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The Birmingham Business Journal has ranked Williams Blackstock Architects number one in their list of architecture firms in Birmingham.
“The top players on the List retained their spot since last year. Williams-Blackstock Architects PC tops the ranking with 21 architects in Birmingham offices…”
The Pell City Library has officially opened its doors to the community. WBA is honored to complete this project for the citizens of Pell City.
“We’re real pleased with this building, we think it’s going to be a tremendous asset to the community.”
WBA is happy to announce receiving the Circle of Excellence award from PSMJ Resources, Inc. This is the sixth year that we have received the award.
“PSMJ’s exclusive Circle of Excellence highlights firms that demonstrate outstanding business achievement in the architecture and engineering industry.”
We had a great evening representing the firm at the 2016 AIA Birmingham Design Awards, taking home awards for Alagasco Metro and Cahaba Brewing projects.
A controlled material palette and priority on craft was leveraged in the creation of a memorable atmosphere unique among Alabama’s breweries. Custom tables and chairs made from reclaimed wood provide customers with various seating options and breaks up the expansive space. The overhead doors are often opened in the evenings allowing patrons to overflow onto the patio. Use of natural light from the monitor windows gives the reclaimed pine walls a radiance in the afternoons, highlights the existing steel structure all while providing the brewers and customers with adequate light.
Located in the urban center of Birmingham, this facility serves as Alagasco’s primary service center. The three main buildings, two office buildings and a garage totaling +/-37,000 SF, as well as the outbuildings, including a truck wash, fuel island, and several sheds, were constructed using pre-engineered metal building structures. The main building construction include concrete slabs on grade, architectural metal panels, brick veneer, standing seam metal roofs, and storefront. A fence is provided around the entire campus for security, which includes a combination of masonry fencing, prefinished aluminum fencing, and vinyl coated chain link fencing.
Design Alabama has a wonderful article on the recently completed Mountain Brook Municipal Complex. Enjoy!
“A municipal building is often a monolithic structure that stands out instead of harmonizing with its surroundings. But that’s not the case with the two-story Mountain Brook Municipal Complex located in leafy Crestline Village.”
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.
The AIA National Conference rolled into Philadelphia two weeks ago, bringing together diversity of creative fields to share how design is shaping our collective future. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the incredible comedian known for her role on Seinfeld and more recently Veep, spoke to her approach to acting through innovation, disruption, and risk-taking. Neri Oxman helmed the second keynote, and through her MIT-based research at the intersection of architecture, fashion, 3D fabrication and ecology, delivered a presentation which was equal parts technical marvel and vibrant awe, and gave attendees a glimpse of the bleeding-edge of contemporary design. Rem Koolhaas, in his interview with Harvard Graduate School of Design dean Mohsen Mostafavi, made a case for a diversity of approaches when creating architecture.
Alabama was proudly showcased twice at the keynotes before more than 8,000 architects, once for the tornado relief project hosted by the AU Urban Studio here in Birmingham, and again for the amazing work Rural Studio has created in Hale County. It was amazing to witness our state put on stage and as an example of architectural design having a positive impact in our communities.
The AIA presents a short documentary film on Rural Studio, Auburn University's community-oriented, design-build program dedicated to improving the western Alabama region with good design. The Rural Studio film launches the 2016 Film Challenge, inviting filmmakers and architects to team up and tell stories of how architecture is solving a problem facing us today in communities, big or small, across the country.
Fuller Hanan, a former Auburn student, explains how her participation in the Birmingham R/UDAT has impacted her career and understanding of how architecture can contribute to communities.
This is but a taste of the offerings at AIA Philadelphia – from the numerous CEU sessions covering a remarkable variety of topics, to the enormous trade show, and my personal favorite: the Emerging Professionals party, featuring hundreds of young designers dancing at the feet of Benjamin Franklin. I think the statesman would have approved.
WBA staff was in attendance for the groundbreaking ceremony at the future site of The Waites.
“Construction work has begun at The Waites, a $16.5 million mixed-use development at the corner of Seventh Avenue South and Richard Arrington Boulevard on Birmingham’s Southside.”
The interior of Cahaba Brewing Company completed by Williams Blackstock Architects was recently added to Google's street view. Check out the space!
Located on 5th Avenue South in the historic 1925 Continental Gin Building complex, Cahaba Brewery & Taproom occupies 21,000 SF of their renovated 50,000 SF space.
A controlled material palette and priority on craft was leveraged in the creation of a memorable atmosphere unique among Alabama’s breweries. Custom tables and chairs made from reclaimed wood provide customers with various seating options and breaks up the expansive space. The overhead doors are often opened in the evenings allowing patrons to overflow onto the patio. Use of natural light from the monitor windows gives the reclaimed pine walls a radiance in the afternoons, highlights the existing steel structure all while providing the brewers and customers with adequate light.
The brew house was custom made in Wisconsin and is the only American-made brew house being used in Alabama. The brew house is treated as an art piece framed by steel and reclaimed wood. Butt jointed glass allows customers an uninterrupted view into the production of their beer and a literal window into the building’s industrial past.
WBA is excited to be apart of the future Collat School of Business building at UAB.
UAB Collat School of Business rendering
“The Collat School of Business is proud to be a vital part of the incredible renaissance taking place in our Magic City. Every day, our students, faculty and staff break new ground by pushing boundaries, innovating ideas, inspiring others, and turning challenges into opportunities.”
WBA was in attendance of the ribbon cutting ceremony at Tuxedo Park in Ensley. Tuxedo Park is a 42 unit appartment community for senor citizens residence.