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Best in Design 2022
We're thrilled to be featured by Interior Design Magazine in their Best in Design 2022 issue featuring RMS.
“A financial investment firm specializing in timberland revamped its global headquarters, leveraging the surrounding dense woods as design inspiration. Offices feature glass fronts with sliding glass doors to enhance transparency and daylight. The AIA Award-winning design complements rather than competes with it’s outdoor setting.”
With incredible sadness we share the loss of our dear friend and respected colleague Anthony Penny, endearingly referred to as Penny by his friends. Penny and his girlfriend passed away in a tragic car accident early Sunday morning on August 14th. Penny was a cherished friend to many, a loving son and brother, and a bright star in our community. A talented architect, designer, and craftsman, he shared his skills and talents within our firm and through the various volunteer efforts he engaged in outside of work. He was selfless and committed to helping those in need, spending many hours serving the homeless community in Birmingham. Professionally Penny was integral to any project he worked on, contributing his talent and thoughtfulness to some of our best projects. He was a voice of inspiration and improvement within our practice. His loss has been and will be deeply felt by our firm and our community. We miss him so much; he was the best.
Funeral Service for Anthony Penny:
Sunday, August 28th
Johns Rideout Funeral Home in downtown Birmingham, University Avenue
Viewing from 1-2pm.
Service begins at 2pm.
Obituary to follow.
Birmingham Business Journal - Top 40 Under 40
Congratulations to Lauren Gwaltney for being named as one of the 2022 Top 40 Under 40 from the Birmingham Business Journal. As a Senior Associate, Gwaltney, 39, has led many of the firm's adaptive reuse projects to sustainably restore vacant buildings downtown such as Cahaba Brewing and Dread River Distillery, which won recognition with American Institute of Architects design awards. As Director of Higher Education, she participated in and led the firm's higher education design on several high-profile projects at Auburn University, the University of Alabama, UAB and community colleges. She was responsible for the design and management of the new $27 million freshman gateway classroom building for Auburn University. She also was instrumental in founding a chapter of AIA Birmingham Women in Architecture.
We had a wonderful evening at the 2022 AIA Birmingham Award ceremony and were thrilled to receive two awards. Williams Blackstock Architects was bestowed with a design award for the Children’s of Alabama Lee Building and Parking Garage which was recognized with a Citation Award and Telegraph Creative which was recognized with a Merit Award.
Merit Award
The design for the new Telegraph office creates an ultra-contemporary studio achieved in a rustic, industrial setting. Focused on repurposing the existing space in a way that is modern, flexible and open, one of the focal points is the main meeting room. An existing delivery truck ramp was turned into stadium seating and a large projection screen punctuates the space. Rustic reclaimed wood wraps around the mezzanine and the raw concrete floors were kept, sealed and polished to give new life. The vision was to create an informal work environment where employees could work and relax in the same space.
Citation Award
The new Lee Building and 4th Avenue Parking Deck redefine the northern edge of the Children’s of Alabama campus creating an energetic new face along the Southside Birmingham skyline. Conceived as a central administrative facility to support and serve those who care for our children, this new office building would bear a homecoming of various departments spread isolated throughout the metropolitan region. Connectivity to, from and within the campus is the driving design concept ensuring staff feel engaged and physically connected to the hospital and its mission.
Auburn University’s College of Architecture Design and Construction (CADC) and Harbert College of Business has long held a presence in Birmingham – but it’s never had a permanent space. Now, with the assistance of a talented team at Williams Blackstock Architects (WBA), the Loveliest Village on the Plains will soon have a new home away from home in the City’s fast-developing downtown.
Currently dormant, the 44,000 sf Hood McPherson Building located on 4th Ave. N. will undergo a comprehensive renovation to prepare it for Auburn’s planned growth in the City of Birmingham. The former furniture gallery and warehouse will be modernized into a beautiful space for events, offices and classrooms, reflecting the University’s longstanding work with the City through CADC’s Urban Studio.
“Urban Studio has had such a presence in Birmingham, but this will really put them into the urban fabric and give them a space of their own,” said Auburn University Architect Mary Melissa Taddeo. “The focus is on expanding the footprint, and this is the first step in that direction.”
This year marks the 30th Anniversary of Auburn’s Urban Studio and its work in Birmingham. Notably, the team at Williams Blackstock features several participants of the program who have continued their work in the city long after graduation.
“I would like to congratulate all of you on 30 years,” Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said. “But the work doesn’t stop now. And it won’t stop 30 years from now. Our mission of revitalization looms but we dance in parallel with the work you all do here. So, know that I feel that this city and this community will remain in good hands because of organizations like you.”
The adaptive re-use of the historic showroom and warehouse building will provide not only a permanent home for the College of Architecture Design and Construction, but also Auburn’s College of Business, and will hold space for events and offerings in Birmingham.
“This is not only an educational facility, but a place for the community and Auburn family to engage, collaborate and celebrate,” said Matt Foley, a principal at Williams Blackstock and Auburn graduate. “I expect it to be a place of experience and event that will be identifiably Auburn, a place that will generate memories and meaningful impact upon people’s lives.”
Auburn and WBA plan for the building to come alive along 4th Avenue North with a restored façade that includes a new modern entrance inspired by the original building canopy. In addition to spaces for study and collaboration, the building will feature flexible event spaces and galleries to support University functions and fundraising, including a video wall on the ground level to host Auburn watch parties.
“It’s a unique mashup of folks that may lead to creative opportunities and synergy,” Taddeo said. “It’s a game-changer.”
The Hood McPherson building will provide a presence for Auburn University in downtown Birmingham that has not previously existing, this will be a home away from the Plains for the University to host and display a commitment to education, innovation, and the betterment of our community. The investment will also bring this beautiful building back to life, adding to the growing energy in downtown Birmingham.
We’re proud to announce that four of our projects were selected as winners in the 2022 Building Birmingham Awards by the Birmingham Business Journal. These awards recognize the projects that are changing the face of the Magic City and were chosen based on their impact, their degree of difficulty and unique aspects, among many other factors.
One Highland
One Highland Place was transformed into a prominent office building located on Highland Avenue in Birmingham, AL. The building’s full refresh starts with the repositioning of a dated office building into a fresh and impactful workplace. Taking a former plain, flat brick façade, the entry was transformed into a modern and impactful street presence. The vision started by using precast stone and glass additions to create a lighter, brighter more impactful environment.
The new building look sets a precedence for the commercial revitalization for the Highland Avenue Area. Although there are many businesses in the area, this grand new presence acts as a keystone for reinvigorating the area with a fresh new impact. Along with recent new developments, this impact is a catalyst for improving energy and revitalization of the area.
The design juxtaposes an ultra-contemporary office studio with industrial finishes and rustic wood elements. The design provides innovative solutions to create an open office environment that sparks increased collaboration and creativity throughout the space with a stadium-seating meeting room, café, dramatic conference rooms, and cozy reading nooks. The project repurposes the existing space in a way that was going to be modern, flexible, and utilized modern materials for a dramatic and open environment.
The design for the new Telegraph office creates an ultra-contemporary studio achieved in a rustic, industrial setting. The vision was to create an informal work environment where employees could work and relax in the same space. One of Birmingham’s iconic landmarks is the Rainbow Tunnel, recreated in the hallway with recessed LED linear lights provide a unique landmark within the space
The Estelle sets a new standard for apartment living in Birmingham, with a design focused on placemaking and community building. Located at a crucial intersection between Lakeshore and Interstate 65, this new 280 unit living area connects downtown Birmingham, key retail areas and universities.
In a newly revitalized area, The Estelle provides the bridge between downtown and suburban living. Located on a burgeoning trail system that connects the area to local campuses and retail centers, residents are able to escape the hustle of city life and remain within easy walks to the new urban energy.
Luckie focused on moving its headquarters from the suburbs to the downtown Parkside area in an effort to envision their office for the next generation. Citing tremendous growth over the past few years, the company is now the primary commercial tenant in the historic Denham Building which has been redeveloped for mixed-use. The new space fosters a live-work-play environment for the employees as a model space in the Magic City.
To ensure employees thrive when collaborating in the office the new space was designed with the idea of where people will meet and not where they will sit. Designed to foster those interpersonal relationships, the new environment is completely open with Zoom and wireless setups and also include a video production space
Birmingham Business Journal - Who’s Who in Building
Congratulations to Joel Blackstock for being named as one of the 2022 Who's Who in Building from the Birmingham Business Journal. The list recognize the individuals who are the top executives listed by the companies who are the largest local architecture firms, engineering firms and general contractors who help make the magic happen in the Magic City.
On Friday a Groundbreaking Ceremony was held for The Command Sergeant Major Bennie Adkins State Veterans Home in Enterprise, Alabama. Perched on a gentle hill on 108 acres of sprawling farmlands, the facility will be a long-term state-of-the-art Veterans health care facility with approximately 182,000 square feet and house 175 residents.
"This is an exciting and fulfilling occasion for me, our community and the surrounding communities as well," said Mayor Cooper of Enterprise. "We will soon see more dirt turned, foundations laid, walls up raised, and rooftops silhouetted against a South Alabama sky. Command Sergeant Major Bennie Adkins State Veterans Home will be an absolutely lovely and functional facility - It will be beautiful sight in itself - But what we are really celebrating today is what this facility stands for."
The inspiration for the design was to honor the character and image of the town. Rustic farmhouses and historical homes with large front porches were primary elements incorporated into the design. The facility will have a contemporary farmhouse appearance with board and batten siding and stone accents. Fitting in to the rustic, rural area, large covered porches wrap each building within the facility allowing veterans to enjoy the sun or shade. Cupola’s rise atop each building to allow natural light into every entry way.
“This is a wonderful day for the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs and State Board of Veterans Affairs,” ADVA Commissioner Kent Davis said. “We are thrilled to have such a large crowd from the community to join us in beginning the process of building the Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie G. Adkins State Veterans Home, which will serve as a wonderful home for many of our nation’s heroes in the Wiregrass.”
A 20-year-old time capsule was opened last week at The Concord Center building owned and managed by Cushman & Wakefield. Included in the time capsule was an original sketch of the design from our team and original renderings. The design paid homage to the original site building's 1889 Courthouse with twin pyramid-shaped glass spires in a neo-art deco design.
"We chose to give a nod to the historic Courthouse but with a modern, contemporary twist. The Concord Center has two towers with sleek glass pyramidal caps that light up at night to provide a dramatic image on the skyline. The other important thing about the design is it really embraces the street. A lot of the buildings down here that had been built in the 70s walled themselves off from the street. However, this building is full of glass and you can see into the lobby. ”
Joel Blackstock, CEO, Williams Blackstock Architects
“The Concord Center was made possible due to work between the City of Birmingham, the YMCA, the Birmingham Parking Authority and our team. We wanted to create a building that was street-friendly to pedestrians, featured artwork in the lobby and was overall a timeless design and worked with the existing architecture of our surrounding neighbors.”
Charles Simpson, Senior Vice President, Graham & Company
Joining city officials and the kids of Gardendale, Alabama, we broke ground last week for the new Bill Noble Park expected to be finished by spring 2023. The finished complex will feature nine baseball and softball fields, a football and soccer field, all with synthetic turf. The finished complex will also have eight tennis courts, 11 pickleball courts, a beach volleyball court, a playground, a putting green and more.
“"I don’t know if you ever thing about your purpose and what the purpose of your job is, but to me you’re building lives. You’re making small people become adults. What you’re going to build here at this facility is going to have an impact in this community. You’re helping so many families," said Sheldon Haygood of Fox 6 Sports.
"You’re building life-long memories. It makes me excited to think about the impact this will have for generations to come."
