Design Alabama: The Public Forum for Design in Alabama, Volume 18, Issue 1, 2008

              Spring/Summer 2008
Volume XVIII, Issue I
$4.00
abama
THE PUBLIC FORUM FOR DESIGN IN ALABAMA
Board of Directors
Debbie Quinn, Chair
Fairhope City CounCil
Fairhope
Nancy Mims Hartsfield, Vice Chair
Auburn University, Professor Emerita
Montgomery
SCott Finn, Secretary
Aubum University
Auburn
HB Brantley, Treasurer
Brantley Visioneedng
Birmingham
Arnelle Adcock
Consultant
Prattville
Elizabeth Ann Brown
Alabama Historical Commission
Montgomery
Chip DeShields
Sherlock, Smith & Adams
Montgomery
Janet Driscoll
Driscoll Design & Creative Sefllices
Montgomery
Cathryn Campbell Gera.his
Goodwyn Mills & Cawood fnc.
Montgomery
80 Grisham
Brookman{ Realty
Birmingham
Ross Heck
Auburn University
Auburn
Bob Howard
Alabama Power Co.
Birmingham
Michele G. Jordan
City of Decatur
Decatur
Darrell Meyer
KPS Group
Birmingham
Unda Swann
Alabama Development Office
Montgomery
Gina Glaze Clifford, Executive Director
Philip Morris) Director Emeritus
Volume XVIII, Issue I
Cover: The interior design o! Davis Architects' renovated industrial
building in downtown Birmingham represents the vibrant thrust of the
profession and its ful! integration with architecture. Siipped behind the
sleei doors retained from iis previous use, the new entrance includes
a red panel ihat previews what's inside. There, clerestory-windowed
enclosures frame a galiery leading from the reception area to the large
open studio washed with natura! light. Red on the walls repeats as an
accent color on work stations and elsewhere.
This publication is made possible through funding by the fol/owing contributors:
Brooknwnt Realty Group LLC
Nimrod Lang and Associates
----------------------------------------------------------------
WiUiams Blackstock Architects
MacknaUy Ross Land Design
Daniel Corporation
DriscoU Design & Creative Services
St.:lte A A"-
~CoUOdl
""11,'nthe ~ .. Arts
DAVIS ARCHITECTS
AMERIC,N
.HlClllTECTUlUL
!'OlNIHIlON
BRASFIELD
~GORRIE
~rz"'1
G S & p
GRESHAM
SMITH AND
PARTNERS
GOODWYN, MILLS AND CAWOOD, I1'\C.
Editor: Gina Glaze Cliliord
Managing Editor: Tomie Dugas
Art Director: Nancy Harlslield
Associate Art Director: Ross Heck
Assistant Art Directors: June Corley
Tomie Dugas
Bruce Dupree
Wei Wang
Contributing Writers: Jessica Armstrong
Gina Glaze Clifford
Tomie Dugas
Philip Morris
DesignAlabama encourages submissions from
its readers. Articles about work Irom 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., PO. Box 241263. Montgomery.
AL 36124.
Items lor Project News and Details 01
Interest should include a paragraph summary
detailing the nature of the project the design liem.
principals and associates involved and any oiher
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 end phone and lax number of the
client and an individual whom we may coniact for
further information. Direct inquiries to (334) 549-4672
or e-mail to: designa!abama1@beHsQuth.net.
www.designaiabama.org
Past journal issues are available for $6.00
including postage and handling. Contact
DesignAlabama at the above numbers for availability
information and to order.
A special tflanks to Philip Morris for hiS ongoing
assistance and advice with this publication.
© 2008 OeslgnAiabama Inc.
ISSN# 1090-0918
This issue of DesignAlabama was designed and
produced on Macintosh Computers utilizing InDesignCS2.
Proofs were printed on a HP 4000N and final output
on a Compugraphic 9400.
Turning the spotlight on
arohiteotural iliumination.
p7
DesignAlabama is a publication of DesignAiabama inc.
Reader commenis and submission oj articles and ideas for
future issues are encouraged.
Enhanoing interiors through
arohiteoturai oollaboration.
p.9
FEATURES
CONTENTS
"THE INSIDE STORY"
Interior Design Partners with Architecture
DAVIS ARCHITECTS
HATCHER DESIGN ASSOCIATES
Inspiring awareness of the
natural environment.
p.18
GRESHAM SMITH & PARTNERS
GARRISON BARRETT GROUP
WALCOTT ADAMS VERNEUILLE ARCHITECTS
COHEN CARNAGGIO REYNOLDS
ARTICLES
ALABAMA'S NEWEST NATURE CENTERS
DEPARTMENTS
Project ... News
Work of Statewide Significance
Designer~Profi ie
John Gill, Lighting Designer
Design.Makes A Difference
Functional & Civic in Auburn
DesignAlabamatU pdate
Mayors Summit & GreenCoast Conference
Details+Of interest
Noteworthy Observations
9
10
12
13
14
15
16
18
4
7
22
24
29
Conveying oivio stature
through oreative design
p22
ProjectANews
Project News
is a regular
feature of
DesignAlabama and
provides
an opportunity
to keep
up-to-date on
design projects
that have an impact on
our communities.
Interior Desi!ln
___ Indnstriaillesi!ln
m-:(o(
!.Jill3ndsc3pe Architecture
_ ... ""."",
lillliit.:£. Urban Desi!ln
OesignAlabama 4
It:m ~ Renaissance Hotel
Adaptive reuse of historic buildings is a well-established
trend, but converting a modern 1976 office buHding
into a hotel will break new ground in the state. The
forrner headquarters of Regions Bank in the heart of
Birmingham's financial center at 20th Street and 5th
Avenue North will soon be converted into a 255-room
Renaissance Hotel to be operated by Marriott.
When Regions merged with AmSouth Bank, it was
announced the combined operations would move into
AmSouth's 30-story building on the northwest corner of
this dominant intersection. As the move is completed
this summer, work wili begin on a conversion designed
by Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood at Birmingham. Local
investors are the developers with Marriott Hotels.
The 18-story building clad in dark bronze-toned
glass and aluminum was designed for the then First
Alabarna Bank by architects John Carl Warnecke &
Associates of New York City. The most visible change
to the exterior wiH involve renovating the first few fioors
with clear glass and stone trim compatible with the
existing fa,ade (see elevation drawing). Jacquelyn
Hart, IIDA. director of interiors for GMC, says they were
surprised how readily the fioor layouts work for the con­version.
''When we started working on the typical hotel
room Hoors, we found the dimensions worked out within
inches of Marriott's standards." With a central elevator
bank. rooms will wrap ali four sides of the tower to pro­vide
good views of downtown.
Civic interests in Birmingham are excited about the
animation a major hotel wiil bring to this zone of major
office buildings Ironically, the same corner once held the
originai Tutwiler Hotel, which was demolished to make
way tor the office building. The current Tutwiler is a block
away in the former Ridgley Apartments building, recently
updated by its local owner.
The 20th Street elevation by Goodwyn. Mi!is & Cawood shows the lower
floors or the bank buiiding opened up with clear Qi3SS and retined with
stone irim and other deiails.
!!II
A typicai Quest room iloor layout lor the new hotel turned out to neariy match
Marriott standard guest room dimensions.
It:m ~ Edgewood Creamery
A fun new ice cream shop has taken shape on Oxmoor
Road in Birmingham. Young architect Michael Gibson.
prinCipal of Place Design Studio and his building
craft service Appleseed Workshop, created the entire
project from design through construction and furniture
fabrication. The interior is shaped by tilted and floating
wooden planes tied together by a mint ribbon that wraps
the back wall, across the floor and up the front win-dow.
The whimiscal fiair was achieved despite budget
constraints. 'I saw the budget as a design pararneter,"
Gibson says. He used inexpensive wood 2x4s as a finish
material on the walls and ceilings and in all the furnish­ings.
The wood-frame interiors wrap around the shop
while seemingly hovering above the floor to give the
space a dream-like feel.
The Edgewood Creamern imriguing interior, visible from a busy imersec­tion.
caiches the eye and draws peopie in for a sweei ireaL
~ USA Hospital Imaging
Center
The University of South A!abama Children's & Women's
Hospital Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center renovation
by TAG/The Architects Group has a theme of nauti-cal
elements and undersea adventure. When a new MRI
machine was purchased, the Mobile hospital requested
an environment that would embrace its theme and heip
patients' anxiety when undergoing tr8atmert.
TAG designed the waiting room to feel like a day at the
beach: 'beach blanket" carpet inserts are scattered ;n the
waiting area, translucent 'umbrella' shapes hang overhead
and waiting chair fabriCS are stripes of all the fun beach
colors. The reception desk is designed ata height to greet all
patients with a translucent 'shell' divider to provide privacy
while checking in. In general, colors are warm and inviting.
Upon entering the treatment area, patie,1is feel like they
are in a watery environment. The floor:s a wavy design ot
cool biues leading into the room where the MRI machine
is placed. The ceiling has two levels; 'he highest level is
dark blue, as if deep in the sea the SEcond level is a trans­lucent
aqua that gives the feeling of IJoking into the water
Between the ceiling levels are two el')ments; one element is
an abstract shape of translucent malerial meant to be a shell
or jelly fish or whatever one might inagine; the other ele­ment
is a fun fish or water creature Deinted in a child friendly
manner Lights are placed and swithed specifically to
highlight either of these elements I') give the space rNa dif­ferent
atmospheres. There are also LED lights placed behind
the translucent ceiling that change subtly in watery hues to
enhance this underwater feeling. The MRI room has similar
ceiling and floor treatments but has differences in materials.
as no ferrous metals could be used in this room.
The overall feeling is magical and gives patients much to
place their imagination on while waiting for a medical pro­cedure.
Alice H. Cutright ASlOjNCIDQ was the interior
designer on this project lor the Mobile firm.
Beach umbreila shapeS hover above the check-in counter and striped car-pet
2;1d Upholsie,y mimic bright colorful beach if}NSis and chairs.
Carpet waves lead t'O the MRi foom. whiie fish and starfish piay in a doubie
layered watery envfrcnment overhead.
!!I ~ ill Three Parks
Initiative
A coordinated fund-raising effort led by the Community
Foundation of Greater Birmingham and Region 2020 has
moved three major area open space projects ahead. Called
the Three Parks Initiative. they are
~ Railroad Park - Located in the heart of the city just south
of the mainline railroads along which the city was founded in
1871. this 21.5-acre park will create a major open space just
south of the railroad midway between the historic downtown
and the expansive UAB medical center and campus. The mas­ter
plan prepared by Tom leader Studio of Berkeley. CA.
(DA Fall/Winter 2006) calis for a mostly open greensward that
rolls up to the level of the active railroad. embracing it as part
of the citis history rather than hiding it. The Railroad Park
Foundation will build and operate the park with funding from
public and private sources. A revised amphitheatre design
(see rendering) will feature a fabric roof that folds up like
an umbrella at its center so grass can grow beneath. Design
team: Tom Leader Studio. master plan and landscape archi­tects
architects Kennedy & Violich of Cambridge. MA.
with HKW Associates of Birmingham: and local landscape
architects Macknally Ross land Destgn. Birmingham.
~Red Mountain Park - Situated on 1.108 acres atop Red
Mountain extending west 4.5 miles from west Homewood
to near Bessemer (see map). this new regional park will be
developed and run by a state commission formed for the
purpose The land, purchased from US Steel at a greatly
reduced price. was once the site of 11 iron ore mines. A
master plan prepared by landscape architects and planners
Wallace Roberts & Todd of Philadelphia calls for a bal­ance
of active uses. historic interpretation and landscape
restoration. A variety of trails totaling 30 miles will include a
Phase I Round the Mountain Loop that utilizes the bed of the
mineral railroad that once took ore from the mines to mills
in the valleys below (see schematic section drawing). There
will also be grassy open fields for picnicking and recreation
located at scenic spots with other recreational and interpre­tive
features built over time.
~Ruffner Mountain Nature Genter - For this existing
1,011-acre nature preserve in the eastern section, the main
new feature wiil be an interpretive center (see article on p. 19)
and a Second entrance from th,e Eastwood/Irondale area.
All three parks will continue fund-raising on tr,eir own
for future phases and projects. For example. the Railroad
Park Foundation is raising additional funds so th,e planned
amphitheatre can be part of the first phase Vlrdch has just
begun construction.
6 ~ Aloft Hotel
Construction has begun on a $20 million boutique hotel in
downtown Homewood on the site of the old city haiL The
five-story. ill-room Aloft HoteL developed by the same
team as the adjacent Soho Square. will complement that
mixed-use development The hotel will sport a hip urban
appeal with lolt-like guest rooms featuring 9-foot ceilings and
overSized windows. Rooms will be equipped with
contemporary modular furniture and flat-paneled TVs. A
locally owned restaurant is planned for the ground floor of
the 68.000-square-foot hotel. which will also feature an
indoor/outdoor lounge area. Winston Hospitality Inc. wi!1
manage and operate the property. which is slated for opening
spring 2009. Hogan Campis Architecture in Atlanta is
the design architect and Cohen Carnaggio Reynolds, the
iocal architectural coordinator.
AmorlQ iri8 amenities in the hip A!oH Hote! are music and lighting that
change throughout the day to match the mecd.
A schematic traii pian/section in the
master plan by Viaiiace Roberts & Todd
shov,s riO'{! va rio liS trails worK at various
,1eveis along the ridge_ Ir: fe3!iiy aii but
the main Round the Mcuntain Loco using
U'i8 historic mineral ,ailmad bed wili vary
greatiy based on tcpcgrapt'y
This map ,iocates the new 4.5-miie iong Red Moun!ajn Park in context with Lakeshore Parklvay and the
Oxmoor deveiopments to Irie south and historic mining communities to the nortr:
This rdghttime rendering shmvs tile Railroad Park amphitheatre's fabric roof thai Iolds up like an umbrella Of dOVin fcr cover.
5 Voiume XViii. No. I
.!L Kontrol Freek
PUSH Product Design, an industrial design firm based
out of Birmingham, has recently focused on developing
video game accessories that are affordable and prov'lde a
competitive edge The first market segment PUSH looked
into was racing games, Games in this category rely on simi­lar
thumb movements to steer through the game, The gamer
presses down with the left thumb on the left joystick and
rocks the thumb left or right to steer the car Based on test­ing
and user research, PUSH realized that a simple device
that could allow a player's thumb to gently tap the stick left
or right while playing would potentially reduce thumb stress
and improve control. PUSH developed prototypes for testing
and tweaked the design to arrive at a final solution consist­ing
of a plastic injection-molded part that snaps onto the
controller joystick, The part is shaped like a 'U' to allow the
thumb to rest between the sides
PUSH developed the brand KontrolFreek to promote this
product, which is called SpeedFreek, Speedfreek was
recently used to win the NissanForza2 racing tournarnent
over a field of more than 40,000 of the top racing gamers
in the country The firrn's next product, FPSFreek is under
developrnent and will be ready soon, Designers who worked
on Kontrol Freek's SpeedFreek are: Lloyd Cooper, Donnie
Walker and Andrew Thomson,
Wiih iis unique design, SpeedFreek keeps ihe gamer's thumb on the
existing analog stick surface. The additional supporiing side walis enable
quicker and sharper movements, while adding control and precision.
~ ffr ~ The Villages
of SweetBay
Beaufort Engineering Services (BES), an architectural
and engineering services provider with specialties in envi­ronmentally
sustainable services, has designed the Villages
of SweetBay, a low-cost traditional housing development in
Baldwin County. The Fairhope firm was responsible for site
design and design of the commercial areas in the 280-acre
development All five neighborhoods are within a five-minute
walk to the mixed-use town center with commercial retail
on the bottom level and reSidential apartments above. The
master plan sets aside 107 acres for green space, which
includes walking and biking paths and ponds that are part of
the BES groundwater plan on this former agricultural site, To
make housing affordable (homes will range from $99,000 to
$250,000), the 2,157-unit complex comprised of town homes,
houses and apartments will utilize modular or system-built
DesignAlabama 6
construction, Samaritan Development Group of Atlanta is
behind this unique project to house the growing labor force ser­v'Ic'lng
the coastal tourist industry and expects to break ground
this fallon Phase L
The site pian for the Wiages ai SweetBay (top) shows a proposed elementary
school in the upper left-hand corner. and a rendering (bottom) depicts the entrance
to the deveiopment near Magnolia Springs
ft Waterscape Marine
Identity
The logo lor Waterscape Marine of Dadeville, created by
Copperwing DeSign of Montgomery, employs a clean,
minimalist approach to suggest the sun setting on the lake's
horizon in soft shades of blue and gray. The Montgomery
design firm actually created the name for the boat dealership,
chasing it because it introduced the idea that the company
was part of the overall landscape for lake living and culture,
The concept for the identity package, which includes maga­zine
ads and mailers, is to remind people why they love being
on the lake. Angela Stiff, prinCipal of Copperwing Design,
designed the logo, Kenny Strahm, the direct mail piece and
Heidi Hollingshead, the ad.
The Waterscape Marine logo (top), mailer (middle) and magazine ad
(Douem) launched the flew brand whose campaign has received strong
responses irom boih boaters and non-boaters and has jueled sales,
ffr Spring Hill Master Plan
A master plan for the Village of Spring Hill designed by the
noted urban planners Dover Kohl & Partners of Coral
Springs, Fla, was presented to the Mobile City CouncH
in January, It was the culmination of a two-plus-year-Iong
process for the nonprofit Village of Spring Hill group The
organization hopes to revitalize the downtown district by cre­ating
a walkable downtown with shops fronting the sidewalks
and parking placed on the street or to the rear. The group
tapped Department of Economic & Community Affairs and
Transportation Enhancement grants among others, solicited
donations and worked hard to prepare an organized detailed
proposal to engage the highly respected planning firm For
the public design process in November Dover Kohl brought
seven planners and urban designers and several economists
to Spring Hill.
The result is a 1 OO-page document that includes 25
implementation suggestions centered around three key
intersections. The goal is to enliven activity by changing the
pattern from the current Single-use buildings with parking
lots in front to mixed-use buildings lining the sidewalks. The
Blueprint for Spring Hill may be viewed at http//wwvl.thevi!­lageoispringhilLcom
,A,
THE [;LUEPIU~T FOR SPRING Ulti:
Pages lrom the B!ueprini lor SpringHi!l include ihe Spring Hili plan showing
key int8rseciions involving Museum Road, Old SheH Road and Bit and Spur
Road (top), the proposed streetscape improvements for Old Shell Road (middle)
and ine master plan report cover page (bottom).
he sun has been the source
of light and shadow on our
buildings since man first
chiseled stone. But what
shapes do these buildings assume
after nightfall? Mostly they are just
large masses in the dark, says lighting
designer John Gill. Only in the past 60
years or so has technology allowed us
to creatively illuminate our buildings
at night, creating new effects or
enhancing the shapes we see by day.
Iliumin ling by Gita Smith
"!vIost concepts of architecture
were developed yvhen sunlight
was the only form-giver," says
Gill, director of lighting design
at CRS Engineering Inc. in
Birmingl1am. "Ancient, classical
and renaissance architecture
all were driven by \\"hat things
looked like with illumination
from above." It is possible
no\\' to illuminate forms and
outdoor spaces at night using
conventional electrical lights.
solar-powered lights or light-emitting
diodes (LEDs) to 111ake them
appear different from their daytime selves.
This is \\"here lighting deSigners can partner
with architects and bUilding engineers for
optimum effect.
TV10numents change their appearance at
night, particularly frorn a distance, says Gill.
During the day we notice the 111ass; but at
night, \vith much of the 111aSS disappearing
against a night sk;.." , a designer can pull up
ethereal details with lights Of shift the rela­tionsbips
of angles and planes. For the way
that lighting enhances the esthetics of monu­ments,
says Gill, consider Birmingham's
iconic statue of Vulcan.
Desigl1er~Profi Ie
7 Volume XVIII. NO.1
··\Vhen Giuseppe Moretti created Vulcan in
1904, the sculptor was looking at it \vith light
froBl above. But at night, \vhen you light
Vulcan from belo\v, YOll reveal a whole second
life for the statue, a whole other play of light
and shadow. By day, for me, Vulcan is a
111011Ument; by night be is a \vork of art."
Most recently Gill and CI\S Engineering
deSigned and installed lighting for the old City
Federal building, a turn-ol~the-20th-century
Binninghanl skyscraper. It had been vacant for
a decade, but now has been given a second
life as high-rise condol11iniuI11s. '"The renova­tion
cried out for lighting design to enhance
the many esthetic details of the wonderful
old bUilding," Gill says. The older skyscrap­ers
inHuencecl by' beaux arts have terra
cotta detailing that is difficult to see by day.
Ho\vcvcr, now that City Federal is illuminated
at night. the details can be seen froBl a
distance. -'It is a project I had \\-'anted to
do for a long time," adds Gill.
To create the lighting design for the City
Federal project, Gill mocked LIp several types
of lights to get an idea of how they would
perform. In the end he selected a high-pres­sure
sodiu111 vapor bulb that gives off a \\,'ann
orangey light to complement the terra cotta
lllaterials. "\X"e selected a high perfor111ance
floodlight that has variable intensities so that
we didn't just wash everyrthing in the same
light,'· Gill explains. 'The fixtures are bolted
into the wall at the cornice level.'·
"I feel that we took a landmark
and gave it that extra punch to
make it a standout"
Samford Hall at Auburn l'niversity is anoth-er
of Gill's lighting projects. The 1859-era,
ltalianate claSSf00111 building is iconic on the
campus, and it presented a design challenge.
·'Samford Hall is so familiar that I approached
the project \vanting to give the old brick struc­ture
a new and unfan1iliar en1phasis at night.
\Vith brick \ve lnight norn1a11y use the sodiuln
vapor lights. But we deviated in that instance
and chose metal halide, a colder light.··
Gill had discovered that there was plenty of
white \vood trin1 and detailing on the \vindo\vs
of Samford Hall. When lighted with the bluer
halide lamps, those white details popped out
at night. Auburn University no\\, shows video
promotions of its campus that feature Samford
Hall at night. "I feel that we took a landmark
and gave it that extra punch to l11ake it a
standout," the designer relates.
Giving equal time to the 'other" school, Gill
notes that the firn1 currently is lighting son1e
of the quad buildings at the University of
Alabama. He has comoleted Phase I desi"nin" 1 , i;") i;")
the lights on the Gorgas Library and two older
buildings that flank it. The space has a classi­cal,
symmetrical layout. "\\le are using a n1ix­ture
of lights that vary according to the I11ateri­aIs
in the structures," says Gill. He chose metal
halide to light a cut stone wall that is grayish
white in daytilne and high pressure sodiuI11 for
red brick. "These choices dramatize the struc­tures
even more than daylight does."
DesignAlabama 8
Gorgas Library, UniverSity of Alabama
Samford HaJI, Auburn [niversity
Gill, who was attracted to both architecture and
architectural engineering as a student, received
dual degrees from the University of Kansas.
Some of his professors introduced him to light­ing
as a relevant design elen1ent. Even though
he was more interested in the technical aspects
of building, he says, "I found that I really
enjoyed the I110re artistic side of design in \va ys
I hadn't envisioned, and I began to look for a
\vay' to n1a1'ry the tv.,.'o interests together."
As a specialty of architectural engineering,
lighting design is a young discipline. The first
generation of architectural lighting deSigners
is just no\\/ passing away", says Gill. "There are
no celebrity lighting designers," he laughs. "It
is not what you would call an exploding field.
Only 20 college degree progralns offer lighting
design as a specialty, Parsons School of Design
being one."
Gill wishes that schools in the Southeast
offered 1110re in the \va)' of training architects
in lighting design. He says he's found no pro­gran1
any\vhere in the Southeast in this spe­Cialty,
even though 111any large lighting 111anu­facturers
are headquartered in Atlanta. He
sees himself as one who could "break the ice
and open up the world of possibilities to the
design comn1unity here in AIaban1a,"
A Kansas native, Gill Gln1e to Birn1inghaln
thanks to the inspiration of Frank Cater, who
founded CRS Engineering. "He had an interest
in lighting, and he srarted the idea of haVing
a speCialist in the company. I think that as we
adopt ne\\! technologies - colored lighting for
outdoor spaces, for example - and play with
more architectural applications, the U.S. as a
whole will embrace this field".?
Gita Srnith is (f jl'ceiance 'writer
!iCing in ,}iontgolnCJY.
Back in the 1960s a scathing column appeared in a leading architecture magazine
titled: "The Solid Chintz Skyscraper!" An interior decorator had been hired to design
the inside of a sleek new glass and steel building in Manhattan, and the magazine
was outraged. Justifiably, given the period.
But times have long since changed. A profession of architecturallv responsible interior design, with its
own education and licensing standaJ'{b. has evolved. At the same time the presumption that architects alone
should decide what interior finishes and furnishings belong in their buildings has been effectively challenged.
Yes. what might be called the 'Frank Lloyd Wright Syndrome' of total design control by a master designer - the
architect of course - still has proponents. But the days when walls were, inevitably, white and the furniture as
predictable as the pages of architecture magazines are, largelv, gone.
Architecture has become more complex, given technolog)c codes and other demands. At the same
time interior design choices in carpeting, wall·coverings, lighting and other products have exploded. And there
is, too, a greatly increased sensibility to the nuances interior design brings to the spaces people use. This survey
explores the partnership bet\reen architects and interior designers evident in practice.
The sk,.scraper isn't going chintz. But it's really into fabric your mother nerer heard about
P. M.
PhiHp t/!orris has more than 30 years experience in magazine worK including tenures as executive editor and editor~aHarge at Sout.l]ern Living. Coastal
Living and Southern Accents. Aithough he retired in 2000. Morris remains active as a jreeiance writer and respected lecturer on design. as weil as a
major contributor to DesignAfabama.
9 Volume XViii. No.1
The key feature of the former 8E8CO (Birmingham Electric Battery Co.)
building that attracted Nei! Davis is the large, open room illuminated by
the row of industria! windows (left) fronting the afley on the north side. In
the otherwise neutral wMe/silver/gray palette, seiected panels in the work
stations pick up the red accent color (see cover).
DesignAlabama 10
Luris Kennedy
Sitting in Davis Architects' new open studio washed with north light
from vast steel-frame windows, architect Neil Davis and interior designer
Stephanie Pope have all around them evidence of the close collaboration
between the two related disciplines. The former industrial building has
been shaped by strong building-within-a-building space planning and
enriched by color, fabrics and furnishings.
Another clerestory skylight ffoods the interiors resource space with natura!
fight. Lighting is suspended from cables.
The cutting edge of Davis Architects interior design and furnishings
Sl70WS in the main conference room where a diaphanous curtain ((eft') is
washed from above with fighting that subtly changes llUes.
Existing skylights were rehabifita/ed to bring fight to interior spaces like
the break area/pin-up space shown here. Exposed roof structure is painted
charcoal gray and floors throughout are sealed concrete.
Enclosed spaces with clerestory windows separate Davis Architects· entry area from the farge. open studio from which
this photo was made. The photo mural behind the Barcelona chairs in the reception area is the former Shades VaHey High
Schoo! designed by the firm in 1945.
"In the late 1960s we were the first firm in Birmingham to bring an
interior designer on staff: Angie Grooms Proctor. There ha\'e been some gaps.
but interior design has almost always been an important part of our practice,"
he says of the architectural firm once run by his father. Today Da\'is Architects
includes nine interior designers who become part of project teams as soon as
they are formed. Highly \'isible projects include WorkPlay in Birmingham, new
high schools for Truss\'ille and Gardendale under construction, the award­winning
Brock Recital Hall at Samford Uni\,ersity and the Bryant and Lakeside
dining halls at the Uni\'ersity of Alabama.
"Interior designers ha\'e been a boost for us in terms of bringing a
different point of \'iew, a different perspecti\,e because of their training," says
Da\'is. "Merging architecture and interior design has helped the quality of our
work for clients."
There is not one over-riding design thrust. The work ranges from cor-
Davis Architects·Office Floor Plan
Alabama, Auburn and Samford. Davis contrast., his attitude today to his days in
architecture school when evervthing was solely rational and problem-sol\'ing.
"Our interiors staff bring a wonderful attention to detail and the character of
spaces," he says. "The architecture is important, of course, but what people
really respond to is what they are in, what they can see and touch."
rect and refined classical evident in Brock or the edgy and surprising seen in For one current project, Da\'is knows those skills are critical. "We are
the firm's own space, where transparent, full-length fabric washed with subtly working on renovating the lobbies of the BJCC Concert Hall. It's a big, brutal
changing light curtains walls of the main conference room. Pope does point to concrete architectural statement, and you can't dress it up with a pink doily,"
one trend in commercial interior design that is per\,asive: sustainabilitr "Green he says. "We are pushing a frontier there, and I will be eager to see how it
is e\'erywhere, in carpet, furniture, fabrics and paint. and \'ou ha\'e to stay on works when the work is complete next year." Light and fabric are going to be
top of it. Everyda); it seems, there are new materials coming out." key components. III
For the kind of interior deSigners with training in space planning,
lighting, codes and other skills needed for complex projects, Davis and Pope
agree that Alabama is blessed with excellent programs at the Uni\,ersity of
11 Volume XVII!. No. i
Hatcher Design Associates brought its expertise in fighting to bear on this group of executive assistant work spaces for Synovus Bank in Columbus, Ga. Raiher than standard ceiling fixtures, sleek suspended fixtures cast light upward onto
the ceiling to create an ambient light, offsetting the lack of natura! iigi7t. Task lighting in the work stations glows through Plexiglas panels imbedded with a pattern of fibers.
To offset the stress factors in the new
emergency room at DCH hospital in Tusca­loosa,
Haicher Design Associates created
a curved reception desk and a combination
of curved and grid patterns in the sheet
flooring. Furnishings also contribute to the
leve! of comfort.
DesignAiabama 12
For SNG (formerly Southern Natural
Gas, no'll a division of EI Paso Corp.
of Houston), Hatcher and her staff
designed 100,000 square feef of offfces
in the new Coloniaf Brookwood Center
in Homewood. To add interest to the
enclosed contra! center. they specified
a combination of frosted and reflective
glass in reversed paliern that keeps it
from being totally iso/ated.
When Rebecca Hatcher started her own com­mercial
interior design firm in Birmingham in
1979, there were almost no interior designers
on the staffs of architectural firms. "I looked at
it as a consulting business, working with archi­tects
on a contract basis much like engineers
do," she says, estimating between 20 and 25
firms as clients. Today, when larger firms have
their own interior design departments, most of
Hatcher Design Associates' work is with smaller
firms who do not have interior design in-house.
Hatcher, an Auburn University graduate who worked with
Bob Moody & Associates before launching her own firm, has also been
involved in the growing statewide recognition of interior design a.'i a cre­dentialed
profession, "Most people don't realize that Alabama was the first
state to pass a title act for interior design," she says, This law prevents
anyone who has not achieved certain levels of training and experience
The Greenhouse Spa at The Summit shopping center in Birmingham wanted CUNes to
appeal to their mostly feminine clients, so Hatcher Design Associates designed custom
millwork complemented with soft up!ighting in the retail area. Corridors behind this space
are also gently curved.
from calling themselves an interior designer, "We deal with codes, space
planning, access issues, lighting and do so with detailed draWings that
interior decorators don't, and it took a while before people realized the
public needed to know when someone is qualified to provide this level
of performance,"
More recently, efforts have been focused on a practice act that
spells out in greater detail exactly what is covered under interior design,
Some feel the original version was drawn too tightly, and it is being recon­sidered,
Meanwhile, both members of the IIDA (International Interior
Design Association) and ASID (American Society of Interior Designers)
have completed training and testing to be qualified, But IIDA members
are commercial interior deSigners and ASID members tend to focus on
residential work
Given the nature of her work, you might expect Hatcher to
demean what interior decorators do, but she doesn't, "Interior decoration
takes talent and is a needed service," she says, adding that her daughter­in-
law work, in that field, "But even today people think interior design is
mainly about color when it involves so much more," III
''I'm an architecture graduate of Georgia Tech, but
I have practiced interior design from the first day
I went to work," says Jim Griffo, a partner and
director of corporate design for Gresham Smith &
Partners' Birmingham office. "There are 14 inte­rior
designers in our office, from those just out of
school to grizzled old vets like me."
These staff members are not separated as an interior design divi·
sion but function as part of one of two architecture studios at GSP: health
care and corporate design. They are mLxed in with architecb and graphic
deSigners as part of project teams from master planning through to interior
details. "There are several reasons for this, the main ones being we benefit
from all the different expertise as deciSions are being made and, thus, in the
end we produce much better projects for our clients," Griffo says.
The bulk of the interior design staff's work is for GSP·designed
buildings, but they do some outside projects for which they provide the
same level of tech-sany design with full understanding of codes and other
issues. One notable project: thcJule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at
Auburn University. More and recent ones include the Davidson Center at
"The concept for the renovation was to create the unexpected. .
says interior designer Julie RocQuemore. GSP senior associ­ate.
The breakout area in this view is open but defined by
waf! and ceiiing planes. furnishings and special lighting. The
Alabama !IDA chapter recognized the project with its 2007
Best of Corporate Award.
This view of a classroom at the Wachovia Training Cemer
shows the grid pattern repeated in soft neutrals with the trans­lucent
openings that provide interest wi!.houl distraction.
[left} Wac!70vfa Bank wanted an exciting and Vie/coming envi­ronment
with the new regional training center Gresi"?am Smith
& Partners designed in a suburban oliice building the firm did
for the former South Trust Bank. The reception area embodies
a departure from the usual with curved walls en/ivened by a
grid of cofor blocks and puncried transiucent openings lilat
give a /7int of V/.i?at is going on in the classrooms. Carpeting
repeats the grid in mostfy neutra! shades but with occasional
Si"70ts of cofor.
Wachovia Training Center space and furniture plan
Huntsville's Space & Rocket Center, the Simon·Williamson Clinic in
Bessemer and the Mobile Infirmary and Thomas Hospital in Mobile,
where GSP has recently opened an office.
GSP receil'ed the Alabama !IDA chapter's 2007 Best of
Corporate Award for the Wachol'ia Training Center in Birmingham.
Shown here, it cOl'ers half of a floor in the large suburban building
the firm designed originallv for the former SouthTrust Bank. This is
the third time the space has been reworked, indicating the on·going
nature of projects interior deSigners encounter. III
13 Volume XViii. No. i
For the ground lel/e! of t,l-;e Int8rmark Buffding, Garrison Barrett Group designed the spaces for Vazda Studio, a film production
operation component of the company as we!! as intermark Automotive. The projected logo and name in the Vazda reception area
captures the energy of its work.
OesignA!abama 14
The Garrison Barrett Group has 11 architects and
architecture interns and four interior designers.
"The two disciplines are completely integrated in
our studio, not only in philosophy, but how they
are arranged," says Lauren Barrett. "They sit side­by-
side, and when we are awarded new projects,
we have a project architect and interior designer
from dav, one."
About two years after he opened his practice in 1980, Barrett hired
Elizabeth Wilson as his first interior designer. Aubrey Garrison also had
interior designers on his staff, so when the two firms combined in 1991, the
discipline was fully part of it. ':,t that time architects typically finished a build­ing
and handed it off to an interior designer or did it themselves," Barrett says.
"Even today, if we are recruiting architects and find they feel interior designers
are not necessary, we know they are not a good fit for our firm."
Architecture is so complex today it takes all the skills and attention
of an architect to manage that aspect of a project. "We involve our interior
designers to develop or verify the program and help decide not only how big
a room needs to be but adjacencies with other functions and spaces," Barrett
says. "We just blur the line between architecture and interiors." And since
Garrison Barrett Group has made an internal commitment to bring every proj­ect
to a level of sustainability, interior design plays a big part in that. "There
are so many interiors products today that make it much more easy to imple­ment
than in architecture." III
Orjginally built as an automobile dealership, ti7e Intermark Building is located on the eastern edge of Birmingham's
downtown Loft District. As part of the renovation, the Garrison Barrett Group speCified butt-jOined gray glass to
suggest what were once open drive-througl) bays.
The industrial character of the space
was maintained with exposed ceilings
and ductwork. as here in the inter­mark
Automotive area, with ceiling
douds' designed 10 floal overhead
and diffuse sound Art and producer
offices, as well as the Central work
area, incorporate free-standing furni­ture
to help create the feel of a home
office for employees, who often work
long hours on special projects.
Perimeter offices catch natural
lig."'! and views, while conference
and editing rooms like this one are
located on the interior to accommo­date
video presentations, says Meg
Krawczyk, project interior designer
for Garrison Barrett Group,
The Fiction Reading Room is the hub at the co/ieciion areas that
are Quiet and contempfative, and furnishings incrude a farge
library lable and plush club chairs near a narl/)-facing wfndov/
overlooking a garden. The barre! vaul! ceiling has sky-tone paint
finish and is illuminated with she/ved side fights
Starting with its hexagonal shape. the Austin Baker Activity Room
creates a playfu! setting for youth activities. Walcott Adams
Verneuilfe Architects speciffed a striped cork floor as part of a
bold c%r palette. As elsewhere. lighting ranges from task to
decorative and here includes LED 'starfighi'panels on a ceiling
that reaches 28 feet high. Natural light is fiftered by exlerior
Bahama-style shutters.
The Cofony Reading Room gathers alf of the more public activities of the Fairhope Library, including reference, circulation. computers and group study. into a spine that Photos- courte,~y (!f V/alcoti iidallZS
links the Jess public areas. Clerestory windows bring natura! !fght into the space in the tradition of grand reading rooms. Cypress board ceilings, wafls painted in saturated Ferneuilie Architects
neutrals and a tartan-pattern carpet accented with borders make the space warm and welcoming.
"We grew into it," says architect Mac Walcott of
Walcott Adams Verneuille Architects of Fairhope.
"I've always loved interiors, but for a long time
we didn't have enough in that area to justify
fulltime staff. Today our staff numbers 18 with
seven architects, four principals, three adminis­trative,
one interior designer and several interns.
But one of our architects, Katherine Hall Pate,
has a dual degree from Auburn."
Interior design is fullv integrated into the firm's approach to
projects. "We think from day one how our clients are going to live in a
room. That's different from providing walls and a roof and leaving it to
them what to do with it," Walcott says. "In architecture school we all
learned the process given that horrible word 'programming', and we'd
watch our clients glaze over whenever we used it. Today we work on devel­oping
a narrative. We just ask them to tell us how they want to live here,
and that helps them dream. ,.
InteriOl' design is a critical element. "Excellent design is all about
attention to detail, and with interiors you work out that last little detail.
That's what the training brings,"' Walcott says. The firm designed the new
The entry poria! of the Fairhope Library reflects the Spanish revival inftuence in Fairhope's
heritage and creates a prace 10 gather before and after visifs. IIIMe the galfery porch extends
the gathering space and shades the interior.
Fairhope Library, and it started as an interiors concept. "We toured
10 or so libraries and found many of them had become book ware­houses.
Only the older ones were designed for people, not just books.
So we moved away !i'om the bare, open-plan approach and created a
series of rooms, so collection areas are separated."
Open-plan library design is driven by concern about securil);
but it wa.sn't such an issue in Fairhope. "We discussed it, but every­one
came to feel that if you do a nice room, if the kids feel taken care
of, maybe they don't misbehave. We decided to make a library with
beautiful rooms and lovely light, not a warehouse." Interior design
wa.' all important. III
15 Volume XVIII. No.1
Ceilings on the top floor of the tower reach 30 feet, so Cohen Camaggio Reynolds suspended curved wood elements above the Burr Forman reception area to offset
the .height. T.he jighter wood and contemporary fighting used throughout play oii the dark wood and traditional elements carried over from jf)e iormer bank offices,
says project architect Roman Gary.
DesignAlabama 16
"Tammy and I are both licensed also as interior designers," says architect
Richard Carnaggio about himself and his wife, Tammy Cohen. 'i\n archi­tectural
education qualifies you to take the test for interior design, and in
response to the title act for interior design many years ago, we both did so."
Cohen Carnaggio Reynolds, located within view of Birmingham's Sloss Furnaces in the
developing design district centered on Pepper Place, also h,"s interior deSigners Jennifer Lombard and
Jacklyn Loquitis on a staff that work together with architects in a seamless manner, "We treat the staff
as a whole," says Carnag~io, "Design is a funny apple, and everyone has the ability to have an amaz­ing
idea. We have a very active colony here."
The Burr Forman taw firm turned the 34th into a conference floor. The design incorporates and expands ft'leir corporate art
col/ection which. along with classic modem furnishings seen in this seating area. creates a fresh sophisticated setting.
Attorney office pods at each of the bui/dings
four comers are {inked by corridors enric/'led
with fabric-paneled vlalls. some punctuated
with artwork set in darker, suede-paneled insets
washed with gaffery fighting.
Administrative offices on the 29th floor include a cheery employee break area fronted with fu//-Iength giass
bearing the firms name. Natural ligN and views out over downtown Birmingham and beyond enliven the space.
In their mid-1980s design of the South Trust (now Wachoviaj Tower, {he New York office of Skidmore Owings Merrill evoked Conversion of a former bathroom fixture warehouse with massive concrete columns to Liv on Fifth condomfni-the
temple top found in earty skyscrapers but with a flat granite-and-glass skin. ums east of the UAB medicat campus was designed by Cohen Carnaggio Reynolds. Interior designer Jennifer
Lombard designed the two mode! units where predominately white surfaces and neVi full-length steel windows
brighten the loft-style spaces.
Lombard agrees. "They really encourage you to take as much ownership of
the project as you want to," she says. "Sometimes it is just picking furnishings, but
usually it imolves the entire layout of the space that we all do as a team. It's very
satisfying to see interiors taken as a complement to the building." Loquitis seconcb
the opinion. "You can really have a say on how something is built, as well as handling
finishes and furnishings."
All the staff talent> were brought to bear recently on redesigning the upper
floors of a modern landmark downtown skyscraper for a major Birmingham law finn.
Floors 28, 30 and 33 were remade as typical attorney floors:
divided into four pods located at each corner of the tower where there are
external offices for attorneys with administrators and paralegals at the core.
The deSigners introduced transom windows to the exterior offices, bring­ing
some natural illumination to the internal spaces. Floor 29 houses the
firm's administrative staff, divided into a series of suites with open office
systems. Burr Forman's staff break room is also on this level with views out
over the city and landscape.
Burr Forman, which had occupied scattered space in what is now Wachovia Bank Another recent Cohen Carnaggio Reynolds project where interior
Tower, expanded and consolidated on floors 28 through 34, the latter being the former design plays an important part is Liv on Fifth, a condominium conv'er-executive
offices and boardroom for SouthTrust Bank. "We essentially gutted seven sion near CAB where the firm designed the overall renovations and two
floors embracing 125,000 square feet at the same time that floors above or below model units. Interiors were also critical in two retail spaces CCR designed
remained occupied," says architect Roman Gary. "It was quite a challenge juggling a few years ago - Lany's Place and Soho Sweets - at SoHo in downtown
people, moving them into renovated space then demolishing and rebuilding." Homewood. The finn has had opportunities to contribute Vitality to
Birmingham's urban scene and bas made the most of them. The green
One of the challenges faced by the design team was adapting the 34th floor to exterior color they specified for Liv on Fifth has created quite a stir, some-
Burr Forman's conferencing floor. With 30-foot-high ceilings, dark wood paneling and thing developer Mark Elgin thinks is just right. III
some inherited monumental brass chandliers, Cohen Carnaggio Reynolds introduced
lighter-finished wood, suspended ceiling elements, sleek new lighting fixtures and a
more contemporary mix of furnishing to refresh and enliven the spaces.
17 Volume XVIIi. No.1
Five Rivers
Five miles outside of downtown !vlobile is the
Five Rivers Delta Resource Center, where the 'clobile,
Spanish, Tensaw, Apalachee and Blakeley rivers flow
into \lobile Bay. The 3D-acre site serves as the gateway
to the :Vlobile-Tensaw Delta, the second largest river
delta in the nation. The S 10 million nature center
complex, which opened last yem; consists of seven
buildings designed to take the unique and often harsh en­vironmental
conditions into account.
Constructed on a dredge spoils site, each bUilding
is supported on 65-foot wood piles about 40 feet into the
ground. The southern yellow pine-frame and cedal'
DesignAJabama 18
r II
II
TIle po\·,lerboat landing dock is tile srarting point for scenic tours of the /0obife· Tensa'll Deita.
Never a daypassesbutthat I do
rnv, self the honor to commune with
some of nature1s varied forms,
paneled buildings are designed in a repeatable grid,
and each features a lO-foot porch providing shade and
protection. Columns create the illusion of cvpress,
giving the buildings "a park conservation feel,"
The new complex includes a 4,OOO-sC]uare-foot
exhibition area, a 90~seat theatre. a !l,OOO~square-foot
classroom facili~; gift shop and oukes lelt' the State Lands
Division. Inside a rl'Ception hall is a room paneled in
recovered longleaf pine. The pine logs wer~ once Hoated to
market and sometimes s;mk. Now unlawful to disturb the
river bottom to r~cover these logs, those used in construction
were taken from a barge that held illegally confiscated logs.
notes architect Rich xluelier, who was
president ofWatennark Design in
\lobile when working on the project
and has since founded \luelier Design
Work in Fairhope. Roads had to be
built on the "blank wilderness Site,"
adds David Adams, who also worked
on the project at Watermark Design
and now is principal of Adams Stewart
Architects in Robertsdale. An innova­tive
recycling effort involved crushing
old bridge sections stacked on the
property to use as the road base. The lleart of the compiex is Delta Hall, \'I!JiCi7 houses meetinu ;;;1)(1 recepriof! space 'IIitl) rustic elegance.
Children learn about native plants and animais vJhife having fun at a tv/o-side,
pHched puzzle table designed by Jennifer NyBfom.
Three murals in the main exhibition hall each de­pict
a section of the delta painted by Fairhope artist
Jennifer NyBlom, who also designed a puzzle table for
children. Under each puzzle piece is information about
native wildlife.
"We wanted something architecturally stimulating
that is il,elf a destination but also gets people outside,"
says Five Rivers manager Hank Burch of the complex.
"Our reason for existence is to promote conservation
and public land .. ·
Ruffner Mountain
Characterilk'd h urban-rustic charm is the
Ruffner \-iountain Nature Center. a ](I-minnte drive
from downtown llinningl!am. whose skyline can be
seen from its highest elevation. The project is part of
Ruffner ~lollntain's 1.0 II-acre nature preserve. the
fonller site of an iron ore mine. it consists of the Tree '!bp
\,isilor Center and a separate pavilion designed
for experiencing 1<uffner \iountain while limiting its
impact on the natural environment. explains project a1"
chitect rlonnie Collis of KPS Group in Birmingham Con­struction
is expected to begin this spring and be
completed by the end of the year
Bv siting the bUilding at major trailheads it
serves as a gateway to the mountain, and by placing
it on 'stillS' it reduces the impact on the natural ground
plane, adds Collis. The elevated structure also evokes
the feeling of a tree house within the forest canopy.
To achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental De­sign
(LEED) 5il\'er designation, the building was designed
primarily of materials with a high recycled content. The
building's green roof will reduce solar heat gain, slow
water runoff and hal1110nize with the 1V0odland setting.
Other roof sllIfaces will collect rainwater for maintenance
and animal care. Ample daylighting and geothel1l1al
}-A:, ... /fSj't' Pro~sed .~~ture and environmenlai
4'ft" cen,er faCIlitIes
~ ~ Proposed access path
-....."....:-."" Proposed regional multi-use trall
_s-...j Proposed Ruffner trails
-:.;:- Proposed community access point
Proposed destination points
Proposed lake
Existing Ruffner trails
t.1 Existing structures
AUTUMN CHASE
NEIGHBORHOOD -....)
t) Naturel! historical features
Proposed properly
acquisition
Currently owned
property
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SHP,DYvVOOD
NEIGHBORHOOD d.\,:-
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SHM'THOl'PERS
Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve
The redevefopmeni of an exisUng nature center resufted in two buildings - a nature center and open pavilion for schoof groups,
heating and cooling will reduce energy consumption. All
utilities will be underground. Some of the flooring will
be made of bamboo and some walls of stra\\; an agricul­tural
by-product.
The master plan "reveals the preserve's hidden
features -mountain top liews, historic mine sites,
wetlands, woodlands and prairies," explains Amy Smith,
KPS Group senior landscape architect. "It suggests newen­trances,
access and circulation paths that will allow
visitors to explore the urban oasis." Lea Ann !v1acknally,
president of Macknally Ross Land Design in Bilmingham,
restored the wetland area, which features native plants, a
boardwalk, trails and sign age.
"Our whole philosophy in designing these facilities is to
make them a gateway to the outdoors, not to see the
building," observes Ruffner executive director Kathy Stiles
Freeland. "But it will be hard for visitors not to focus on
such a striking building."
19 VOlume XViii. NO.1
Oak Mountain
The 9,000-acre Oak Mountain State Park. Alabama's
largest state park, is located at the southern-most tip of the
Appaiachian ~Iountain chain about 18 miles south
of Birmingham. Inside the park is the Oak \lountain In­tel]
Jretive Centet; which operates in a 30-year-old
building undergoing significant transformation.
Constructed primarilv of 1V0od, stone and glass,
the iarge windows in the meeting room and lab give
visitors "the ultimate viewing experieuce" of the park's
woodland terrain, director David Frings explains. The
1,OOO-square-t()ot building's new 1100r plan consists
of a 45-seat meeting room, a wet laboratory for studenLs
ami researchers and a hall for inteljlretive exhibits that de­pict
the diverse ecosystems of central Alabama. Renovation
work, IJ\' \lontgomeIT-based :llcKcc and Associates, has
been completed on the meeting room, restrooms and a wet
laboratotY, along with a redwood c1eck overlooking a
mountain longleaf pine forest that fUllctions as an out­door
classroom.
;\ focal poinr in the exhibit hall wili be a large sculp­ture
of Oak 'vloLtntain designed by Southern Custom Ex­hibits
in (\lmiston. A stream running off the reconstruct­ed
mountain will be an actual aquarium containing
about 12 species of native fish. ;\lso planned are exhibiLs
of the park's ecosYstems and a monarch buttertly garden.
"We're leaning heavilv on education, not just a pretty
site." says Frings. ''The idea is to show people where you
can go in the park and experience these ecosystems.
The interpretive center is a collaborative project
inlOiving the Alabama Wildlife Centet; Alabama
Depal1ment of Conservation, Samford University and
Friends of Oak :-lountain. Samford University offers a
full range of science classes, many of which include field
activities. The center's wet laboratory will be used to en~
hance these classes. Field programs for other schools are
also planned.
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Exhibit Hal! Floor Plan for Oak flAountain Interpretive Cerner by Sout/lem CUSlO!IJ Exhibits Inc.
one of tiJe only rnoumain-wp canjons in the world.
little River
JacksonVille State University's Little River Canyon
Centel~ adjacent to the Little River Canyon National Pre­seIVe
in Fort Payne, is under construction and expected to
open earlv 2009. Inside the 25,OOO-square-foot center will
be classrooms, offices, a museum, 1 50-seat auditorium and
a hali with exhibiLs bv Southern Custom ExhibiLs. Cnique
features include a 20-foot-high rock climbing wall with
computer panels everv 5 feet that pose a question pet1ain­ing
to the native environment (jet the question right and
the visitor can keep climbing. Also featured wiII be an 18-
foot-high model of a carnivorous native plant
Smart growth initiatives are fundamental to the
project"s development. "'rlle original target for tl1e
building was simplv LEED certification, but we may ac­tuallv
have enough poinLs ill the end to achieve a
silver rating," says Jav Jenkins of Jenkins \ Iutlroe Jenkins
Architecture in Anniston. PoinLs are being achieved not
only with good design practices, such as site orientation,
day!ighting and ventilation, but also through such
innovations as the uSe of geothermal heating and cooling,
water etficient toilcLs and waterless urinals.
Use of local materials, self-sutlkient landscaping,
shaded parking, bicycle racks and rednced ileat island ef­fecl,
from both the site and the building are built
Tile outdoor classroom is a redwood deck that features fixed seats ol/er/ooking a mountain
longleaf pine forest.
rne Canyon Center; noV! under construCfiof), makes extensive use of native stolle.
DesignAfabama 20
into the design,Jenkins adds. Using low-emitting materi­als,
optimizing energy performance in the building and
providing convenient parking spaces to visitors with fuel
efficient or low-emitting vehicles are also incorporated
into the plan. ",linimal site disturbance was achieved by
selecting for construction an area where Alabama Power
Co. had already removed trees damaged by an ice storm.
An extensive geothermaf system ~'/ith 36 wefts. each 30G-feet ;vitilin a closed-loop
system. should produce a 50 percent monthly SMJ:'lgS on heating and cooling.
This will be one of the first LEED-certified university
buildings in the state, notes director Pete Conroy.
Canyon Center is pmt of Jacksonville State University's
offsite northeast Alabama campus. The university's Field
Schools - which provide outreach programs on nature,
geology, archaeology and other subjects - will operate
the Canyon Center JSU faculty and graduate students
will conduct classes at the center forJSU stucients, as
well as offer more informal c1~\les and programs for
the community.
A prominent characteristic of the
new treaie(j pine 4-H center is its
ai)Sen/alion deck. which extends from
the bllilding to the top of the trees.
4-H Environmental
;\Iabama 4-lfs new environmental science
education center is designed to qualify for LEED gold cer­tification.
which may make it the first bUilding of
iLs kind in the eastern United States to meet this high
standard. The two-stOI')'. P.500-square-foot center - de­signed
by Davis Architects in BirmingiJam- opened late
I~st year on Lay Lake near Columbiana. Among
the notable environmental characteristics is a white
roof to reflect the sun and an 1 LOOD-gallon retention
tank collecting rainwater to supply toilets and a fire
Runoff from the roof travels through this WISY filtration
system and into tile tank. A half.inch of rain during a recent
drougflt put more tilan 800 gaflons of water into the tanl<.
Ali of the outside and insio'e lighting is directed downward to conserve energy When a beam of ligN aims upward at nigilt. it is drspersed and is not as focused.
sprinkler system. A l,050-square-foot observation
deck on lOa-foot piers extends from the building over
the treetops.
"We were vel)'. careful about the site selection be­cause
outside the site is protected vegetation," explains
Tracye Wynn, an intern at Davis Architects who worked
on the project. The top floor contains space for confelc
ences, meetings and other events. DOIV11Stairs are class­rooms,
labs and animal exhibits. Davis Architects is
also designing the exhibits. Sustainable materials were
used in bOtll construction and finishes. Stone used for the
exterior and interior W~I quarried near Anniston.
The cal1)et is made of recycled nylon, which \\\nn says
is "hard to come by.·' Floor tiles are reused rubber,
walls are made of scrap wood, and the cabinets were
built with by-product I left from processing rice.
Surrounding the center are low-maintenance,
drought-tolerant native plants, grasses and perennials,
selected and designed for yeaHound interest by Greg
Hansen Landscape Architects in Birmingham. The
landscape design allows visitors to "learn about the
varied plant palette in Alabama," says Hansen.
Like Alabama's other new nature centers, the 4-H
Environmental Science Education Center is designed to
teach sustainability while acknowledging that the main
attraction is the natural world. Says progrml1 coordinator
Greg Fisher, "Even with this incredible new teaching
space, the main pUl]lose is to get people outside." I11III
Jessiai Armstrollg is ajl'ee/{{11Ce UTileI' based ill AubUl'll,
21 Volume X\ftil. No.1
DesignllllMakes A Difference
Functional + Civic in Auburn
by Philip Morris
Photography by Robert Fouts
Cities once built civic pride into even utilitarian structures, like the brick Romanesque water
pumping station visible from U.S. 280 just beyond Red Mountain in Birmingham. Now the City
of Auburn has turned a few heads with a handsome new home for its water and sewer opera­tions
designed by architects Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood's Montgomery office.
Known officially as the Bailey-Alexander Water & Sewer Complex, the project completed in late 2005 includes
an 11 ,OOO-square-foot administrative building, a 21 ,OOO-square-foot warehouse and shop building behind,
plus separate smaller structures for vehicle and materials storage Formerly crammed onto a 2-acre site with
rundown structures once used as a lumberyard, the department's new 13-acre location fronts West Samford
Avenue at the western edge of the Auburn University carnpus,
'Nothing previously identified the utilities in the public's mind,' says architect Freddie Lynn of Goodwyn, Mills
& Cawood, "And with all the students setting up or changing water service, they have much more visitation
than a typical department would have. We paid special attention to the design of the office building, using brick
to give it a sense of substance. The larger, two-story service building is a pre-engineered metal panel building,
but we also designed it to have a certain presence.'
The rnost distinctive element is a tall rotunda capped with a clerestory-windowed roof that addresses the main
approach. With its classical proportions and row of 'attic' windows, the modest building gains civic stature. It
also gives clear direction to customers, as Eric Carson, assistant director of water resource management for the
city, points out ''We had to draw public attention to the front door so they'd know where they needed to go We
wanted the whole place to look nice but still be practical'
Inside, the rotunda is filled with natural light from the clerestory and the band of small square windows that
wrap the front. An interior fountain here also conveys what the building is about. Flanking wings, clad in red
brick but with buff brick bases that tie to the rotunda, house offices to the left and the payment center to the
right. The boardroom for the water board is straight ahead. (Called the water resource management department,
it includes Auburn's municipal water and sewer service, as well as watershed management staff who deal with
streams and runoff).
To create a strong civic presence for the City of Auburn at t,~e
western edge of the Auburn University campus, architecjs
Goodl}fljn, Mifls & Cawood anchored a new office for its water
resource management department with a rotunda. The larger
SIIOP building behind is a pre-engineered meta! structure trans­formed
by design. Functional meta! awnings on the brick-clad
office building work to tie the two together
The interior is welcoming to visliors, important because the water service staff see many more than most such departments due to hig.h turnover from Auburn students.
OesignAiabama 22
Field Operation Elevaiions
Administrative Building
Ffoor Plan
To give the shop building more architectural character than the usual pre-fabricated
metal building, Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood specified flat metal panels with vertical
shadow lines for exterior walls vs, the usual corrugated panels, Shed roofs evoke
the agricultural buildings that are part of Auburn's history, Clerestory windows pro­vide
both light and ventilation, The ground floor is wrapped with a larger version
of the classical four-light square windows used in the rotunda, The industrial-style
metal awnings on the office building were chosen to visually connect the two build­ings,
while a covered walkway physically links them,
Carson notes there have been a few residents "who think we went overboard," but
most people have been very positive, "We received a lot of compliments because
they remember the dilapidated buildings we used to occupy," he says "We knew
we'd be in this complex for the next 40 or 50 years, and we had one shot to do it
right." And, indeed, they did, l1li
23 Volume XVIII, No, I
DesignAlabamatU pdate
DesignAlabama has been
working hard over the last few
months on several programs,
some old and some new"
Here are a few highlights:
DesignAlabama was thrilled to recently hold its third annual Mayors Design Summit
February 28th and 29th in Prattville at the Marriott Legends. For a number of years
the organization's board of directors has held a strong desire to create an ongoing
program that would educate Alabama mayors about design, so excitement over
hosting the third Summit was large.
This year's participating mayors included Mayor Robert Graham of Gilbertown,
Mayor James Perkins of Selma, Mayor Kenneth Boswell of Enterprise.
Mayor Bill Jordan of Fort Payne and Mayor larry Fluker of Evergreen.
Their design issues were discussed in an intimate roundtable setting with ali five
mayors seateci among tile seven design professionals from across the state, each
with special expertise related to communi~j design.
Engaging in a conversation about the future of these communities were design
professiOilals: Cheryl Morgan of the Auburn University Center for Architecture and
Urban Studies, John J. Pittari of the Auburn University School of Architecture,
!Jr. Joe Sumners of the Economic Development Institute at Auburn lJniversi~J,
John Stewart of Gresham, Smith & Partners, Ben Wieseman of KPS Group Inc..
Larry Watts of Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood and So Grisham of Brookmont Rea!ty
Group. In addition to the community discussions, the mayors heard remarks from
Mayor Jim Byard of Prattville and a presentation by Thomas Hylton of Save
Our Land, Save Our Towns Inc, a Pennsylvania nonprofit organization advocating
traditional towns housing people of all ages, races and incomes.
For more information about the past Summit and upcoming 2009 Summit,
please visit our Web site, www.designalabama.org.
To better understand what is happening to our environment, DesignAlabama
partnered with SmartCoast, a Gulf Coast nonprofit organization promoting
balanced and healthy development, to support their project "Engaging
Students in Green Building" and the related GreenCoast Conference and Expo.
Three students from the Alabama School of Math and Science - Becky Yates,
Daniel Toxey and Jolee Thomason - constructed a new green model building
demonstrating sustainable development principals. The students incorporated
DesignAiabama 24
u
D8signAiabama vvishes to thank
the 2008 Mayors Summit sponsors:
/Jns cClucation liCenSe
& L.esch
by Gina Glaze Clifford
Bonom row. left to fight: ;\jayor james Perkins of Selma. Mayor Robert Gmi12!":"l of Gi!i\~i10\:'i!, cmd Mayor Kef!i:8ti"
8os';'.!eH or Enterprise. Top rmv, left to (!~]ht: Mayor Larr:: F!uker of Evergreen (i.r:(i ida\io, Blii jurcian ci hJ(l Paine
natural products such as bamboo flooring, Bluwood, Celbar insulation and Low-E
windows. This student project, with input from design professionals, may be
replicated elsewhere as a teaching tooL
The projects were displayed at the GreenCoast Conference, wr,ich had a tl18me
of "Building Healthy Places to Live and Work." The conference took place
April 9th and 1 Oth in Mobile and successfully brought specific focus to sustain­able
building practces. ~
In addition to the formerly mentioned programs,
DesignAJabama has also participated or will be
participating in:
• Publication of tile award-winning DesignAfabama Journal
• Hosted, in partnership with the Alabama State Council on
the Arts and the Auburn University Center for Arts and
Humanities, a Southern Growth Policies Board Community
Forum that focused on the Youth of the South
• PartiCipating in the annual Alabama League of Municipalities
Conference in Birmingham by sponsoring a breakout session
and an exhibit booth.
The Aiabama Council of The American Institute of Architects (AlA)
honored six building projects as outstanding examples of archi­tecture
during the 2007 Design Awards presentation this January.
From a group of 35 statewide entries. the jury awarded two Honor
Awards. three Awards of Merit and one Honorable Mention Award.
The jury consisted of jury chair Dennis K. Ruth. co-founder and
director of the Design-Build Masters Program with the Co!lege of
Architecture. Design and Construction at Auburn University. lloyd
Bray of Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects in Atlanta and
Seab A. Tuck, FAIA, of Tuck Hinton in Tennessee.
This year an Honor Award, the highest level of recognition. was
presented to BN Studio of Auburn for Chewacla House. This
3}00-square-foot courtyard house builds upon the historical
courtyard house typology, employing transparency as part and
parcel of contemporary thought to accommodate a house for the
modern lifestyle. The design takes advantage of two creeks on east
and south to anchor the two wings of public and private rooms
creating a transparent central area for formal functions of living and
dining and an exterior private courtyard.
An Honor Award was also presented to Williams Blackstock
Architects of Birmingham for the renovation of an abandoned
Sears store into Innovation Depot a nonprofit business incubator
with office and lab space for growing a technology-oriented start­up
business. The renovation serves as a catalyst for revitalizing the
blighted area and conserves resources by reusing existing building
components. The windowless masonry fagade of the first fioor
was removed to open the interior to the outdoors with dramatic
expanses of glass for 120,000 square feet of office space The sec­ond
fioor houses 20.000 square feet of research laboratories.
One 01 the three Awards of Merit lor design excellence was pre­sented
to Cohen Carnaggio Reynolds of Birmingham for its
design and work on the YMCA Youth Center in Birmingham. The
project consisted of the renovation of the former Phillips High
School gym for the YMCA's after-school and summer care program
and The Rushton Daycare facitty. The project includes the addi­tion
of daycare facilities, classrooms, gymnaSium, exercise areas.
locker rooms, chapel, climbing totem. exterior pool, playing fields,
amphitheatre and a teaching garden.
A second Merit Award was presented to GiaHina Aycock
Architecture Studio for Red Mountain Bank in Birmingham.
Set into a single-story, tudor-style existing retail village. the cli­ent
sought to merge modern banking technology with the casual
warmth of a neighborhood cafe. The design required fit-up of
an existing shell in one buiiding and complete rebuilding of the
adjacent corner building. Traditional materials were reinterpreted
through the detailing The building is faced with tumbled brick and
topped with a pitched slate roof. and offices are punctuated by
copper canopies.
An Atlanta-based firm, Java Daniels Busby, received the third
Merit Award for Southern Progress Building Three in Birmingham
The firm created a building that respects its enVironment, becomes
one with the terrain and allows a direct visual connection with the
wooded site to all staff members. The owner wanted planning flexi­bility
within the office spaces, a strong interior/exterior relationship
for every business sector and distinctiveness for each building
within a controlled design vocabulary.
GiaHina Aycock Architecture Studio received an Honorable
Mention Award for Children's Harbor Lodge Community The
architect worked with a coupie who envisioned making a beautiful
place on their wooded lake property to provide a place that lVould
strengthen children and their families. The solution arranges
housing cabins on both sides of a swale in loose village­like
clusters to maximize individual privacy and form
grade-level exterior commons used for recreation.
The housing is connected across the site by formal
communal space and the town hall.
The Member Choice Award. voted on by members of the
Alabama Council AlA. was presented to Davis Architects
of Birmingham for BEBCO building (see p. 10). The Alabama
Masonry Institute presented the Top Block Award. which recognizes
creative masonry design, to contractors Nearen Construction and
Charles & Vinzant lor Eas~400d Village
Details+of Interest
A w A D s
Photos, top to bottom:
Chewac!a House
Southern Progress Buiiding 3 Atrium Stairwell
YMCA Youth Ce!1ter Climbing TOiver
innovation Depot
Red Mountain Bank
ChiicirerJ-s Harbor lodge Community
25 Volume XVIII. No I
Sherlock, Smith & Adams, an architectural and engineer- the awe-inspiring mural in the auditorium painted between 1934 Copperwing, a Montgomery-based design and identity man-ing
firm based in Montgomery, received the Alabama Historical and 1939 for the Works Progress Administration, A lund-raising agement firm, won the 'Best In Show' (Print) ADDY from the
Commission's distinguished service award for its renovation campaign for the mural's restoration is now underway, Montgomery Advertising Federation for its work on the Montgomery
of Birmingham's Woodlawn High School. Completed in 1922, Area Chamber of Commerce's Annual Report The award presented
Woodlawn Magnet High School today serves around 600 students, Another AHC award presented at the fail '07 state preservation in February was among the 29 ADDYs CopperNing Design received
conference was the Roy Swayze award exemplifying outstanding at the MAF's annual gala this year including 10 Gold ADDY awards
The grand gothic-inspired school has always been a source of achievement by a private owner David Duffee was recognized
pride and embodied a sense ot place and belonging for students, for the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse 01 the old Birmingham
parents and faculty The design team ot Sherlock, Smith & Adams Electric Battery Co, (BEBCO)
knew this was an opportunity to make a difference, Exterior
limestone was painstakingly cleaned and replacement pieces
'nandpicked to match existing textures and colors, Suspended
interior ceilings were removed to reveal beautiful plastered mOld­ing
and cornice work, Great emphasis was placed on preserving
Woodiavm High Schoo!
Minority Mentoring Program
The AU College of Architecture, Design and Construction through
the Academic Success Action Program (ASAP) will provide aca­demic
strategies and mentoring to high school minority students
beginning in summer 2008, The program is designed to bridge the
gap between high school and college by providing high school stu­dents
interested in the fields of architecture, design or construction
the guidance needed to be successful during their collegiate careers,
The students will be selected based on need and their interest in
these fields from high schools in Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia,
The ASAP uses four elements (academics, student focus groups/
special events, analysis and practice) which engage mentoring and
coaching strategies toward academic success,
Beginning in the ninth grade, high school students will spend
three weeks each surnmer on the Auburn campus with two weeks
of calculus, physics and AutoCAD lab work and one week as part
of an architecture, design or construction camp, Once students are
enrolled at Auburn they will begin their mentorship with architecture,
design or construction professionals, During the mentorship pro­cess
students will work as interns with area companies and have an
assigned mentor to guide them through scenarios that will ultimately
prepare them for professional licensure, For rnore information con­tact
Carla Jackson Bell at cjj0001@auburn,edu or 844-4549,
DesignAJabama 26
building, He collaborated with
Davis Architects in rehab­'
oing the facility while meet­ing
requirements to receive
tederal historic preservation
tax incentives, (see p, 10)
Davis Architects also received
the rehabilitation award from
the Aiabama Trust for Historic
Preservation for this project
Wood:cwn HIQh SCl100i !fHeriOf Delail (top) allo a Portion of ii1e Mura! (below)
Author and architectural
historian Alice M, Bowsher
explores the basic elements of
community design in her new
book 'Community in Alabama,
Architecture for Living Together,"
a companion to her acclairned
'Alabama Architecture, Looking at
Building and Place" The coffee­table
style book produced with photographer M, Lewis Kennedy
Jr presents a fresh way of looking at the state's rich heritage of
special places With engaging text and striking photographs they
explore the state from the antebellum period to present day cel­ebrating
both high-style design to everyday vernacular The book
is divided into sections on landmarks, paths, identity, districts,
centers, edges & gateways, landscape and meaning,
Published by the Alabarna Architectural Foundation, the book
presents the distinct character 01 the state's built environment in
an effort for us to understand the spaces that enrich our sense ot
place The book may be ordered from the Alabama Architectural
Foundation by calling 205-592-9658 or e-mailing the foun­dation's
executive director, Charles Moss, at rnosscharles@
bellsouth,net.
and 17 Silver ADDY awards for work across a variety of categories
involving Direct Marketing, Sales Promotion, Collateral Material and
Consurner or Trade Publication,
MOI1!gomery Area Chamber 01 COn1i"J;erces Annual Report Cover
An Alabama Scenic Byway is a stretch of roadway that provides
an exceptional travel experience through our state, Six existing
state byways crisscross the state the Appalachian Highlands
Scenic Byway, Barbour County Governor's Trail, Black Belt Nature
and Heritage Trail, Black Warrior River Scenic Byway, Leeds
Stagecoach Route, Lookout Mountain Parkway and Alabarna's
Coastal Connection. Three Nationally Designated Byways
also run through Alabama: The Natchez Trace, the Selma-to­Montgomery
All American Road and the Talladega Scenic Byway
The Alabama Scenic Byway prograrn was established to identify,
preserve, protect and enhance scenic, historic, natural, recre­ational,
cultural and archaeological resources; enhance recre­ation;
and promote economic development through tourism and
education in the history, culture and natural beauty of the state.
Six criteria characterized as 'intrinsic qualities' were identitied to
designate roadways as Scenic Byways, They are:
Scenic: beauty whether natural or human made measured by
how memorable, distinctive, uninterrupted and unified they are.
Natural: minimal human disturbance of the natural ecological
features associated with the byway region,
Historic: landscapes, buildings, structures or other visual
evidence of the past still in existence,
Cultural: visual evidence of the unique customs, tradi-tions,
folklore or rituals of a currently existing human group,
Archaeological: visual evidence of the unique customs,
traditions, folklores or rituals 01 no longer existing human group
or animal species,
Recreational: the road itself is used tor recreation like Jog­ging,
biking, roadside picniCS or provides direct access to recre­ational
sites like campgrounds, lakes, recreational trails, etc.
Three sequential phases are required for the development of
Scenic Byways The Eligibility Phase determines whether or not
a proposed byway meets Alabama Scenic Byways standards, The
Designation Phase centers on development of a corridor rnan­agement
plan, The Implementation Phase begins the physical
and policy implementation of the Scenic Byway To learn more
about creating a byway in your community, please visit
www,alabamabyways,org,
The new Auburn Salvation Army Thrift Store building
designed by Auburn University design-build students is
constructed primarily of recycled goods, which reflects the
mission of the organization to sell recycled materials as one
way to rebuild lives in the community. Seven students in the
master's program under the direction of director OK Ruth
and Professor Anthony Tindill collaborated with SA board
chairman Tracie West, local architect John Randall Wilson
and contractor J&L Construction to design and build the
10,000-square-foot structure.
The exterior wall is built of recycled shipping containers stacked
two layers high. Kalwall, a translucent cladding material with a
high insulation rating, lets in natural light while saving energy.
Georgia-Pacific donated the reconstituted boards and wood
trusses used in the structure. The two-story building includes
a mezzanine for the director's office and houses the thrift store
sales room, storage, sorting and baling areas, counseling space
and manager's office.
The process began with a design charrette in summer 2006 and
construction started in spring 2007. The students were respon­sible
for the design and the construction document work but were
able to contribute only a limited amount of the construction work
due to time and other constraints. They also sited the building
and dealt with green space and water retention issues in part
by utilizing pervious concrete for walks and parking areas. AU
horticulture students joined the effort by designing a landscape
master plan.
Designers involved in the project were design-build masters stu­dents
Stefan Glover, Michael Hasamoh, Heiwa Ishizuka,
Hameedah Majeed and Andrew Redmon and undergradu­ate
building science students Allen Fuller and Ivan McCorkle.
The resulting one-of-a-kind building physically makes the con­nection
between the Salvation Army's goal of rebuilding lives by
recycling goods in a facility that is itself built mainly of recycled
materials. As Ruth observes, 'Using recycled materials and
a common sense approach to energy conservation can be an
inspiring way to design and construct a building."
Ai the onset of the project, West commented that she wanted
people to come in and be inspired by what they saw. In Ruth's
opinion: "It's a perfect fit.'
Auburn Salvation Army Thrift Store Interior and Exterior at Late S1age Construction.
Students at Tuskegee University's Department of Architecture
are learning hands-on while supporting an effort to preserve the
Rosenwald School in the Shiloh community of Notasulga. The
three-room school is one of the first six of 5,300 schools built by
The Rosenwald Fund established in 1917 by Julius Rosenwald,
then president of Sears and Roebuck, out of concern for black
education in the rural South. In 2006 the one-story, white wood
Shiloh school, as well as the adjacent Shiloh Missionary Baptist
Church and Shiloh Cemetery were listed on the Alabama Register of
Landrnarks and Heritage through the efforts of what became formal­ized
as the Shiloh Community Restoration Foundation Inc.
windows restoration workshop coordinated by instructor Kwesi
Daniels in Which second-year students apprenticed several days
a week with professional restorer Terry Hayes to work on restoring
the windows of the building. They were joined later by fouth-year
students enrolled in Fundamentals of Historic Preservation under
Stephenson-Threatt. A special freshman service project was held in
the fall to allow first-year students to becorne involved in the hands­on
project too. The Tuskegee architecture program has also helped
with other "paint day" projects in the community.
The Shiloh Community Restoration Foundation is taking steps to
gain national historic and landmark status for the three properties.
The Tuskegee University project was initiated in spring 2007, when as the church and school were recruitment sites associated with the
fourth-year students in Associate Professor Margot Stephenson- infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study, and a number of the participants
Threatt's studio class participated in a workshop where they did are buried in the cemetery. Along with restoration, the goal is to link
field investigations involving "as built" drawings, photo documenta- Shiloh School with the other Macon County Rosenwald schools to
tion, preliminary assessrnent of the existing conditions and created create a destination that will offer educational, community outreach
a design proposal for a sign. It was followed in fall 2007 with a and cultural opportunities. Web site www.shilohcommfoundcom
Top clockwise: Shiloh Rosenwald School FrOflt Elevation by Presion Martin, Side View of the School'S Front. Scraping iVindows and Removing Windows lrom the Steamer.
Stately old Mobile has an abundance of vintage buildings that are cally sympathetic finishes including wrought iron handrails, large
being restored in the various sectors of downtown. Not all are grand wood moldings and a faux punched tin ceiling. The mezzanine
expressions of architecture, but each restoration contributes to the serves as a space for two workstations and provides much
revitalization progress of the city. A recent project that in small part needed additional storage. The rnajority of the second floor is
added to the redevelopment of downtown was the renovation of allotted to a spacious main boardroom, which also serves as a
7 North Royal Street by TAGfThe Architects. The Mobile firm's function/gathering space Large windows were added to allow
design restored historic elements, while providing its client with the light into the previously dark back corners. Further, large historic
functionality needed inside. Built in 1866, the structure has since operable windows were provided leading to a newly constructed
been occupied by various retail establishments. balcony overlooking Royal Street. A small kitchen, as well as
restrooms round out the second floor. The 'new' old building
The current owners, Lyons, Pipes & Cook LLC, utilize the building
for their main boardroom, as well as primary file storage. The first
floor serves as a large open file room and was treated with histori-
7 North Roya! Street Building Seiole ar,o After
is a welcome addition to the Lower Dauphin Historic District.
Ronnie Taylor, AlA, was principal-in-charge and Steve
Stone was project manager. +
27 Volume XViii. No.1
Desi nAlabama
Volume XVIII, Issue I
PUBLIC DESIGN AWARENESS AND EDUCATION
DesignAlabama Inc. works to increase awareness and value of the design disciplines
that influence our environment. We believe that the quality of life and
economic growth of this state are enhanced through attention to and
investment in good design .
INTERIOR DESIGN: THE INSIDE STORY
"Space has alu'ClYs hee
(1 believe that the
~plrztllal dinw-: t 0
way people live can
arch itecture It is G
be directed a little
physical state (
by architecture.)) -TadaoAndo
Ll
v ,-,v
(1 make no special difference
VI tt co 1,
between architecture
v j - Arthur Erickson
and design) they are
two different stages
of invention.))
-Ettore Sottsass
For additional information about DesignAlabama, please call (334) 549-4672.