Design Alabama: The Public Forum for Design in Alabama, Volume 17, Issue 2, 2007

              Fall/Winter 2007
Volume XVII, Issue II
$4.00
.-
Desl
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
Auburn University
Auburn
HB Brantley, Treasurer
Brantley Visioneering
Birmingham
Arnelle Adcock
Central Alabama Electric Cooperative
Prattville
Elizabeth Ann Brown
Alabama Historical Commission
Montgomery
Chip DeShields
Sherlock, Smith & Adams
Montgomery
Janet Driscoll
Driscoll Design
Montgomery
Cathryn Campbell Gerachis
Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood Inc.
Montgomery
Bo Grisham
Brookmont Realty
Birmingham
Ross Heck
Auburn University
Auburn
Bob Howard
Alabama Power Co.
Birmingham
Michelle G. Jordan
City of Decatur Planning Department
Decatur
Darrell Meyer
KPS Group
Birmingham
Linda Swann
Alabama Development Office
Montgomery
Larry Watts
Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood, Emeritus
Birmingham
Gina Glaze Clifford, Executive Director
Philip A. Morris, Director Emeritus
Volume XVII, Issue II
Cover: As part of its Downtown Montgomery Plan, Dover Kohl &
Partners generated this bird's-eye perspective showing a renovated Court
Square at the top, pedestrian-friendly streets canopied by trees and new
infill projects to firm the city's traditional urban form.
This publication is made possible through funding by the fol/owing contributors:
Arts Education License Plate Advisory Committee
Brantley Visioneering
Brown Chambless Architects
Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood
Daniel Corporation
----------------------------------------------------------------
Sherlock, Smith & Adams
Driscoll Design & Creative Services
DAVIS ARCHITECTS
~K~
Alabama
Stale
Council
on the
. Arts
G S & p
NATIONAL
ENDOWMENT
FOR THE ARTS GRESHAM
SMITH AND
PARTNERS
WILLIAMS, BLACKSTOCK
ARCHITECTS
Editor: Gina Glaze Clifford
Managing Editor: Tomie Dugas
Art Director: Nancy Hartsfield
Associate Art Director: Ross Heck
Assistant Art Directors: Tomie Dugas
Bruce Dupree
Wei Wang
Contributing Writers: Jessica Armstrong
Tomie Dugas
Philip Morris
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, PO. Box 241263,
Montgomery, AL 36124.
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 (334) 549-
4672 or mail to: designalabama1@bellsouthnet
www.designalabama.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 thanks to Philip Morris for his ongoing
assistance and advice with this publication
© 2007 DesignAlabama 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.
Spanning the centuries with utilitarian
strength and picturesque charm.
p.7
OesignAlabama is a publication of OesignAlabama Inc.
Reader comments and submission of articles and ideas for
future issues are encouraged.
CONTENTS
Reinvigorating the capital city with a bold plan
to preserve its historic urban character.
p.10
FEATURES
Transforming a university campus with
a clear and compelling vision.
p.14
"PLANNING WITH VISION"
A Dimensional Approach That Engages Everyone
9
THE DOWNTOWN MONTGOMERY PLAN 10
THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA MASTER PLAN 14
PORTFOLIO
Auburn 18
Mountain Brook 19
Florence & Gulf Shores 20
Homewood & Crestwood-Oporto 21
DEPARTMENTS
Project"'News
Work of Statewide Significance 4
Historical@Perspectives
Iron & Steel Truss Bridges 7
Community.Profi Ie
Northport 22
Details+Of Interest
Noteworthy Observations 25
Retaining a small town's charm while
enhancing functionality and visual appeal.
p.22
Project~News
Project News
is a regular
feature of
DesignAlabama and
provides
an opportunity
to keep
up-to-date on
design projects
that have an impact on
our communities.
The new Ronald McDonald House
being constructed near Chi Idren's
and UAB hospitals in Birmingham
is nearing completion. The 32,000-
square-foot, $7 million facility,
designed by Williams-Blackstock
. Architects of Birmingham, will pro-
: Holmes and Holmes Architects of Mobile is respon­:
sible for renovation of the original 79-year-old facility and
: construction of a 22,000-square-foot addition to the Ben
: May Main Library in Mobile. The new entrance features a
: two-story wall of glass that floods the building with natural
: light and includes an inset stained-glass logo at the top.
: Among the new features in the expansion are a cafe and cof­:
fee bar, an expanded children's library with Story time Room,
: a computer area for kids and family restrooms. Also new is
: the addition of a technology center for adults.
: vide temporary housing and services for sick children and
: their families. Designed as a residence in the urban tradi- : The Reading Room, a highlight of the old library, has been
: tion, the four-level brick building contains 41 guest rooms : restored. The chandeliers and matching bronze torchieres
: on the upper three floors, which surround an outdoor : remain, and windows long covered by bookcases were
: courtyard garden. : opened to create reading niches between the reinstalled
: A dramatic entrance canopy provides a welcoming sense
: of entry to the lobby and reception area with a library,
: administrative offices, manager's suite and guest laundry
: facilities nearby. Guest rooms were designed with flex-
: ibility for any size family. The interior is warm and inviting
: with a variety of spaces for parents going through a very
: emotionally difficult time with gravely ill children. A lush
: contemplative courtyard garden provides a quiet place to
: original wooden bookshelves. The walls and columns
: surrounding the room were faux painted to simulate
: scored limestone found in the original structure. Another
: highlight of the library, Bernheim Hall, was also renovated.
: The theatre's acoustic shell was removed to reveal the
: original footprint of the stage. Windows were uncovered
: and restored, seats reupholstered and reinstalled and the
: original ticket window restored though unusable. The new
: decor features cream and white with soft brown accents,
: which give the room a light and elegant feel.
: reflect, and the covered porches with rocking chairs, open
: kitchen and dining and living rooms provide places for
: families to meet and interact within sight of children on : Nicholas H. Holmes III, the project architect on the
~ : the playground or in the indoor play area. : library, designed the project so that the old transitions
~ : seamlessly into the new. He also recycled many original
;(i : Sited on the property line with brick and tree-lined side- : materials for reuse in other parts of the building, which
Ronald McDonald House : walks on each side, the massing addresses the corner with : was originally designed by renowned architect George
: two vertical gable elements that reinforce the urban sense : Rogers in 1928.
: of the structure. The building's exterior skin is articulated
: with a playful masonry patterning using the red and beige
: brick colors of the surrounding hospitals, which combines
j : with extra steep roof pitches to evoke a playful childlike
i : residential feeling to appeal to the building's guests.
"0
g
Huntsville Museum of Art (above) and 1st floor plan (below) § : The Huntsville Museum of Art will undergo a multi-million
: dollar expansion to include 9,000 square feet of gallery
: space, a public garden, a new main entrance, more park­:
ing and a connection to Big Spring International Park. In
: addition to a suite of six new galleries, there will be a
ii : family interactive gallery for hands-on learning, a public
~ : garden that will better integrate the museum with Big
~ : Spring Park, better parking and two new major spaces to
I : be used as a 300-seat auditorium or ballroom for events.
;::i~"~;"~;;;~:·%;i::.;;;;"j~;1~;;i:;'c:;!i:·;iii·T;:·::;.,i,,::; ~ : The new master plan creates green space for the public
: as it connects the museum to the park and a new west
Ben May Main Library Reading Room (above) and Exterior (below)
DesignAlabama 4
: park entrance to welcome visitors from the hotels and Von
: Braun Center as well.
: While the museum's capital campaign began in early
: 2007, the construction phase is expected to commence ~
~ : during the first quarter of 2008 with completion by the
j : end of 2009. Fuqua & Partners of Huntsville is the
E : architect on the $10-$12 million project.
~
"0
1;;'
§
8
: Construction will begin this year on the $70 million
: Hallman Hill project in Homewood designed by Garrison
: Barrett Group Inc. of Birmingham. The project encom­:
passes 177 condos in six buildings, plus 17 townhomes
: and 12,500 square feet of retail space. The project was
: initially designed by an out-of-state architect whose design
: was rejected as being too large and contemporary for the
: 5.4 acre site. Garrison Barrett's main goal was to make the
: buildings fit in well with the Homewood community, even
: going so far as to ask other architects in the state to critique
: their plans and make suggestions. The result is a scaled-
: down project that appears as if the different buildings were
: constructed over time as individual developments. Phase I will
: consist of three buildings housing 70 condos with 7,000
: square feet of restaurant and retail space. The largest of these
: buildings is the five-story, 67,000-square-foot Clifton
Hallman Hill Bird's-Eye View (top) and Shannon Condos (bottom)
~ containing condos and commercial space. The other two,
~ the four-story, 58,1 OO-square-foot Shannon and the two­~
story, 12,800-square-foot Carlisle will be condos only. A
~ 72,OOO-square-foot parking deck is topped by a courtyard
~ garden terrace with fountains and benches. Landscaping
~ and sidewalks are also part of the first phase, which is
~ slated for completion in late 2008.
The traditional neighborhood con- The original Battle House hotel,
~5lil1ISI cept has come to the Gulf Coast of an historic eight-story Mobile
Alabama with the Bon Secour Village landmark, has been renovated
development currently under construc- ~ and connected to the RSA's sleek,
tion. Created by Andres Duany of state-of-the-art, 35-story Battle
Florida's Duany Plater Zyberk & House Tower. Operating under the
~ The Ann Smith Bedsole Library at the Alabama School for j Company, the 945-acre master-planned development is Renaissance brand, the 238-room
~ Math and Sciences in Mobile promises to be a new campus ~ fashioned in 19th-century New Orleans and Acadian-style ~ hotel is a blend of the old and new. Against a background
~ hub for activity. Dedicated in October, it was designed by ~ architecture. The village's central square is built around the ~ of elegant architectural details, interior designers with
~ TAG/The Architects Group Inc. as a renovation and : marina and will include condominiums, restaurants, retail ~ Sims Patrick Studio Inc. of Atlanta furnished the
~ expansion of the entire second floor of the Student Activities ~ stores and an amphitheatre I inked by cobblestone streets ~ ornate 5,600-square-foot lobby with a decor and eclectic
: Center. The project encompassed approximately 6,000 ~ ~ith gas-lamp street lights. Each neighborhood will have ~ furnishings that recall the old days of France, using the
~ square feet of renovated space and 4,000 of new construc- ~ Its own town center. Most activities will be located within ~ finest fabrics and textures from England and incorporat-
~ tion - almost four times previous space. ~ walking distance connected by streets with sidewalks and ~ ing the vibrant colors of Spain, Africa and the Caribbean.
j j public squares. The town center will consist of cafes, art j The original decorative stained glass skylight, which was
: Within the new library, study carrels, a media center and j galleries and specialty shops lining an open park with a j cleaned and restored, arches above a large, round carpet
j computer area are available, along with other new amenities j fountain. The marina, currently under construction, takes its j of blue, red and gold with a circular banquette in the cen-
~ such as seating areas for group study, a large classroom j inspiration from the great waterfronts and gathering spaces j ter. Portrait rei iefs mark the four corners of the lobby where j
j with multimedia capabilities and space for art displays. ~ in Europe. Approximately 6 acres is planned for open ~ the large wood-framed arches meet. ~
j The new design also incorporates handicap accessibility j spaces, including the 2-acre Audubon Park located on the j j
~ throughout the facility, isolates the waiting area in the health : Waterway and formal squares, informal parks, playgrounds, : Off the lobby the Trellis Room, another original space, :
~ office, expands the exercise facility and separates the func- j pocket parks and greens distributed throughout the de- j retains its Tiffany-style cathedral ceiling with barrel- j
j tions of the activity center including the game room, student ~ velopment. The first residential neighborhood, now under ~ shaped skylight. Art deco features take their cue from the ~
~ lounge and TV area. : construction, is Azalea Park. Build-out on the $500 million- : ivy and lattice in the skylight's stained glass. The 100-seat :
: A new first-floor entrance to the building has been designed
: that will enhance security and curb appeal along Caroline
~ Street. One of the striking features of the facility is how well
j it blends in with the rest of the campus buildings, while
j at the same time giving the school a grand entryway. The
j new entrance is also handicap accessible, unlike the old
: Student Activity Center. Much of the floor plan is open for a
j spacious feel and incorporates a large amount of glass for
j natural lighting. Project architect from the Mobile firm was
~ Dan Borcicky, AlA, and the interior designer was Alice
: H. Cutright, ASID.
~ plus project is planned for between 10 and 15 years. j restaurant offers views into an upscale 'show' kitchen. Also j
j Increasingly, several regional communities in central,
j southeast and southwest Alabama are utilizing comprehen­j
sive planning and design to address expected growth or to
j attract growth that can revitalize the community. The City of
j Troy in Pike County is being assisted by the South Central
j Alabama Development Commission and funding from
: ADECA to complete a comprehensive plan, paying special
j attention to the city and university interface. Mayor Jimmy
j Lunsford was a participant in DesignAlabama's 2007
j Mayors Summit. The cities of Demopolis and Selma in
j west Alabama, with assistance from the University of West
j Alabama and input from the Alabama-Tombigbee Regional
j Commission, are working on comprehensive plans, recog-j
located off the lobby is the ornate Crystal Ballroom, the
j showpiece of the hotel, with its grand staircase entryway
j and cathedral ceilings. The intricate moldings, almost
j 3 feet in length, pull from Ionic and Corinthian motifs
~ embellished with dentil in a vegetable- and leaf-themed
j relief. The columns are painted a salmon shade, the origi­:
nal color of the room when the hotel first opened. Most
j of the four main chandeliers and seven smaller ones are
.~ original. Guest rooms have modern conveniences ' such
j as wireless Internet and luxury baths, and feature updated
j Victorian-style furnishings. The architect for the estimated
j $220 million project is Smith Dalia Architects of Atlanta.
: nizing, among other assets, the tremendous historic signifi- :
j cance and resources of these Black Belt cities. Mayor Cecil j
: Williamson of Demopolis was a participant in the 2006 :
~ j DesignAlabama Mayors Summit. The cities of Jackson in j
I j Clarke County and Evergreen in Conecuh County are just j
§ j beginning comprehensive plans, in part, to be prepared for j
i j the expected impact from the ThyssenKrupp plant in south j
§
Ann Smith Bedsole Library at ASMS
Bon Secour Village Lifestyle Center Plan
~ j Alabama and other coastal-related growth. Jackson is par- j
: ticipating in the Alabama Communities of Excellence (ACE) :
j program, and Evergreen is a beginning ACE community j
j this year. Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood Inc. is provid- :
j ing town planning and design services in conjunction with j
: other organizations in each of these communities through j
j its landscape architecture and community planning studios j
~ in Montgomery, Birmingham and Mobile. :
·· .. ·· .. ·· .. ·· .. ·· .. ·· .. ·· .. ·· .. ·· .. ·· .. ·· .. ·· .. ·· .. ·· .. ·· .. ·· .. ·· .. ·· .. ·· .. ·· .. ·· .. ·· .. ·· .. ·· .. · .
~ Bon Secour Village Town Center and Marina : Battle House Lobby (top) and Crystal Ballroom (bottom)
5 Volume XVII, No. II
nglneerlng III
Recently Gresham Smith & Partners
prepared a feasibility study for a green­way
for Center Point in Jefferson
County with input from city officials
and the Fresh Water Land Trust. The
Reed Harvey Community Greenway
was mapped out by GSP in accordance
with the Birmingham Area Bicycle, Pedestrian and Greenway
Plan drafted in 1995 under the direction of the Birmingham
Regional Planning Commission. The main route consists of
four sections that cross three pedestrian bridges along its
approximately 3.8 mile length. The Birmingham architecture
and engineering firm also identified three alternate sections
and estimated related construction costs for the year 2007.
fl!llflf'rlfl7mj11I"'r'~
Nimrod long and Associates of
Birmingham worked with the design
team for the President's House at the
American Village in Montevallo, a
Southern Living Showcase Home.
Working with staff from the American
Village and Southern Living and archi­tects
Mike Hamrick and Frank Mixon, NLA designed two
enclosed garden areas appropriate to the historic precedence
of the house. The design of the President's House is drawn
in part from George Washington's home in Philadelphia.
The gardens were designed by NLA to be enclosed outdoor
rooms that extend the functional living space of the house.
The north garden extends the formal living room with an
outdoor entertaining space, while the south garden includes
a vegetable and herb garden with a large lawn for playing
adjacent to the kitchen and side porch. The Showcase House
is open to the public through 2007.
President's House Garden Plan at American Village
Slaughter Group of Birmingham
has created the branding identity
for Hallman Hill, a condominium
infill development in Homewood.
The challenge was to create a
distinctive identity that captures
the urban dynamic and aesthetic
energy that distinguishes the town from other nearby
Birmingham communities while contributing positively to
the character of Homewood. The project name, Hallman
Hill, is taken from the knoll site where the Hallman family,
whose patriarch was a mason and early builder of the com­munity,
resided during the turn of the century. Slaughter
Group researched the history of Homewood to name the
three buildings and their floor plans. Views from the top
of the property inspired the symbol of a bird perched atop
the Hallman Hill crest, as well as the tag line "A Beautiful
View on Life." The line refers to the physical view but also
the figurative perspective of an individual's view on life.
The appeal is directed to people seeking to be actively con­nected
to their community.
The historic nature of the site, the courtyard gardens linking
the buildings and the proximity to the heart of this vibrant
community inspired the firm's design: a look that is classic,
elegant, intriguing and memorable. As part of the holistic
program, Slaughter Group created a breadth of extensions
of the core identity including advertising, a Web site (www.
hallmanhill.com), a map and brochures for the three indi­vidual
buildings and their floor plans. Two unique aspects
of the project included designing construction fencing with
large graphic signage identifying the coming development
and a sales gallery's interior furnishings and graphics that
greet prospective buyers. The design team included Terry
Slaughter, executive creative director; John Carpenter,
strategist; Travis Tatum, creative director; Elaine Witt, writ­er;
Robert Finkel, Jeanne Renneker, Kate Weaver and
leigh Thompson, designers; and Bill Abel, Web designer.
L
A new museum in Confederate
Memorial Park opened in April
at the site of Alabama's on Iy
Confederate veterans home.
Located near Marbury in Chilton
• County, the museum showcases
Alabama's Confederate past, as well
as interprets the historic site. John Kelton and Clint
Blasingame of Eclectic Group of Huntsville are the
exhibit designers and ExpoDisplays of Birmingham is
the fabricator.
Design elements in the 40-by-40-foot space include: 35
environmentally sealed display cases to showcase and
preserve artifacts, a model of a full-size canon, a scale
model of an historic village and production of an his­torical
video for the museum's use. Six different media
stati ons featu re re-enactors in the infantry, caval ry and
artillery going through Civil War maneuvers, film foot­age
of Civil War veterans, loading and firing a cannon,
Army music, an electronic wartime map of Alabama and
Faces of Veterans displaying photographs of the veter­ans
home residents.
Throughout the exhibit is the recurring theme "As We Was,
As We Are Now." The image derives from an original wood
carving by a Confederate veteran depicting a young soldier
(As We Was, 1861-65) and an old man (As We Are Now,
1919) that is displayed on every case along with the names
of the veterans buried in cemeteries on the site. At the end
of the exhibit a cemetery directory shows where the soldiers
are buried not far from the museum. The park is owned by
the Alabama Historical Commission .....
Confederate Memorial Museum Exhibits
Hallman Hill Logo (top), Brochure (middle) and Special Fencing that Surrounds the Construction Project (bottom)
OesignAlabama 6
Located on County Road 94 over Terrapin Creek, the Cleburne highway bridge consists of two truss
designs. The eastern span is a Pratt pony truss, and the western span is a modified Parker pony
truss. A pony truss design allows traffic through the truss, but the top of the bridge is not joined
together with cross braces. The bridge was built in 1925, and its stone piers likely predate it.
((Great bridges demonstrate that there need
be no conflict between technology and art)
but rather a fusion between the two. "
- David J. Brown, "Bridges"
Built in 1958, the John Snodgrass Bridge on Ala. 117 near Stevenson in
Jackson County is a through truss bridge that totals 1,400 feet in length. It
features two piers in the water and two at the water's edge.
Historical'i' Perspectives
Alabama's Iron and
Steel1tuss Bridges
by Jessica Armstrong
Indeed, Alabama's early iron and steel truss bridges are the win­ning
result of structural engineering and aesthetic ideals. Lacking
ornamentation, the beauty and strength of the truss bridge is
found in its geometric form: a framework made up of triangular
parts designed to resist forces of tension and compression and
express the bridge's structural function.
Recent studies reveal that more than half of America's historic bridges have been
destroyed during the past 20 years, with metal trusses disappearing at the highest
rate. Recognizing their significant place within the built environment, the Alabama
Preservation Alliance and the Alabama Historical Commission listed the state's
early iron and steel truss bridges on their annual "Places in Peril" for 2007.
Early truss bridges were constructed of wood and later iron. A new era of truss
design began in the late 19th century with the widespread use of steel. Metal rail­road
truss bridges - built strong enough to carry the enormous weight of loaded
trains - are scattered throughout Alabama, many linking secondary rural state
and county roads.
Anniston -based historic preservation consultant David Schneider recently
researched Alabama's early iron and steel truss bridges in connection with their
state designation as an endangered resource. Due to their relative simplicity and
affordable construction, iron and steel truss bridges were used extensively through­out
Alabama from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century,
he explains. There is no accurate inventory of how many still exist, says Schneider,
who pOints out that many have deteriorated and are no longer wide enough or
capable of handling the weight of modern traffic.
7 Volume XVII, No. II
______________ ___________________________ ..... __ ..
Railroad truss bridges like this one near I·jolt were a common sight during
the early 20th century. Similar bridges remain throughout Alabama, but
their numbers are quickly decreasing. Spanning the Black Warrior River
in 'Illscaloosa County, it was built in 1905 to transport coal and has not
been in use since 1963.
------------------ ---a'f"'
Located in Marengo County, the Demopolis Bridge is a railroad truss bridge designed with a center lift
span. It was built in 1930 and is still in use.
This curved wooden trestle bridge with a steel center span stretches across the Black Warrior River between 'lliscaloosa and Northport It features
concrete-reinforced sandstone piers and wal constructed in 1924 to replace the original late 19th century wood and steel truss bridge.
The first Keller Memorial Bridge was completed in 1928 as a drawbridge, which sometimes caused mile-long traffic iams when the bridge was up. It was replaced with a cantilever truss bridge in 1963 (also shown above) and a concrete bridge in 1999.
DesignAlabama 8
Although newer bridges offer increased safety and practicality, he adds, they lack the charm and visual
appeal of earlier bridges. Schneider identified the M&O railroad trestle at Holt as a typical example of
an early 20th century truss bridge. It was built to accommodate the coal mining operations between
Holt and Kellerman, two communities on the Black Warrior River in Thscaloosa County. The bridge
operated until 1963 and is the only one to survive in Holt, where at one time there were about 17 simi­lar
bridges. In addition to state-owned truss bridges, some of Alabama's historic truss bridges are part
of county road systems such as the Country Club Road Bridge in Walker County. Built in 1898, it is one
of the oldest truss bridges remaining in Alabama and is open to one-way traffic.
Engineers routinely specified trusses for highway bridges until the 1940s,
when the availability of large concrete and steel beams (and the means to
transport them to any site) made trusses nearly obsolete. "Trusses are efficient
and able to carry a lot of load, but their numerous members and connections
make them costly to repair," explains Tim Colquett, a bridge design engineer
with the state's Bridge Bureau. "It would be a rare day to put a new truss
bridge in Alabama."
Three of Alabama's truss bridges similar to the bridge in Minneapolis that
collapsed Aug. 1 have been re-inspected, says Colquett. "Trusses in Alabama
have a lot of residual strength - strength beyond what they are designed to
carry." He also notes that unlike bridges in Minnesota, bridges in Alabama are
not salted, which accelerates rust and eventually weakens the structure. None
of Alabama's abandoned state-owned truss bridges, he adds, have yet to be
adapted for alternative use, such as functioning as part of a walking trail or
converted to a fishing pier.
Built in 1924, this truss bridge spans Shoal Creek on U.S. 72 near the town of Killen east of
Florence. Because of the bridge's historical Significance, this westbound section was preserved.
The eastbound section was demolished a couple of years ago when the bridge was identified as
functionally obsolete.
Some of Alabama's early truss bridges were built solely for highway use instead of railroads and cross
over the Tennessee River. Among these is the Keller Memorial Bridge, part of U.S. Highway 31 at
Decatur. Completed in 1928 as a drawbridge requiring a toll, it was replaced in 1963 by a cantilever
truss bridge, and in 1999 a new concrete bridge opened. The three Keller bridges provide a good exam­ple
of bridge evolution during the 20th century.
As primarily utilitarian structures, the preservation of iron and steel truss bridges is often hampered by
their functional obsolescence, says Schneider. Today's bridges are certainly more functional, notes state
architectural historian Melanie Betz, but not as picturesque or attractive as earlier bridges, which are as
worthy of preservation as any other historic edifice. ~
Jessica Armstrong is a freelance writer based in Auburn.
PLANNING
w I T H
"New planning in Alabama is just basically different from the old," says
Darrell Meyer. "Even as recently as a decade ago a plan would typically
be data, data, data with only four or five pages at the back with any kind
of palpable image of what could be. The best new plans today begin with
a vision and ask 'How do we get there?'"
Meyer knows the field. Longtime chair of the planning program in Auburn University's architecture school,
he has worked across the state and for several years has directed planning and landscape architecture for KPS
Group in Birmingham. Back in the 1960s and '70s the emphasis was on gathering data and then projecting into the
future. It led to a certain fatigue. But over the past few decades the climate has changed. The historic preservation
movement brought focus on existing urban fabric. A much more sophisticated and dimensional approach to urban
design developed. And the new urbanist movement that began in the 1980s led to a revival of town planning, first for
greenfield sites, but more and more for existing towns and cities.
More than colors on a map, the best planning now gets people thinking about places. What do you really
want your town or neighborhood to look like? How do you make streets welcoming to pedestrians and cyclists as
well as cars? And, as the questions suggest, the process is to engage everyone - residents, elected officials, develop­ers
- right from the start. We present here two major planning projects:
The Downtown Montgomery Plan
The University of Alabama Campus Master Plan
A portfolio follows with graphic presentations of recent projects for the cities of Auburn, Mountain Brook,
Florence, GuljShores,Homewood and Birmingham. They are a mix of community-wide strategic plans
and specific plans for parts of the cities.
Philip Morris has more than 30 years experience in magazine work including tenures as executive editor and editor-at-Iarge at Southern
Living, Coastal Living and Southern Accents Although he retired in 2000, Morris remains active as a freelance writer and respected lecturer
on design, as well as a major contributor to OesignAlabama.
9 Volume XVII, No. II
Court Square Plaza was created by surfacing a new roundabout with pavers that give it the scale and texture of a public space while slowing traffic. With the historic
fountain, it symbolizes the traditional urbanism incorporated into the new Downtown Montgomery Plan. Most downtown streets are being converted from one-way back
to their original two-way function.
im"o<,rll"j" Pmjecls
(i) Complete Court Square Plaza 0 Complete Dexter Avenue 0 Restore Historic Fagades (4) Formalize the Selma to Montgomery Trail o Convert One-Way Streets to Two-Way 0 Provide Shared Parking 0 Redevelop Trenholm Court 0 Redevelop Five Points as a
Demonstration Area; Adopt the SmartCode Transect Map; Adopt International Existing Building Code
Our
o Restore the Lightning Route@jCreate an Arts District@) Plant Street Trees in an Organized Campaign@Encourage Infill Projects
@Rethink Existing Parking Structures@) Reinforce Connections to the River@lnfill along Bell Street@lrnplernenta Historic
@Reclaim Industrial Areas to the North@lmprove Civic Spaces
DesignAlabama 10
No Alabama city embodies a turnaround guided by fresh
currents in planning better than Montgomery. Following
on an ambitious new Waterfront Park and adjacent ball­park
for its M baseball team (see DA spring/summer
2004), the city commissioned Dover Kohl & Partners of
Miami, a leading new urbanist design firm, to develop a
new downtown master plan. The impact can already be
seen at the symbolic heart of the city, Court Square.
The Downtown Montgomery Plan, prepared by Dover Kohl & Partners, shows the conflicting grids
historically established by two competing settlement companies. Under the plan most blocks would
get new infill buildings (darker shade) to gradually replace existing surface parking lots. The Capitol
grounds are made more park-like at the terminus of Dexter Avenue. A mixed-use core would include
residential. The plan also recommends pedestrian-friendly streets with continuous tree canopy to be
developed through an annual program.
£' c.
i"
OJ o o
"a.".
a;
'2
Ql
E
E o o
Restore
construct-in
several odd
intersections,
Street and Dexter Avenue. In traditional town
j.JW'UHHI'., these types of intersections and
been
flavor or character.
Prior to the mid-twentieth century, Court Street,
Dexter Avenue, and Com-merce
Street formed a "five intersection.
Court Street continued north and south UHVU"'''
the intersection. A beautiful copper fountain
dedicated to the of commerce,
was constructed in the center of the intersection.
wagons, and later automo­biles
aU shared this civic space.
In the mid-twentieth century, Court
Street was closed off south of Dexter Avenue and
the fountain was enclosed in a modernist I.)t'lt;)l.U­an
man. Dexter Avenue was rerouted for a
volume connection to Commerce
Street and Montgomery Street, modern traf-fic
Some of the pe(lestmm-~;calle
LLU'UU11'." around the intersection were torn down
tlJ.dU::U with modern office The
of automobile
empty storefronts
this block of Court Street.
Page 5.10
DRAFT January 11, 2007
As part of the Downtown Plan and the Dexter
Avenue Court Street is to
be to ~ ilie
southbound direction but with the for
two-way traffic. The modernist mall around the
fountain will be removed and the intersection will
be returned to its function as a
cobblestones will slow vehicle traffic
the with the fountain
as a central traffic circulator. The Court
Plaza will once become usable civic and
commercial space.
Historic view of Court Square Plaza
Computer rendering of an improved Court Square. mature street trees and new fa(fades terminate Dexter Avenue
DOWNTOWN MONTGOMERY PLAN
This page from the master plan report explains the importance of recovering Court Square's historic character.
Complete Dexter Avenue
Dexter Avenue is the most important street in
Alabama. Once a center of economic
today many storefronts sit empty and h"~w'o"" .. ,
Pedestrian is minimal. The
of the street is a wide expanse of pavement iliat
accommodates four travel lanes and U1<JllSUl1di
ing. The Downtown Plan proposes to re-establish
a vibrant street scene Dexter Avenue and to
reclaim the lost space along the corridor.
The urban environment must be improved to
stimulate Historic
should be restored and rehabilitated to
accommodate a mix of uses. Residences should be
located above floor retail and offices. Add-ilU'li".
LH" and new residents to the area will
to stimulate economic and will provide
on the street." The focus should be on restor-and
the that are and
then adding to the built environment filling-in
the lost space. Blank walls should be removed
and storefront increased the jJlCilll.H1lS
of proper urban street trees. The
property owners should work t05':etller
a street scene that is a transit envi-ronment.
This step fits
investment in the
The successful revitalization of Dexter Avenue will
reflect the new economic of Montgom-ery
and the State of Alabama.
GETTING THERE
Court Square --­transformed
into an
urban plaza
Urban street trees lining --­Dexter
Avenue
space
Infill development ---
Page 4.5
January 11, 2007
This page from the report recommends turning the four blocks of Dexter Avenue from Court Square to the Capitol into a vibrant mixed-use street. This priority streetscape project is now in detailed design stage.
11 Volume XVII, No. II
Downtown Montgomery Plan is broken down into distinctive districts and neighborhoods, each with its own center but of varied character. They are: A - Downtown Core, B - Warehouse District, C - Cottage Hill, D - Five Points
DesignAlabama 12
E - Sayre Street Neighborhood, F - Perry Street District, G High Street Neighborhood, H - Centennial Hill, 1- The Capitol and J - Capitol North (including Old Alabama Town). New parks and squares would be
"Mayor Bobby Bright came up with the idea of reopening Court
Square to traffic with a roundabout, and he had a traffic engineer draw up
plans," says Director of Planning Ken Groves Jr. "It had lots of lines and was
designed for a maximum number of cars and maximum speed. When the
Dover Kohl team and their traffic planner Rick Hall saw it, they said it needed
to be changed. Hall told the mayor it could become a cobblestone-paved
plaza that cars and people shared, a place that people from all over would
come to see. The mayor bought in."
Freed of its modern 'superblock' straight-jacket, Court Square Plaza's
grand fountain has regained the urbane focus it once had and has prompted
new interest in the restoration of adjacent buildings. It also brings home a key
aspect of what the new urbanists have championed: the virtues of old urban­ism.
"When we started the plan by looking at old photographs and postcards,
Victor Dover was stunned," says Groves. "He said the city's downtown was
once one of the most beautiful in the southeast." The new tumbled-concrete
pavement of Court Square Plaza, which calms traffic and makes it a safer
place to walk without the usual markings, gives an early taste of what further
implementation will bring.
These before/after renderings illustrate the ultimate transformation
of Dexter Avenue.
In contrast to the days in the 1970s when most city planning dealt
with statistics and abstract projections and streets were 'improved' only
for cars, the Dover Kohl plan is based on preserving good urban character
wherever it exists and repairing and extending it where it is lacking. The
initial survey of existing conditions looked at building types, building uses,
frontages, architectural styles, open spaces and civic buildings that impact
urban character. Frontages, for example, were put into one of three catego­ries:
high quality, at risk (good, but needing repair) and low quality (blank
walls, etc.).
The process, which began in the summer of 2006 with research and
observations, was very public. A charrette, the intense, multi-day process with
all parties engaged at the same time favored by new urbanists, was conducted
over seven days in September. The team worked in an open studio within
view of Court Square, where residents were invited to come see the process
and comment on the plans. Out of that came the Illustrated Master Plan
subsequently refined into the Downtown Montgomery Plan.
The block of Dexter Avenue in front of the Capitol would become more park than parking lot to complement the
master plan for the Capitol grounds by Montgomery landscape architect Mary Walton Upchurch
Ih~,hit,,,~*,,,~,," I Dover Kohl & Partners, Miami, Fla,
! Ifilll & I-nnll'wnnnn iill!,l!7i1:;see Fla,
I Zimmerman!Volk Associates NJ
On the Bell Street edge of Cottage Hill, Dover Kohl recommends a mix of street-oriented buildings taking advantage
of river views and proximity to Riverfront and Overlook parks, This would create a memorable gateway to downtown
from the west.
30000
1if20000
Q
~15000
-1l
":§! 10000
500!)
Traffic Volumes on Downtown Streets
(8efore and After Return to Two~way Operations)
COUI1 S1root P(llry Stroot Ulwrenw McDonQugh Hwl! Slro"l Q()ca!Vf Stroot Union 5lr,"ot
Slf%t SlJwt
These bird's-eye renderings show how a new roundabout, streetscape improvements and gradual street-front infill redevelopment could transform
Five Points from 'nowhere' into a place, Architects Seay, Seay & Litchfield of Montgomery have been commissioned to prepare plans for the
public improvements,
This graph shows that, even with a return to two-way, downtown streets will have
surplus capacity Current traffic is left, one-way capacity in the center, two-way
capacity on the right,
As part of the strategy to create a walkable downtown, the plan recommends turning all existing one-way streets back into traditional two-way configuration except for the Union/Decatur pair that leads from 1-85 to the Capitol area, Dexter Avenue
would retain angled parking and would reserve space for future revival of the city's historic Lightning Route streetcar
The plan report employs maps, renderings, photo-composite graphics
and street section drawings and plans to clearly illustrate a range of concepts
and specific projects. The before/after examples are clear enough for anybody
to grasp. Rather than the sort of uniform standards applied across the board
under most modern plans, Montgomery's downtown becomes a quilt of neigh­borhoods
(Downtown Core, Cottage Hill, The Capitol, Warehouse District, etc.)
each with its own set of expectations (see map). Throughout all neighborhoods
the emphasis is on walkable streets and sidewalks in the dense core areas lined
with buildings that have high-quality frontage characteristics.
Implementation is proceeding on several fronts. "We've adopted
the Smart Code, a form-based code the new urbanists have developed after
decades of work, which is designed to produce good urban form," says Groves.
(Montgomery has the Smart Code as an option citywide and uses the code's
infill version as an overlay for all of downtown.) "We also finally got ALDOT
[Alabama Department of Transportation] to accept the redesign of Dexter
Avenue as illustrated in the plan, with the block in front of the Capitol closed
to regular traffic. Dover Kohl did the conceptual plan, and now Goodwyn, Mills
& Cawood with Rick Hall are doing the construction drawings. Mary Walton
Upchurch, a local landscape architect familiar with the original Olmsted
Brothers plans for the Capitol grounds, will work on that aspect."
The Dover Kohl master plan calls for all but one pair of one-way streets
to be returned to two-way, a step that slows through traffic and enhances local
businesses. Washington Avenue, which parallels Dexter Avenue to the south, will
be the first. The city has also established a fa~ade improvement program to give
thrust to the preservation and reuse of historic buildings.
"Urban design standards incorporated into the downtown plan have
already been used to shape the character of the new county jail and a couple
of RSA [Retirement Systems of Alabama] projects," say Groves. "The nice thing
about this kind of plan is you can show something that's easy to follow. It's very
real stuff. And it's not just for big public projects but for any developments, large
or small. There's more flexibility, and that means more value for property."
Efforts to bring back Montgomery's core have been going on for decades,
but so often the modern planning and architecture were essentially anti-urban, as
was the case under urban renewal across the U.S. "All that had a severe impact on
our urban form," says Groves. "This new form-based approach to planning and
regulating development means those qualities people recognize and love in old
photographs can be recovered. It won't all happen overnight, but the process and
tools are in place to get there," II
For further information visit www.montgomeryal.gov
13 Volume XVII, No, II
--------------------------------------------------------,~"'~~~,~"
DesignAlabama 14
The core campus of the University of Alabama, with Denny Chimes named for a president who helped shape it, has retained the classical academic village arrangement
inspired by Thomas Jefferson's seminal plan for the University of Virginia, A new Campus Master Plan and accompanying Campus Design Guide will protect and extend
that character.
In a letter introducing the new University of Alabama Campus Master Plan,
UA president Dr. Robert E. Witt describes a move to simultaneously expand
the student body and quality of education at the main campus. "To make
our vision a reality, we have created a bold new plan that includes the most
aggressive goals and ambitious objectives we have ever set forth."
The master plan and its companion Campus Design Guide, created over the past few years under a team led by KPS
Group of Birmingham (see box on p. 17), will be "transformational" - but in a direction that reaches back to the original
Thomas Jefferson-inspired concept of an academic village with learning and living in close walking proximity, The text states:
"This plan presents a clear and compelling vision: a return to the fundamental principles on which the University of Alabama
campus was historically planned and designed, even as the University responds to contemporary demands. This requires
reclaiming and reinforcing the campus as a prime example of the American campus planning tradition."
Darrell Meyer, head of the KPS Group planning and landscape studio, explains that the tie to Jefferson is direct
and alive. "The university has maintained a strong traditional quad with traditional buildings, the best example of any in the
South. When we did an online survey of alumni, faculty, students, staff, Tuscaloosa residents and others, they understood this
even if they didn't know it went back to his University of Virginia plan." The original plan of 1829 by State Architect William
Nichols set the precedent and was reinforced and expanded by the Greater University Plan of 1907 and the Million Dollar Plan
of 1922, with a series of updates following.
The Campus Master Plan is grounded by an open space system: "formal and informal landscaped open spaces (quads, lawns, plaza, courtyards, recreational parks and athletic fields), streetscapes and paths and natural areas." Much exists,
but with emphasis on pedestrian circulation in the core campus (to the left), the quality will be greatly enhanced. Darker shaded building footprints (upper middle on plan) show where a new concentration of academic buildings will frame a
new quad fronting Shelby Hall. New residential villages will infill current parking lots. In the more informal support area (right side of the plan), where many student athletic facilities are located, the open space character is more bucolic.
Far from being a normal update, the new Campus Master Plan follows five goals:
* Preserve the campus core, its landmark structures, engaging open spaces and
sense of place.
* Regenerate the vitality of the campus through a comprehensive, phased strategy
and implementation system.
* Integrate new construction through incremental infill set in traditional patterns
in a manner that strengthens legibility and the open-space system.
* Adapt buildings and facilities to accommodate innovation and expansion.
This plan detail shows a street realigned to
make way for a new group of academic build­ings
framing a lawn in front of Shelby Hall.
The computer model rendering illustrates the
classical architecture mandated for the core
campus. The plan text reads: "Positioning
of the buildings on the site will embrace and
enliven the surrounding streetscapes while
creating a dynamic central green space"
Renderings courtesy of HOK Associates
* Plan future campus expansions in an efficient pattern, accommodating additional
housing in traditional residential villages organized around shared open spaces
and featuring endearing architecture.
15 Volume XVII, No. II
This version of the plan has an overlay highlighting sidewalks and pedestrian paths. The plan text states: "To minimize
conflict with pedestrians, the academic core of the campus will be kept as vehicle-free as possible. New sidewalks and other
walkways will be constructed, planned and designed to provide clearly defined routes having adequate shade and consistent
paving textures that signify changes in use from solely pedestrian to a mix of pedestrians, bicycles and transit vehicles."
A drift toward car-orientation and buildings that stand alone rather than contribute
to campus character will be reversed. Parking lots within the core campus will become
sites for new residential and academic groupings and usable open space. On-street parking
will give way to enhanced pedestrian Circulation, bicycle paths and a campus transit system.
Surface parking will be placed on the perimeter with students parking in designated lots.
In contrast to modern super-block planning, the UA Campus Plan calls for a fine-grain
interplay in uses, circulation and building placement.
An arrangement of new academic buildings will be concentrated just northeast of the
historic academic core (see plan) in close proximity to existing academic facilities and both
existing and future residential villages. "New buildings are arranged to complement the dif­ferent
geometries and axes established within the historic core and Shelby Hall. They will
be massed and articulated to support and activate a central open space," states the
plan text.
Similarly, new residential villages are kept close. "Residential infill within exist­ing
on-campus housing areas is provided east and west of the historic core and south of
University Boulevard, with most buildings located within one or two blocks of the Quad."
Overlay plans for athletics, recreation (concentrated in the more informal eastern part
of the campus), way finding and circulation, street network and parking round out the
Campus Master Plan (see graphics and descriptive text).
But plans alone did not shape the present campus, as the Campus Master Plan is
fleshed out in three dimensions and great detail in a separate document: the Campus Design
Guide. It was developed under KPS Group direction by Davis Architects of Birmingham
in consultation with architect Steve Mouzon (Miami-based but originally from Huntsville
and well-known for work codifying traditional building types). This component of the
DesignAlabama 16
A new campus transit system inaugurated this fall links campus destinations to perimeter parking areas.
plan is organized into four categories: Urban Design, Architectural Design, Site and
Landscape Design and Sustainable Design, which tie back to the Campus Master
Plan. For example, there are three different urban design districts, or preCincts,
overlaid on the plan.
"There was no question, from our surveys and interviews, that the classi­cal
architecture of the campus was uppermost in everyone's mind as an important
aspect to preserve and extend," says Meyer. To see these standards through, there
is a design review process administered by the facilities planning department. The
process also includes reviews by the university administration, as well as by the
board of trustees. Each project is reviewed at conceptual stage for urban design and
preliminary architectural concepts, at schematic design stage for context guidelines
(style and materials, landscape design, building systems design) and at design devel­opment
stage for evolving details and final approval.
The UA Campus Master Plan and Campus Design Guide will very likely
make waves in campus planning circles, though its full effect will come only with
time and with great subtlety. But with the inauguration of enhanced campus transit
this fall, the move to a pedestrian-oriented core campus has begun. III
~
ro o
ii'
.8 o
.c
"-
PI,mning& landscape Design/ KPS Group, Birmingham
Architect.ural Design Guid.elines I Davis Architects, Birmingham
Planting Design Guidelines I Nimrod Long&Associates, Birmingham
C. B!tild-To Li!1eJ. Figures 2 and 3
represent streetscape and open space
edges with required build-to lines
where building edges shall be located
to ensure that the adjacent space is
properly framed by the building wall
and transitions zones are properly
defIned through building and site
design.
• The fas:ade of foreground buildings
may vary up to 50% of the fas:ade
span from the build-to line to allow
for fa<tade articulation.
• Background buildings shall not vary
more than 35% of the fa<tade span
from the build-to line.
• Variation is measured in linear feet of
the fas:ade along the build-to line.
3.4 - Campus Geometry & Building Form
/
~/
/
/
~/
/
Traffic,Parking & TransU I Skipper Consulting Inc., Birmingham
Way Finding & Signage I The Dougfas Group, Houston
Civil.Engineering! McGiffert& Associates Hc, Tuscaloosa
. , .
Energy .. Systems! Hattemer, Hornsby & Baileypc,Blrmingham
Urban Design Guidelines
[left] The Campus Design Guide serves as a pattem book for
buildings and other elements tied to the Campus Master Plan This
page shows the build-to lines and how foreground and background
buildings should respond.
Figure 3: i\Iajor and Minor
Build-w Lines
3.6 - Gravity & Proportion
Urban Oe!i,gn Guld~lin~s
2.3 - Foreground & Background Buildings
3.2 - Designing for Context
3.13 - Arches & Lintels
17 Volume XVII, No. II
.,"-., .•. ,-.-.... ~~~~----------------------------------------------------------------------'"
Auburn, Alabama
Centers Concept, Land Use Plan, Specific Plans KipiS
This poster illustrates the locations and layout of future village centers, as well as neighborhood centers, open spaces and the major road system.
A closer look shows the general layout of The Cotswolds village center
OesignAlabama 18
Auburn
As the "Loveliest Village on the Plain" approached a population of some
35,000 in 2002, the City of Auburn understood that continuing to expand as
typical suburban sprawl would undermine its image in the eyes of residents,
university students and legions of visitors. "They were not happy with the
physical image of the town," says Darrell Meyer of KPS Group. "They had an
idea of what they wanted but didn't know how to get there."
What KPS Group, the city and its residents, the development community and others
from then through 2004 worked on developing was a strategic plan for a "City of Villages" with
the original village as the center. These villages would combine commercial and residential
development, institutional uses like schools and a framework of open space. "Just like in a
traditional town, there would be smaller-lot, more concentrated residential at the center shifting
to larger lots on the perimeter," Meyer says. "The locations would be decided in advance, not
left to chance."
Then there followed more detailed studies on land use and transportation plans with
Skipper Consulting of Birmingham on board to help plan connecting roads to make it easy
to get from village to village and from each village to the historic heart of town. A developer
subsequently stepped forward with an interest in pursuing a village for the northwest side of
town. The Cotswolds, where the first houses have been built, will eventually include a mix of
commercial, residential, an elementary school and a village green that connects to the new
Saugahatchee Creek Trail. III
City of
OUN IN BROOK
MOUNTAIN BROOK VILLAGE
Village Center
BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT
REGULATING PLAN
__ ....... Primary Frontage
__ ..... __ « Secondary Frontage
.......... ,. Support Frontage'
"'" .... "''''''' Residential CNelghborhoO(l") Frontage
Two Story
Three Story
Four Story
Residence C
Residence D
Residential Inml District
Community Shopping
Office Park
local 8usiness
This page covers Store Front Building Frontage Standards,
This page covers Townhouse Building Frontage Standards,
English Village Mountain Brook Village Crestline Village
---~--,------
The Mountain Brook Village plan illustrates the primary frontage as an unbroken line, The dotted lines denote service alleys,
Mountain Brook
The City of Mountain Brook has its commercial areas concentrated into traditional
pedestrian-scale villages first set out in a 1926 plan by Boston-based landscape
architect Warren ManningJr. In 2005 the city commissioned Gould Evans Associates,
a Kansas City-based architecture and planning firm, to develop "Villages by Design,"
a set of urban design plans looking at new infill development opportunities while
maintaining their character.
Along with Gould Evans, the team included Business Districts Inc. of Evanston, Ill., for
market analysis and two Birmingham-based planners, Gary Cooper and Wilhelmine Williams, for
local coordination. The study encompassed specific plans for Mountain Brook Village, Crestline
Village and English Village, plus the emerging Overton Village located to the south next to the
Cahaba Heights area.
As the plan for Mountain Brook Village shows here, informal guidelines used for the
past several years to avoid suburban setbacks and encourage pedestrian-friendly sidewalk front­ages
have been turned into district overlays with three categories: primary frontage, secondary
frontage, support frontages and residential frontage. As part of what are called regulating plans,
building height, mass and fa~ades are also controlled. Generally, buildings in the core of each
village are limited to two stories with opportunity for three to five stories for some areas on the
perimeter. A more refined range of mixed-use zoning categories are also included. The plans
have been adopted, and revisions to zoning ordinances are underway. III
19 Volume XVII. No. II
!
1..'· .. ·
I
I·
,
FLORENCE
Strategic Development Concept
2 MILE
Gulf Shores
Florence
''Arch Winter did a plan for Florence back in the 1960s,
and it was such a good one - and one the city actually
followed - that they needed to do little planning for many
years," says KPS Group's Darrell Meyer about the north
Alabama city. But with new attractions in the area, like
the RSA (Retirement Systems of Alabama) golf course
and hotel, the city needed to take a fresh look at itself.
As always, KPS Group initiated the process with a town meeting in January 2006
and went on to meet each month to develop first a strategic plan, then fleshed-out plans
dealing with land use, transportation and new public investments. "They really did not need
to do much on the latter because they had done so much over the years," Meyer says.
Florence is not growing at the rate of a city like Auburn, so there was no need
to create a series of town centers. With a very successful Main Street program, the down­town
core still serves the community, as does the University of North Alabama. The plan is
focused on reinforcing existing commercial, institutional and open-space centers across the
community. One specific plan within the overall one did emerge: for the traditional black
neighborhood of West Florence. II1II
The updated plan for Gulf Shores puts special emphasis on preserving and developing compatibly with the city's natural attractions. Clusters of commercial replace the typical retail strip.
The City of Gulf Shores began by asking KPS Group to
direct a major revision of its zoning ordinance. But they
soon realized they didn't have the overall vision needed
to inform those changes, so the project turned into an
update of the city's overall land-use plan.
Beginning with a full-house community meeting in February 2007, the shape of
the plan was rather quickly aligned with three key thoughts that came from the participants:
* They have a great awareness of their surrounding natural resources and want
them preserved.
* They have a great desire for access to the shore but want that to be compatible
with the environment and avoid overuse.
* They want the ability to get around on foot or bicycle without having to use their cars.
There was also an expressed desire to have Gulf Shores differentiate itself from
surrounding areas and not with just a "Welcome to Gulf Shores" sign. As a result, the plan
incorporates a number of moves to shape the character of the place over time. For State
DesignAlabama 20
Highway 59, the main north-south access route, commercial development will be
concentrated into nodes rather than being strung strip-style. Each of these might have
activity centers, as would other locations across the community. Similarly, the road
leading west to Fort Morgan is planned to have three or four neighborhood centers
rather than strip commercial.
Other priorities include:
* Saving land fronting the intracoastal waterway for land uses that genuinely
need, not just want, water frontage.
* Locating a medical center surrounded by compatible development at the
northeast corner of the community.
* Maintaining and enhancing Gulf Shores existing 'downtown', located
approximately 1 Y4 miles north of the beach, with basic shopping, civic
facilities, etc., in contrast with beach tourism to the south.
The Gulf Shores plan moved from an overall strategiC plan for conservation
and development to land use, followed by a specific Greenways & Trails plan. II1II
Opportunities
The strategic plan phase for Homewood graphically shows areas of focus and opportunity across the community, with
specific plans to follow for downtown, Edgewood, West Homewood and other areas.
Homewood
Homewood, a close-in suburb of Birmingham with a
population of more than 25,000, is land-locked, so its
continued popularity as a desirable place to live leads
to renovations, tear-down replacement houses and, more
recently, new, denser townhouse and condominium
developments on infill sites. Tension over the latter in
recent years sparked interest in a community-wide plan,
and KPS Group was selected to lead the process.
"Homewood actually started as different places like Edgewood that were consoli­dated
when the city was established in 1926," says Darrell Meyer of KPS Group. "These
distinctive places are how residents still identify themselves, and they all feel strongly about
maintaining and enhancing what they have."
For Edgewood, with its small-scale neighborhood center dating from the 1920s, the
threat of a developer's proposal to tear down everything and build back at greater density
was the number one issue. As a result, the plan calls for more incremental change without
much increase in density. But for downtown, a large area with a great deal of surface parking
and under-utilized land outside its traditional 'Main Street', more mixed-use redevelopment
like SoHo and Hallman Hill is called for. The part of the city that developed last, West Homewood,
came in an era when little attention was paid to creating neighborhood centers. So the plan
calls for one to be developed at a key intersection.
Community wide, there was near universal frustration about the lack of places to
walk, both within and between neighborhoods. "You might call it 'sidewalk envy' that has
emerged since Mountain Brook put together its highly popular network of sidewalks and
trails over the past 10 or 12 years," says Meyer. The Homewood plan calls for more specific
plans to be created for Edgewood, downtown and West Homewood. There will be a lot of
small reinvestments and public improvements, but the largest push by far will be for side­walks
and trails that enhance the inherent small-town scale of these places. II1II
Crestwood - OPOlto Redevelopment District j\4aster Plan KiPiS
KPS Group employed this poster format to illustrate the plan for the former Eastwood Mall area in Birmingham New
pedestrian-friendly streets, urban-style frontages and new open spaces are key components.
Crestwood-Oporlo
The client for the Crestwood-Oporto Redevelopment
District Master Plan is the City of Birmingham and,
specifically, its economic development department. It
targets the former Eastwood Mall area in the eastern
part of the city, an early shopping center and surrounding
development that has lost much of its market to
farther-out Trussville.
Rather than just try to find new tenants, the whole suburban-style disjointed area
needed a new vision. And it couldn't be just re-done retail. "The city understands from experi­ence
that redevelopment plans must respond to market demands, and the market studies
showed the area has a 25 percent vacancy rate and could not support as much retail as
existed," says Darrell Meyer of KPS Group, the firm that developed the plan in conjunction
with Skipper Consulting.
Along with Eastwood Mall, now demolished with a new Wal-Mart Super Center
going up on part of the site, the area includes a newer but also suffering mall, Century Plaza,
and another large property holding. All these and others were engaged in the planning pro­cess.
"The key was to try and create a mix of uses, including housing and lodging for which
there is a demand, and to interconnect all the quadrants around the major
intersection so it could work as a walkable district," says Meyer.
The redevelopment will reqUire a close public/private partnership to achieve the
urban design goals and to create new framework of public open space and pedestrian con­nections.
The plan envisions the surviving mall retrofitted with a 'Main Street' frontage
like that which has transformed Brookwood Village not far away in Homewood. The plan
was recognized by the Alabama chapter of the American Planning Association with its 2007
Franklin M. Setzer Urban Design Award. II1II
21 Volume XVII, No. II
.. _----------
Communily.Profi Ie
Popular restaurants are bringing people
downtown. At the City Cafe, photographs of
Coach Bear Bryant decorate the walls, and
the waitresses call patrons "hon."
The Kentuck Museum Association occupies a prominent spot in downtown Northport. The early 20th century building provides space for Kentuck's
offices, shop, museum and other functions. or
The process of revitalizing and reinterpreting a West
Alabama community on the banks of the Black Warrior
River is proceeding with both vigor and deliberation.
Northport's identity is being carefully shaped, retaining
its small-town persona while enhancing its functionality
and visual appeal.
The "best of both worlds" is a platitude that aptly describes Northport, which offers
a small town's slower pace yet is close to two of Alabama's largest metropolitan
areas - Birmingham and neighboring TUscaloosa. Guided by managed growth and
a fresh perspective, this easygoing former cotton mill community is moving in the
'small but sophisticated' direction.
A train trestle provides a dramatic sight from downtown - a view that a number of
people want to protect as Northport continues to develop. A bicycle and walking trail
meanders alongside the trestle.
DesignAlabama 22
po :
The Best of Both Worlds
by Jessica Armstrong
Photographs by Bruce Dupree
A longtime major draw to the downtown is a juried art festival and art center that's
responsible for Northport's development as an arts community More recently, mer­chants
have invested in sidewalks, landscaping, stone benches, decorative lighting,
hanging flower baskets and other streetscape efforts. Downtown amenities also include
a newly constructed levee and pedestrian path. Dilapidated gin mill buildings have
been removed along the city's 2-mile riverfront, along with a junkyard across the street,
the site for a proposed condominium and hotel complex that will include specialty
shops and upscale restaurants. "What makes us unique from TUscaloosa across the
river is that we're more of an artsy community with a lot of culture driving us," notes
Mayor Harvey Fretwell. With a population of about 23,000, Northport has been named
an All-American City and was mentioned in Money magazine's "Best Places
to Live" for 2007.
Overall Planning
A moratorium has been placed on any new development while the City works on
a master plan, says City Planner Katherine Ennis. A comprehensive plan and a
strategic road plan are underway, which includes rerouting trucks out of the downtown
and opening new access areas into the downtown. Careful planning is meant
to ensure that a beloved downtown focal pOint - a picturesque early train trestle - will
not be obliterated.
Additionally, a land-use plan, developed by Birmingham-based KPS Group, is focusing
on Northport's collective image: its central and neighborhood commercial districts and
surrounding residential areas. Guided by community input, KPS Group is addressing
a number of issues including Northport's green infrastructure, recreation needs and
existing land use. Improvements include creating clearly defined, attractive gateways
into the city and upgrading its major highway corridors, along with developing the riv­erfront
and 'clusters of commerce' in key locations, explains Darrell Meyer, KPS Group
senior vice president.
The Northport 5 & 10 is housed in one of the city's oldest commercial buildings, which was constructed in 1859.
The land -use plan also calls for more cohesion and diversification between com­mercial
and residential areas to improve the city's aesthetic appeal and livability
The objective is to make Northport "a walkable city with less congested streets and
adequate sidewalks within and between neighborhoods and nearby commercial
areas," Meyer says. "We organized Northport into a series of activity centers with the
downtown being the most important for these activities." Meyer describes downtown
Northport as a "well integrated, mixed-use district" bustling with locals and regional
visitors. He advises city leaders to retain the downtown's pleasing physical character­istics
and build on them.
Historic Northport
While most of the older buildings in the downtown district date from the turn of the
20th century through the 1920s, several are considerably older. Among these is the
city's oldest commercial building, the Northport 5 & 10, constructed in 1859. Even
older are two downtown residences - one built in 1825 in the dog -trot style and a
federal-style cottage built in 1838. The Friends of Historic Northport operate the
Northport Heritage Museum, housed in a restored 1907 Victorian house. Open to the
public by appointment is the historic Clements House, once the home of Dr. Pepper
CEO Woodrow W Clements. The house stores the Friend's records and ephemera,
which researchers are welcome to peruse.
The earliest settlers came to what is now Northport in 1816. The area was then cov­ered
with a type of unusable cane, according to early accounts, so it was given the
name Canetuck, says Chuck Gerdau, a Friends of Historic Northport board member.
Canetuck morphed into Kentuck, the name of Northport's art center and festival.
When a post office was established in the 1930s, the community became known as
Northport and was incorporated in 1871. It was likely called Northport because it was
the northern-most port on the Black Warrior River that was navigable until dams
were constructed in the 1890s. Farmers brought to town their goods, which were
weighed and put on boats, Gerdau explains. The town's gin mills were used to pro­cess
the cotton to make it transportable.
Kentuck Art Center and Festival
Northport has a large supply of cultural assets relative to its size, thanks to the
Kentuck Art Center in the heart of downtown and its nearby festival. Since 1971 the
Kentuck Festival of the Arts has attracted emerging and notable folk artists and
musicians. Visitors, who come from all parts of the country, have been treated to the
'high-lonesome' sound of Bluegrass great Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain
Boys and the folk art of the late Rev. Howard Finster, who introduced the world to
Outsider Art. Held the third weekend of every October, the festival is recognized as
one of the "Top 20 Events" by the Southeast Tourism Society and is a recipient of
an Alabama Governor's Award. The festival was also selected as a tourism site by
National Geographic for its map guide to Appalachia.
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Near the courtyard is Northport's old post office, which sits vacant awaiting reuse as space for
artists-in-residence, exhibits and to accommodate Art Night, a popular community event now
held in the present courtyard. The proposed sustainable design features a dramatic rooftop
garden deck to be constructed over the existing post office building.
A large metal dog sculpture sits atop an old gas station, standing watch over the
downtown. The orange pointer has become a favorite symbol of Northport.
23 Volume XVII, No.11
._---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_._-------
Although the festival gets the most attention, it's just one component of the Kentuck
Museum Association, which promotes and protects traditional Southern folk arts,
while supporting new Southern folk artists and art forms, explains Director Sara
Anne Gibson. The Kentuck Association has received the Alabama Image Award
for promoting regional artists and their works. Its role as a center of local culture,
however, has been hampered by the poor condition of its facilities. Cramped, run­down
buildings and uncertain tenure on its rented courtyard space have hindered
Kentuck's ability to offer studio space to new artists and made it nearly impossible to
conduct community art education and outreach programs, adds Gibson.
A "collaborative response to the problem," says Gibson, is a three-phase master
plan that has been created to revitalize and expand Kentuck's downtown Northport
campus. The campus consists of a collection of buildings, among them a historic
two-story museum and artist studios, as well as a distinctive urban studio courtyard.
John McLelland of McLelland Architecture in Tuscaloosa created the master plan
along with Atlanta- based Urban Collage. The plan consolidated and defined the
vision of Kentuck, and having a cohesive master plan will also help with efforts to
raise funds for the project, says Bob Begle of Urban Collage.
Outside the commercial district are some of Northport"s earliest residences including
the Clements House, the former home of Dr. Pepper CEO Woodrow W Clements.
The bridge over the
Black Warrior River is
about a mile long
and is still used.
DesignAlabama 24
Metalsmith Steve Davis, who works out of a Kentuck studio, crafted the plant-ers,
garbage receptacles, lampposts and other streetscape improvements that have
helped to give downtown Northport its distinctive look.
Getting Kentuck's "year-long presence on par with its annual festival presence" is one
of the plan's key objectives, McLelland says. The plan calls for demolishing some build­ings
and renovating others, including turning the city's old post office into the Studio
Building, a multi -studio facility that Gibson identifies as one of the most "architectur­ally
adventurous" of Kentuck's proposed projects. "Not wanting to recast the modernist
original as a faux antique, we took our cue from the folk art tradition of taking what is
at hand and embellishing it with common materials used in unexpected ways."
While the entire project is designed to be sustainable, the roof of the Studio BUilding
(proposed for Phase I) is the most prominent green component of the overall plan. The
building itself is being recycled, yet it will be transformed into a dramatically different
space in terms of design, function and size. The footprint of the existing old post office,
which is 4,000 square feet, will stay intact. The existing roof will be replaced with a
7,000-square- foot garden roof; a spacious flat roof deck cantilevering out above the
studio space. If the Kentuck board is no longer able to lease the courtyard area, notes
McLelland, they'll have this "courtyard up in the air."
"Rather than tear it down, it will be gutted with new studios inside," McLelland explains.
"The building has little light, and it's a spiritless place. We had to make it look like a
place where art was going on inside, and we had to create more space." He would like
to see the entire project be built as green as possible and meet all the requirements
for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification through the
U.S. Green BUilding Council, such as conserving water and energy and reducing harm­ful
greenhouse emissions. The LEED -certified project would demonstrate Kentuck's
commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility. The newly green
Kentuck campus would become a teaching site for sustainability used by students at
nearby University of Alabama. "Kentuck is trying to set a standard in the community for
sustainability," says McLelland, "and make it part of their outreach programs."
"Kentuck is a major asset, and they have this great location in
Northport, which is becoming so vital, " he observes. "Northport
didn't have a city planner until recently, and now they are
trying to grow in a coordinated way. All the factors are all
there, and the future [of Northport] can be very bright."
"The town Northport is growing," adds Mayor Harvey Fretwell, "but not just for the sake
of growing. We don't want to grow haphazardly. What we are doing now will benefit
future generations." •
Statue of Vulcan
The National Trust for Historic Preservation presented
Birmingham's Vulcan Park with a prestigious National
Preservation Honor Award. The park was among the 21 award
winners honored by the National Trust during its week-long
Preservation Conference in Pittsburgh, Pa., last November. The
awards are given to distinguished individuals, nonprofit organiza­tions,
public agencies and corporations whose skill and deter­mination
have given new meaning to their communities through
preservation of our architectural and cultural heritage. (For more
information on Vulcan Park see DA Spring/Summer 2004).
Bon Secour Village Sales Center
ExpoDisplays won three gold awards and one silver at the
2007 Tennessee Valley Advertising Federation ADDY Awards.
ADDY Awards are given to companies in recognition of their
excellence in design in various marketing categories. This was
the third consecutive year that the Birmingham exhibit design firm
was a winner.
The 30-by-40-foot Bon Secour Village Sales Center with custom
interior displaying an elegant interpretation of the low-country
style was a gold ADDY winner in the Out-of-Home, Interior cat­egory.
A 20-by-20-foot custom trade show exhibit for Caleel +
Hayden was also presented a gold ADDY in the Sales Promotion,
Trade Show Exhibit category, as was a custom exhibit for
Huntsville-based Intergraph. The firm won a silver ADDY in the
same category for a 1 0-by-20-foot custom trade show exhibit for
Chef Hilly, a gourmet hot chocolate company.
Entry (top) and Lobby (bottom) of USl\:s Women's and Children's Hospital
Interior designer Alice H. Cutright, ASID, of TAG/The
Architects Group Inc. received "Design of the Year" and First
Place in the Healthcare category from the Alabama chapter of the
American Society of Interior Designers in 2006 for her work
involving TAG's renovation of the lobby at the University of South
Alabama Children's and Women's Hospital in Mobile.
This lobby renovation combines a special ending and begin-ning;
the ending of its garden sculptures and the beginning of the
whimsical watery theme found within the hospital. The garden
of bronze sculptures leads to a circular glass entry designed to
display a bronze sculpture of children playing around a globe.
The lobby interior design introduces and unifies the watery and
nautical theme that the hospital has embraced. An inviting and
uplifting feeling was important to this client. The swirls of color in
the floor tile design and the arching soffits open up and welcome
patients and guests as they enter the hospital. Abstract shell-like
floor motifs identify elevator doors. Colors and materials, such as
the glass block of the information desk, introduce elements that are
seen elsewhere in the hospital. The gift shop was designed with
glass walls and glass shelves to allow displayed items to be viewed
from the lobby and from within the shop.
Details+of Interest
A w A R o s
DESIGNHabitat2 House
The American Institute of Architects has named Auburn
University School of Architecture professors David Hinson
and Stacy Norman winners of the Special Housing Award for
2007 as part of the Alf'\s Housing Awards Program. Hinson and
Norman won for their work on the DESIGNHabitat2 house, which
was built in partnership with Palm Harbor Manufactured Homes
and Habitat for Humanity. The project also won the Association
of Collegiate Schools of Architecture's Collaborative
Practice Award. Modular sections of the DESIGNHabitat2 house
were produced by Palm Harbor Homes in Boaz and transported
to the project site in Greensboro. Students then completed the
home on-site in two weeks as part of the Habitat volunteer-based
mission. The 1 ,100-square-foot home, built for a family displaced
by Hurricane Katrina, was completed in June. Hinson's fourth-year
students who worked to create the design and build the project were
Joey Aplin, Samuel Bassett, Cayce Bean, David Davis,
Danielle Dratch, Joey Fante, Russ Gibson, Jennifer Givens,
Simon Hurst, Walter Mason, Bill Moore, Matt Murphy,
Ryan Simon and Mackenzie Stagg.
25 Volume XVII, No. II
What may be the oldest surviving house in Alabama was recon­structed
at Huntsville's Burritt on the Mountain - a Living Museum.
Located on Round Top Mountain, the museum consists of the
eclectic mansion home of Dr. William Henry Burritt and a collection
of 19th-century homes from the area that have been moved to the
park for educational purposes. There, living history interpreters
make the past come alive for visitors. The latest addition to the his­toric
park is the Joel Eddins House, dating possibly to 1808. The
structure was found just south of Ardmore. The previous owners,
Glenn and Wanda Walker, bought the house in 1977. After talking
with neighbors and reviewing Limestone County historical records,
they discovered the Eddins family had once owned 240 acres and
kept a dozen slaves in nearby quarters. The couple approached
the historical society for help when the roof of the log cabin began
collapsing, and after a fund-raising effort, the house found a new
home in the historic park. General contractor Leatherwood Inc. of
Franklin, Tenn., moved, restored and reconstructed the log house.
The floor plan of the Eddins House is unique to the area with its
hall and chamber style. This plan adds to the various types of
architecture on display in the Historic Park and traces back through
Tidewater Virginia to the folk housing of the late medieval England.
The Joel Eddins House Before and Mer Moving to Burritt on the Mountain
In January Dan Burden, director of Walkable Communities
Inc. in Orlando, was in Mobile to lead a walking workshop and
give a presentation. The noted urban planner was sponsored by
Envision Coastal Alabama, the City of Mobile and the Downtown
Mobile Alliance. Before taking to the streets, Burden outlined key
points to making a downtown successful: security, convenience,
efficiency, comfort and creating a feeling of welcome. During the
walk he pointed out aspects that impact perceptions of downtown,
shared traffic-calming techniques and discussed zoning changes
that create safer environments. He also underlined changes need­ing
to be made and related success stories of other cities.
Walkable Communities (www.walkable.org) was established in
Florida in 1996 to help communities become more walkable and
pedestrian friendly. The organization holds presentations, walk­able
audits (to help determine specific problems and solutions),
training courses, workshops, planning and visioning charrettes to
facilitate community planning efforts and mediation in community
disputes over planning issues. It also has available publications
and photo CDs to assist in further educating people in the related
issues of community planning and zoning, traffic calming, street
and intersection design, specific bicycle and pedestrian facility
design, ADA requirements and public involvement processes.
DesignAlabama 26
Some Interesting facts
Dan Burden Shared During his Mobile Walk:
One-Way lIS. Two-Way Streets: Getting people out of
downtowns fast was why one-way streets were created. Now
we want people to get in and out of downtown, but not fast.
Our outer boundaries should have a speed limit of 20-25 mph.
Roundabouts: 99 percent of personal injury accidents are
eliminated with the installation of roundabouts, which also
move 30 percent more traffic.
Canopies: Any place where there is a canopy, people are
willing to spend 12 cents more on the dollar.
New Construction: A new building should have 70-90
percent windows. This makes people on the street feel like
they are being looked over, increasing the sense of security.
Density: The more density you have in a downtown, the
less crime there is.
The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) plans to
remove a bridge that has been determined eligible for inclusion in
the National Register of Historic Places. For various reasons it is
not reasonable to preserve the structure in place. The bridge over
S.R. 20 on U.S. 72 in Lauderdale County was constructed in 1938
and is a four-span concrete T-beam. It is an excellent example of
1930s-era bridge design.
As stated in Section 123(f)(4) of the Surface Transportation Act
of 1987 and the Memoranda of Agreement with the Alabama
Historical Commission and the Federal Highway Administration,
ALDOT is officially announcing the availability of this bridge to
qualified organizations. The structure will be donated to appropriate
recipients, and the DOT will pay the expense of moving the bridge
or selected bridge sections and associated re-establishment costs
up to the expense of bridge or bridge section demolition.
In exchange, the receiver will agree to preserve the historical
integrity of the bridge and to properly maintain the structure.
Any agencies or groups interested in further information con­cerning
acquisition of this bridge or wishing to be considered
for donation of additional bridges to be offered in the future,
contact: William B. Turner, Archaeologist, Alabama Department of
Transportation, 1409 Coliseum Boulevard, T-205, Montgomery,
AL 36103-3050, 334-242-6144.
er
Graphic Designers
The American Institute for Graphic Arts (AlGA), the profes­sional
organization of graphic design, has established a Center
for Sustainable Design (http://sustainability.aiga.org/) dedi­cated
to providing designers with a wide range of information
regarding sustainable business practice. Through case studies,
interviews, resources and discourse, the site encourages and
supports designers as they incorporate sustainable thinking into
their professional lives. Paper and printing are integral to the
graphic design industry in a resource-intensive process that has
profound environmental effects. The site will help address this
concern and lists sustainable paper choices and a link to the
Printers National Environmental Assistance Center toward that
effort. The CSD also addresses carbon neutrality with its own car­bon
offset program that will also allow individual members and
studios to offset their carbon footprints.
Vulcan Park Foundation is hosting "Birmingham Rocks! Native
Sandstone in our Buildings and Parks" August 17, 2007 - August
17, 2008. The exhibit explores the history of using native sand­stone
for construction in the Birmingham area since the city was
founded, as compiled from archives, architectural records and
interviews with architects, contractors and sandstone quarry
operators in the Oneonta area. The exhibit's key components are:
• Geological description, mapping and examples of various sorts
of sandstone in the Birmingham region
• Historical survey of sandstone houses, bridges, neighborhood
gateways, retaining walls, park pavilions and other structures in
Birmingham built over the decades
• History and presentation of current quarry operations and loca­tions,
stone cutting and shaping.
Visitor-friendly additions to the exhibit include examples of
sandstones to touch, stone masons' tools, an architect's table
with copies of original renderings of the Swann mansion, videos
showing stone mason interviews/modern quarry operations, the
construction of the Swann mansion on Red Mountain in the 1920s
and antique postcards of Birmingham sandstone structures. There
are also related activities for children in the Kid's Corner.
Vulcan Pedestal Entrance With Flooring and Walls Constructed of Native Sandstone
Last fall students in a special Auburn University Sustainability
Initiative class designed and installed a green roof on a 20-by-
30-foot section of the Haley Center roof for internship credit. The
students, from various academic disciplines, selected the plants
and grew them in the university greenhouses then planted the native
grasses and wildflowers in 4-inch deep, 2-by-2-foot green grids.
The grids were designed to retain moisture, so there is no need for
watering, but paths between the sections allow for minor mainte­nance
such as removal of volunteer tree seedlings. As part of the
project students also had to determine if the roof could support
the weight of the grids. The new green roof provides both heat-ing
and cooling benefits by reducing the cost of maintaining the
building's temperature, as well as environmental benefits such
as reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide and controlling storm­water
run off and sewage. The plants also slow the roof's deteriora­tion
by blocking the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. This summer the
plants suffered through an extreme drought, but it is thought most
will bounce back next spring, as they are natives. This successful
project has inspired efforts to create another green roof on campus.
Haley Center Green Roof
The Alabama Preservation Alliance in conjunction with the
Alabama Historical Commission present their list of the state's
most endangered historic places for the year 2001
Iron and Steel Truss
Bridges, Statewide
Once commonplace, these
bridges are rapidly disappear­ing.
Often structurally dete­riorated
and no longer wide
enough or able to handle the weight of modern traffic, the bridges
are being replaced with modern ones. By the late 19th century
the technology for producing iron, and later steel, truss bridges
made them attractive and relatively inexpensive for highway and
railroad bridge construction. They were built extensively from
then through the mid-20th century. By the 1940s advancements
in reinforced concrete made it more cost effective, and the use of
iron and steel trusses declined rapidly. Their preservation is often
hampered by their outdated use, but alternatives to demolition
include the continued maintenance and service of active bridges
that meet current use requirements.
Aircraft Hangar at Gragg
Field Historic District,
Clanton
For years, the WPA aircraft
hangar at Gragg Field served
the Chilton County Airport. Today this abandoned structure has
a collapsed metal wall and a roof open to the elements. With no
funds for repair and maintenance, its prospects are not good.
Constructed in 1937, the hangar is a contributing resource
within the Gragg Field Historic District, one of the few airports
in Alabama to be listed in the National Register of Historic
Places (2004). The district is significant for its role in aviation
history, as well as for its association with the Works Progress
Administration (the hangar was constructed as a WPA project)
and the Tuskegee Army Airfield.
Winterboro High School,
Winterboro
Community members helped
construct the school in 1927
by carrying rocks to the site, and for 80 years it has served the
community as a place of learning. Now the community is try-ing
to save it from possible demolition because the structure
needs repair and expansion, and some critics believe only a new
building can meet the demands of a 21 st-century academic cur­riculum.
Others favor saving the old building, but fear renovation
and expansion costs will exceed that of new construction. Listed
in the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage and often
cited as one of the most beautiful historic schools in the state,
the structure is significant for its unique rock fagade and classi­cal
architecture. The Talladega County Board of Education has
formed a committee to look at different options.
South Perry Street
Historic District,
Montgomery
Deferred maintenance
and demolition now
threaten a large section of
Montgomery's South Perry Street Historic District, listed in the
National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Current redevelop­ment
plans include construction of a new parking deck on this
block. The city recently purchased many of the South Perry Street
buildings and evicted the remaining tenants with demolition a
distinct possibility. South Perry Street illustrates a century of
Montgomery's commercial architecture with styles such as 1840s
federal, 1890s Victorian, 1920s and '30s art deco and the 1949
Hill Building, which depicts a 'modern' office. Saving at least the
original fagades may offer a compromise to current plans.
Update: The city has been working on a way to save the
district and has located a buyer to stabilize the buildings and
preserve the streetscape.
Old Bibb County Jail,
Centerville
After the county constructed
a new facility, the old jail
was abandoned. Storm dam­age,
deferred mai ntenance
and neglect have taken a
great toll. Demolition was considered, but bids were too high.
The community would like to see it restored and useful again
Mississippi architect A. 8. Hull designed the jail in 1910.
Embellished with Bessemer gray bricks, stone lintels, cast
concrete, carved stone, massive brick piers, columns, quoins
and parapet, the old jail visually complements the nearby
courthouse, a grand renaissance revival building also designed
by Hull. Both buildings contribute to the Centerville Historic
District, which was listed in the National Register of Historic
Places in 1978. The Better Hometown Group, a city coalition, is
trying to purchase the old jail to turn it into a county museum,
and the city will also consider other plans to adapt the building
to a new use.
S1. Clair Springs Historic
District, 81. Clair
Travelers have sought the
healing mineral waters of
St. Clair Springs since the
mid-19th century. During
the 1890s summer cottages, boarding houses and hotels were
built to accommodate visitors. Even after its popularity waned,
many families stayed in the community. Today, new development
and deterioration of some of its historic buildings threaten the
character of the district, which was listed in the National Register
of Historic Places in 1976. A prison that opened in 1983 marked
the first major change, and construction of a multi-unit housing
development will soon impact the area. Another concern is the
run-down condition of some of the original houses. However, its
natural springs, rich history and pleasing late-Victorian architec­ture
make it a place worth saving
Sunny Slope, Auburn
On 5 wooded acres amid
sprawling new apartment
complexes, Sunny Slope is a
reminder of Auburn as a rural
village of the 1850s, when the house was the center of a 2,000-
acre plantation on the edge of town. The Greek revival home is
typical of the style characterized by well-proportioned square­columned
porches, broad sloping roofs, wide front doors,
high ceilings and windows to the floor. The boyhood home of
Alabama Gov. William Samford (1844-1901), Sunny Slope
is threatened by both residential and commercial encroach­ment.
Sensitive development of the surrounding acreage while
preserving the house as a visual centerpiece is one way for
accommodating development while preserving a rare relic from
Auburn's earliest days.
Carraway House,
Birmingham
This two-story, crafts­man-
style residence in
Birmingham's Norwood
district has been vacant
for many years and is suffering damage and neglect. A recent
upstairs fire destroyed part of the roof, subjecting it to the ele­ments.
However, determined residents are trying to save the
Carraway House despite these setbacks. Designed by Salie
ami Mewhinney, the Carraway house was originally constructed
in 1916 by T S. Abernethy, president of the Strand Theater
Co. In 1933 Dr. Charles N. Carraway, a physician and founder
of Carraway Hospital, purchased the house from Abernethy. It
changed ownership over the years, though only recently did it fall
into disrepair. The Norwood neighborhood is looking for ways
to obtain and stabilize the property. Several community develop­ment
corporations have expressed interest in working with the
neighborhood. If successful, a restored Carraway House could
anchor the neighborhood and function again as a beautiful and
useful building.
Edgewood Neighborhood
and Business District,
Homewood
Edgewood is one of three
communities incorporated
by the City of Homewood in
1926. Known for its attractive
architecture, Edgewood still retains many of its 1920s bunga­lows,
Tudor revival houses and Spanish-style buildings, along
with a quaint business district of single-story Tudor and Spanish­style
structures. But rapid growth of the community now threat­ens
its treasured architecture, cultural diversity and affordable
housing market. Many business owners are against a proposed
redevelopment of the business district, which includes demol­ishing
some of the original buildings. Property owners are also
concerned about the growing number of 'teardowns' in residential
neighborhoods. Identifying important elements of the community
through survey and registration efforts, improved local preserva­tion
ordinances and design review may have an impact on future
decisions. Money used for new development might also be used
for preservation and adaptive reuse.
Barclift Inn, Blountsville
The old Huntsville-to­Tuscaloosa
stagecoach road
linked north Alabama's largest
town, Huntsville, to the state
capital of Tuscaloosa. It ran
directly through Blountsville, where weary travelers could pass
the night at the inn run by Judge James Hendricks. Known as the
Barclift Inn since the early 1900s, this sturdy two-story structure
is one of the state's few remaining stagecoach stops. It dates from
around 1836. Extensively remodeled around 1930, the Barcl ift
Inn still preserves its overall original form and remnants of its
original interior woodwork. Commercial encroachment threatens
the inn, which is now for sale.
Old Church of the
Epiphany (Episcopal),
Guntersville
The former Episcopal Church
of the Epiphany (1917-18) is
an important example of 'car­penter's
gothic', a signature
style of many small Episcopal
congregations of the late 19th and very early 20th centuries.
When the congregation completed a larger church elsewhere
in 1990, this building along with its parish house were turned
over to the City of Guntersville for use as an art museum com­plex.
Today the old church and parish house are scheduled for
demolition by the neighboring First Baptist Church for a parking
lot. Initial efforts were made to move the church several blocks
to a lakeshore site adjacent to the present Episcopal church for
use as a chapel. When this move proved too expensive, the new
St. Aiden's parish in nearby Hampton Cove sought to move the
church for use by its congregation. Costs prohibited this move
as well. Barring development of a third option, the 1918 struc­ture
will be razed.
Update: A new owner has been found to move the church and
use it. ~
Photographs courtesy of the Alabama Historical Commission
27 Volume XVII, No. II
, ~ ~~~.~~--~---.----------------------------~
Desi nAlabama
Volume XVII, Issue II
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.
PLANNING WITH VISION
''If you're doing sOlnethin
"You ave to
new you've got to have
build up a credibility
a vision. You've ot to
efore the support
have sOlne north star
cOlnes t 0 you. " - Frank Gehry
you're a iln ing for,
''Even when you think you
and you J·ust believe
have your life all mapped out,
sOlnehow you'll
things happen that shape your
get there. " -Steve Case
destiny in ways you might never
have imagined. " - Oeepak Chopra
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