareness and education. This issue's feature offers a look at three new buildings that are designed to shape space, not just occupy it. Philip Morris also surveys a new office building project for South trust Bank that exemplifies successful collaboration between interior designers and architects. Historical Perspectives provides a sneak preview of the rebirth of Mobile's long-neglected Fort Conde Village, while Community Proflle gives a status report on Huntsville's Downtown Master Plan, now in its .1 Oth year. The work of award-winning graphic designer Chad Bottcher is the subject of Designer Profile, and ACDP Update highlights the recent efforts of the Alabama Community Design Program in Valley, Ala. This publication and the newly released Design Primer are examples of our ongoing efforts to improve the quality of life in Alabama through design education and awareness. Your financial support plays a major role in ensuring these valuable programs are continued into the next millennium. Help us "spread the word" by sending in your membership application or renewal today. Editor: Laura Quenelle Managing Editor: Tomie D. Dugas Art Director: Nancy Hartsfield Associate Art Directors: Ross Heck. Samantha Lawrie Assistant Art Directors: Ray Dugas. Tomie D. Dugas Electronic Illustrations: John Morgan Contributing Writers: Philip Morris, Laura Quenelle This publication is made possible through funding by the following contributors: Alabama State Council on the Arts National Endowment for the Arts EBseo Industries Alabama Power Foundation Alabama Council of the American Institute of Architects Designform Inc. A special thanks to Philip Morris, editor-In-chief of Southern Progress Corp., for his ongoing assistance and advice with this pubfication. Submission Information DesignAlabama encourages submissions from its readers. Articles about work from all design disciplines are requested. as well as copy related to historic preservation. Please submit copy along with visuals (photos. slides. drawings. etc.) to DesignAlabama Inc.. 204 North 20th St.. Ste. 201. Birmingham. AL 35203. Items for Project News and Details of Interest should include a paragraph summary detailing the nature of the project. the design firm. prinCipals and associates involved and any other details that may be of interest such as unusual or special design features. completion date. approximate cost. square footage. etc. Also include the name, address and phone and fax number of the client and an individual whom we may contact for further information. Direct inquiries to Laura Quenelle at (800) 849-9543 or (205) 254-8545 or by fax at (205) 323-8385. Past journal issues are available for $6.00 including postage and handling. Contact Laura Quenelie at the above numbers for availability information and to order. © 1999 DesignAlabama Inc. ISSN# 1090-0918 This issue of DesignAlabama was designed and produced on Macintosh Computers uiilizing QuarkXPress 4.0. Proofs were printed on a HP 4000N and final output on a Compugraphic 9400. Collaborative effort yields dramatic design for SouthTrust complex p.8 DesignAlabama is a publication of DesignAlabama Inc. Reader comments and submission of ariicles and ideas for future issues are encouraged. Desi nAlabama CONTENTS Energen Plaza corporate headquarters responds to context Abandoned houses in Ft Conde Village undergo revival. p.14 p.24 FEATURES "SHAPING PUBLIC SPACE" STRUCTURES THAT SPARK MEANINGFUL OUTDOOR ROOMS. 11 A NEW CAMPUS ELLIPSE 12 THE ENERGEN EXCEPTION 14 EMERGING IN MONTGOMERY 16 ARTICLES SOUTHTRUST, WILDWOOD TEAMWORK STARTS EARLY. DEPARTMENTS ProjectANews Work of statewide significance. ACDPtUpdate DesignValley. ............ - •................................•... Designer~Profi Ie Bringing Big Ideas to a Small Town: Chad Bottcher. Community.Profi Ie Huntsville's Urban Turnaround. Historical~Perspectives Signs of Life at Mobile's Fort Conde Village. Details+Of Interest Noteworthy observations. 8 4 7 18 20 24 25 Huntsville·s dowtown turnaround spreading beyond Big Spring Park. p.20 Project .... News DesignAlabama 4 Project News is a regular feature of OesignAlabama and provides an opportunity to keep up-to-date on design projects that have an impact on our communities. ···········��·······��···����·····A··r··C'·b+t··e-·C'·t-·lI·f·-e· ........................... . The 125,OOO-square-foot Rust Building, a long-vacant eyesore on Birmingham's Southside, will soon receive a new lease on life as The Garrison Barrett Group Inc. completes construction documents for the building's transformation into the Ridge Park Office Building According to Jeff Quinn, project architect, the building will be updated by adding a metallic soffit and wall panels at the penthouse roof, a pre-cast concrete and glass curtain-wall entry on the north and south elevations and a roof garden. Interior renovation will include the addition of a two-story lobby with balcony overlook. The Birmingham Chapter of the Red Cross will be the anchor tenant, occupying the first two floors. In addition to Quinn, the design team includes Aubrey Garrison III, AlA, principalin- charge, and Nancy Jernigan, !IDA, interior design The building is a property of Sloss Development Group Birmingham:' Rusf Building will be fransformed into the Ridge Park Office Building. Designers used color, bold patterns and soft threedimensional curves to make SI. Vincent:, neonatal ~ intensive care unit an inviting place. = 1i! ~ .'g" ~ ~ = Birmingham's St Vincent's Hospital recently contracted with Gresham, Smith and Partners to provide interior design for its new neonatal intensive care unit The technical nature of the project presented a challenge to the designers to create a space that is not sterile and utilitarian. They employed color, bold patterns and soft three-dimensionai curves to articulate movement through the space, invite interaction between individual spaces and create an informal feeling. 2l Two subtle design details help ensure the comfort of the I= unit's fragile patients. The designers chose sheet vinyl flooring in the critical care unit, eliminating the need for noisy mechanical wax strippers and floor buffers, and careful lighting placement avoids hot spots around babies while providing enough light for staff and visitors. The design team included Jim Koepke, AlA, project manager, and Diane Tate-Whatley, IIDA, interior design. .. ·························U··,··b··a:·il·····.JJ··e-·S··j··!t·il .. · .. ··············· .. ··· .. When preparing local zoning ordinances, small rural communities often adopt basic ordinances originally designed for suburban and urban communities. This "cut-and-paste" method is easy and inexpensive but : does not take into consideration that what is best in the , suburbs does not always apply to a small town. In an effort f to provide more appropriate zoning standards for the rural : communities in its district, the East Alabama Regional : Planning and Development Commission (EARPDC) : incorporated a "Village Walk" concept into its zoning 1 development process for the Town of Cedar Bluff : The primary objective of the Village Walk is to develop an : understanding of how design contributes to the : community's special character. Members of the planning : commission participate in a series of study trips to : neighborhoods in the community that reflect its cherished : characteristics or that exemplify development patterns and : physical design elements that contribute to the : community's identity. This hands-on approach results in a : zoning ordinance tailored to each community's needs and : circumstances. EARPDC planning director David A. : Umling calls the effort, "a resounding success in : providing the town with a zoning ordinance that has : been specifically designed to promote and reinforce its : special character." The water tower occupies a commanding position in Cedar Bluff's Town Park. ...................... ·E .... n .... g .... j .. ·n .. ·e .. ·e .. ·r .... i .... n .... g .................... · Birmingham-based CRS Engineering and Design Consultants Inc. has completed construction documents for the new Mississippi Museum of Natural Science in LeFleur's Bluff State Park near Jackson, Miss. The new 73,000- square-foot facility will replace the present museum and is scheduled for completion by October. According to Michael Reddington, PE, partner-in-charge and project f: manager, CRS is providing HVAC, plumbing engineering CO> , and interior and exterior specialty iighting for the museum, Highway 9 as it runs through downtown Cedar Bluff Historic home in the town of Cedar Bluff = , ~ ,.: as well as mechanical and plumbing engineering for terraria and nine aquaria ranging in size from 1,200 to 1,900 gallons. The engineering team also included Andy Covington, contract administrator, John Gill, lighting consultant, and Bill Early, plumbing engineer. .. ................ ·J·il .. d .. u .. s·t .. r+·a .. I ...... I}·e·~·j .. g .. n-................ .. Auburn University Industrial Design students and faculty are working with the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) to make the Robert R. Taylor housing project a safer place to live. They are . developing outdoor lighting fixtures : that will provide adequate light at a low cost, while at the : same time be safe from destruction by gangs and criminals i who prefer to break the law under cover of night. : Students and professor Rich Britnell visited the i community earlier this year and completed extensive : research to create 16 designs, three of which were chosen : for further development and study. : The project, which began last quarter with a class of senior : industrial design students, is a cooperative effort between ! Auburn, the CHA and the Oak Ridge National Laboratories in conjunction with the Department of Energy. Industrial design student Garth Uris conducts the "bat test" on a redesigned light fixture. 5 Volume IX. No. !! In celebration of its 100th anniversary, the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) is renovating or creating 100 parks and greenspaces across the country through its 100 Parks, 100 Years program. ASLNs 47 chapters, located coast to coast and in Hawaii, will contribute to the planning, design, construction and maintenance of local "parks" ranging from inner-city playgrounds and therapeutic gardens to historic sites and community greenways A preliminary plan for Caldwell Park which resulted from the recent design charrette. The Alabama chapter of the ASLA has selected Caldwell Park, located along Birmingham's historic Highland Avenue, for restoration and will receive a $2,000 grant from ASLA for the project The chapter is partnering with the City of Birmingham, local developer Bayer Properties and the Highland Park Neighborhood Association to complete a master plan for the project, which is scheduled for completion in the fall of 1999. The renovation will focus on repairing walls and paths, assessing existing plantings and making the park more suitable for modernday functions such as festivals, rallies and concerts. The park is the site of the annual Do Da Day Festival, which brings 15,000 to 20,000 people to the park on a single day. A charrette was held on January 29 to prornote public participation in the design process. For more information about ASLA anniversary events and programs, see Details of Interest and the upcoming Fall/Winter 1999 issue. Phenix City has recently completed a new 2,000-foot riverwalk along the banks of the Chattahoochee River. The landscaped path meanders between two bridges linking Alabama and Georgia, one of which will become a pedestrian walkway when a third bridge is completed in June 2000. The riverwalk affords spectacular views of the Chattahoochee and access for fishing. The design team for the $1,025,000 project included Greg Glass and Christy Cahalan of the City of Phenix City Planning and Engineering Department; Bobby Bledsoe, landscape architect, Montgomery; and Gary GuliaHe, ASLA, ...................... ·G .. r. . a-·ll .. h+·c ...... O.. e-·s'i-·g .. n .................... ·. . Somerset Group Inc., based in Madison, has been chosen as the interactive multimedia provider for the National Park Service in the development of CD-ROMs, kiosks, websites and other interactive media resources. The firm is currently developing a touchscreen kiosk for the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore designed to inform visitors about the diverse plants and animals that inhabit the park. The opening screen shows a line drawing of the variety of habitats in the park as one moves from the shores of Lake Michigan inland through dunes, wetlands and forest. By touching the picture of a plant or animal, the viewer is taken to secondary screens that present additional photographs and information on the species, its habitat and preservation efforts. The visitor also can access a map of the park, showing where the plant or animal would be found. Nature was the principal focus throughout the creative process, says James Caudell, creative director for Somerset "Our concept was to provide a logical and structured means to display the information without sacrificing the feel of the environment it represents. There are too many interface designs out there that are cold and sterile. We wanted to get away from that." Phenix Citys riverwalk as it crosses Holland Creek. Somerset avoided the sterile feel of many kiosk interfaces by utilizing natural elements and pen-and-ink-inspired artwork. The target audience determined the navigation and intuitive factors of the kiosk. "Our staff recruited people of various ages and profeSSions to beta test our work," says Chad Gipson, chief animator and programmer. "We watched them interact with the touch screen and determined the weak links in the work. If people from five to 65 don't understand the interface or can't find what they are looking for, then the whole kiosk is useless. We are too close to the project to determine its effectiveness. That's why it's critical to test and research your work on the very people who will be using it." Chief creative officer and designer of the Dunes interface was Don Dickey and additional programming was provided by Carol Rives. A landscape architect, Phenix City. The riverwalk provides stunning views of the nearby Chattahoochee River. DesignAlabama 6 ACDPtUpdate The Alabama Community Design Program's Most Recent Effort This view of the spiUway at Riverdale Mill is one of many spectacular views of the river. Recommendations include recapturing the city's connection to the river and capitalizing on the amenities it provides. The City of Valky was established in 1980 by bringing together four hi.~toric textile miU communities. In the nearly two declUks since incorporation, Valky has madR great strides to preserve the quality of life established by the mills and to maintain a sense ofidentity in each ofthefour distinct villages. DesignAlabama~'i' invo/vem£.>llt l1-'ith \lalk."1! be,qan in June <?f'1998 nh(!}] jl1aJ1ha Caro. VClll.ey ci~v c/eJk, attended the initial YOlfr Tbun Alabama leadership Iraining l!'Orkr;hop (seeDesignA{ahama, ~Pal1/Wznfer 1998), A jJresel1tafirm hy Franklin SeIze}: lJesignJUabama-:r; executili(> directDl~ sparked Cat()~'\ interest hI- (heAlabama Cmnl1mnity Design Program (ACDP). and she htlS /1(!(>n in...~'tnmwJ7tal in hringing it to Valley. Team leader GbeJ}"'/ il101;e,an visited Valley several times over a period afsix months If?ading up to the charrette, meeting uHth cif;F leaders and residellts to as')ess issues and opportunities for improvement in the communi(F. 77Je arril'al q( our eight-member team on iHarch 17, 1999, initiated an fntense,fourday stU(~F which bUep,rated the collection (?( data from inten/iell/~,). obseroations and general dL\·CllSsion with VaJ/ey~') leaders. The resulting rep0l1, presented to Valle.}' residents at ajbllozp-up meeting.1une 17, represents ClI1 interdisClplil1aJY uision q(thefuture q( Valle.y a.. ). intelpreted hy the volunteer e.'".tpeI1s on tlu? ACDP tearn. 77Jis team icienttfied three strate,p,ic initialiuesfnr tbe East Alabama communit)"': Execute design improvements to key road connections: Since Valk>J! co11.."is! ...-. qf the mill villa,p,es aJul the road" that connect them, the visual character of these road" is a most impOltant aspect qf the ci(l"S image and idenli~y Few l.lisitors. the design character qf the road" L" tbe .first in zp,·ession qf V"alley, an impres.:::,ion which is 1a."Ung - good or had, pleasant or unpleasant. For Valkj.· re..r;,ident.s, a qualif:}' image - JXJrl1e of good design character~ is a point q( pnae that rqf1ects and embodies the value qf the (:0111-��mllni~)! to its residents. Recapture the Ph)'sicai cOllnection to the nearby Chattahoochee River: The Chattahoochee River is centra} to the his/oty q{ Vall~v. l/11/0I1unatefv.. tbe connection IJetlJ.'eell the river and the settlement wbose creation it alloLL.'ed has diminished Duel' time. 77...,e river is still an important recreational amenity to mallY, but even tb,:) integral aspect qf life in tbe cOlnmllni(J' has Changed in recent times u.'Uh the creation qf newjacilities jarfber inland. It is imp0l1ant for Vall~)! to reconnect to the riuer as much as possible. Background: A plan of Shawmut, one of Valley's four historic mill villages. 000 The site of Valley's old airport on the banks of the river is an ideal location for additional recreational opportunities and a municipal nursery. Auburn U~""c,"ity by Laura Quenelle R¢bO.tTrcot JoccsGo,f Co"''"'' CoI:av,ay Ga,<Ic"" P,"""'.¢"J~IJ'".G''' Valley occupies a privileged location on the banks: of the Chattahoochee River at the gateway to Alabama. Further enhance the newry constructed Rails-to-Trails program' valley':" RaiLr;;-lo-Irails prqject is a most Significant (lddition to the communiZv In linking the four bis/on·c mills, tbe trail provides immediate recreational opportunities plus tbe potential to create a Historic Atill Trail to "tell the stOJY"· qf the mills and /he communities u:bich were created atOll nd them. The ACOP team included OesignAlabama staff and the (of/owing vo/unleers: Chery! Morgan, AlA, team leader, professor of Architecture. Auburn University; Kimberly Harden. A/A. Ale? archNecf and planner. Alabama Historical Commission; Dawn Landholm. senior planner, East Afabama Regional Pfanning and Development CommiSSion: David Pearson. ASLA, landscape architect. Nimrod Long & Associates; Jason Fondren, consurtan!, Birmingham Regional Pfanning Commission: and Bruce Lanier. fourth-year student in Auburn UniversHy's Schoof of Architecture. For a copy of the comp!eie DesignValley report piease call (800) 849~9543. 7 Volume IX, No. II DesignA!abama B By Philip Morris Photography by Charles Beck tuned collaboration between interior designers and architects. Gresham, Smith and Partners introduced a central drum as Q hinge between the CUf'/ed and rectilinear portions of Building Two. The employee lounge (lower left) is a two-starj space connected to Building One via a bridge. Visitor entrance is through the recessed courtyard on the right. The drum is expressed on the interiar through the use of black ceramic tile cladding. Light-jinished wood sUrfaces help warm interior spaces. The lobby of Building Two, intended to serve as a central gathering/meeting place for SouthTrust Bank's new Wildwood campus, integrates forms ond materials from the architecture with interior features such as the gridded maple paneling that follows the curve of the stair. The gridded window looks out to the entry courtyard. Interior design is a term that covers a wide range of endeavors. Covering a chair with fabric or a wall with paint comes to mind most often. But if you are a client like South Trust Bank, developing a large new suburban campus building in Birmingham with a complex mix of users, the interior designers on the team do much more than specify fabric and colors. The Birmingham office of Gresham, Smith and Partners designed Building Two, a 204,OOO-square-foot structure, at SouthTrust's new campus at Wildwood off Lakeshore Drive near Interstate 65, as wen as the adjoining Building One, a check-processing center. "We were involved from the start in the programming - determining how much space the various user groups needed and how they would relate to each other - so the floor plates were determined by the interior design program," says Melanie Morgan, IIDA. who led the interiors part of the team. And a true team effort it was, working back-and-forth as the project evolved. As the architects proceeded with the building design, the interior designers focused on how existing and new furnishings would work within the spaces. An initial concern was whether standard work stations used by the client would work with the curved shape that the architects want ~ ed to introduce to make Building Two a centerpiece for the campus. They fit fine, the interior designers determined, because the curve is so graduaL Floor-by-floor, area-by-area the interior designers responded to the architects' plans to determine not only how the building would accommodate users when it opened, but also how adaptable it would be to change. Several key issues emerged: • The major decision to set most private offices toward the core and open work stations along the window walls keeps views open and layouts more flexible. It already has proven its worth. • Testing interior layouts also made clear that the arrangements needed by SouthTrust departments and their eight-by-eight-fuot work stations meant a standard 20-by-20-foot column spacing would not be enough. • High-density filing would be needed in different departments and in varied places over time, but providing support throughout would be cost prohibi-tive. So the interior design layout specifies, in advance, appropriate places on each floor where such weight can be placed. As the architectural form and materials of the building were developed, the interior designers responded. Gresham Smith's senior design principal, Bill Jordan, AlA, points to the key architectural features: the glass¥clad curve (men-tioned earlier); a dramatic, gridded silver-finish wall that slices past the entry into the core; the black ceramic-tiled drum at the core; a rectangular block; and the open wedge of courtyard that penetrates to the central entry. These dynamic elements serve to emphasize the focal role of Building Two with existing and planned structures ranged around it. Interior designer Morgan says, "We wanted these strong features and selected materials to corne into the building, so the waH comes through the entry in the same, material, and wherever the drum is exposed on the inside, it is clad with the same textured black tile." The geometries are repeated, too, with curves and wedges incorporated where appropriate - often playfully. At the same time, the interior designers do what they do so well, namely, bringing warmth and high-touch char-acter to Building Two. "It was important that the interior be clean and contemporary, but we still wanted it to be 9 Volume IX. No. II comfortable, so we introduced wood and leather that look nice to touch, not cold," Morgan notes. At the same time, metallic paint finishes were used on some walls and columns to enhance architectural character. Gresham Smith principle~in-charge for the project, Jim Griffo, AlA, IIDA, who as both an architect and interior designer embodies the firm's determined effort to integrate a wide spectrum of design in projects, points with special pride to the bright-and-airy feeling, two-story employee lounge at Building Two that looks out to the entry court and across a landscaped area to Building One. A white vinyl tile floor reflects light white a band of black tile traces a gentle curve brought in from the court~ yard. An inside wan clad in a grid of light-finished maple paneling creates a refined, custom look, but all materials are standard. On a modest budget, a really elevated sense of design has been realized. "As a client and user, we feel the designers and architects did a really good job of combining a variety of materials, shapes and colors to make a workplace that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional," says Mike Riley, who oversees facilities for SouthTrust. "We especially like the light in the employee lounge and the placement of the conference rooms on the other side of the courtyard so people from the other buildings can access them without going through office areas." The SouthTrust Wildwood Building Two recently received an Alabama International Interior Design Association award. It was juried in Washington, DC, though one of the jurors moved to disqualify it because there weren't any rugs and accessories in view. The full scope of interior design, obviously, remains to be understood. This project is not a bad place to start .• DesignAlabama 10 FOURTH FLOOR Gresham, Smith and Partners' interior designers tested the architects proposed curving walls to be sure work stations would be compatible. To keep an open character, open work stations are ranged along the glass exterior walls with closed offices placed on the interior. Courtyard Employee Lounge The ground-level floor plan illustrates the relationship between the employee lounge, which serves the whole complex, and the adjacent courtyard. Conference spaces (right center) serving all buildings flank the other side of the courtyard and can be reached without entering office areas. rban space shaped by buildings may seem like something from the past, a nos-talgic longing for the piazzas where travelers love to linger in European cities. But the American city has this sort of space as part of its history. Think of any courthouse square, or Main Street. As the decline of Main Street or downtown has drained the life from many towns and cities, the appreciation for such shared public "rooms" may also have waned. However, the possibility of recovering or even making new urban spaces congenial to human life remains. Even with buildings on its west side gone, Mobile's Bienville Square retains its appeal. Birmingham's down-at-the-heels Five Points South, a roughly circular urban space shaped by a variety of buildings, was first rediscovered by a young generation raised in the suburbs. Similarly, Homewood's pedestrian downtown, an envelope of street space with a distinctive curve that stays in everyone's memory, has been upgraded and thrives as a part of community life despite nearby shopping malls. It may have seemed a lost art, but buildings can still be arranged and designed to create meaningful, welcoming outdoor public rooms. We present here three architectural projects designed to shape - not just occupy - space. • On the campus of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, a new building and an addition to an existing structure are treated as an ensemble framing an urbane new plaza. • In downtown Birmingham, a new corporate headquarters responds to existing buildings creating a pleasantly scaled outdoor room along a major street. • A large new federal courthouse nearing completion in Montgomery curves its classical facade around a plaza, a focal point in a largely shapeless edge of downtown. These may not be fully charged spaces animated by diverse uses like those described earlier, but they have a palpable presence. They serve to remind us that satisfying urban places cannot be assembled from architecture engaged only in its own form-making. Whether driven by a larger plan or simply the potential in an existing context, only buildings thought through with a sense for shaping a larger place will deliver - if that only means making a decent street wall. A New Campus Ellipse and The Energen Exception by Philip Morris with photographs by John O'Hagan; Emerging in Montgomery by Philip Morris with photographs by Rus Baxley. 11 Volume IX. No. II The addition to the Ferguson Student Center (far right) and the new Student Services Building have curving facades that give shape to a new plaza between the buildings. For the Ferguson addition loggia, KPS Group repeated the modern architectural lines a/the original while introducing a playa/light and shadow and a mare human scale. OesignAlabama 12 [A New Campus Ellipse] The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa campus escaped the worst of the 1960s and '70s era when many universities forsook traditional quad-based campus planning for modem, random, suburban-style expansion. A recently completed project inserts an example of the older space-making placement of buildings where the idea of a larger order had been missing. Designed by KPS Group of Birmingham, the project is actually a pair of buildings thai wrap around a new elliptical plaza. One is a 26,OOO-square-foot addition to the Ferguson Student Center. The other is a new 61,000- square-foot Student Services Building. Together with the space between, the ensemble establishes an axial focus at the north end of the new Crimson Promenade pedestrian mall (formerly a street) intended to link this part of the campus with the main quadrangle to the south. A late 1960s modernist building, the Ferguson Student Center presented a none-toowelcoming face to the campus. The KPS design (which began as a project to warm the building interiors and provide a food court, bookstore extension, new game room, etc.) solves that with a concave two-story arcade and a powerfully scaled new entrance pavil��ion. Here the architectural language and detailing are more contemporary, to work with the existing building, but the play of light and shadow and a richer level of detail make the center more inviting. The site plan illustrates the plaza shaped by the addition and new building along with the paving pattern and tree locations. Pavilions at each end of the Student Services Building are subtly animated with contrasting brick patterns. This end of the plaza will connect to the planned Crimson Promenade. Across the plaza. the Student Services Building reflects the concave curve and massing, but here the architectural character is more traditional in response to nearby Comer Hall. This building consolidates registration. financial aid, records and other functions in one location. As mandated for all new buildings on the campus, the buildings are predominately red brick with precast concrete. "Both buildings have the same pattern and rhythm," says project architect Hugh Thornton. "So along with the shape, they make a very strong space." In addition to serving the daily life of the campus, the plaza also will serve as venue for special events and small concerts. The University of Alabama has, over the past decade or so, reinforced its campus character with landscape enhancement and architectural coordination. The "idea of campus" has taken proper precedence, with a coordinated hierarchy of spaces. The Ferguson Student Center addition, Student Services Building and the space they enclose adds an urbane focus to the whole. [aJ For the new Student Services BUilding, the architects employed a more traditional language in brick and cast stone responsive to nearby Comer Hall and the historic character of the University of Alabama campus. Landscape architects Nimrod Long & Associates collaborated on the deSign of the plaza. 13 Volume IX. No. II Both the plaza and projecting wings of the new Energen headquarters in downtown Birmingham respond to the court and projecting wings of the Tutwiler Hotel directly across 21st Street (foreground). DesignA!abama 14 [The Energen Exception] Holding to the building line and avoiding too many plazas and setbacks is a good urban design rule, and the City of Birmingham applies it under its design review process. The new Energen Plaza corporate headquarters is an exception - and a successful one. Designed by Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart & Associates of Atlanta, the sevenstory, 130,OOO-square-foot building is fronted by a granite-paved plaza bracketed at the corners by small, rectilinear gardens. "Because of the site's position relative to the Tutwiler Hotel across 21 st Street, the Birmingham Public Library with its corner entrance and the original library cater-corner across Park Place, we felt justified in making a kind of event along the otherwise uniform street wall," says project architect Milo L. Meacham. The architects took the response to context further. The granite-finished concrete facade has a mid-section highlighted with attenuated piers that emphasize verticality. The more solid tower elements framing the center element step forward, Similar to the profile of the 1913-vintage Tutwiler and its original entry court. This bracketing on opposite sides of 21 st Street shapes the space into a true "urban room." The monumental art deco-inspired Energen also evokes the Jefferson County Courthouse one block north. Architect William A. Gilchrist, director of planning, engineering and permitting for the City, worked closely with Smallwood, Reynolds. He had some concern that the plaza, which due to the slope comes out of the ground at its south end, would have the off-putting effect of a raised plaza. But the steps, though monumental, are not steep, and at the end facing the library the plaza is at sidewalk level. A loggia at the entry creates a transition from plaza to building entry and provides an appealing backdrop for the plaza. This view looking up 21st Street illustrates how the modest setback of Energen Plaza sets off the carner entrance of the existing Birmingham Public Library. The gray granite aggregate panel cladding also harmonizes with nearby structures. A study of context shaped the development of the building and plaza which occupies the shaded space at the center of the drawing. Meacham fully agrees with current urban design emphasis on maintaining the street wall in urban settings. "If you compare Lever House in New York City when its plaza was a stunning exception on Park Avenue to what it looks like today with adjacent buildings all setback too, you see the danger in architects wanting to have their buildings set off by plazas," he says. "It really is up to the design review agencies to hold firm on the rule, even while they give consideration to exceptions." Not far from Energen's headquarters is a fine example of the virtue of the build-to line at work. When the SOM-designed SouthTrust Tower was erected in the mid-1980s, some people regretted it was not set back in a plaza. But, in fact, the tower's firm placement at the corner and its mostly granite exterior provides appropriate enclosure for the modern-idiom plaza fronting the original 1969 First NationalSouthern Natural Gas tower by Welton, Becket & Associates. The Energen building plaza, like its predecessor at 20th and Fifth Ave. North, succeeds primarily as an architectural space, not as one that invites diverse urban usage (Linn Park is only a few hundred feet away). In addition to setting off the new headquarters, the modest space makes a positive response to its neighbors. Happily, Colonial Properties, developers of the project for Energen, have opened up the formerly solid concrete facade of the building facing the new plaza on the south to create a new entry. One good move deserves another. [aj The footprint plan by architects Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart & Associates shows how the plaza transitions through an inset loggia to the building's public lobby space. 15 Volume IX, No. II An aerial photograph by Rus Baxley shows the arc of the large addition to the Frank M. Johnson Federal Courthouse in downtown Montgomery. When completed, it will wrap a foreground plaza. DesignAlabama 16 [Emerging In Montgomery] A large new addition to the federal courthouse in Montgomery to be completed next year introduces a powerful spatial feature on a once marginal edge of downtown. It also illuminates, at larger scale, the missed opportunity for the capital city to give a public shape to its historic core. Rather than follow a Washington, DC, model with height-regulated buildings filling out blocks and defining Dexter Avenue and other streets in deference to the Capitol, a series of recent office buildings go their own way - occupying space, not shaping it. The great semi-circular plaza wrapped by the new 315,OOO-square-foot courthouse designed by architects Barganier Davis Sims of Montgomery shows what might have been. Linked at one end to the 1932 classical revival building, originally a post office and now a federal courthouse named for civil rights-era judge Frank M. Johnson, the new courthouse design evolved from a complex site and a challenging program. Two triangular blocks, resulting from the juncture of two historic street grids meeting at nearly a 45-degree angle, were acquired and the street between closed to create the site. Providing the needed square footage while respecting the height of the existing courthouse led to the curved configuration. "We saw this as an opportunity to knit together the historic grids and to terminate Molton Street with a plaza that would give a new focus to this part of downtown," says architect Lee Sims. "The curve keeps the much larger new building from overwhelming the original, and the simplified classical design creates a backdrop for the space." Containing a total of 14 courtrooms and support facilities, and room for an additional four more courtrooms, the six-story building has its mass modulated by a two-level rusticated base, a three-level middle section with windows A site and landscape plan delineates the plaza with its circular core and gridded paving extending to Church Street. The front portion of the former Greyhound Bus Terminal fronting Court Street (left center), a civil rights-era landmat1<, has been preserved as part of the project. Architects Barganier Davis Sims of Montgomery decided on Ihe shape to complement, not overwhelm, the existing courthouse. They also employed a simplified classical language to extend its presence. recessed behind panels that evoke a colonnade and an attic story stepped back above a projecting cornice. "We employed classical massing and proportions, but it is an abstracted classical - something like John Russell Pope's work in Washington," Sims explains. Just behind the original courthouse building stands a portion of the Greyhound Bus Terminal preserved for its tie to civil rights history. Here a smaller plaza would have provided access to the principal plaza, but security requirements precluded access. "We would have preferred movement between the spaces, and I'm concerned that without the link the plazas will be less animated," the architect notes. Sims also is disappointed that the planned axial thrust of Molton Street toward the main public plaza has been disrupted by Troy State University'S decision to close the street and turn it into a pedestrian zone. A circular drive with a tower emerging in the middle of the block does not align with the original street or the new courthouse plaza to the south. The paint seems clear: Without a larger urban design at work, individual projects, though well-intentioned, may not add up. Still, Sims hopes that the scale and power of the new courthouse and the public space it defines will serve as a stimulus to new building in this neglected part of downtown. For that, new development need only re-establish the space of the street to succeed. raj The overlay pattern indicates Molton Sireet which was vacated to create the site for the courthouse expansion. 17 Volume IX, No. II Designer~Profile Bringin to a A Partner in Education with Athens Intermediate School, CSC Pinnacle provided t-shirts featuring Bottcher's design to each student. DesignAlabama 18 Bi Ideas rna I Town by Laura Ouenelle While it's doubtful dlat anyone would cunsider Ailiens, Ala., a mecca for high design, Chad Buttcher, inhouse graphic designer fur lucally based cumputer consultants CSC Pinnacle, has proven iliat big iliings can come out of a small tuwn Just ask the Tennessee Valley Advertising Federation. Bottcher's wurk for CSC Pinnacle and his freelance client<; has garnered him more ilian 50 Addys and citations in ilie last five years and ilie honor of being named Art Director of ilie Year and Illustrator of ilie Year for 1999. 'You don't necessarily have to live in ilie big city anymore," says Bottcher. "Technology is enabling you tu live basic"dlly wherever you want and du ilie type work dlat you wuuld be able to do in a bigger dty." Bottcher started out on dle typical C"dreer paili. After graduating from Auburn University in 1987, he spent rwo years wiili ilie Birmingham ad fum of Holland & Holland. In 1989 he married a Limestone County native and reluctantly accepted a poSition widl Intergraph Corp., a Huntsville-based computer technology company. Bottcher would have preferred tu remain in Binningham, but he> wife, a schoolteacher, was hesitant ahour starting on ilie bottom rung in ilie Binningham city school system. Going from an ad agency environment to doing internal cOlporate communications was not an easy transition for Bottcher. "Fur ilie fIrst six monilis, I Pinnacle Bottcher's first project for CSC Pinnacle was to redesign a corporate logo for use on inter-company memos and mailings. It highlights the firm's global scope and its main product, people. iliuught ]' d made ilie biggest miswke uf my life. I was totally out of my environment." But his five years wiili Intergraph proved to be a valuable learning experience. At Holland & Holland, Bottcher had used traditional cut-andpaste design techniques. "Intergraph forced me into ilie cligital desktup arena. It really was a sptinghoard for me to be where I am now." While still at Intergraph, Bottcher accepted a freelance commission to redeSign a logo for CSC Pinnacle, a young Ailiens-lYased software consulting finn. Pinnacle founding parmers, Carl Hunt and Steve &'ard, and dle president and CEO, Alston Nuah, were so pleased widl Bottcher's work dlat when iliey le'amed he \,vas intervie\ving with Birmingham's Lewis Advertising, iliey utfered him a fulltime position. "I was hesitant because I dl0Ught Lewis would be an opportunity to go back into advertising design railier ilian ilie closed corporate market." But Bottcher decided to wke he> chances in Ailiens and accepted Pinnacle's uffer. CSC Pinnacle is a corpurate partner of PeopleSoft Software. Eswblished in 1990, Pinnacle \vurks widl clients a!Dund ilie world tu implffi1ent PeupleSoft system. s in ilie areas of human resources, fmance and manufacturing. Employing ahout 60 peuple when Bottcher came on ixJatd wee Ye'ars agu, it now has mure than 400 consultants serving clients like He'dliliSouili, Bell Adantic, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Fruit uf dle Loom. Since Pinnacle does nut provide a wngible product its clients can tuuch and see, but mther ilie knuwledge and experience of its consultants, ilie company recugnized ilie need to have frrst-rate marketing materials and a top-notch graphic designer. "They gave me an upportunity tu du some really good work," says Bottcher. In addition to ilie in-house opportunities provided by Pinnacle, ilie frrm has encouraged Buttcher tu seek out freelance work "You can only do so much within a box. TIley telt it [tieelancingi would keep me fresh and happy - keep me going." This freedum has not only benefited Bottcher, it has afforded civic groups and small businesses in the Ailiens are'd access tu graphic materials of ilie highest quality. His poster design for a charity l1..1111mage sale is an excellent example. Imte'dd of dle typical hand-printed flier or clip art, Bottcher's award-winning design fe'dtures bright colors and a 1960s retro appeal. Buttcher also has done pro hono work for the luc"dl Boy Scuut Cuuncil, his church and local schools, in addition to fieeiance corpurate clients in nuM Alabama. As computer technole)",), advances, designers have dle opportunity to live and work where iliey choose and still compete wiili larger, more established markets. Chad Bottcher and esc Pinnacle are proving iliat creativity has no geL!graphical houndaries. "" OCTOBER 24 ApPLE ANNIE'S RUMMAGE SALE NATIONAL GUARD ARMORY ",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.,,., ..... ,,,,,,,,, .. ,,,, .. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,.,,,,,,,., .. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.,,,.,,,,,,,,,,,,,",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ATHENS, ALABAMA 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM ADMISSION IS $ 1 PER PERSON. CHILDREN 1 2 & UNDER ARE FREE. ALL PROC!:;!;;O" ... ·"LL ~H:; DONAT"O ,0 LOCAl-. CHAR"''''''': HOPE P'.l'CE 6< A"['<LNS'UMr.:STONl: Has"":;:," For a recent charity rummage sale, Bottcher's poster design featured bright colors coupled with a retro look, a far cry from typical hand-printed fliers. The patches Bottcher designed for the Greater Alabama Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the largest such council in the nation, have received a great response from Scouts and troop leaders, as well as the Tennessee Valley Ad Federation which gave it the Judges Award of Excellence for 1998. alai/ding Bottcher not only created logos and marketing material for Red Klay, an outgrowth of CSC Pinnacle which services the manufacturing sector, he also named it. Inspiration came from the company founder's ties to the cotton industry (cotton grows in red clay) and because, in Bottcher's words, "in the process of creating a final product, you mold and shape things in a model form before you actually fabricate and create the final product." In 1995, CSC Pinnacle purchased three buildings adjacent to Athens' town square for new office space. The largest of the three and a local landmark, the Hendricks Hardware Building had been damaged by fire in 1994. The restoration of the building earned Pinnacle and Jones & Herrin Architects an Alabama Council American Institute of Architects Award of Merit in 1997. This open house invitation by Bottcher celebrates the building's new life and new use. 19 Volume IX, No. II Community.Profile The power of an urban design plan to give shape to the character of a place begins to show in downtown Huntsville. Huntsville's I·.1.· I,I. ;'.· j: - -:~ Huntsville's Downtown Master Plan recommended an improved link between Big Spring Park and the heart of downtown, realized with grand steps and terraces leading to the square (visible in background). LOR's Downtown Master Plan for Huntsville. DesignA!abama 20 Urban Turnaround In the decade since it was completed in 1989, the Downtown Master Plan for the City of Huntsville prepared by Land Design/Research Inc. (LDR) has inspired major public investment, especially the enhancement and extension of Big Spring Park. Several new infill developments, all intended to reinforce the historic core as the center of community life, are completed or underway. Huntsville Director of Planning Dallas Fanning outlines key elements of the plan: .Reinforce the Central Business District as the historical and cultural center and enhance it with public streetscape and parks . • Pursue public/private partnerships to leverage public investment. -Concentrate public institutions and attractions in the historic core to intensify use. oBring business and office development back downtown. -Work to increase overall density and diversity of use to reach a critical mass of activity. The plan recommended construction of the new Huntsville Museum of Art on the downtown side of Big Spring Park to firm up its edge and bring activity to the area. Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer and Director of Planning Dallas Fanning stand near the new on-street parking the mayor had created on the Williams Street edge of Big Spring Park. By Philip Morris Photographs by John O'Hagan These recommendations are intended to counteract both the usual shift to suburban growth experienced by most cities, as well as the too-suburban looseness introduced to the urban core under Huntsville's earlier urban renewal effort. "We have followed the plan, but not necessarily the exact building footprints," Fanning says. An example? Following on Big Spring Park improvements, including removal of an existing street to gracefully connect the broader area of the park to the heart of downtown, the new Huntsville Museum of Art was set on the downtown side of the park where a senior citizen center once stood. The plan by LDR, a well-known Maryland-based planning and landscape consultant with many successful projects in the southeast, had argued: ''The art museum has the opportunity to provide a dramatic new building within Big Spring Park. This would further enhance the park and the museum as people places for all the citizens of Huntsville." As executed under the design of architect Bill Peters of Bill Peters Architects of Huntsville, the museum orients its main entrance to Church Street, facing downtown and establishing a firm urban edge for the park. The process hasn't been a snap - it took five votes by the city council to approve the removal of the street to enhance Big Spring Park - but there is significant momentum showing now. Just down the street from the Huntsville art museum, a new building for EarlyWorks, a hands-on history museum operated as part of Constitution Village, fills a former parking lot. Designed by Goodrum-Knowles Architects, it has the same strong urban presence as the museum and benefits from the city's extension of coordinated streetscape improvements along its three street edges. Elected two-and-a-half years ago, Mayor Loretta Spencer has pressed forward with the public/private partnership idea and other aspects of enlivening downtown. When Sirsi Corp., a computer firm located in the suburbs, wanted to renovate a row of three historic buildings a block north of Courthouse Square for its offices, the City developed the parking and covered the cost of sidewalk improvements - the latter in accordance with the 1993 downtown streetscape plan also by LDR. A computer firm, Sirsi, renovated three historic downtown buildings as its headquarters. The City of Huntsville assisted with parking and streetscape improvements consistent with its master plan. 21 Voiume IX, No. II Under construction on a prominent corner across from the museum is an eight-story structure that reflects both the push for a more urban-feeling downtown Huntsville and the City's entrepreneurial push to make things happen. It is a combination office building and parking deck designed so that even though floors two through six are all parking, the full street exposure reads like an office building. "It was a complex design on a tight site;' explains architect Russ Hale of Birmingham's HKW Associates. "We get an urban presence along the street with the ground floor occupied by Colonial Bank served by a prominent corner entrance. For the parking levels we use the same outside wall as the three office floors above with a reflective glass so you can't see the parked cars." Upper office floors have their own lobby access from the rear, but during bank hours tenants and visitors can reach elevators from the street. Fanning explains, "We don't want any more parking decks set next to office buildings, especially those where you can see the cars exposed on multiple levels:' HKW and landscape architect Mike Donnelly of Smith Engineering in Huntsville helped convince the City to remove one lane of the wide, high-speed Williams Street to create a landscaped foreground for the building, but the turn lane they also wanted to eliminate will stay. (These wide auto-oriented streets form daunting obstacles to pedestrian movement between the heart of downtown and some nearby areas, though the streetscape plan calls for certain segments of them to be retrofitted with landscaped medians to reduce the expanse of paving.) This same project represents a complex blending of public and private involvement. The City owns the land and the parking deck component; the developer, a joint venture between Samples Properties of Huntsville and Inkana Properties of Birmingham, owns the office space and leases the parking deck back from the City. (There is some ground-floor metered space at the rear for general daytime use.) Thus, the City leverages parking to get development which increases valuation and advances the downtown plan's goal of greater density and critical mass. And because the parking is made available to the public after 6 p.m. and on weekends, it helps serve the new art museum and other nearby attractions. There are other active projects underway in line with the stated goals of the master plan. Huntsville Utilities headquarters fronting Big Spring Park is being renovated to include general office use with a street segment between the building and the park removed to improve the connection. Nearby, a sprawling two-story structure that housed the relocated parking and transit authority is up for redevelopment. The City hopes to attract restaurants and other active uses for what was ground-floor office space, animating the edge of the park. Also, the City is currently working with a developer to see through redevelopment of the old Huntsville Times building, a 1920s skyscraper clad in glazed terra cotta. Here, and elsewhere, it is hoped downtown residential will be introduced. Already, the Twickenham and Old Town historic districts contiguous with downtown provide a base of some 2,500 residents within an easy walk. Huntsville has stayed away from the sort of design review that the City of Birmingham has applied to selected districts over the past 15 or so years. Overall, Fanning says the urban design goal is to have a larger number of moderate-scale new buildings to fill gaps, increasing density but with no new buildings taller than 10 stories. The nearby Regions Bank is set back suburban-style with a parking lot between it and the street, ~--~.----.----- The new eight-story Colonial Bank Building, under construction on a prominent corner across Irom the Huntsville Museum 01 Art, includes live levels 01 parking to serve the museum and other attractions on weekends. The ground levelleatures a distinctive corner entry and the bank branch. DesignAlabama 22 contrary to current build-to standards. But most recent infill projects, such as the new Robinson-Humphries office by Crow and Associates, come forward toward the street in an urbane manner to give pedestrian scale and shape to the public realm. Though Mayor Spencer, at the time a nonprofit volunteer, had earlier reservations about aspects of the LOR Downtown Master Plan, her instincts seem convergent with its primary goals. She had noticed, for example, that while Big Spring Park was used well for special events, it did not regularly draw casual visitors. So she had a lane of moving traffic along Williams Street at the park's south edge replaced with metered parking spaces and picnic tables set in the park, increasing such visitation. She may not think of this as urban design, but tempering too-fast, too-wide urban thoroughfares through urban cores with curbside parking has become one of the techniques the new urbanism movement advances to humanize the city. With more attention to such matters, and continued application of its master plan principles and streets cape enhancements, Huntsville seems destined to recover the innate urbanity it offered when it was only a modest-size town. Which brings us to the Courthouse Square. Are those urban renewal-era curving streets and suburban mall appointments ever coming out? Yes and no, if the City implements the LOR streets cape plan. It calls for the curved street alignments to stay, due to cost. But it ingeniously suggests a retrofit to replace enough paving with simple grass, additional trees, more traditional street furniture and other changes to transform the space. The ratio would flip from 70 percent paving/30 percent green to 70 percent green under this plan. The ugly bottom edge of the modern courthouse in the square would be masked with a hedge. Paradoxically, for a plan that is pushing density and a more active urban character, the square would wind up feeling more like a town green than a mall. But meaningful green space has always had a place in cities. It is the pointless, shapeless open space that nearly dissolved Huntsville's core under urban renewal that the current plan - authentically urban in intent - seeks to offset. Huntsville's putting a downtown back together that urban renewal once suburbanized beyond recognition represents a telling turnaround among Alabama cities .• Sreetscape plans call for Huntsville City Hall, which stands aloof like most of the city's urban renewal-era buildings, to be better integrated into its setting. EarlyWorks, a hands-on museum coordinated with nearby Constitution Village, fills a former parking lot with a building that defines the traditional street edge. The historic Twickenham district lies iust beyond. 23 Volume IX, No, II Historical~Perspectives Signs a/Life at by Laura Quenelle Preservationists and residents of Mobile can breathe a sigh of relief as crews begin work to rehabilitate Fort Conde Village. This four-square-block residential area adjacent to the reconstructed Fort Conde was cut off from the rest of downtown Mobile with the construction of Interstate 10 and its associated ramps and tunnel in the 1960s. Thus isolated, this cluster of homes has stood vacant for more than 20 years as one development scheme afler another failed due 10 issues ranging from lax credits 10 zoning laws. One of the first buildings in the site to be restored, 162 St. Emanuel 51. features original mantels. stair railings and pocket doors. The next phase of the project includes the restoration of the Hall-Ford House (right) and the Spear-Barter House (next door). OesignA!abama 24 Fiual~v. it seems tbere is hope jc)r Ibis jiJlgolten neighborhood as the CitJ} of "llohile {corks ll'ith del./elopers Lany Posner cj'Pougbl?CejJ::::i. ,\". Y._ and Dcwid Brad/e.v q/-HofJ{le to rUJlorate the projJerlyPJr lise m{li}I~V ([s c!lJices. Lcoding the project, :Vlck Holme:::; III qrl-Jo/m6 ([nd Ho/nzes Architects bas e.ytensice 2' experience lrith hL,;;toric jJresercation 2 8 projects including tbe restoratiun (;j'lhe State Capitol Building. TtI.'O brad,eted tOlcnhmnes located at 162 and 164 St. Emanuel St. uxre the )irst to he rehabilitated. The second phase u·'i/l include tbe llCl!1~Ford l-luuse and the SjJeclr-Barter Huuse located direct£v across the street. 71Je Hall-Ford HOllse. buill in 1836 is the oldest huilding ilt the ['il1age cUld zui!! be the centerpiece oftbe project. Accurding tUJObl1 .sledge,. architectural J.?/~';toriCln lcith the Mubile Historic Decelopnzellt Commi~:}ion, the house L~- tbe O1Z(V one qf its 01Je in the J40bile (l}"['(! and i.,,/ mowll CIS a mised Creole cottage. This view from the roof of Mobile's Government Plaza illustrates the isolated location of the village. Road noise in the village is surprisingly low conSidering that the site is almost entirely encircled by 1-10 and its associated ramps and tunnel. This "before" view of 162 S1. Emanuel St. demonstrates the delapidated condition of the village after 20 years of abandonment. 7be nwst contmeersiaf (f_~l)eu o/lhe pro- Long a higbf:r visible eyesore direct£v jeu is that lour srnall hOllses focated acUacent to the dOlt'lllO({.'n, the uil/age ~~- alonp, the l!illClp,es eastern edge u.'ilf he rebirth hCls heen close(}/ wClIched !~Y mowd/urther'lrUhin the site 10 occupV preservationists. residents and cisitors lots Ie)! ['acant I~v jJC!SI denzolilioll pro- alike. During nl)' short visit to the site, jects. 17Je dew/ojJen; plaN to huild {( countless car:; cruised sloldy through hotel or z'nll on the new(r [,Clcated /o/s. tbe !/e~~hborhood. IlYttefJillg tbe Elizabeth BroWN, acting director ulrhe progress of the ft'orkmen. One motorist illa/7ama i-ii:,;/or/<..:a/ Cbmrnr~~'sioll, not(."Sthat, while the commission doe:::,- not lfslla!{}.' ajJproce q{ JJlu['ing blll"/Clings. this is ({ _"lJecful c({se. "ll1e houses aeros." tbe street arc gone. ev\})osfng the/ront of these houses to bus)' multiple tmin tracks. The tnost dCtJrwgfng thing, howeL'e)~ is the elevated lanes qfi-lO u'bich run to the sOllth alld east (!/Ihe houses. with cm qij"-ranzp direcl(r ill Iront. ibis has degraded the visual cmd historic context (!/"tbe hOllses- the {{'(U· they are seen a!le! {cork - to the point that nzoUt"rlg them seerns to be tl {'faNe option to re:.,tore something 0/ the bis[ Olie seLtiJl8 Ihl.(j/ or(r.;illo!ly bad." stopped to oller her encouragement, e.\1Jfainfng that she and ber busband botb uz'sit the ['i!lage when they travel to J1o/Jilejc)i" husiness and are ··c!eligbted to see signs o/!(!e" a)fer so nlCIJ1Y years o/ctbandonmeJlt. :fi Details+of Interest al!{j/JigNigflts ·Jwid; .. v~~et; 'i ;~J~1;anciri; ··········71lsrJfJTt~{; A W A IIDA Awards R o s In February the Alabama Chapter of the International Interior Design Association presented its third biennial Progression Awards recognizing excellence in interior design. Best of Competition: Wallace, Jordan, Ratliff and Brandt LtC The Garrison Barrett Group Inc. Merit Awards: Mercedes-Benz US International Training and Visitor Center Gresham, Smith & Partners McWane Corporate Offices Moody & Associates SouthTrust Bank Wildwood Building Two Gresham, Smith & Partners Top: Mercedes-Benz US International Training and Visitor Center Middle.' Wallace, Jordan, Ratliff and Brandt LLC Bottom left South Trust Bank Wildwood Building Two Bottom right McWane Corporate Offices 25 Volume IX. No. II Birmingham Historical Society 1999 Preservation Awards The Bank of Birmingham-John Hand Building Architects.' Gresham, Smith and PartnersMike Engel, project coordinator Contractor: The Robins & Morton Group Inc.-Voyd McLain, superintendent; Lawrence Whatley, project manager Owners & Developers Jimmy & Martha Taylor, Jimmy Taylor Jr. Alabama Theatre Interior Restoration Owner & Developer The Birmingham Landmarks Foundation-Cecil Whitmire, general manager Restorallon Contractor: Evergreene Studio, N. Y.- Jeff Green Major Sponsor: Arthur C P. Henley, Linn-Henley Charitable Trust Curtain Restoration. Bernard Block, designer, and Radio ~ City Music Hall I 2! li Charlie Boswell Golf Course, Highland Park The Bank of Birmingham - John Hand Building Owner/Facilitator: City of Birmingham-Mayor Richard Arrington; Hershell Hamilton, administrative assistant; Ferguson Enterprises Inc. Birmingham Department of Parks & Recreation-Melvin Clark Building Alabama Theatre Interior Restoration Miller, director ~ Contractor. Landscapes Unlimited, Lincoln, Neb.-Bill Kubly l' Course Designer Bob Cupp, Atlanta 1< c ''5" Ferguson Enterprises Inc . . ;; :g Owner Sloss Development Group-Cathy Crenshaw, AI Folger ~ ~ Tenant: Ferguson Enterprises Inc. g, § Architect ArchitectureWorks; Gary and Angela Nash ~ Contractor: D. L. Acton Construction Co-Doug Acton g ~ Clark Building '6 1£ Owner Lightfoot, Franklin, White LLC Developer: South pace Properties Inc.-john Lauriello Architect Moody & Associates-Bob Moody, Jeff Barton, Stan Corson, Julie Gibbs, Rebecca Moody Contractor' Charles & Vinzant Construction Co-Andy Anderson, superintendent; Danny Bowen, project manager Young Women's Christian Association Owner & Developer YWCA-Gillian Goodrich, president; Suzanne Durham, director; Carolyn Howell, project man- ~ ager; Annie Caudle ~ Architect: Giattina Fischer Aycock Architects Inc.- li Joseph P. Giattina, Marzette Fischer, Simone Early Charlie Boswell Golf Course, Highland Park Contractor: Bill Harbert Construction Co-Gary Savage, Ramsay Alternative High School Faculty and Staff Springville National Register Listing and Preservation Plan Citizen Group.' Springville Preservation SOCiety-Charles Griffin, chairman Supporl.Town of Springville-Andy Wallace, city councilman; Alabama Historical Commission-Mary Shell; Birming,1am Regional Planning Commission-Larry Watts, director; Ben Changkakoti, planner DesignAlabama 26 senior project manager; Beth Cramer, project manager; Dwight Sammons, superintendent Tax Credit Assistance.' Alabama Historical CommissionKim Harden Transportation Building Owner & Developer: Elias and Gaynell Hendricks '" Lender Colonial Bank-Don Giardina, president; Rich :E '" Humphries, vice president .!!2 o ~ Special Awards Roebuck Springs National Register Historic District Supporters.' Roebuck Springs History Committee-Mrs. Claude Hearn; Roebuck Springs Neighborhood Association-Dr. Rodney Tucker, Priscilla Newton, Richard Rutledge, officers Nomination.' Birmingham Historical Society-Elizabeth Simpson Poyner, 1986; New South Consultants, AtlantaDenise Messick Young Women's Christian ASSOCiation Transportation Building Linda and Cecil Whitmire For two decades of dedication to the Alabama Theatre. Save the Marbles Campaign-Ramsay Alternative High School Client. Ramsey faculty and staff Ramsay Restoration Fund Creation: Irving Kinney Jr., Ramsay alumnus Birmingham Architect Receives National Recognition Joseph P. Giattina Jr., AlA, prinCipal of Giattina Fisher Aycock Architects Inc., was appOinted to the American Institute of Architects' College of Fellows at its national convention in Dallas this May. The honor was awarded to 97 AlA members nationwide who have made contributions of national significance to the profession of architecture. In addition, Giattina was elected president of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) at their annual meeting and conference in June in Charleston. The NCARB is a nonprofit federation of 55 state and territory architectural registration boards in the United States. The Council administers the Architect Registration Examination nationwide, provides intern development programs and NCARB certification, in addition to other professional developrnent programs. Big Spring Park, Huntsville Monte Sana State Park, Huntsville Government Street. Mobile Student Advertising Federation Brings Home STAR Awards ij SAF@UAH, the local American Advertising Federation ~ College Chapter on the campus of the University of ~ Alabama in Huntsville, was sanctioned only five months u: g ago but has made a tremendous showing at the 1999 g Seventh District STAR Awards. The STAR Awards recog- 0 l nize student achievement in graphic design, copywriting, ! § layout, photography and illustration from college students ~ ~ in a five-state area. Citations of Excellence were presented 15 ~ u ~ 11 c 0 0 ~ " "03" c c 0 0 ~ " 'm '5 iii i'L 20 ~" to Katie Preston, Stacy Schuette and Susan Carlson. Gold Medal Awards went to Stacy Schuette, Susan Carlson, Eden Johnson, Grace Russell, Kelvin Gordon and Ellen Springer. OesignAlabama Publishes Urban Forestry Primer DesignAlabama is pleased to announce the release of the first in a new series of Citizen's Design Primers. Entitled Urban Forestry and the Community, the guidebook offers a wealth of information on the irnportance of landscape planning and design and a set of "best practices" for tree selection, placement and maintenance. The project was funded through a grant from the Alabama Forestry Commission and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service's Urban & Comrnunity Forestry Financial Assistance Program. For further details and ordering information, please call the DesignAlabama office at (800) 849-9543. ASLA Celebrates 100 Years In 1999, the American Society of Landscape Architecture (AS LA) is commemorating its 1 DOth anniversary through a variety of programs to promote the profession of landscape architecture. Through the 100 Parks, 100 Years program, the ASLA will provide grants to create or renovate 100 green spaces across the country. The Alabama chapter has selected Birmingham's Caldwell Park (see Project News, page 4). Centennial Medallions will be awarded to landscapes nationwide that embody the rich history of landscape architecture. Alabama recipients include Big Spring Park and Monte Sano State Park in Huntsville; Highland Avenue, Charles Linn Park and Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham; the Civil Rights District and the RSA Alabama Activity Center and Plaza in Montgomery; and Government Street in Mobile. In addition, a commemorative 33-cent stamp honoring Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903), the founding father of landscape architecture and designer of New York's Central Park, will be released by the United States Postal Service and a centennial retrospective book will trace the history of the ASLA. Through the Vision 2099 Challenge, student landscape arch'ltects are invited to envision the next 100 years of landscape architecture. + GrishamTrentham Lecture Features Fashion Forecaster On May 5th "cool hunter" Dee Dee Gordon, creator of a national trend-forecasting publication, the L Report, delivered the 13th annual Grisham-Trentham Lecture at Auburn University's School of Human Sciences. Delineating what's hot and what's not, her quarterly, marketed to the fashion and advertiSing industries arnong others, provides trendsetter and mainstrearn data gathered through focus groups, man-on-the-street surveys and teen panels. Respondents provide information on fashion. music, sports, aspirations, entertainment and artistic endeavors. The L Report's predictions are forecast oneand- a-half to two years in advance of trends and are considered by many advertisers, manufacturers, and retailers to be the most accurate information on the often ephemeral youth culture. m § I ~ " '~" ",,0 ::2: Charles Linn Park, Birmingham §; C"D c ~ Kelly Ingram Park, Birmingham 2l § ~ ill = 0 oc RSA Alabama Activity Genter and Plaza, Montgomery 27 Volume IX, No. II Desi nAlabama Volume IX, Issue II PUBLIC DESIGN AWARENESS AND EDUCATION SHAPING PUBLIC SPACE DesignAlabama Inc. works to increase awareness and value of the design disciplines that influence our environment. We believr; that the quality of life and economic growth of this state are enhanced through attention to and Arch itectu v, investment in good design. LanrCOf''1 nl (it may hav. seemed a lost art Inte ' ~ but bUildings can Urt~. Indu~ still be arranged and designed to Gr~~l-create meaningful ~ F( welcoming outdoor .bo"'~ " E11t:./1 IIVVIII pubI ic rooms. H)A PIN G State A Alabama r{~~1 ~C «On a modest budget, a really elevated N ATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS - I"'::·E=:·~\~ Inc.. _ ALA BAM A POWER FOUNDATION INCOR PO RATED Alabama Council AIA sense of design oa ,... n.'<:;'!-1 has been realized. " I( OIIS{rJJIUF:/)/qrl This publicalion was made possible through funding by the conlribulors lisled above. For additional information about DesignAlabama. please call (800) 849·9543. PUBLIC SPA C E
Click tabs to swap between content that is broken into logical sections.
Title | Design Alabama: The Public Forum for Design in Alabama, Volume 9, Issue 2, 1999 |
Description | This is Volume IX, Issue II, 1999, 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 "Shaping Public Space". 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. Design Valley; 2. Teamwork Starts Early; 3. A New Campus Ellipse; 4. The Energen Exception; 5. Emerging in Montgomery; 6. Bringing Big Ideas to a Small Town; 7. Huntsville's Urban Turnaround; 8. Historical Perspectives: Signs of Life at Mobile's Fort Conde Village |
Creators | Design Alabama, Inc.; Alabama State Council on the Arts; Auburn University |
Date | 1999-03 |
Decade | 1990s |
Editor | Quenelle, Laura |
Art Director | Hartsfield, Nancy |
Writers | Morris, Philip; Quenelle, Laura |
LC Subject Headings |
City planning -- Alabama Urban renewal -- Alabama Interior decoration -- Alabama Architecture -- Alabama Historic sites -- Alabama |
TGM Subject Headings |
Architecture Schools Visitors' centers Social & civic facilities Courthouses Urban renewal City planning Cities & towns Historic sites Interior design |
EOA Categories |
Arts & Literature -- Performance Spaces Business & Industry -- Space Business & Industry -- Tourism Education Geography & Environment -- Human Environment -- Cities and Towns Peoples -- Urban Life Sports & Recreation History -- Historic Sites Arts & Literature -- Architecture |
Type | Text; image |
Format | |
File Name | 1999 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 1999
Volume IX, Issue II
$4.00
THE PUBLIC FORUM FOR DESIGN IN ALABAMA
DesignAlabama Inc.
Board of Directors:
Rip Weaver, Chair
Mt Laure!
Birmingham
Nancy Mims Hartsfield, Vice Chair
Graphic Design
A.uburn University
80 Grisham, Secretary
Southpace Properties Inc.
Birmingham
Henry Hughes, Treasurer
Shades Va/fey Forestry
Birming~.am
Elizabeth Ann Brown
Alabama Historical Commission
Montgomery
Charles Callans
Eastwood Ma!!
Birmingham
Cathryn S. Campbell
Goodwin Miffs and Cawood Inc.
Montgomery
Les D. Clark
Artist
Thomasville
Marty Ellis
Business Council of Alabama
Monigomery
Tin Man Lau
Industrial Design
Auburn University
Kenneth M. Penuel
Southern Company Services
Birmingham
Lloyd Philpo'!
Phi/po't Ergospace Design
Decatur
Danny Ray
Exchange Bank of Alabama
Gadsden
Kay F. Roney
Wallace Community Col/ege
Dothan
Patricia E. Sherman
Patricia E. S,'ierman, Architect
Gadsden
Laura Quenelle, Director
Philip A. Morris, Director Emeritus
Southern Progress Corp.
Birmingham
Volume IX, Issue II
Cover: New Student Services Building at the
University of Alabama. Photograph by John O'Hagan
From the Director
DesignAlabama is pleased to announce the publication of
the first in a new series of Citizen's Design Primers. Urban
Forestry and the Community highlights the importance of
landscape planning and design to overall community
appearance and provides practical advice on species selection,
placement and maintenance. See Details C!f Interest for more
information on this exciting new effort to promote design
awareness and education.
This issue's feature offers a look at three new buildings that
are designed to shape space, not just occupy it. Philip Morris
also surveys a new office building project for South trust Bank
that exemplifies successful collaboration between interior
designers and architects.
Historical Perspectives provides a sneak preview of the
rebirth of Mobile's long-neglected Fort Conde Village, while
Community Proflle gives a status report on Huntsville's
Downtown Master Plan, now in its .1 Oth year. The work of
award-winning graphic designer Chad Bottcher is the subject of
Designer Profile, and ACDP Update highlights the recent efforts
of the Alabama Community Design Program in Valley, Ala.
This publication and the newly released Design Primer are
examples of our ongoing efforts to improve the quality of life in
Alabama through design education and awareness. Your
financial support plays a major role in ensuring these valuable
programs are continued into the next millennium. Help us
"spread the word" by sending in your membership application
or renewal today.
Editor: Laura Quenelle
Managing Editor: Tomie D. Dugas
Art Director: Nancy Hartsfield
Associate Art Directors: Ross Heck. Samantha Lawrie
Assistant Art Directors: Ray Dugas. Tomie D. Dugas
Electronic Illustrations: John Morgan
Contributing Writers: Philip Morris, Laura Quenelle
This publication is made possible through funding by
the following contributors:
Alabama State Council on the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
EBseo Industries
Alabama Power Foundation
Alabama Council of the American
Institute of Architects
Designform Inc.
A special thanks to Philip Morris, editor-In-chief of
Southern Progress Corp., for his ongoing assistance and
advice with this pubfication.
Submission Information
DesignAlabama encourages submissions from
its readers. Articles about work from all design
disciplines are requested. as well as copy related to
historic preservation. Please submit copy along with
visuals (photos. slides. drawings. etc.) to
DesignAlabama Inc.. 204 North 20th St.. Ste. 201.
Birmingham. AL 35203.
Items for Project News and Details of
Interest should include a paragraph summary
detailing the nature of the project. the design firm.
prinCipals and associates involved and any other
details that may be of interest such as unusual or
special design features. completion date.
approximate cost. square footage. etc. Also include
the name, address and phone and fax number of the
client and an individual whom we may contact for
further information. Direct inquiries to Laura Quenelle
at (800) 849-9543 or (205) 254-8545 or
by fax at (205) 323-8385.
Past journal issues are available for $6.00
including postage and handling. Contact Laura
Quenelie at the above numbers for availability
information and to order.
© 1999 DesignAlabama Inc.
ISSN# 1090-0918
This issue of DesignAlabama was designed and
produced on Macintosh Computers uiilizing QuarkXPress
4.0. Proofs were printed on a HP 4000N and final output
on a Compugraphic 9400.
Collaborative effort yields dramatic design for
SouthTrust complex
p.8
DesignAlabama is a publication of DesignAlabama Inc.
Reader comments and submission of ariicles and ideas for
future issues are encouraged.
Desi nAlabama
CONTENTS
Energen Plaza corporate headquarters
responds to context
Abandoned houses in Ft Conde Village
undergo revival.
p.14 p.24
FEATURES
"SHAPING PUBLIC SPACE"
STRUCTURES THAT SPARK MEANINGFUL OUTDOOR ROOMS. 11
A NEW CAMPUS ELLIPSE 12
THE ENERGEN EXCEPTION 14
EMERGING IN MONTGOMERY 16
ARTICLES
SOUTHTRUST, WILDWOOD
TEAMWORK STARTS EARLY.
DEPARTMENTS
ProjectANews
Work of statewide significance.
ACDPtUpdate
DesignValley.
............ - •................................•...
Designer~Profi Ie
Bringing Big Ideas to a Small Town: Chad Bottcher.
Community.Profi Ie
Huntsville's Urban Turnaround.
Historical~Perspectives
Signs of Life at Mobile's Fort Conde Village.
Details+Of Interest
Noteworthy observations.
8
4
7
18
20
24
25
Huntsville·s dowtown turnaround spreading
beyond Big Spring Park.
p.20
Project .... News
DesignAlabama 4
Project News
is a regular
feature of
OesignAlabama and
provides
an opportunity
to keep
up-to-date on
design projects
that have an impact on
our communities.
···········��·······��···����·····A··r··C'·b+t··e-·C'·t-·lI·f·-e· ........................... .
The 125,OOO-square-foot Rust
Building, a long-vacant eyesore on
Birmingham's Southside, will soon
receive a new lease on life as The
Garrison Barrett Group Inc.
completes construction documents for
the building's transformation into the Ridge Park Office
Building According to Jeff Quinn, project architect, the
building will be updated by adding a metallic soffit and
wall panels at the penthouse roof, a pre-cast concrete and
glass curtain-wall entry on the north and south elevations
and a roof garden. Interior renovation will include the
addition of a two-story lobby with balcony overlook. The
Birmingham Chapter of the Red Cross will be the anchor
tenant, occupying the first two floors. In addition to Quinn, the
design team includes Aubrey Garrison III, AlA, principalin-
charge, and Nancy Jernigan, !IDA, interior design The
building is a property of Sloss Development Group
Birmingham:' Rusf Building will be fransformed into the Ridge Park Office Building.
Designers used color, bold patterns and soft threedimensional
curves to make SI. Vincent:, neonatal
~ intensive care unit an inviting place. = 1i!
~ .'g"
~
~ =
Birmingham's St Vincent's Hospital
recently contracted with Gresham,
Smith and Partners to provide
interior design for its new neonatal
intensive care unit The technical
nature of the project presented a
challenge to the designers to create a space that is not
sterile and utilitarian. They employed color, bold patterns
and soft three-dimensionai curves to articulate movement
through the space, invite interaction between individual
spaces and create an informal feeling.
2l Two subtle design details help ensure the comfort of the
I= unit's fragile patients. The designers chose sheet vinyl
flooring in the critical care unit, eliminating the need for
noisy mechanical wax strippers and floor buffers, and
careful lighting placement avoids hot spots around babies
while providing enough light for staff and visitors.
The design team included Jim Koepke, AlA, project
manager, and Diane Tate-Whatley, IIDA, interior design.
.. ·························U··,··b··a:·il·····.JJ··e-·S··j··!t·il .. · .. ··············· .. ··· ..
When preparing local zoning
ordinances, small rural communities
often adopt basic ordinances originally
designed for suburban and urban
communities. This "cut-and-paste"
method is easy and inexpensive but
: does not take into consideration that what is best in the
, suburbs does not always apply to a small town. In an effort
f to provide more appropriate zoning standards for the rural
: communities in its district, the East Alabama Regional
: Planning and Development Commission (EARPDC)
: incorporated a "Village Walk" concept into its zoning
1 development process for the Town of Cedar Bluff
: The primary objective of the Village Walk is to develop an
: understanding of how design contributes to the
: community's special character. Members of the planning
: commission participate in a series of study trips to
: neighborhoods in the community that reflect its cherished
: characteristics or that exemplify development patterns and
: physical design elements that contribute to the
: community's identity. This hands-on approach results in a
: zoning ordinance tailored to each community's needs and
: circumstances. EARPDC planning director David A.
: Umling calls the effort, "a resounding success in
: providing the town with a zoning ordinance that has
: been specifically designed to promote and reinforce its
: special character."
The water tower occupies a commanding position in Cedar
Bluff's Town Park.
...................... ·E .... n .... g .... j .. ·n .. ·e .. ·e .. ·r .... i .... n .... g .................... ·
Birmingham-based CRS Engineering
and Design Consultants Inc. has
completed construction documents for
the new Mississippi Museum of Natural
Science in LeFleur's Bluff State Park
near Jackson, Miss. The new 73,000-
square-foot facility will replace the present museum and is
scheduled for completion by October. According to
Michael Reddington, PE, partner-in-charge and project f: manager, CRS is providing HVAC, plumbing engineering
CO> , and interior and exterior specialty iighting for the museum,
Highway 9 as it runs through downtown Cedar Bluff
Historic home in the town of Cedar Bluff
= ,
~ ,.: as well as mechanical and plumbing engineering for
terraria and nine aquaria ranging in size from 1,200 to
1,900 gallons. The engineering team also included Andy
Covington, contract administrator, John Gill, lighting
consultant, and Bill Early, plumbing engineer.
.. ................ ·J·il .. d .. u .. s·t .. r+·a .. I ...... I}·e·~·j .. g .. n-................ ..
Auburn University Industrial Design
students and faculty are working with
the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA)
to make the Robert R. Taylor housing
project a safer place to live. They are
. developing outdoor lighting fixtures
: that will provide adequate light at a low cost, while at the
: same time be safe from destruction by gangs and criminals
i who prefer to break the law under cover of night.
: Students and professor Rich Britnell visited the
i community earlier this year and completed extensive
: research to create 16 designs, three of which were chosen
: for further development and study.
: The project, which began last quarter with a class of senior
: industrial design students, is a cooperative effort between
! Auburn, the CHA and the Oak Ridge National Laboratories
in conjunction with the Department of Energy.
Industrial design student Garth Uris conducts the "bat test" on a
redesigned light fixture.
5 Volume IX. No. !!
In celebration of its 100th anniversary,
the American Society of Landscape
Architects (ASLA) is renovating or
creating 100 parks and greenspaces
across the country through its 100
Parks, 100 Years program. ASLNs 47
chapters, located coast to coast and in Hawaii, will
contribute to the planning, design, construction and
maintenance of local "parks" ranging from inner-city
playgrounds and therapeutic gardens to historic sites and
community greenways
A preliminary plan for Caldwell Park which resulted from the
recent design charrette.
The Alabama chapter of the ASLA has selected Caldwell
Park, located along Birmingham's historic Highland
Avenue, for restoration and will receive a $2,000 grant
from ASLA for the project The chapter is partnering with
the City of Birmingham, local developer Bayer Properties
and the Highland Park Neighborhood Association to
complete a master plan for the project, which is scheduled
for completion in the fall of 1999. The renovation will
focus on repairing walls and paths, assessing existing
plantings and making the park more suitable for modernday
functions such as festivals, rallies and concerts. The
park is the site of the annual Do Da Day Festival, which
brings 15,000 to 20,000 people to the park on a single
day. A charrette was held on January 29 to prornote public
participation in the design process.
For more information about ASLA anniversary events and
programs, see Details of Interest and the upcoming
Fall/Winter 1999 issue.
Phenix City has recently completed a new 2,000-foot
riverwalk along the banks of the Chattahoochee River. The
landscaped path meanders between two bridges linking
Alabama and Georgia, one of which will become a
pedestrian walkway when a third bridge is completed in
June 2000. The riverwalk affords spectacular views of the
Chattahoochee and access for fishing. The design team for
the $1,025,000 project included Greg Glass and Christy
Cahalan of the City of Phenix City Planning and
Engineering Department; Bobby Bledsoe, landscape
architect, Montgomery; and Gary GuliaHe, ASLA,
...................... ·G .. r. . a-·ll .. h+·c ...... O.. e-·s'i-·g .. n .................... ·. .
Somerset Group Inc., based in
Madison, has been chosen as the
interactive multimedia provider for
the National Park Service in the
development of CD-ROMs, kiosks,
websites and other interactive
media resources. The firm is currently developing a touchscreen
kiosk for the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
designed to inform visitors about the diverse plants and
animals that inhabit the park.
The opening screen shows a line drawing of the variety of
habitats in the park as one moves from the shores of Lake
Michigan inland through dunes, wetlands and forest. By
touching the picture of a plant or animal, the viewer is taken
to secondary screens that present additional photographs
and information on the species, its habitat and preservation
efforts. The visitor also can access a map of the park,
showing where the plant or animal would be found.
Nature was the principal focus throughout the creative
process, says James Caudell, creative director for
Somerset "Our concept was to provide a logical and
structured means to display the information without
sacrificing the feel of the environment it represents. There
are too many interface designs out there that are cold and
sterile. We wanted to get away from that."
Phenix Citys riverwalk as it crosses Holland Creek.
Somerset avoided the sterile feel of many kiosk interfaces by
utilizing natural elements and pen-and-ink-inspired artwork.
The target audience determined the navigation and
intuitive factors of the kiosk. "Our staff recruited people of
various ages and profeSSions to beta test our work," says
Chad Gipson, chief animator and programmer. "We
watched them interact with the touch screen and
determined the weak links in the work. If people from five
to 65 don't understand the interface or can't find what they
are looking for, then the whole kiosk is useless. We are too
close to the project to determine its effectiveness. That's
why it's critical to test and research your work on the very
people who will be using it."
Chief creative officer and designer of the Dunes interface
was Don Dickey and additional programming was
provided by Carol Rives. A
landscape architect, Phenix City. The riverwalk provides stunning views of the nearby Chattahoochee River.
DesignAlabama 6
ACDPtUpdate The Alabama Community Design Program's Most Recent Effort
This view of the spiUway at Riverdale Mill is one of many spectacular views of the river. Recommendations include recapturing the city's
connection to the river and capitalizing on the amenities it provides.
The City of Valky was established in 1980 by bringing together four hi.~toric
textile miU communities. In the nearly two declUks since incorporation, Valky
has madR great strides to preserve the quality of life established by the mills
and to maintain a sense ofidentity in each ofthefour distinct villages.
DesignAlabama~'i' invo/vem£.>llt l1-'ith \lalk."1! be,qan in
June directDl~ sparked Cat()~'\
interest hI- (heAlabama Cmnl1mnity Design
Program (ACDP). and she htlS /1(!(>n in...~'tnmwJ7tal in
hringing it to Valley.
Team leader GbeJ}"'/ il101;e,an visited Valley several
times over a period afsix months If?ading up to the
charrette, meeting uHth cif;F leaders and residellts to
as')ess issues and opportunities for improvement in
the communi(F. 77Je arril'al q( our eight-member
team on iHarch 17, 1999, initiated an fntense,fourday
stU(~F which bUep,rated the collection (?( data
from inten/iell/~,). obseroations and general dL\·CllSsion
with VaJ/ey~') leaders.
The resulting rep0l1, presented to Valle.}' residents at
ajbllozp-up meeting.1une 17, represents ClI1 interdisClplil1aJY
uision q(thefuture q( Valle.y a.. ). intelpreted
hy the volunteer e.'".tpeI1s on tlu? ACDP tearn.
77Jis team icienttfied three strate,p,ic initialiuesfnr tbe
East Alabama communit)"':
Execute design improvements to key
road connections:
Since Valk>J! co11.."is! ...-. qf the mill villa,p,es aJul the
road" that connect them, the visual character of
these road" is a most impOltant aspect qf the
ci(l"S image and idenli~y Few l.lisitors. the design
character qf the road" L" tbe .first in zp,·ession qf
V"alley, an impres.:::,ion which is 1a."Ung - good
or had, pleasant or unpleasant. For Valkj.·
re..r;,ident.s, a qualif:}' image - JXJrl1e of good
design character~ is a point q( pnae that
rqf1ects and embodies the value qf the (:0111-��mllni~)!
to its residents.
Recapture the Ph)'sicai cOllnection
to the nearby Chattahoochee River:
The Chattahoochee River is centra} to the his/oty
q{ Vall~v. l/11/0I1unatefv.. tbe connection
IJetlJ.'eell the river and the settlement wbose
creation it alloLL.'ed has diminished Duel' time.
77...,e river is still an important recreational
amenity to mallY, but even tb,:) integral aspect
qf life in tbe cOlnmllni(J' has Changed in
recent times u.'Uh the creation qf newjacilities
jarfber inland. It is imp0l1ant for Vall~)! to
reconnect to the riuer as much as possible.
Background: A plan of Shawmut, one of Valley's four historic mill villages.
000
The site of Valley's old airport on the banks of the river is an ideal location for additional recreational opportunities and a municipal nursery.
Auburn
U~""c,"ity
by Laura Quenelle
R¢bO.tTrcot
JoccsGo,f
Co"''"''
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