AIA Alabama honored nine building projects as outstanding examples of architecture during the chapter’s 2005 Design Awards presentation, part of the chapter’s annual awards gala, held in Birmingham late last year. From a group of 37 statewide entries, a Birmingham jury awarded five Awards of Merit and two Honor Awards. Additionally, members of AIA Alabama chose a recreational farmhouse to receive the 2005 Members Choice Award, and the Alabama Masonry Institute presented its Top Block Award to a new “old” high school.

Honor Awards

Ross Bridge Renaissance Golf Resort & Spa, Birmingham, by Goodwyn Mills & Cawood, for Alabama Real Estate Holdings
In the spirit of Birmingham’s heritage, this grand estate, designed in the style of a modern manor home and completed last summer, awaits the arrival of guests. The signature style of Ross Bridge is “old-world made new.” Natural finishes of wood and stone that grace the exterior follow through to the interior. The building’s high-ceilinged spaces are supported by exposed wood trusses and warmed by iron chandeliers.
Photo © Neil Rashba.

Temple Emanu-El Restoration & Addition, Birmingham, by KPS Group, Inc., for Temple Emanu-El
The architects for this project restored the 1913 sanctuary of Temple Emanu-El and designed an addition to both complement the historic structure and accommodate growth. The new addition joins the existing sanctuary building through use of a four-story atrium lobby replete with grand stair and projecting balconies. The addition also houses the original temple’s ark, which was lovingly refurbished.
Photo © Viscom Photographics.

Merit Awards

Special: University of Alabama in Huntsville Master Plan, by JH Partners Architecture & Interiors/HOK Planning, for the University of Alabama
For this university, the future includes a transition to a traditional residential campus and continued growth and leadership in research. The development of a master planning system marks an important step in ensuring that these goals and the others set by the university were achievable. Key development goals addressed by the master plan include the transition to a traditional campus, design guidelines to foster visual consistency on campus, a framework for the proposed construction of the Transportation Applied Science Building, and creating “special places” on campus through focal points and key gathering spaces.
Rendering courtesy of the architect.

Commercial: The Summit Birmingham, Phases 2 & 3, Birmingham, by Crawford McWilliams Hatcher Architects, for Bayer Properties
This project—“with an ambiance of a Mediterranean hill town”—serves as one of the first large “lifestyle” centers in the US Its 163-acre site accommodates 53 acres of multifamily housing, while the remaining 109 acres promote the growth of retail and other commercial uses. Traditional mall-type retailers reside in a convenient, open-air format, with abundant landscaping and architectural design features that go far beyond the traditional open-air centers.
Photo courtesy of the architect.

Commercial: Synovus Centre, Columbus, Ga., by Crawford McWilliams Hatcher Architects, for W. C. Bradley Company
The Synovus Centre serves as corporate headquarters for Synovus Bank and also as home to two law firms. The building, situated along the banks of the Chattahoochee River, has adopted the appearance of a mill on its cityside face, paying homage to the history and architecture of Columbus. The façade that faces the river takes on a more contemporary persona, reflecting the high-tech nature of Synovus and the future of its hometown.
Photo courtesy of the architect.

Institutional: Auburn Public Library, Auburn, Ala., by Williams Blackstock Architects, for the City of Auburn
Completed in 2001, this building maximizes flexibility of layout and patron control, has a grand public scale, and will allow future additions and expansion. Sweeping curves invite the community in, and a long, clerestoried roof spine allows the building to be flooded with natural light. High ceilings and a panoramic view from the reading room draw users to one end of the building, while a centrally located, elongated circulation desk allows visual control of virtually the entire facility.
Photo courtesy of the architect.

Institutional: Fort Whiting Joint Armed Forces Reserve Center, Mobile, Ala., by Seay, Seay & Litchfield, for the State Military Department
This renovation, restoration, and addition project, completed in 2004 for the 1930 Fort Whiting Joint Armed Forces Reserve Center, serves four units of the Alabama Army National Guard and two units of the U.S. Marine Corp Reserve. The original concrete center was updated for moisture control and protection against Mobile Bay’s salt-water environment. The project’s multipurpose “drill hall” also accommodates dances, Mardi Gras balls, concerts, theater productions, and other civic functions.
Photo © Robert Fouts.

Member Choice Award

Musselwhite Farm House, by Taylor Dawson & Associates, for Wayne Musselwhite
This award, voted on by members of AIA Alabama, was presented to Taylor Dawson & Associates for this recreational farmhouse that includes five bedrooms and five baths, a 10-horse stable with a four-bedroom guest dwelling, cookhouse, and greenhouse. The architect reports that the design objective was an environment that the family can enjoy for generations with a building that fits in aesthetically with its surrounding environment yet offers a contemporary edge.
Photo courtesy of the architect.

Top Block Award, sponsored by the Alabama Masonry Institute

Huntsville High School, Huntsville, Ala., by JH Partners Architecture & Interiors, for Huntsville City Schools
The architects strove to integrate flow and space solutions for future growth with an image that reflected the traditional style that students, alumni, and the community requested. After a series of visioning sessions these constituents requested that the new building’s design replicate the look of the existing 1952 building. The architecture firm explored images the groups particularly liked, then integrated steps leading into the school’s front door, double-hung windows, and brick with stone detailing to achieve the image that students, alumni, and the community wanted.
Photo © Dennis Keim.

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