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WBA is honored to be recognized by the AIA Internship Advisory Committee.
“The firms have not only satisfied the requirements for recognition with the Intern Development Program Firm Award, but have demonstrated a deep commitment to the program by going above and beyond the baseline criteria and demonstrating innovation in their commitment to the Intern Development Program.”
WBA is honored to accept a honorable mention award from Contract Magazine for the recently completed Colonel Robert L. Howard State Veteran's Home.
“ By creating tightly knit miniature communities with hospitality inspired finishes and materials, designer Williams Blackrock Architects hopes to banish the anonymous and intuitional feel that some senior living facilities have, and to give residents an intimate, small-town residential experience.”
The Colonel Robert L. Howard Veterans Home is a $43 million, 254-bed long-term care assisted living facility for veterans that offers various levels of skilled nursing, including services for dementia and Alzheimer's patients. By creating tightly knit miniature communities with hospitality inspired finishes and materials, designer Williams Blackrock Architects hopes to banish the anonymous and intuitional feel that some senior living facilities have, and to give residents an intimate, small-town residential experience.
Joel Blackstock, AIA, NCARB
Joel recieved the "Accolade Award," the highest honor bestowed by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Birmingham Chapter for outstanding achievement in support of the profession of architecture. The award recognizes that Birmingham's skyline and its surroundins have been forever changed by his positive legacy of work in the community. Joel is a founding partner of the firm which has grown to be one of the largest in Alabama.
“Joel Blackstock has earned a reputation for being a visionary for the City, a great listener to his clients’ needs, dreams and desires.”
We had a remarkable night representing WBA at the 2014 Birmingham AIA Awards taking home a merit award for the UAB Comprehensive Care Center.
“The architect’s thoughtful concept, great use of daylight and clean aesthetic contributed to the successful design.”
This dramatic transformation of the dated Comprehensive Cancer Center is a key step in translating medical research into clinically based programs aimed at improving cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. In addition to providing updated facilities, a key goal of the renovation was to foster collaboration amongst the researchers. A five-story, sky-lit atrium serves as the new heart of the building with offices clustered around this central collaborative area. The typical maze of corridors and labs commonly found in older research buildings was converted into new research spaces organized around the dynamic atrium core. The renovation also redefined the identity of the building on campus with a new, two-story lobby and revitalized exterior presence serving as the grand entrance and providing connection to the adjacent medical center’s pedestrian concourse.
The firm was present as the City held the official "ground breaking" for the new City Hall and Police Building.
We had the honor of designing the new City Hall and Police Building which will serve the administrative functions of the City. As the City has grown over the past 50 years, the needs of the government has grown and the the existing City Hall has proven to be too small to accommodate the growth. The new 54,000-square-foot City Hall and Police Building will be located to the west of the Vestavia Plaza Shopping Center and is expected to be complete by September 2015. The new building will provide a civic presence and exterior green space.
WBA took home several awards at the 2014 AIA Alabama awards in categories ranging from residential to institutional.
Nestled among existing oak trees, the new Mountain Brook Municipal Complex occupies the same site as the original Mountain Brook City Hall built in 1967. Designed as the new home for the community’s city council, mayor’s office, city manager and fire and police departments, the 53,000-square-foot complex provides much needed additional space and facility upgrades – including a 60-space, underground parking deck – while complementing the character and design elements, such as red brick with limestone trim and Tudor-style details, of the community village where is sits.
Situated at the northwest corner of the Science and Engineering Complex at The University of Alabama, the $58 million North Engineering Research Center provides approximately 207,000-square-feet of research and instructional laboratories, research support amenities, faculty offices, graduate student workstations, conference/meeting facilities and collaboration spaces. With more than 51 separate research laboratories to support specialized research disciplines, this building also supports the campus with a centralized 7,800-square-foot Cleanroom facility which meets ISO 5, 6 and 7 Cleanliness Classifications. Overall, the building was designed to create flexible research environments that can grow and change over time – accommodating new research tools and equipment without additional investment or major disruptions of ongoing operations.
The Redella Residence is located on Robert’s Way in the new urbanism development of Seaside, Florida, a community renown for its innovative and elegant approach to capturing the character of traditional beachside towns. The site for the 2,000 square foot house backs up to Rose Walk, a tree-lined sand pathway that is a primary route for pedestrian traffic from the residential streets into downtown Seaside. The importance of Rose Walk and the necessity to have a front door on the street side of Robert’s Way drove the design to essentially have two entry porches and two front doors, generating a symmetrical layout with a central corridor that connects both entries on the first floor. A three story spiral stair pierces through the rooftop connecting the two floors of living space with an expansive rooftop terrace and is a focal point to both the interior spaces and the Robert’s Way façade.
This dramatic transformation of the dated Comprehensive Cancer Center is a key step in translating medical research into clinically based programs aimed at improving cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. In addition to providing updated facilities, a key goal of the renovation was to foster collaboration amongst the researchers. A five-story, sky-lit atrium serves as the new heart of the building with offices clustered around this central collaborative area. The typical maze of corridors and labs commonly found in older research buildings was converted into new research spaces organized around the dynamic atrium core. The renovation also redefined the identity of the building on campus with a new, two-story lobby and revitalized exterior presence serving as the grand entrance and providing connection to the adjacent medical center’s pedestrian concourse.
Our own Kyle Kirkwood presented possible options to the leaders and citizens of Woodlawn at a recent “visioning session."
“Woodlawn’s redevelopment potential includes projects like a roadside café, a mix of shops by the “makers” who live there and even a marketplace for food trucks and pop-up shops, according to the visions from community leaders and a master planner.”
Employees and employers across the state graded their companies on policies and programs. The result is open communications in the workplace.
Read moreWBA was honored to take home a merit award for our work on Shades Valley YMCA and an honor award for Redella Residence.
This YMCA project actually began four years before construction broke ground with a community fundraising campaign to help garner support for the renovation of the 50-year-old building. The YMCA wanted to create a more user-friendly and family-friendly space while continuing its service to the community during construction – never closing its doors during the nine-month process. The revitalized facility now features a welcoming entrance, inviting Members into the space which was completely reorganized to maximize existing square feet and optimize circulation. An additional 4,000-square-feet was added to make room for new exercise studios, free-weight areas, a technology center and a new pool complete with water slides and a splash park. YMCA Members now enjoy a vibrant, energetic environment awash with abundant natural light.
This private residence located in the renowned community of Seaside, Florida perfectly captures the essence of a traditional beach town. Generous living spaces are kept light and airy with the use of natural light, a neutral color palette and an open-concept floor plan. Site limitations created the need for two main entries to the 2,000-square-foot home so a symmetrical layout with a central corridor connects both entries and is punctuated with a dramatic, three-story spiral staircase. The staircase sits at the heart of the home and vertically connects both interior floors to the expansive third-story, rooftop terrace which beckons you with its comfortable seating areas and panoramic ocean views.
Steve was recognized by the Alabama Chapter of the International Interior Design Association with its "Lifetime Achievement Award" for providing distinguished design and advancement in the interior design profession. As the firm's director of Interior Design, he has played an integral role influencing the design professionon Auburn's Interior Design Advisory Board, as President-elect and VP of Advocacy on the Board of IIDA Alabama, and as Chairman of the Alabama State Board of Registration for Interior Design.