Author: gina2

While it’s not every day that architecture students get global recognition for their work, that’s what happened with four students of Auburn University’s Rural Studio.

Their Lions Park Shade project – a shading structure offering refuge in a 40-acre park in Greensboro – was listed in Archdaily’s Best Student Design-Build Projects Worldwide 2017.

Students were fifth-year architecture students, but the project continued beyond graduation in May 2015, and they continued working on the project as volunteers until its completion in the fall of 2016. Team members are Callie Eitzen, Julia Long, Daniel Toner and Alex Therrien , now an instructor at the Rural Studio.

The project consists of three open-air shade pavilions placed at key intersections along the Lions Park trail. Each pavilion is distinct in size ranging from small to large and is accompanied by benches, tables, water fountains and bike racks.

“Using a two-layered canopy system, precise shadow and dappled light are cast on the surfaces beneath,” Therrien explains. “You can sit in the shade and have views of the sky. Haint blue is painted on the underside of the canopy, a nod to the traditional southern porch.”

Since 2006, Rural Studio and community partners in Greensboro have partnered to turn Lions Park into a multi-recreational haven, he adds. Ten teams have completed built projects at the park.

“The Lions Park Shade team was tasked with helping casual park users seek rest and refuge from the hot, humid climate in west Alabama, especially during the ‘dog days’ of August, when it can be a 100-degree heat index by noon and pouring rain at three in the afternoon,” Therrien observes.

“Sambo (Rural Studio co-founder Samuel “Sambo” Mockbee) always said: ‘It’s got to be warm, noble and dry.’ In this case, we replace warm with cool.”

Therrien says he and his team were “humbled and excited” the day they found out the work of the Rural Studio continues to be recognized worldwide.

“We spent the day reflecting on the journey it took to build the pavilions and how much we learned from the design-build process. As aspiring architects, it reminds us to always try to help make a place a little bit better than how we found it.”

 

Image 1: Each of the three open-shade pavilions is placed at key intersections along the walking trail of Lions Park in Greensboro. The sizes of the pavilions vary, and are accompanied by benches, tables, water fountains and bike racks.

Image 2: Using a two-layered canopy system, precise shadows and dappled light are cast on the surfaces beneath. This allows visitors to the park to sit in the shade and still enjoy views of the sky.

*Article by Jessica Armstrong and Images Courtesy of Auburn University’s Rural Studio

 

Plans are moving forward to upgrade the infrastructure of downtown Oxford, located in Calhoun and Talladega counties in the foothills in the southern end of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The Oxford streetscape project will overhaul the core of the city from sidewalk to sidewalk and street to street, and is set to begin mid-October after the city’s annual fall festival.

Building improvements have been made over the years to bring life back to the downtown’s historic buildings. Now the streetscape project will further upgrade the town’s commercial core and completely redo the public infrastructure.

“Private money has been used to renovate the buildings, and the city is now updating the public areas,” says Keith Strickland, a civil engineer with Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood, the firm that designed the Oxford streetscape plan.

Hale Building and Construction in nearby Anniston recently won the bid for the $2.2 million project, which is expected to take about 10 months to a year to complete.

Strickland says the Oxford Main Street program is “heavily involved” in the planning of the streetscape project. Interim Main Street director Hunter Gentry says the plans calls for improving traffic flow, adding more green space, widening the sidewalks, upgrading the street lights and adding decorative traffic signals.

The streetscape project also includes placing utility lines underground, adding brick pavers and curb and gutter improvements. Landscaping is also part of the plan, and adding benches may be part of the later phase after the initial work is done.

Oxford’s Performing Arts Center – housed in a 1921 building that was formerly City Hall – brings people to the downtown with performances by top artists such as The Marshall Tucker Band and The Temptations.

Gentry points out that only one restaurant currently operates in the downtown. Dinner and a show go hand-in-hand. So the streetscape project could bring about additional restaurants opening downtown, which would make heading downtown for a performance all the more enjoyable.

Image 1: This rendering designed by Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood shows the improvements planned for downtown Oxford. These include changing the direction of main streets to improve traffic flow.

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

A nondescript warehouse with no windows in Irondale has been transformed into an inviting and highly functional work environment offering abundant light and views.

Williams Blackstock Architects in Birmingham renovated the interior of the 57,000-square-foot long-abandoned tilt-up panel warehouse for High Cotton, a data-driven company that serves the banking and healthcare industries with payment technology and customer communications. Office space comprises 15,000 square feet and printing production takes up 43,000 square feet.

New windows were cut into the existing concrete walls and large areas of interior glass were added. The result is light flooding the interior and a “layering” effect with views that extend from the main lobby – which features a full-height glass wall – and through to the office space.

“Very few places in the building don’t have natural light,” observes architect Joanne Riddle who was on the project team. “The walls are solid concrete, so we had to take drastic measures to open them up without hurting their structural integrity.”

Focal points include glass box “war rooms” located in the open office area. These glassed-in conference rooms provide privacy without giving up daylight and views. And located between the office and production areas is a “town center,” an employee gathering spot containing a dining area and kitchen.

“This was a fast-track project, so we kept the existing concrete floors and stained and polished them,” Riddle explains. “The interior mechanical systems were left exposed and painted white.”

A sophisticated color palette was used throughout, consisting of soothing neutrals in white and gray with accents of the company’s signature blue.

The High Cotton renovation project received the 2017 AIA Birmingham honor award and jury award in the commercial category.

Image 1- A wall in this conference room is painted the shade of blue found in the High Cotton logo. Lighting fixtures throughout are striking and modern, and are in keeping with the interior’s overall scheme.

Image 2- Williams Blackstock Architects took a dreary warehouse with no windows that sat vacant for several years and flooded it with plentiful light with the addition of new windows and large expanses of glass.

Image 3- When visitors enter the lobby area, they are sure to be impressed by the dramatic glass full-height wall.

Image 4- Glass box “war rooms” create a sculptural effect and serve as central hubs for video conferencing and meetings. The glass walls provide auditory privacy , while keeping the space open to its surroundings and letting in light. 

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

While Auburn is certainly best known as a university town, it’s becoming increasingly recognized for its cultural offerings.

The Auburn University board of trustees has approved a $65 million new Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center – an 85,000-square-foot building designed for top-rated musical, theatrical and dance performances, along with speakers and other events. Anticipated completion is summer 2019.

Located near the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Arts, the center will include a 1,200-seat performance hall, outdoor amphitheater, box office, catering kitchen, wardrobe and dressing rooms, as well as conference and office space.

Wilson Butler Architects in Boston designed the center. BL Harbert in Birmingham is providing pre-construction management services through the project’s design phase.

The new center is sited near the Jule Collins Smith Museum, which will define a future arts district, says Josh Stiling, project architect at Wilson Butler Architects.

Stiling points to four principles that define the exterior design:
• Connection to Community – a grand lobby sheltered by a wood ceiling that extends beyond large expanses of curtain wall to connect the interior to the exterior.
• Transparency and Activation – large expanses of glass revealing activity within the lobby with a distinctive curtain wall design to reflect the notion of a performance venue by “drawing the curtains” on the interior.
• Expressing the Venues – promoting the presence of the main hall and future venues from the exterior to interior through material and form.
• Defining an Arts District – developing a future language through exterior materials to compliment neighboring buildings, and prepare for the future of a flourishing arts campus.

Interior aspects of the design focus on the patron experience from first to last impressions with close attention to guest amenities ranging from concessions and restrooms to aisle widths and rigorous sightline studies within the hall. The lobby was designed to support special functions such as string quartets, lectures and other events.

“The main hall features natural and adjustable acoustics which boast reverberation times on par with some of the world’s most prominent concert halls, such as the Tonehalle Concert Hall in Zurich and the Amsterdam Concert Hall,” Stiling notes.

Architectural screens within the main hall provide an intimate performance experience while allowing the hall’s acoustical volume to function effectively. These custom-design screens also conceal adjustable banners for natural tuning of the space for Broadway performances without altering the visual character of the room.

Exterior materials consist of brick, accents of stone and large expanses of glass curtain wall at the lobby. A neutral-colored brick with a custom coursing pattern is used to express performance venues, while accents of stone highlight public entrances and faces the neighboring art district. Red brick used in administration and back-of-the-house areas face the university in order to bridge the traditions of the historic campus with the contemporary nature of the arts district, Stiling explains.

“The interior features a neutral palette of finishes with a warm presence of natural wood – southern long-leaf pine – and pops of color at points of interest,” adds Stiling. “The lobby will also feature custom art installations periodically throughout public areas.”

 

Image 1-The new Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center is sited at the south edge of Auburn University’s campus, complimentary to the Jule Collins Smith Museum. This location will contribute to a future arts district and establish a more defined gateway to the campus.

Image 2-Large expanses of glass reveal activity within the lobby. The dramatic curtain wall is designed to reflect the notion of a performance venue by “drawing the curtains” on the interior.

Image 3-The exterior materials consist of brick with accents of stone and large expanses of glass curtain wall at the lobby.

 

*Article By Jessica Armstrong and Images Courtesy of Auburn University

 

Few objects are more functional than a table, yet bDot Architecture in Birmingham has designed one that takes the functionality of a table to even greater heights.

The smiLe table is a custom-design play table for children with special needs, and is tailored to the child’s specific reach and range of motion. The moveable arm is designed to be able to “hug up” to the user in order to help support and stabilize the child during physical therapy.

The prototype was designed for a patient at Children’s Hospital in Birmingham. The child has since been discharged, but the table has remained and is being used by physical therapists at the hospital, says bDot founder Brian Roberson.

Fabricated completely in-house, the table consists of CNC-milled plywood profiles for play surfaces, a 3D-printed edge band, 3D-printed adjustable legs and 3D-printed feet. Flexible bumper cushions keep oxygen tubes and other equipment from becoming pinched.

The table’s legs are adjustable to cope with uneven surfaces, accommodate the use of support devices and grow with the child. The table can be used either on the floor or on a hospital bed.

“We really didn’t have preconceived ideas about the table before we visited the child and the staff at the hospital,” Roberson recalls.

“The design is based around the needs of the child and how the physical therapists wanted to use it to accelerate (the patient’s) recovery. All of the parts and pieces are custom and are printed, cut and fabricated at our studio. It is available for purchase and can be modified as needed.

The smiLe table received the 2017 Honorable Mention AIA Birmingham Design Award.

 

Image 1- The cheery play table features bright, primary colors that are sure to appeal to young patients. According to the creators at bDot, “Being able to create a custom solution for a special needs child really is enough to put a smile on your face.”

Image 2- This child (not an actual patient) enjoys playing on the smiLe table, which is designed to add children with special needs during physical therapy.

Image 3-Uneven surfaces are not a problem with these adjustable legs that allow the play table to be used on the floor or on a hospital bed. The height of the legs can be adjusted as the child grows and they are designed to accommodate the use of support devices.

Image 4- The plan diagram of the play table, which can be modified for various needs and is available for purchase through bDot Architecture.

 

*Article By Jessica Armstrong and Images Courtesy of bDot Architecture