Author: Gina Clifford

Quite literally, alleys have long taken a backseat to other parts of town. These often-underused narrow spaces between and behind buildings are now being “activated” for public use. Efforts are under way to transform Merchant Alley in downtown Athens into a vibrant and functional space.

The Merchant Alley Revitalization Project will improve an alleyway located in the heart of town and turn it into additional space for outdoor dining, music performances and a place for people to relax, socialize and enjoy the use of free Wi-Fi in the downtown, which is known as The Square.  The alley connects North Jefferson Street with public parking on Market and Madison streets.

Athens Main Street plans to create a series of murals that tell the story of Athens and expand its identity. A committee is in the early stages of creating a theme for the murals and getting input from the community.  Featuring the work of a state muralist, Alabama artists and local students is also being considered.

Hardscape walking surfaces will be replaced with a lively pedestrian corridor that connects the municipal parking lot to the center of downtown as a way to encourage people to interact and spend more time downtown. Landscaping and seating will also invite people to linger and enjoy this small public space.

The design phase and the construction phase are taking place concurrently and the project is expected to be completed by early summer 2021. The side of the building where murals will be displayed was power washed to determine if the surface is viable for painting or if panels should be used, says Tere Richardson, executive director of Athens Main Street.

Merchants Alley is owned by Derrick Young, owner of U.G. White Mercantile, which since 1917 has been an economic anchor in the downtown. Young is a longtime supporter of downtown revitalization and growth, and is working with a team on the project, which is made possible through public/private partnerships.

Two historic buildings make up either side of the alley, and Richardson says Young plans to lease the southside building to Athens Main Street for a nominal fee. U.G. White Mercantile occupies the building, along with an Italian restaurant. The northside building was built in 1920 and has been used for a variety of businesses over the years. Athens Main Street occupies part of the building.

Richardson describes downtown Athens as “the heart and soul of our city and county” and the improved Merchants Alley will undoubtedly be a popular new amenity. The Merchants Alley Revitalization Project is one of several projects in recent years aimed at enhancing the downtown.

“Our courthouse was recently renovated and we have undertaken a marvelous streetscape project that improved walkability, ADA compliance, calmed traffic and restored historic looking light posts,” Richardson explains. “We have also instituted outdoor dining all around the Square to encourage dining out safely during the Covid crisis.”

Article Written by Jessica Armstrong and Images Courtesy of Athens Main Street

Downtown Birmingham has a large inventory of older industrial buildings, thanks in large part to benign neglect. Many of these early buildings today are providing an ideal source for mixed-used redevelopment.

“The reason there are a lot of old buildings is that Birmingham was ground zero for the civil rights movement and when it heated up people left the downtown,” explains Michael Gibson, co-founder and CEO of Creature, a Birmingham-based architecture and construction firm. “No one was interested in investing in the downtown, so many buildings were left intact.”

While older buildings in such cities as Atlanta fell victim to the wrecking ball during urban renewal, a lack of interest in downtown Birmingham actually saved the city’s early buildings. These buildings are now protected through Birmingham’s Design Review Ordinance, notes Gibson, who led the design and construction of an adaptive reuse project that turned a three-story 1927 Birmingham warehouse building into residential, office and retail space.

The Denham Building, named for the architects, Denham, Van Keuren & Dunham, is located in the booming Parkside District and walking distance to walking distance to Regions Field, Rotary Trail, Railroad Park, UAB and other popular destinations. The roughly 100,000-square-foot building consists of heavily ordered concrete structural bays and steel factory windows that are iconic reminders of the neighborhood’s industrial history.

Keeping these original characteristics intact throughout the design and construction process was essential. The near floor-to-ceiling casement windows remain, along with the 14-foot ceilings and concrete floors. The front-loading dock was converted into a patio. The original 4-foot-wide cooler doors found new use as the residents’ front entries.

The building consists of 59 residential units which are available in several floorplans. Apartments can be further customized with such additions as accent walls, finishes and installations.

The adaptive reuse project received Part 3 approval of state and federal historic tax credits which required careful consideration given to how the windows were cataloged to be repaired or replaced in keeping with the original aesthetic. Part 3 of the application is submitted after the project is complete and verifies that the work was completed as intended. National Park Service approval of the Part 3 certifies that the project meets the standards and is a “certified rehabilitation.”

Adaptive reuse projects present a space-planning challenge and the Denham Building was no exception. The 120-foot-wide building footprint was suitable for a warehouse, but not apartment layouts. The span was too wide for a double loaded corridor, but too narrow for a lightwell carved in the center. The solution was a row of small double height “pop-up” dwellings in the center of the building that open onto a new third-story space.

This lofted space gathers southern light and offers views toward Red Mountain, while maintaining a setback to preserve the original building profile. The ground floor was designed to maximize usable area for future retail, restaurant, and office use. A third level was added that features a glassed-in restaurant space with expansive downtown views. Amenities include on-site restaurants, a brewpub, rooftop dining, a media room, outdoor grilling areas, fitness center, a dog walk and off-street parking.

Article Written by Jessica Armstrong and Images Courtesy of Chris Luker @lukerphtography on Instagram

“Decent housing is not just a wish, it is a human right,” says former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, who believes we’re “morally obligated” to help people obtain a proper place to live. The longtime Habitat for Humanity volunteer would be proud of the Auburn University students providing affordable housing to families in need.

In 2018 and 2019, students designed and constructed two Auburn-Opelika Habitat for Humanity homes in Opelika that are not only affordable, but energy-efficient and severe weather resistant. Over 75 students were involved, along with local Habitat volunteers and the recipients of the homes.

The project is a partnership among Auburn University’s School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture (led by Professor David Hinson), the McWhorter School of Building Science (led by Professor Mike Hosey) and AU’s Rural Studio program (led by Assistant Research Professor Mackenzie Stagg).

Hinson’s collaboration with Habitat for Humanity goes back to 2001 when DesignAlabama asked him to get involved. “I owe the legacy of my partnership with Habitat to DesignAlabama.”

Known as the Habitat/20K Performance Homes, the houses are based on one built in 2017 that is part of the Rural Studio’s 20K Initiative, which was created to design homes for west Alabama that cost no more than $20,000. Students took this basic design and improved energy performance and achieved FORTIFIED Home™, an insurance industry standard to help strengthen homes against severe weather.

The actual energy cost to operate the Habitat/20K homes will be monitored. The two homes were built to slightly different standards to allow for balance when comparing how much money was put into each house and how much saved over a one-year period and the life of the house. Computer-generated models predict an annual savings of 60 to 75 percent in energy costs compared to a home built to current code requirements.

Katherine Ferguson, a 2019 Auburn graduate, was part of the team that built the 2018 Habitat house. She is now working on her master’s through AU’s architecture school at Rural Studio studying public interest design. “One of the most impactful processes of this design build project was working with an actual client,” says Ferguson. “Most undergraduate students don’t interact with a client during their time in school, so being able to learn how the client-architect relationship works was vital to our growth as architecture students… Because we had a personal relationship with the client, we worked to design the most cost-effective home to hopefully benefit her long term.”

Emma Porter, a fourth year Architecture & Interior Architecture student at AU, was part of the team that produced the 2019 house. The project gave her real life construction experience and a better understanding of building systems and details. “We were all coming from different backgrounds of knowledge on construction, but all eager to learn and produce a high quality and well thought out design. I love how our exterior skin and porch design came out; the studio put a lot of thought and effort in trying out different ideas and collaborating until we decided on the final design.”

Image 1 -The actual energy cost to operate the Habitat/20K homes (the 2019 home seen here) will be monitored. Computer-generated models predict an annual savings of 60 to 75 percent in energy costs compared to a home built to current code requirements.

Image 2- Students peek out of the spaces of the 2019 house during its framing stage. The project is a partnership among Auburn University’s School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, the McWhorter School of Building Science and AU’s Rural Studio program.

Image 3- Known as the Habitat/20K Performance Homes, the Opelika houses are based on one built in 2017 that is part of the Rural Studio’s 20K Initiative, which was created to design homes that cost no more than $20,000. Students completed this house in 2018.

Image 4- In 2018 and 2019, students designed and constructed two Auburn-Opelika Habitat for Humanity homes in Opelika that are not only affordable, but energy-efficient and severe weather resistant. Students gather in front of the 2018 house.

Image 5- More than 75 students were involved in the two Habitat houses in Opelika. Local Habitat volunteers and the recipients of the homes also pitched in to help, including the family that now lives in this home built in 2019.

*Article By Jessica Armstrong and Images Courtesy of David Hinson, Mackenzie Stagg and Matt Hall

According to the National Education Association, collaborative learning not only helps students develop higher-level thinking skills, but bolsters their confidence and self-esteem. Collaboration was a key factor in the design of the new building for UAB’s Collat School of Business.

Both the Collat School of Business and Bill L. Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship are housed in the new multipurpose learning space, which forms a dramatic gateway at the western edge of UAB’s campus and anchors the corner of Birmingham’s University Boulevard and 13th Street South.

Birmingham-based Williams Blackstock Architects and the New York City firm of groundbreaking architect Robert A.M. Stern served as the architects of record on the $37.5 million project, which was planned with input from students and community business leaders.

The 108,000-square-foot building is designed around a central-commons “living room” that promotes student and faculty interaction, and fronts the primary boulevard through campus with glass and an exterior patio. Educational spaces and classrooms surround the “living room” so students and faculty can see and be seen, thereby increasing collaboration through visibility and transparency, explains Williams Blackstock Principal Matt Foley.

The Commons provides the nucleus of the building’s parti – the organizing thought or decision behind the design – and creates a hub for faculty and student activity. The three-story space fronts University Boulevard providing daylight and views to and from campus as well as the adjoining interior classroom spaces.

Breakout rooms, an innovation lab and classrooms designed for team-based learning are housed in the new building. Along with a high-tech finance lab, sales role-playing rooms, a three-story atrium, auditorium, career center and quiet study spaces.

A café and outdoor dining terrace at ground level provide an ideal spot to relax between classes. Classroom entrances and key meeting spaces open onto and overlook the living room.

The innovation lab, finance lab and dean’s board room are spaces within the building critical to the mission of the Collat School of Business. An expansive storefront and curtainwall put these spaces on display inside and outside the building.

Classrooms, meeting spaces and offices offer views of the campus and skyline, which reinforces the design concept that encourages collaborative engagement between business education and the greater business community.

A sculptural grand stair serves as a connective tissue between all floor levels by providing vertical walkability and an elegant central landmark. The stair is meant to overshadow the elevator to encourage navigating the building on foot. This creates a distinct and identifiable experience specific to this new building.

The exterior features a combination of traditional building materials and contemporary building elements. A spacious landscaped courtyard on the building’s east side leads students to the main entrance of the Collat School of Business, while the main entrance to the Bill L. Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship is on the northern side of the building.

Image 1- The exterior features both traditional and contemporary building elements. The four-story multipurpose learning space includes classrooms designed for team-based learning, lecture halls, faculty and student breakout rooms and other amenities. It also houses the Bill L. Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Image 2- Birmingham-based Williams Blackstock Architects and the New York City firm of groundbreaking architect Robert A.M. Stern served as the architects of record on the $37.5 million project, which was planned with input from students and community business leaders.

Image 3- The 108,000-square-foot building is designed around a central-commons “living room” that promotes student and faculty interaction and fronts the primary boulevard through campus with glass and an exterior patio.

*Article By Jessica Armstrong and Images Courtesy of Williams Blackstock Architects

This is not your father’s middle school or yours for that matter, to co-opt the 1989 Oldsmobile commercial. The new Florence Middle School has been mistaken for a university, as some find it inconceivable that seventh graders show up here for class.

Florence Middle School opened this year, and Lambert Ezell Durham Architecture of Florence received the 2019 Top Block Design Award from the Alabama Concrete Industries Association for the $34 million project.

The 180,000-square-foot building replaces Florence’s 1951 Coffee High School building. The cast stone exterior of the new school complements the original 1917 school that was replaced in 1951.

Says Calvin Durham of Lambert Ezell Durham Architecture in Florence: “They wanted a timeless, classic design that wouldn’t look dated in the coming years, and a secure building. I think we managed to achieve both.”

Safe Havens International – a non-profit group that helps schools improve crisis preparedness and campus safety – placed Florence Middle School in the top 5 out of 7,800 school reviewed for security, Durham says.

Security includes clear lines-of-sight, electronically controlled public areas and a gymnasium that doubles as a FEMA-rated storm shelter. In addition, the school can lock down so no one can go further than the lobby.

The design was organized around a central Commons that connects academics, fine arts and athletics. The façade of the two-story academic wing is west of the Commons, allowing it to be visible to traffic, and is surrounded by a courtyard with controlled access.

North of the Commons is the auditorium that anchors the fine arts wing that surrounds it. East of the Commons is the gymnasium that aligns with the existing high school competition gymnasium. Aligning the two facilities allows the school to accommodate larger athletic competitions.

Coffee High School’s theater was known for its excellent acoustics. The town didn’t want to be without a theater, so the new theater serves both the school and the community. Community partnership is a hallmark of Florence Middle School, which also shares its football stadium with the University of North Alabama.

Florence Middle School also includes a media center, collaborative spaces, a central locker area, and a cafeteria with a variety of seating choices including a covered outdoor option.

Image 1 -Florence Middle School was designed to be a secure, safe, modern state of the art facility for students while presenting a classical presence and sense of place for the public. The primary design objective was a classical-inspired façade, and priority given to security and safety.

Image 2- A view of the south façade from Hermitage Drive heading north along the west edge of the campus. The two-story academic building is to the left. The student drop-off canopy can be seen to the right along the gymnasium’s colonnade to the far right.

Image 3- The new 180,000-square-foot Florence Middle School replaces Florence’s 1951 Coffee High School building. The design was organized around a central Commons that connects academics, fine arts and athletics.

Image 4 -Along with being used for school assembly and other functions, the auditorium is used for year-round public events and was designed for optimum acoustics. Located north of central Commons area, the auditorium anchors the fine-art wing that surrounds it.

*Article By Jessica Armstrong and Images Courtesy of Lambert Ezell Durham Architecture

Beat the heat. No reservations required. That’s the message the city of Hoover is sending about its newly opened Explore Playground and Splash Pad located in the Hoover Met Complex.

Treat yourself free of charge to a multisensory, fantastical experience. The 15,000-square-foot playground – considered Alabama’s largest poured-in-place playground surface – and the adjoining 7,000-square-foot splash pad are universally designed to be used by everyone, including people with disabilities and mobility restrictions.

Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood provided architecture, landscape architecture, civil engineering and electrical design services for the $2 million project. J.A. Dawson & Co., a Pelham-based contractor specializing in parks and playgrounds, was also part of the team along with Gametime, a leading commercial playground equipment manufacturer. GMC coordinated the project and provided construction documents for the final design.

From the overall design to equipment selection, the end result is all-out fun in a safe environment. Vibrant rainbow colors, bursts of patterns and textures. Flowers that play music. Even Alice in Wonderland would be mystified.

The splash pad offers the perfect spot to cool off and is open from May 15 to Sept. 15 during Alabama’s hottest and stickiest days. Chlorinated water re-circulated through a filtration system sprays out in arches and large globules at varying heights. Throughout the pad are multicolored structures such as cartoon-like animals that spew water and invite revelers to play.

According to J.A. Dawson, the design for a first-rate playground had begun when the company was asked by the city to redesign the project in a way that would accommodate people of all ages and abilities.

Several features achieve this objective. The clubhouse is constructed in glass fiber reinforced concrete and designed for handicap accessibility on both the lower and upper levels. The family changing room includes a changing table that can hold up to 300 pounds to accommodate special needs parents and older children. It can also be raised and lowered to allow wheelchair-bound parents to change their child.

The park also has charging stations for both phones and motorized wheelchairs. And when visitors need to slow down a bit, there are areas to rest in the shade.

Image 1 – Jack in the Beanstalk-like vines climb on the entrance to the Explore Playground and Splash Pad in the Hoover Met Complex. The 15,000-square-foot playground and adjoining 7,000-square-foot splash pad are universally designed to be used by people of all ages and abilities.

Image 2- Slides, swings and climbing structures. The playground has something for everyone to enjoy, including innovative see-saw with four seats instead of the usual two, designed to accommodate users of all abilities.

Image 3 – Water shoots out in all directions in arches and globules to the delight of children in Hoover’s new splash pad, which is open from May 15 to Sept. 15. The playground is open year-round.

* Article By Jessica Armstong and Images Courtesy of Edward Badham Photography

André Holland has gained considerable success as an actor, including a significant role in Moonlight, the 2017 Academy Award for Best Picture. But the Bessemer native might best be known in his hometown for saving historic buildings.

He purchased the rundown Lincoln Theatre in downtown Bessemer and is turning it into a performing arts venue and cinema showing classic and first-run movies.

Built in 1948 as a movie theater for African-Americans, the building was purchased through the nonprofit Holland Project created by his family to preserve the Lincoln and other local historic properties.

Mary Holland remembers taking her son André to the children’s theater in downtown Birmingham, where he had one line in his first play. That experience “made such a difference in his life,” says Mary, who points out that an arts center is much needed in Bessemer.

Growing up in Bessemer, she remembers church on Sunday followed by a movie at the Lincoln. She says André plans to bring his actor friends to Bessemer to help run acting workshops for children in the restored theater.

The Lincoln Theatre will also celebrate diverse cultures with emphasis on African-American heritage, notes Glenny Brock of Birmingham Landmarks, Inc., who is consultant on the restoration.

Construction begins in 2020 with a goal to open in 2021. The Holland Project received a $21,000 design grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts to help achieve that goal.

“We will use these funds to engage an architect for the entire restoration project and to begin work on the venue’s marquee and façade,” says Brock. Birmingham-based Studio 2H Design was selected to complete the project.

The city of Bessemer will also help fund the project through its community development along with federal dollars, says Abraham Ward, the city’s principal rehab specialist.

Designed by Birmingham architect Charles McCauley, Brock says one of the building’s loveliest details of the steel-framed structure is the facade of green and white glazed brick. She says the new marquee and signs will resemble the building’s original 1948 signage but with LED lighting.

“What we are doing is realizing Andre’s vision,” says Brock, who came on board with the project because she was “very moved” that he cared enough about his hometown to purchase its neglected theater.

Image 1- Of the 400-plus seats originally in the Lincoln Theatre, only about 60 in the balcony remain intact.  Image Courtesy of Donna Sanders Ware

Image 2- Since the mid-1970s, the Lincoln auditorium has been repurposed several times. These balcony seats over the years have overlooked an upholstery shop, a furniture store and a barber shop. Image Courtesy of Jeff E. Newman

Image 3- The Lincoln is located at 1926 First Avenue North in the Downtown Bessemer Historic District, designated on the National Register of Historic Places. A notable feature is the green and white glazed brick façade. Image Courtesy of Larry O. Gay

Image 4- This photo from the Jefferson County Board of Equalization was taken in 1948 when First Avenue North was occupied by thriving black businesses. The Lincoln was at the center of a black entertainment district that included beauty and barber shops, pool halls and cafes. Image Courtesy of Birmingham Public Library Archive

*Article By Jessica Armstrong 

First impressions apply to both human interaction and building design, and the Birmingham Zoo’s new Arrival Experience and Welcome Plaza makes an exciting first impression.

The new entrance concludes Phase 2 of the $18.6 million Renew the Zoo Capital Campaign. Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood GMC served as the project architect and landscape architect for the Arrival Experience, which includes a two-story building, restrooms, two plazas, outdoor classroom, natural play areas and an event lawn.

“The goal was to design a modern facility that complemented the existing zoo and incorporated natural materials in an interesting way,” explains project manager Bob Gray. “The materials used were regionally inspired. The stone is quarried in central Alabama; steel was used to highlight Birmingham’s history as a major steel producer; and the wood is from tree species that are native to Alabama.”

A design challenge was the world map in the Hugh Kaul Plaza, Gray adds. The map is created from the shapes of animals and is a centerpiece of the new entrance.

“This proved to be much more complicated to manufacture than you would think, but it is now a centerpiece of the new plaza… It took a lot of coordination with the contractor, manufacturer and the graphic design team at Scout Branding to come up with something that would work. The end result, however, was well worth it.”

Queuing and ticketing were expanded, and beyond the gates is now a plaza with seating and views into the exhibits. The larger restroom building has a sensory inclusive room for children with autism. The event lawn and green park area replaced two ponds and former fish hatcheries near the front entrance and provides a venue for zoo events.

Parking was expanded and improved while preserving 70 percent of the existing trees. An entrance path underneath a shaded tree canopy is where visitors begin their zoo excursions.

Education was factored into the design with multipurpose indoor space for animal encounters and other educational programs. The project also created ways to increase revenue, with a larger gift shop, event lawn and multipurpose space rented for events.

Animals were protected during construction. “We tried to minimize not only the impact of the construction on the thousands of visitors that come to the zoo each year,” says Gray, “but minimize any disturbance to the animals living there.”

Image 1-Materials used were regionally inspired such as the stone is quarried in central Alabama and the wood is from tree species that are native to Alabama. The project includes a two-story building, two plazas, outdoor classroom, natural play areas and an event lawn.

Image 2- A design challenge was the world map in the Hugh Kaul Plaza. The map is created from the shapes of animals and is a centerpiece of the new entrance.

Image 3- The new Arrival Experience and Welcome Plaza is part of the Birmingham Zoo’s Phase 2 of the $18.6 million Renew the Zoo Capital Campaign.

*Article By Jessica Armstrong and Images Courtesy of Goodwyn Mills & Cawood

Situated on the shores of Wheeler Lake is Joe Wheeler State Park in Rogersville in north Alabama where visitors enjoy world-class fishing and boating on the state’s second largest lake.  Guests can access the 2,550-acre resort park by land or water.

The park features a waterfront lodge with a restaurant and convention facilities, a championship 18-hole golf course, full-service marina with docking slips, modern and primitive camping, lakeside cottages and cabins.

Joe Wheeler State Park was treated to a $1 million facelift, thanks to the passage of Amendment 2 that allowed for long overdue improvement projects to Alabama’s state parks. Seay, Seay and Litchfield designed the new interior, which includes the lobby, dining room and guest rooms. SS&L’s objective was to revitalize the space while keeping the park’s rustic ambiance intact.

Not to be missed as guests enter the renovated lodge lobby is the eye-catching new reception desk. A resin-based panel in the façade of the desk contains twigs that lend a dramatic outdoor feeling to the interior. The desk is backlit, which creates an even more striking effect. The lobby was also treated to new windows and new furniture in keeping with the modernity-meets-rural-charm scheme.

Guest rooms were also upgraded with new furniture, along with new bedding and window treatments. High-quality vinyl tile flooring that simulates the appearance of wood was installed in the pet-friendly rooms.

Outdoor furniture was installed, though this was a separate project and not part of the SS&L design. The old rocking chairs at the Lakeside Cottages were replaced with new Adirondack-style rockers. Landscaping improvements were another component of the overall park makeover and were completed by Joe Wheeler State Park staff and a separate contractor.

Improvements made to the marina include new gas pumps. The park’s Daniella’s Restaurant was also upgraded, along with the park staff offices and the General Golf Course, an 18-hole championship course designed by Earl Stone. Repairs were made to the docks and piers, and the pool area and children’s splashpad was resurfaced. In addition, an upgraded security system was installed as well as new signage along the park road.

Image 1-The recent renovation of Joe Wheeler State Park in Rogersville included improvements to the lodge lobby. On the shores of Lake Wheeler, the park was established when the state purchased land from the TVA in 1949.

Image 2- As they enter the renovated lodge lobby, visitors are treated to the striking new reception desk. A resin-based panel in the desk’s façade contains twigs that are backlit to create a dramatic effect.

Image 3- Guests rooms were upgraded with new bedding, window treatments and flooring. The minimalist décor gives the rooms a tranquil feeling.

Image 4- Outdoor furniture was also part of the overall renovation. High-quality Adirondack-style rockers replaced the older outdoor furniture.

*Article By Jessica Armstrong and Images Courtesy of Joe Wheeler State Park