Context | Collaboration | Renewal

AUBURN UNIVERSITY school of architecture, planning, and landscape architecture

Urban Studio 2015
professors:
Alex Krumdieck
Ben Wieseman
Adrienne Retief
Kyle Dagostino
Cheryl Morgan
Kris Nikolich
Bill Segrest
students:
Charles Abram
Alexandra Buehning
Taylor Christiansen
Donneshia Clark
Alan Darpini
Keaton Ernst
Aleksander Hays
Carlos Hernandez
Anne Johnstone
Michael Lewandowski
Vincent Lombardo

Roderick Quinn MacKenzie
Matthew Mason
Kevin Thompson
Jaslin Whaley
Torrance Wong

Contents
Urban Studio 2015 : Context | Collaboration | Renewal
2015
Authors: Alex Krumdieck, Adrienne Retief, Carlos Hernandez, Quinn MacKenzie, and the
students of Urban Studio 2015 Thesis Studio

Urban Studio 2015 : Context | Collaboration | Renewal includes work produced in

the Urban Studio Thesis program of the Auburn University School of Architecture,
Planning, and Landscape Architecture. All photographs and drawings are products of
the authors unless otherwise noted.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in
any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the Auburn University School of
Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture
Names and images of furniture and other products may be trademarks or registered
trademarks and are included only for identification and explanation as material
research without intent to infringe. Images of case studies are included as design
research and are for educational purposes only.
Auburn University is an equal opportunity institution/employer.

Introduction to the Urban Studio

Student Work : Avondale
Student Work : Woodlawn
Internship Profile
State of the Studio

Auburn Urban Studio

221 20th Street North
Birmingham, Alabama 35203
School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture
104 Dudley Hall
Auburn University, Alabama 36849
www.auburn.edu
wwww.cadc.auburn.edu/architecture/special-programs/urban-studio

Welcome to the
Urban Studio
I am Alex Krumdieck, the Director of the Urban Studio
and I have been fortunate to work with fifth year
students from the College of Architecture, Design and
Construction.
The Urban Studio is a teaching and outreach program
located in Birmingham, Alabama. During the 20142015 academic year, we had 15 students who chose
to come and do their final year of study immersed
in an urban context. The Urban Studio challenges
students to explore the inherent opportunities found
in an urban setting. Our focus is that of making great
places. Dealing with masterplans and neighborhood
redevelopment, along with designs of public buildings,
the students engaged in work across disciplines that
allowed them to see the potential their work has to
create great places when we look beyond the limits
of our site. During their course work they also had
the opportunity to collaborate with the professional
community.
The following pages are reflective of their work.

Avondale
Strengthening the Urban Fabric
Avondale, an up and coming neighborhood within
the Birmingham area, with recent public and private
investments, steeped in history, has suffered decay
over the past 50 years. Terminating at the site of
Birminghams first zoo, the 41st Street corridor,
formerly known as Spring Street, is the center of the
Avondale area. Experiencing a resurgence over the
past five years, the 41st Street corridor has a 100%
occupancy rate, however, the full potential of the
Avondale area had not been reached. The majority
of activity in the area occurred at lunch time or during
the evening near the Avondale Brewery. Avondale had
become an entertainment area supporting visitors
but not the community itself.
Whether one viewed the 3rd Avenue South and 41st
Street intersection as the geographical center of the
community or the intersection at 5th Avenue South
and 41st Street, the majority of the community,
including residential neighborhoods, lies within
the 10 minute walking radius, however, it is not a
walkable community, an issue that has fractured the
community and hindered its growth.

TRAIL CONNECTIVITY
Macro & Micro

CITY ANALYSIS
Parcels & Businesses

MACRO ANALYSIS
Neighborhoods & Roads

SITE SELECTION
North & East Gateways

VEHICULAR ACCESS
Traffic & Connectivity

SITE SELECTION
West & South Gateways
9

ASSEETS & LIABILITIES

POINTS OF ENTRY AS SITES

After meeting with the members of the community, the students in both the Urban Studio Program and the Masters of Community Planning

Their findings fell into three categories:

Program came together for an intense three day Charrette. Challenged by the community with the question : How do we create a community

Avondale needs to create an identity and

the 41st Street corridor while the urban studio would determine four sites that would

designate the extents of their community;

become entry points to the Avondale community. These sites, with appropriate

with neighboring communities, researching the history of the community, the neighborhood character, understanding the pedestrian, vehicular and

Avondale is rich with amenities and history

viewed on two different scales, the pedestrian scale as well as the vehicular. As the

development patterns of the neighborhood, along with specific studies such as topography, hydrology, building typologies, and a current business

that are overshadowed by its liabilities;

projects were developed and blended with the planning students work, a pedestrian

that serves its members, draws and supports the neighboring communities, and has a strong economic base that will allow for future growth? ,
Students immersed themselves in the community and began the task of understanding the neighborhood. Analysis included connectivity studies

inventory. At the completion of the three day Charrette the students presented their work and findings to a group of community stakeholders.

Avondale needs to build on the entertainment

image and become a destination

10

From these findings it was determined that the planning students would focus on

interventions, would become a catalyst for growth. Each of these entry points was

fabric was created that would strengthen the identity of Avondale, creating a Place. A
Place supporting the residents, as well as guests; a Place supporting interaction, a
Place positioned to grow.
11

Projects
Avondale Park Cultural Center
Taylor Christiansen, Carlos Hernandez
Anne Johnstone, Michael Lewandowski

Avondale Community Center

Alex Buehning, Alan Darpini
Matthew Mason, Kevin Thompson

Field to Fork
DonNeshia Clark, Vince Lombardo
Jaslin Whaley, Torrance Wong

Spring Street Market

Charlie Abram, Keaton Ernst
Alex Hays, Quinn MacKenzie

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Avondale Park
Cultural Center
Taylor Christiansen, Carlos Hernandez
Anne Johnstone, Michael Lewandowski
This project seeks to accomplish two goals: to create
a junction between Avondale and Forest Park, and to
add another asset to Avondale park. The site is on
the corner of 5th Avenue and 40th Street where the
library currently sits. We believe that the library is a
successful element of the park and the neighborhoods,
but the current library design detracts from the
connectivity of that critical corner because of its lack
of presence on the street. However, we recognize
the librarys importance and we want to further the
idea of educational enrichment that the library offers.
We are proposing to do this by designing a museum
and classroom space to complement the library.

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15

AVONDALE PARK
Existing Park Plan

AVONDALE PARK
Proposed Site Plan

SITE CONSIDERATIONS
The museum celebrates local artists and hosts professionally curated traveling exhibits
that will rotate throughout the year to ensure the museum always has something

LEFT
Entry and Circulation
RIGHT
Critical Axes

new to offer the community. The permanent collection of the museum will feature
sculptures that begin inside the museum and permeate throughout the park. These
sculptures have the opportunity to expand the success of the park and the scope of its
reach, not only toward Avondale but also towards Forest Park.

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17

ABOVE
Ground floor plan
OPPOSITE ABOVE
Elevation from 41st Street

URBAN RESPONSE
We placed the library on 40th Street, closest to Forest Park, so that it is more connected
to the elementary school and residences. The classrooms and lecture hall wrap the

OPPOSITE CENTER
Elevation from Park

corner, communicating with both the library and the museum, as well as with Avondale

OPPOSITE BELOW
Section through Park

and the restaurant address the 41st Street entertainment corridor while adding a new

United Methodist Church across the street. The museum holds the 5th Avenue edge,
dining experience to the area.

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19

20

ABOVE
41st Street Plaza

ABOVE
Gallery Lobby

BELOW
Museum Entry

BELOW
Sculpture Hall

21

LIBRARY
Viewed from 40th Street

22

PARK PLAZA
Viewed from gathering space

23

3
A01

2"

1-12" Standing Seam Metal Roof

Sheathing with Waterproof Membrane
3" Insulation
1-12" Metal Roof Decking

2"

1-12" Standing Seam Metal Roof

Sheathing with Waterproof Membrane
1-12" Metal Roof Decking
3" Purlins

2'-73
8"
Spray-Insulated
W 18x50 Beam

5"
11'-48

W 10x30 Beam
Suspended
Wood Ceiling

11'-5"

35'

CURTAIN WALL AT ROOF DETAIL

3
1- 12 " = 1'

Paving Pedestals
2'x4' Pavers

Finish Concrete Floor

5"
11'-48

2"
6"

Continuous Waterproof Membrane

Expansion Joint Between
Interior and Exterior Slabs

2'-4"

A01

1'-10"

BUILDING SECTION

2
4" = 1'

2"

CURTAIN WALL AT SLAB DETAIL

8" Aluminum
Column
Casing

8" Reinforced
CMU Block 1
2"

Blocking
as req.
1"
24

3"
8

1'-4"

7"
8

Blocking
as req.

CARLOS HERNANDEZ

1"
28

4
1-12" = 1'

2
A01

35
8"

1"
52
1"

2"
2'x4' Limestone
Veneer

6"

Arcadia
T500-OPG1500
Curtain Wall
System

1" Insulation w/
Waterproof
Membrane

4"

1
A01

4"

COLUMN - MULLION - WALL DETAIL

1
3" = 1'

LOCUS PLAN

A01

1'-6"

9'-2"
14'-10"

3"

14'-10"

1'-6"

CONNECTOR PLATE DETAIL

1'-6"
33'-6"

31'-7"

3
1-12" = 1'

1-1 4" Diameter

Tension Rod
33'-6"

9'-10"

1'-6"

1"
14
1" Steel Plate
4"
15'-3"
8"

1"
104
11"

1" Limestone

1"
1'-102

10"

1"

1'-6"
1'-4"
1'-6"
1'

15'-3"

1'

Tenshon Shade Sails

9'-7"

ALTERNATE ELEVATION

1'

8"

2
= 1'

DETAIL AT FOUNDATION

4
1-12" = 1'

1'

CARLOS HERNANDEZ

W 10x17
Column
1

1'

DETAIL // 02 // SHADE SAIL

18'-2"

DETAIL // 01 // CURTAIN WALL

5"
32'-28

20'

SHADE SAIL ELEVATION

2"

1
= 1'

LOCUS PLAN

A02

AVONDALE CULTURAL CENTER DETAILS

Curtain wall, Solar Shade, Screen Wall, Monumental Stair

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Avondale
Community Center
Alex Buehning, Alan Darpini,
Matthew Mason, Kevin Thompson
The key to selecting the site as a potential community
and recreation center for the neighborhood of
Avondale was identifying the eastern gateway into
the community at the split of Crestwood Boulevard
into 3rd and 5th Avenue. The site is exposed to a large
majority of the traffic entering the community from
the east and serves as a catch basin for the adjacent
residential neighborhoods. This creates an ideal
location for the community to gather and display
its unity as a billboard to all entering. The design
manifests the idea of community by separating all of
the program into individual boxes that are united by a
singular wrapping roof, much like individuals are tied
together by the bond of a community. The building
also serves as a billboard for the community by
maintaining maximum transparency when exposing
the most public functions to the street-front. The
building was also designed to be as passive as
possible so that the community is not faced with the
massive burden of conditioning and servicing such
a large building. The roof structure facilitates cross
ventilation, gray water collection, and the mounting
of solar panels.

26

27

MASTERPLAN

ITERATIVE PROCESS

COMMUNITY CATCH BASIN

With the understanding that our building was not going

By placing the building at the split of the roads it acts

to independently change the fabric of Avondale, it was

as a billboard defining the entry to Avondale, while also

designed to fit into an overall masterplan. The above

serving as a catch basin for the surrounding residential

sketches begin to layout our ideas for what that plan

districts. Single family homes maintain the existing

may be. This approach was possible due to a significant

pedestrian corridor on 4th Avenue, which then terminates

number of vacant lots on the site.

at the community center. 3rd Avenue is developed with

multifamily housing and commercial buildings due to the
heavier traffic on this road.

28

29

PLAN

PROGRAM
Because of its extremely visible location, the site was
chosen to be a community and recreation center to
celebrate the unification of a community at its most
traveled point of access. The community center houses
event and meeting spaces in the smaller, 5th Avenue
building. The 3rd Avenue building serves as the main
recreation space.

30

ASSEMBLY DIAGRAM

31

TOPOGRAPHY
The site posed some challenging problems aside from
its triangular shape. The site sloped down 28 feet from
both the split of Crestwood Boulevard and the southern
most (5th Avenue) corners. This issue was mitigated by
creating stadium seating that connects visitors from the
plaza to the basketball court.

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5TH AVENUE VIEW

PLAZA

The 5th Avenue elevations step down from the larger

The central plaza remains open to allow movement

scale at 3rd Avenue to communicate with neighboring

between buildings, freedom to gather, and to funnel

residential district. 3rd Avenue had a much higher traffic

people to the main entry.

level and needed to act as a billboard.

34

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AVONDALE COMMUNITY CENTER DETAILS

Truss, Ground Connection, Roof to Wall Assembly

36

37

Field To Fork
DonNeshia Clark, Vince Lombardo
Jaslin Whaley, Torrance Wong
This proposal taps into Birmingham and Avondales
historical practice of food cultivation, preparation,
and preservation through the adaption of a cyclical
Field to Fork process. Field to fork refers to the
stages of the production of food: harvesting, storage,
processing, packaging, sales, and consumption.
.
The integration of a processing facility, culinary
school, and restaurant into an urban farming site in
Avondale engages the community through providing
inexpensive locally grown produce and preserved
goods. Additional incentives include the preservation
of the rail lines to connect Birmingham and Avondale,
sustaining the current culture that Birmingham and
Avondale embody.

38

39

OPOSITE
Avondale Figure Ground
Highlighting Schools and
Restaurants
ABOVE
Proposed greenway connecting
downtown Railraod Park to
Avondale downtown district
BELOW
Existing site conditions

The figure ground map shows the aspects of connnecting to local functions and
buinesses around the downtown Birmimgham area. The drawing indicates our site
(green), restaurants (red), Pepper Place Market (orange), and schools (blue). Large parks
surround the site and are easily accessed through proposed greenway connections.

40

41

TEACHING GARDENS

RESTAURANT

CULINARY SCHOOL

PROCESSING

PRODUCTION GARDENS

SITE PLAN
Connections into site through
greenways

42

ABOVE
Program Site Plan
BELOW
Field to Fork Diagram

43

PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS
The program is divided into two main structures that diverts the greenway from
Railroad Park into the heart of Avondales Downtown district along 2nd Avenue
South. The building to the west is the processing facility used to clean and package
raw produce from the fields surrounding the building. Small greenhouses allow for
extended growing seasons.

44

ABOVE
Processing Facility West
Elevation
CENTER
Processing Facility East Elevation
BELOW
Culinary School, Classroom,
Greenhouse Spaces

45

CENTRAL COURTYARD
Program can spill into the
courtyard as an extension of
interior spaces

46

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Wood Blocking
.050 Aluminum Parapet Coping
Neoprene Washered Fasteners @ 24 o.c.

.050 Alum Continuous

Perferated Coping Clip,
Finished to Match Alum
Panel

Aluminum Panel Clip

Protection Course
Waterproof Membrane
Tapered Insulation
4 Concrete Slab
Metal Decking

Soil
Filter Fabric
Moisture Retention/Drainage
Thermal Insulation
Root Barrier

Avondale Culinary School: Green Roof System

Torrance C. Wong

Kitchen Exhaust Blower

Urban Studio 2015

Culinary School

Greenhouse

Gardens
Processing Facility

Light Gauge Steel Framing

3/4 Tension Cable

Sheathing
5/8 Gypsum Board
Fiberglass Batt. Insulation
5/8 Gypsum Board

Aluminum Panel
.050 Aluminum Head Flashing,
Pre-finished to match Aluminum
Panel
Aluminum Panel
Metal Grate
12 Wide Concrete Gutter

Ventilation Diagram

Fine Compacted Gravel

Exhaust Duct

Foundation Wall

Section

Self-Adhering Waterproofing
Membrane

Rainwater Flow Diagram

Drainage Panel with Geotextile

Fabric Facing Soil
Ea
st

3/4 Course Gravel

3/4 Tension Cable
est
W

1/2 Bolt
2x L-Shape Channel Bolted

Sunlight Diagram

.050 Alum Flashing

1/2 Expansion Joint
Blocking
Waterproof Membrane
Foundation Wall (beyond)

Air Duct
5 Raised Floor System

Welded to Channel

12 Reinforced Concrete Slab

L-Shape Channel Formed into Concrete

Steel Stud Embedded into Concrete
Gutter
3 Diameter Rainwater Drainage

Welded
3/4 Coarse Gravel

4 Perforated Perimeter
Drainage Pipe

1/2 Thick Channel (used as rainwater drainage)

Concrete Footing

Main Hallway

Culinary School Greenhouse

Concrete Footing

Scale: 1/2 - 1 - 0

Torrance C. Wong

Classroom/Labratory

4 Perforated Perimeter
Drainage Pipe

Bioswale

Scale: 1 - 1 - 0 Unless Specified

Scale: 1/4 = 1 - 0

FIELD TO FORK URBAN FARM DETAILS

Green Roof, Water Retention System, Skylights, Green
House

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Spring Street Market

Charlie Abram, Keaton Ernst
Alex Hays, Quinn MacKenzie
The Spring Street Market aims to build upon existing
catalytic sites of the Avondale Brewery and Park by
creating a connection between the sites along the
41st Street Corridor. The market program fills a
significant void in a major food desert of Birmingham.
The street market is a study on possible improvements
to the public realm of Avondale. The public spaces
underneath the canopies serve as incubator spaces
for small business. The plaza serves as supplemental
public space to the grocery store and residential
program on the corner of 3rd Avenue South. Through
phasing the idea migrates along the corridor and aims
to improve urban infill and redevelopment over time.

51

PHASE 1
The existing conditions of the 41st street corridor include numerous curb cuts
and a corridor that varies between 5 and 6 lanes of trafc. While the Brewery
provides exciting activities at night, daytime attractions are minimal. The rst
phase of improvements aims to expand the sidewalk creating a safer and more
enjoyable daytime pedestrian experience. In addition, the insertion of diagonal
parking provides for high density activity, reduces existing surface parking, and
narrows the corridor to two lanes.

52

PHASE 2
The second phase of construction incorporates the use of canopy structures
to incubate and grow daytime activity in Avondale. The placement of built
structures on the southern end of 41st connects the existing catalysts of the
Brewery and Park. The installation also aims to create an additional street
market catalyst by providing shade, seating and market spaces on both
sides on 41st. The new canopy structures and their corresponding storage
buildings provide density to the sparse environment.

PHASE 3
Due to the newfound success of the Spring Street Market, new businesses
seek open parcels in the area and begin to inll the missing buildings along
the corridor. Urban inll displays the longterm results of street incubation
based upon the Merchant Canopy Business Model.

PHASE 4
Phase 4 is crucial to securing the longterm growth of Avondale by creating
residential diversity. The nal phase includes two residential townhome
products on 3rd Avenue South to supplement units above the market.

53

LEFT ABOVE
Market/Plaza
Market Ground Plan
MIDDLE
Merchant
VendorCanopy
CanopyPrototype
Protoype
BELOW
3rd Avenue South Elevation

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LEFT ABOVE
Canopy/ Residential Plan
MIDDLE
Cafe Canopy Prototype
BELOW
41 Street Elevation

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LEFT ABOVE
Plaza Canopy Prototype
RIGHT ABOVE
Market Interior Perspective
BELOW
3rd Avenue South Section

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SPRING STREET MARKET DETAILS

Glass Roof, Canopy, Wall Section

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Woodlawn
Embracing Context
Settled in 1815 by the Wood family, Woodlawn
is a small community located four miles east of
Birmingham. Located along Georgia Road, an
original connector to the Mississippi territory, the
farming family selected a fertile piece of property
that would grow into one of Birminghams prominent
neighborhoods.
Originally named Rockville, the small settlement
grew as the country grew and pushed towards the
West. Upon the arrival of the first rail line in 1870,
the town became known as Wood Station. Shortly
after Georgia Pacific Railroad began servicing the
new city of Birmingham in 1884, Wood Station was
granted a municipal corporation and became the
city of Woodlawn, named in honor of their founding
family. By the end of the century, Woodlawn had
grown to a population of 2,500. While Woodlawn
grew, it became a community strong in spirit and full
of pride. Its founding family remained in Woodlawn
and gave back to the community by creating public
parks and venues, strengthening the neighborhood
and enriching the core principals of family.

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NEIGHBORHOOD ANALYSIS
Assets, Opportunities & Liabilities

PROXIMITY ANALYSIS
Building Use & Connectivity

EXPERIENCE ANALYSIS
Sections & Gateways

64

HISTORY CONTINUES

GROWING THE COMMUNITY

In 1910, the city of Woodlawn was annexed into the city of Birmingham becoming one of the five original neighborhoods

As the Urban Studio became involved in the Woodlawn area, the Woodlawn Foundation, along with several partners,

of Birmingham. Over the next few decades, Woodlawn continued to grow and became recognized as a good section

were delivering 64 new housing units along with nurturing several small businesses along with a business incubator

of Birmingham full of the fine things in life. Woodlawn, as with many other urban communities, was unable to escape

center. It was clear to everyone that Woodlawn was turning the corner and was poised to move forward.

the effects of the social turmoil of the 1960s and the economic unrest of the 1970s. The introduction of the interstate

The students found the community full of pride. Although their economic situation wasnt that of neighboring

system isolated the city of Woodlawn, intensifying the spread of urban blight, followed along with white flight nearly

communities, the community was still strong. Challenged by the Woodlawn Foundation of further strengthening the

causing the destruction of the city.

area, the students began studying the site at the corner of 1st Avenue South and 56th Street and explored the idea

In recent years, strengthened by private investors, Woodlawn has begun to experience a resurgence. Building on its

of creating a mixed use building containing a grocery store, six retail spaces and 35-40 affordable housing units.

history, the city has begun to reestablish the pride, sense of community and the core principals of Family.

The following pages reflect their work:

65

Thesis Projects
PROFESSORS
Alex Krumdieck
Cheryl Morgan
Kris Nikolich
Kyle DAgastino
Bill Segrest
STUDENTS
Charles Abram
Alexandra Buehning
Taylor Christiansen
Donneshia Clark
Alan Darpini
Keaton Ernst
Aleksander Hays
Carlos Hernandez
Anne Johnstone
Michael Lewandowski
Vincent Lombardo
Roderick Quinn MacKenzie
Matthew Mason
Kevin Thompson
Jaslin Whaley
66

Torrance Wong

67

Intersect
Michael Lewandowski
Birminghams proposed BRT route presents a
major pedestrian gateway into the neighborhood of
Woodlawn. One iteration of the proposal places the
bus stop at the intersection of 1st Avenue N and 56th
Street S, a block north of the given site.
The market element of the program, similarly, presents
a major pedestrian draw within the community.
Positioning the market on the southern edge of the
site allows it to behave as both a noise barrier from
the adjacent train tracks and as a pedestrian anchor,
drawing foot traffic along the rest of the building
frontage.
Voids in the building mass between the market
and BRT create a sequence of intersecting public
and private space. Aligning public and private
use in localized zones enriches the path between
destinations and shortens the perceived travel
distance. Additionally, harboring both local and
visiting user types within these shared spaces will
catalyze social interaction, revealing the daily lives
and rituals of the residents of Woodlawn and bringing
its culture out of the backyard.

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PROCESS
The design begins with a thin bar layout along 56th Street South, maximizing energy
performance, site tree conservation, and street frontage. Housing density and building
height increase toward the denser, more active 1st Avenue South and away from the
railroad tracks. The program is segmented into three buildings, framing a sequence
of outdoor gathering spaces. The intersection of public and private space tethers

GRADATE DENSITY

SEGMENT

MAKE SPACE

RESTITCH

each building together and creates an engaging pedestrian experience for visitors and
residents alike.

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2nd + 3rd

Floors (1

BR, 2BR

2nd Floor (1BR, 2BR)

Upper L

ofts (3B

R)

03

01

Ground

BRT Stop

Floor Lo

fts (3BR

02

Market

Retail

GROUND PLAN

Michael Lewandowski

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SECTION 01

SECTION 02

SECTION 03

Michael Lewandowski

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Michael Lewandowski
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Michael Lewandowski
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Woodlawn Market:
Edges & Spaces
Vincent H. Lombardo
Woodlawns current community driven identity is one
that distinguishes this neighborhood from the rest of
the greater Birmingham area. Despite the importance
of the community aspect, Woodlawns downtown core
does not address the need of dense street edges as
well as strategically located public gathering spaces.
Through the use of a manipulated bar scheme, the
Woodlawn market and public space located on
1st Avenue South and 56th Street South become a
catalyst for downtown densification and community
interaction. The building form began to address the
issue of downtown densification through putting a
single bar of retail along the 1st Avenue South street
edge, allowing the community members and retail
stores to occupy the sidewalk edge. The scheme is
further manipulated through pushing back and raising
a portion of the building to create a public space on
the corner of 56th and 1st and a market underneath
the building. By doing this, the market can begin to
edge. Residential entry sequences are accessed
through the courtyard spaces and accentuated as
towers in the building massing.

80

Vincent Lombardo

spill out into the public space and activate the street

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STEP 1:
Hold the street edge of
1st Avenue South while
addressing downtown
Woodlawn.

STEP 2:
Push a portion of the building back into the site in order to create a public space
on the corner of 1st Avenue
South and 56th Street.

STEP 3:
Raise the pushed back
portion of the building to
create a market space that
can interact with the public
space.

MODEL PHOTOGRAPH
Holding the Edge
of 1st Avenue South

BUILDING DIAGRAM
Massing Breakdown
STEP 4:

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Vincent Lombardo

Accentuate vertical circulation towers to residential

units in courtyard space.

83

Vincent Lombardo

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

Site Plan With
Surrounding Context

84

1ST & 2ND FLOOR PLAN

Residential Unit
Distribution

85

SECTION
Cut Through Market and
Residential Units

86

Vincent Lombardo

ELEVATION
1st Avenue South

ELEVATION
56th Street South

87

SECTION
Cut Through Retail
and Residential Units

88

WALL SECTION
Cut Through Market
and Residential Units

Vincent Lombardo

SECTION
Cut Through Residential
Entry Knuckle

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DEPTH SKETCH 1
Revelator Coffee Shop

DEPTH SKETCH 2
Church of the Advent

90

DEPTH SKETCH 4
PNC Bank Building

Vincent Lombardo

DEPTH SKETCH 3
BBVA Compass Building
Facade

91

Inside_Out
Anne Johnstone
Woodlawn is currently experiencing revitalization
both in the commercial and residential sectors.
However, these two areas of revitalization are not
physically connected to one another. The mixed
use program of this project physically connects
commercial and residential activity, suggesting that
on a neighborhood scale, these two zones should
become more integrated. 1st Avenue South is the
corridor that links Woodlawn, so development along
this street is crucial to initiate the connection of the
commercial and residential zones.
On the pedestrian scale, the integration of public
and private manifests itself in the design of the
building, particularly in the way it addresses its 1st
Avenue frontage. It begins with an abstraction of
the rhythmic downtown elevation language typical
to Birmingham: heavy brick piers perforated with
warehouse windows and large openings on the
first level with storefront glass infill. The living
units on the upper level apartments are extracted
from behind the brick facade, their wood paneling
recalling the warmth of the interior. In this way, the
building is flipped inside out, expressing the lives of
the people of Woodlawn and forging a connection
between the culture of the interior and the culture
92

of the street.

93

WOOD BLOCKING AND FLASHING

STUD WALL
FLASHING
ROOFING MATERIAL
ANGLE HOLDS BRICK
METAL FLAT SEAM ROOF
GYP BOARD, SHEATHING, AND INSULATION
WATERPROOFING

CONCRETE DECKING
STEEL TUBE SUPPORTS CANTILEVER

STEEL BEAM
STEEL ANGLE EXPOSED ON ELEVATION
METAL FLAT SEAM ROOF
FLASHING

CAN LIGHTS

CONNECTING DIFFERENT
ZONES

WALL SECTION AT
EXTRUDED RESIDENTIAL
UNIT

Anne Johnstone

94

95

RETAIL

RETAIL

RETAIL

RETAIL

1ST AVENUE SOUTH

RETAIL

RETAIL

RETAIL
RES. ENTRANCE

GROCERY

Anne Johnstone

PUBLIC SPACE
96

PRIVATE SPACE

97

1ST AVENUE SOUTH

ELEVATION

Anne Johnstone

98

57TH STREET ELEVATION

56TH STREET ELEVATION

99

WALKING FROM THE BRT

WALKING SOUTH ON 1ST

AVENUE SOUTH

Anne Johnstone

100

101

SKETCHING
In the spring semester we were to study both the abstract and concrete elements
of architecture through sketching. Sketching these seemingly unrelated objects and
different perspective, and focus on aspects of design that might have otherwise gone
unstudied.

102

Anne Johnstone

experiences helped us subconsciously develop our thesis projects, see things with a

103

Modular Housing for

Woodlawn
Jaslin Whaley

My proposal for this project is to remove the negative

value from affordable housing in three ways: a new
economical way of building that promotes flexibility
and diversity, social engagement with promotes
community and public gathering spaces, and
superficial aesthetic way that promotes the pride in
ownership. The housing program is repetitive module
language that consist a base module unit that is
manipulated, stacked, and mixed to create a hybrid
row house and walk up house typology. The market
and retail program are combine to create a market
hall that is a hub for local vendor, small business,
and a community gathering. This market hall is
intersected by a community building that consist of
shared amenities for the housing program. The site
consist of four major outdoor spaces that respond
to both public and private program elements that
intersect on the site to promote social engagement.
The elevations were studied in detail to respond to
the context of Woodlawn, while creating a faade that
responds to this new way of building economically.

104

105

HOUSING STUDIES
Different housing types
located in Woodlawn

CASE STUDIES
Modular construction is a process in which a building is
constructed off-site, under controlled plant conditions,
codes and standards as conventionally built facilities
but in about half the time. Buildings are produced in

Jaslin Whaley

using the same materials and designing to the same

modules that when put together on site, reflect the

identical design intent and specifications of the most
sophisticated site-built facility without compromise.
106

107

Jaslin Whaley

EFFICIENCY UNIT
108

LOFT UNIT

TWO BEDROOM UNIT

EGRESS UNIT
109

CONTEXT
Maps of Woodlawn and
detailed entry plans of
units

SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT
The housing units also incorporate porches, where information is shared from porch to

SITE PLAN
Not to scale

porch. The market is place where the community can connect and also intersects with
communities can engage in this space. The retail is combined with the market to
create a large market hall, where the space becomes a hub for small business and

Jaslin Whaley

the shared amenities for the housing units. Both the community and the surrounding

entrepreneurs in the area.

110

111

1ST AVE SECONDARY

ELEVATION

1ST AVE ELEVATION

56TH ST S ELEVATION

Jaslin Whaley

112

113

IMPORTANCE OF SKETCHING
Sketching is a very important tool for a designer. Not only
is it possible to make visual records of existing designs,
of visual brainstorming, to consider first thoughts in
greater depth and refine initial ideas. It can also be used

Jaslin Whaley

but it is also useful to work out new design ideas. A sort

to communicate design ideas to other people. Sketches

do not have to be works of art. Their primary function
should be informative and communicate design ideas.
114

115

Convergent Spaces
Alex Buehning
The project is based on the premise that a number of
diverse and extroverted public spaces within a mixed
income neighborhood can improve Woodlawns sense
of community and attract a higher level of diversity.
The project is more than a study of how affordable
housing achieves dignity and a sense of ownership;
it studies how the removal of social and physical
isolation often associated with mixed income
housing developments can foster social interaction
between residents, the community and the city. The
site is designed to create pockets of activity, each
working to support a diversity of activities and catch
surrounding districts. Diversity comes not only from
these different levels of activity, but the variety of
people drawn onto the site. This structure is meant
to support the existing community and to build
within it by internalizing some of the communitys
interactions and encouraging skilled entrepreneurs
to enter the community and open a business. This
supports Woodlawn and maintains community pride
by capitalizing on the existing amenities within the
neighborhood and not duplicating existing program.

116

117

SITE STRATEGY

AMENITIES DIAGRAM

SITE PLAN

Woodlawn has an existing network of amenities,

including resources like Social Venture, the Rev Urban
Alex Buehning

Food Hub and City Meats market. The site strategy aims
to capture surrounding districts with pockets of activity
activated by small retail and market spaces, encouraging
neighbors to interact as they move from store to store.
This strategy also encourages skilled entrepreneurs to
enter the communtiy and open small businesses.
118

PARTI DIAGRAM

119

PLAZA VIEW

DIVERSE INTERACTIONS
The project fosters interaction at several different scales. Residents of the site,
members of the community and visitors from throughout Birmingham come together
residential units has a different relationship to the public basic on the pocket of activity
it is situated over. Residents of each of these units will live differently based on the

BELOW
Residence View
Alex Buehning

on this site to enjoy a variety of activities of interactions. Each of the different

ABOVE
Community Garden View

activities they overlook.

120

121

SCALE + CHARACTER
The building responds in scale and character to both the neighboring downtown core
and residential district. The 1st Avenue South elevation has a flat roof communicating
Building. The elevations along 56th Street South communicate to the residential
district behind the site, mimicking the gabled roof forms in a contemporary way.

122

Alex Buehning

directly with the language of downtown and mirroring the size of the adjacent AT&T

123

Alex Buehning
125
124

SKETCH EXPLORATION
Throughout the drawing course I felt I truly achieved
the ability to sketch as a way of observation in order to
me time to study subjects such as contrast and texture,
while also taking the time out of studio to find local case

Alex Buehning

inform my design choices made in studio. It afforded

studies relevant to my project.

126

127

Woodlawn
Connection
Matthew Mason
Historically, the Woodlawn community included
parts of the Crestwood neighborhood, but over time
a strong disconnect has developed between them,
partly due to the physical boundaries of the railroad
tracks and a steep elevation change.
In recent years, Woodlawn has moved toward
recreating a holistic community, and with a strong
community presence already in place, this project
could expand this ongoing effort by providing places
where people can gather.
The project develops the sight-line between
downtown Woodlawn and residential Crestwood as
a strong axis which runs through the site and acts
as a physical and visual connection. The market and
residential program elements are arranged along
this axis with the market pushed forward, creating a
meeting point while keeping complete transparency
along the path. The areas where different program
elements mesh together create visible places which
may encourage diverse interactions.

128

129

tA
ve
N

1s

S
ve
tA

1s

Georgia Rd.

Georgia Rd.

1st

N
Ave

1s

tA
ve
S

CRESTWOOD

SITE PLAN
Visual axis and program overlaps

NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN
Community Amenities

Woodlawns downtown area is created by 1st Ave N and 1st Ave S pinching together.

PARTI DIAGRAM

The site is located in a unique place between 1st Ave S and the railroad tracks. There

1) Allocate program on site.

are many community amenities close to the site. These amenities highlighted in orange

2) Break down scale to respect context.

1

3) Create axis between Crestwood and downtown

Woodlawn.
4) Push market out and create meeting point.

3
130

Matthew Mason

are a few of the many where community interaction occurs.

4
131

Retail

Retail

Retail
Lobby
Cafe
Gym
Market

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

RESIDENTIAL FLOOR PLAN

Second and Third residential floor plans. Total of 36 units
including efficiency townhouses and apartments above

132

Matthew Mason

retail and market.

133

PERSPECTIVE B

PERSPECTIVE C

STRUCTURE
The structure consists of steel frame for the market and
retail with a concrete platform above. The residential
framing.

134

Matthew Mason

above and the townhouses are constructed of wood

135

1ST AVE ELEVATION

PERSPECTIVE D

1ST AVE SECTION

56TH ST ELEVATION

Matthew Mason

136

137

SKETCHING
Getting out and discovering the city while sketching
was a great experience for me. Sketching is essential to

138

Matthew Mason

design in order to get a concept across in a quick fashion.

139

The Edge & Market

Kevin Thompson
Situated at the edge of the perceived downtown core
of Woodlawn, this development looks to catalyze
activity on 1st Ave South and 56th St South through
a series of carefully programmed edge conditions.
Using two bars that push and pull away from the 1st
Ave street edge, a series of public and private edges
are created. The pivotal northwest corner of the site
begins to serve as the central public zone that begins
to make functional ties back to Social Venture and
the up-and-coming 55th Place.
As the parti developed through the iterative process,
the goal was to develop an architecture that was
optimally responsive to the programed edges of the
project. The challenge of creating an architecture that
could playfully interact with these edges at a human
scale kept the project from being overly heroic and
considerate of the surrounding textures and sales.
The idea of focusing on the personal experience
of these edges drove the decision to allow each
edge its own particular identity. Some edges bleed
into one another as a means of creating public
conditions, while others look to create private edges
for the residents through shading and the framing of
particular views.
140

141

1. Hold Street Edges

2. Subtract for Public Zone

3. Slide Bar Back

4. Tether Bars Together

5. Program New Edges

6. Develop Public Space

Ground Floor Plan

CAPTION HEADER
Caption Text

2nd and 3rd Floor Plan

Programming and Location:

The site plan demonstrates the potential the project
has to not only begin to tether different textures
Kevin Thompson

of Woodlawns fabric together, but to also begin to

emphasize the importance in developing functional
and symbolic connections with other buildings in the
community. In terms of programming, retail and market
components find themselves working with the public
space on the lower levels.
142

Section at Center of Site

143

1st Ave Elevation

56th St S Elevation

Section at Market and Civic Zone

Section at Both Buildings

Kevin Thompson

144

145

LAYERED EDGES
View from Street Corner

RESIDENTIAL AXON
The Market bar contains studio and three bedroom units on the upper floors. In order to maintain a consistent
bay size, the sleeping rooms for the three bedroom units sit above the living, kitchen, and dining areas of the three
for the 1st Ave Elevation, and also looks to continue activating the edges of the building by giving residents a view
out onto the central public space. With sliding glass partitions on the ground floor, balconies on the second floor, and

Kevin Thompson

bedroom units. They also stretch out to cover the area above the studio unit. This creates dynamic facade conditions

PUBLIC AND BACKDROP

EDGES
View of Cafe and Market

bedrooms looking out from above, every story of the building gives the inhabitant a way to interact with the public
realm, regardless of whether the inhabitant lives on site or is just visiting to shop for groceries.
146

147

BLEEDING EDGES
View of Market Edge

EDGES AS PRIVACY
View of Water Wall Area

EDGES FRAMING VIEWS

View of EBCG form back of
Development

EDGES AS AN AXIS
View through the Site

Kevin Thompson

148

149

SKETCH STUDIES
level of something as small as a bench, to something as large as a

an understanding of all that an edge condition could be. These are

skyline. The sketches begin to make clear just how many ways edges

just a few of the various types of sketch studies that were conducted

can perform: we see ground planes that lure the eye downrange,

in and around the downtown Birmingham area. Once it became

edges that frame views, edges that point toward something more

understood that the project was geared toward the development of

significant, edges that exist purely for function, and edges that begin

edges, it became essential to understand that edges had the capacity

to make contextual separations with hard and/or softs moves.

Kevin Thompson

During the design process, it became critically important to develop

to function, but also make bigger connections at bigger scales. The

goal with these particular studies was to understand edges at the
150

151

56th Strt Mrkt

Aleksander Hays
The project aims to utlilize the markets program
as a connector piece in Woodlawn. The markets
form captures movement and activity-- connecting
adjacent neighborhoods and Woodlawns residents
back into the core of downtown Woodlawn,. Setting
the stage for growth and revitilization along the inner
downtown streets.

152

153

Aleksander Hays
155
154

Aleksander Hays
157
156

Aleksander Hays
159
158

Aleksander Hays
161
160

Drawing from imagination

What proved to be invaluable upon completing the sketch
class was the way I learned to draw through imagining,
Abstracting or finding the gestural qualitites in a piece
and transfering the key elements is what makes a

Aleksander Hays

rather than drawing through copying or replicating.

drawing truly communicative and successful.

162

163

Woodlawn
Community Park
DonNeshia Clark
A more public and central gathering space can
enhance and strenghten the potiental of the
Woodlawn community.
The proposal introduces an urban public community
space that can potentially enhance and strengthen
the fabric of the Woodlawn neighborhood. The site
will serve as a connector piece in helping to bring and
serve various communites and locals.
This gathering space is that of a unified piece in
helping to enhance, and strengthen the potiential of
Woodlawn but also provide and serve the communites
in and around it.

164

165

CAPTION HEADER
Caption Text

NEIGHBORHOOD AND CENTRAL LOCATION MAP

The site will serve as a connector piece in helping to
bring and serve various communites and locals.
DonNeshia Clark

166

167

SITE PLAN
The community park is activated by supporting elements

Diagrams and floor plans

illustrating programming on
the site.

such as reail shops, cafe, market and pavlions allin

to the center gathering space where activites such
as birthdays, farmers markets, weddings and family

DonNeshia Clark

which help to draw people from the edges of the site

oriented functions can occur.

168

169

56 ST. SOUTHSECTION

56 ST. SOUTH PARK VIEW

1ST AVE S. ELEVATION

DonNeshia Clark

170

171

Axon and sequence perspective walking through the park.

172

173

GATHERING SPACES IN BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA

The above perespectives are various drawings from
Railroad Park,, Advent church and Linn Park detailing a
people to observe and congregate.

174

DonNeshia Clark

sequence of gathering and community spaces that allow

175

1st & 56th:

Woodlawn Mixed Use
Charlie Abram
Woodlawn has the ability to utilize its strong
infrastructural connections to the surrounding
neighborhoods of eastern Birmingham. However,
largely perceptual, barriers hinder the potential
successes of the existing conditions and contribute
to the idea that Woodlawn is isolated.
The proposal aims to utilize the sites adjacencies
to Crestwood North and the commercial and civil
core of Woodlawn and to reinforce and establish
connections across and through the site to adjacent
residential areas.
These goals are achieved by holding the street edge
and improving the street design of 1st Avenue South,
continuing the commercial activity momentum from
1st Avenue North, and providing pedestrian-friendly
access to and from the site.

176

177

CONNECTIVITY DIAGRAM
Main thoroughfares & barriers

PARTI DIAGRAM

CONTEXT DIAGRAM
Commercial vs Residential Zones

CONNECTIVITY AT MULTIPLE SCALES

CONCEPT DIAGRAM

The project site is located where the commercial and

civic cores of Woodlawn intersect with the communitys
South are major thoroughfares that connect Woodlawn
to Birminghams city center and the suburban

Charlie Abram

residential zones. 1st Avenue North and 1st Avenue

neighborhoods to the east. The momentum from the

major thoroughfares does not extend along the cross
streets as easily.
178

179

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

HOLDING STREET EDGES

Redevelopment of the sites edges was a critical

PROGRAM ALLOCATION
DIAGRAM

component. The travel lanes on 1st Avenue South and

corridor and increase the barrier between vehicular and
pedestrian traffic. The most public program elements

Charlie Abram

56th Street South were reduced to enhance the pedestrian

retail shops, a cafe, and an urban groceryare adjacent

to the sidewalk; residential spaces are located above and
set back from the building edge.
180

181

PERSPECTIVE
Corner of 1st Ave South and 56th
Street South

SECTION
1st Ave South

Charlie Abram

182

183

SECTION
1st Ave South

SECTION
Proposed Greenway

ELEVATION
56th Street South

Charlie Abram

184

185

SKETCH
Line Weight Study

SKETCH
Value Study

SKETCH
Wood & Metal-Louvered
Canopy Detail
SKETCH
Proportion/Scale in Fenestration
Study

Charlie Abram

186

187

56th Street Food

Market & Housing
Torrance C. Wong
REV Birmingham and Woodlawn United have started
a revitalization framework for business and economic
growth of Woodlawn, encouraging local neighborhood
development. As a catalyst, this project aims to work
hand-in-hand with the efforts of this partnership by
providing both retail diversity and new mixed-income
housing options that cater around a diversity of
community gathering spaces.
At the heart of the site is the large-span Food Market.
The Food Market holds more than 15 market stalls
starting at 225 sq. feet and allows spaces for selling
fresh produce and goods, local food venues, and even
restaurants with outdoor seating.
The idea of retail diversity is spilled onto the street with
the retail/housing building along 1st Avenue South.
Eight larger retail spaces engage the pedestrianactive, tree covered street while having a diversity of
housing options two stories above (efficiencies, one
and two bedroom).
A micro-community situated on the southeast side of
the site provides an additional, much-needed building
concept of a vibrant, healthy community of 600 sq.
ft. homes. The Micro-community allows neighbors to
develop relationships beyond the family and sharing
private amenities like a fitness room, community
188

kitchen, and laundry center all in the common house.

189

SITE PLAN

Retail

Common House
Retail

Retail

Micro-Community

Pavilion

Food Market

Retail

Retail

THE IDEA
Retail

Retail

Retail

REV Birmingham and Woodlawn United have started

a neighborhood revitalization movement, an initiative
community carries a need of diversity in people,
program, and gathering places. My project facilitates

Torrance Wong

of creating a holistic community. To create a holistic

this unique network of ideas by providing common

190

GROUND FLOORPLAN
Retail/housing building,
Food Market, Micro-Community

gathering spaces, retail diversity, and new mixed-income

housing alternatives.
191

Efficiency

Efficiency

Loft Style
Efficiency

LOOKING ACROSS 1ST AVE. S.

Efficiency
Loft Style

Loft Style
Efficiency

Loft Style

Efficiency

192 1st Avenue South Elevation

Efficiency

One Bedroom

One Bedroom

INTERSECTION AT 56TH ST & 1ST AVE. S.

56th Street Elevation

Torrance Wong

UPPER FLOORPLAN
Retail/housing building
consisting of one bedroom,
efficiencies, and loft style living

Efficiency

193

MICRO-COMMUNITY COMMUNITY SPACE & COMMON HOUSE

MICRO-COMMUNITY: FLOOR PLAN

Torrance Wong

194

MICRO-COMMUNITY: ELEVATION

195

Torrance Wong

196

SECTION -CUT MODEL THROUGH RETAIL/HOUSING BUILDING ALONG 1ST AVE. SOUTH

197

SKETCHING FOR THE INDIVIDUAL

The sketch course has helped me loosen my fingertips and allowed me to flow
my ideas from mind to paper. Transferring from what I learned in class to my
final presentation. Ive learned the importance of sketching and the ability it has
to an idea of visualization and layered with complexity.

198

Torrance Wong

project, I ultimately decided to do my whole project by hand from concept to

199

Intersections
Taylor Christiansen
Woodlawn is experiencing a community revival
through a resurgence of small business and numerous
initiatives determined to strengthen the local
community. As this growth occurs, the community
will need space to expand, but it will also need space
to congregate and interact. Intersections is about
responding to this need by creating connected public
and private spaces to develop a narrative of strong
social connection within Woodlawn.
Intersections is comprised of several distinct pieces;
a new market that will enhance the wellness of the
community, retail, office and cafe spaces that will
give entrepreneurs a highly visible location and draw
the community in, and 46 new housing units offering
various living options. In between these programmed
zones, community space intersects with private spaces
negotiated through a series of spatial thresholds.
The front plaza space provides room for the cafe
to extend outdoors under the shade of the tree. In
addition, the market and residential entry border this
space, activating each of the edges in a unique way.
The larger community space that intersects the middle
of the site is framed by two small pavilions that bound
the space with a permeable edge. Two courtyards
branch off of this central space providing more private
200

spaces for the residents.

201

CAPTION HEADER
Caption Text

WOODLAWN CONTEXT

202

SECTION PERSPECTIVE

The parti comprises of a street

edge occupied by retail, cafes,
and office (orange) as well as the
market (green) which are nested
around a universal service core
(blue.) The residential spaces
(yellow) are on the interior of the
site and above the retail areas.

Public and private spaces overlap

and transition into one another.
The highly public streetscape
transitions into a more
contained community space
which connects to semi-private
courtyards.

Taylor Christiansen

The project is sited at a critical

juncture between the residential
neighborhoods of Woodlawn and
the developing businesses an
community spaces. In response,
the building negotiates the intersection between living spaces
and the public realm.

DIAGRAMS

203

10

20

40

80

10

20

40

80

ABOVE
Ground Floorplan

ABOVE
Second Floorplan

204

BELOW
Longitudinal Section through
Courtyards

10

20

40

80

10

20

40

80

Taylor Christiansen

BELOW
Longitudinal Elevation from 56th
Street

205

206

10

15

Taylor Christiansen

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

View from Cafe on Corner
View of Courtyard
View of Streetscape
Elevation from 1st South

30

207

208

DETAIL SECTION
The building is steel framed with a series of small cantilevers at the
balcony conditions above a continuous glass storefront below. The
balconies are cladded in wood and are supported by a continuous
beam that runs over the receded column line.

Taylor Christiansen

VIEW OF COMMUNITY SPACE

The interstitial zone forms a place for various types of gatherings
supporting the many activities of a diversified community.

209

URBAN SKETCHING

210

Taylor Christiansen

The act of physically documenting visual and atmospheric conditions

provides us with a means of critically researching natural phenomena
and the underlying forces of the built environment. Light, texture,
proportion, and detail inform our visual understanding of a place and
the suggests a character or purpose for the spaces we occupy. The
varied qualities we encounter demand an equally eclectic palette
of materials for documentation. Pencil, pen, or paint, all tools have
unique characteristics in the ways in which they can transcribe and
subsequently convey information.

211

WOODLAWN
MARKETPLACE
Keaton Ernst
With the public realm of Woodlawn, AL disappearing
over the years, this project, the Woodlawn
Marketplace, aims to give those spaces back to the
community. The plaza has programmatic elements
strategically placed around it to enhance and promote
healthy community interaction on a daily level while
also providing the community with a place to gather
and hold events.

212

213

TOP
Ground Plan

OVERLAPPING PROGRAM
The retail portions in blue hold the edges of the site,
pinching the market (orange) and residential entries
overlaps the entire market, tying the retail portions
together. The market and the plaza act together to blend

LEFT
Program, Plaza, and Unit
Diagrams

Keaton Ernst

(yellow) into the public space of the plaza. Housing

TOP
Residential Plan

the interior and exterior spaces of the marketplace.

214

215

ABOVE
Unwrapped Screen Elevation

ABOVE
Screen Diagram

BELOW
Door Diagram
Keaton Ernst

216

217

ABOVE
56TH Elevation
BELOW
56TH Section

ABOVE
1ST Ave. Elevation
BELOW
1ST Ave. Section
Keaton Ernst

218

219

Perspectives

Keaton Ernst

220

221

HAND SKETCHING
Hand drawing and observational sketching are two very
important tools that help teach us to slow down and
actually see what it is that we are looking at.

KEATON ERNST

222

223

Waiting...
Quinn MacKenzie
The average American has been estimated to spend 2
years of their life waiting in line. Recent studies have
suggested people complain less about waiting when
they have something to do. Hence, the importance
of mirrors in elevators and tabloids magazines at
the grocery store. The same logic can and should be
applied to the urban experience of bus transportation,
the forgotten and miserable space of our modern
day public realm. Woodlawn maintains significant
potential for improvements to bus transportation
because the public realm has been historically and
is currently episodic in nature. Episodic meaning, a
series of loosely connected events singularly related
to an individual user. Throughout the years, the
public realm of Woodlawn has migrated from the
high school to a park and diminished into a parking
lot. Yet existing episodes in the church, High School,
Rev Retail and Social Venture remain as assets
with the potential to be coupled with public realm
improvements. In order for existing episodes to reach
their full potential, sequence must be established.
The order in which related events and users interact.

224

225

LEFT ABOVE
Proposed Masterplan with
revised bus stop and route

RIGHT BELOW
Existing Master Plan

With an established sequence new relationships begin

to occur at the macro scale of the urban experience
and the micro scale of the every day routine, where bus
transportation is something worth waiting for because it
offers people with something to do.

226

Quinn MacKenzie

RIGHT
Bus Stop Shelter

ESTABLISHING SEQUENCE

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ABOVE
Ground Plan
BELOW
Street Elevation

The programmatic sequence of ground floor retail is

accessible from the north and south ends of the site.
The north end features a collonade providing rain cover
between the bust stop and market. The south end
provides higher visibility to retail on the street frontage

Quinn MacKenzie

RIGHT
Collonade Perspective

RETAIL SEQUENCE

with protruding signage canopies.

228

229

ABOVE
Residential Plan
BELOW
Collonade Elevation

Various events could occurr as the midpoint to the

approach sequence.

From concerts, sporting event

parties, zumba class, farmer markets and everyday food

truck access, the event space utilizes the blank market
facade and the alley as main drivers for the agility of the

Quinn MacKenzie

RIGHT
Event Space

EVENT SPACE

space.

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231

ABOVE
Wall Section

RIGHT BELOW
Section Through Market and
Exterior Stair Circulation

The start and ending point of the sequence also occurs

from the Crestwood neighborhood approach.

This

connection serves as a gateway to Woodlawn engaging

adjacent residents. The double sided retail and double
sided entrances of the project are significant for creating

Quinn MacKenzie

RIGHT
Crestwood Approach/Market
Entry

CRESTWOOD APPROACH

relationships with all users and providing convenience

to those that wait for the bus and intrigue to users that
dont often wait.
232

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Quinn MacKenzie
235
234

Woodlawn Market &

Community Center
Carlos Hernandez
The Woodlawn Market draws inspiration from local
initiatives already generating positive change within
Woodlawn with the intent to build upon and further
the scope of these programs. By creating a hub of
shared commercial and social resources for these
programs and the community at large, the Woodlawn
Market seeks to develop new connections between
health, education, community, and food.

236

237

ABOVE
Site Plan

SITE CONSIDERATIONS
Situated on the block adjacent to Social Venture, the market will be the first step
in developing a campus for Social Venture and the Woodlawn Foundation which is
bridging the downtown area to one of Woodlawns residential textures as well as
Crestwood. The campus would be rounded out by mixed use infill on Social Ventures

BELOW
Context Map
Carlos Hernandez

situated to catch the 55th place commercial corridor and proposed BRT stop while

ABOVE
Development Diagrams

corner parking lot and light industrial infrastructure on the track edge that also shares
its resources with the community.
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THIS PAGE
Ground & Second Floor Plans

The market is built on the idea of community kitchen as a place where people come
together and share the experience of eating and learning. The kitchen acts as both cafe
and educational kitchen lab, lending its resources to community and demonstrations
from REVs Urban Chef Corp. The kitchen lab shares space with the market in an open
hypo-style, which allows the market to be organized as a collection of independent
vendors. This allows space for produce from local farmers through REVs Urban Food

Carlos Hernandez

OPPOSITE
From Top:
West Elevation
South Elevation
Market Section
Cross Section

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

Project as well as food related startups supported by Social Ventures entrepreneurial

infrastructure. The community focused program is continued on the second floor with
240

wellness class rooms that connect to a roof terrace above the market.

241

ABOVE
Kitchen Lab
BELOW
Courtyard

ABOVE
Classroom
BELOW
Roof Terrace
Carlos Hernandez

242

243

ACROSS
Section Perspective

Carlos Hernandez

244

245

SKETCHING FROM LIFE

Observational sketching is a critical learning tool for an
architect. Practicing representing what is seen allows
scenes in the mind. Sketching from life also allows for
the distillation of ideas so only the most essential mood

Carlos Hernandez

the creation of better representations of objects and

is captured in drawing.

246

247

Internship Profile
The students of the Urban Studio spent
sixteen weeks interning at firms in the
Birmingham area. This allows the students
to develop professional connections, build
their Internship Development Program (IDP)
portfolio, and gain valuable work experience.

Participating Firms:
ArchitectureWorks
Barret Architecture Studio
Krumdieck Architecture & Interiors
Christopher Architecture & Interiors
Standard Creative
Rob Walker Architects
Birchfield Penuel & Associates
Davis Architects
Williams Blackstock Architects
Golden Construction, LLC
Giattina Aycock Architecture Studio
Dungan & Nequette Architects
Sims Architectural Studio
248

Boomhover Phillips Architecture

249

ArchitectureWorks

Barret Architecture Studio

Krumdieck Architecture & Interior Design

130 19th St S.

700 29th St S. #206

2810 3rd Ave S.

Birmingham, AL

Birmingham, AL

Birmingham, AL

ArchitectureWorks, formed in 1995, is based in Barrett Architecture Studio is a generalist firm, meaning

Krumdieck A+1 Design has provided distinctive design solutions for a wide range of commercial and residential

Birmingham, Alabama. We are dedicated to the craft that its work includes a broad range of project types,

project types since its formation in 1993. During that time, our firm has earned a reputation for commitment to

of our profession and providing excellent service to our with its focus primarily in the private sector - including

design excellence, attention to detail and responsiveness to the needs of our clients.

clients. We aspire to create memorable places through churches, commercial office and retail, private schools,
the exploration of the dialog between architecture multi-family and single-family residential to name a
and its surroundings. We believe that an inclusive, few. Because of the Principals history working in the
collaborative design process is essential to the success Birmingham District, most of the firms projects and
of each project. As stewards of our environment, we clients are within 60 miles of Birmingham. In addition
value opportunities to implement sustainable design to Alabama, BAS is licensed to practice in Georgia, North
principles with our clients. We continually endeavor to Carolina, Florida, and Indiana.
make a positive difference in the world through our work,
our client relationships, our commitment to community
and our respect for the natural environment.

250

Carlos Hernandez

Torrance Wong

Matthew Mason

Quinn MacKenzie

Everyday at Architecture-

The opportunity of working

Working at Krumdieck A+I

My internship redefined my

Works was a new challenge. I

at Barrett Architecture Studio

was a very informative

understanding of what it

got to experience everything

has been a very unique

experience. Working with

means to be a professional.

from working with clients

experience. I had a large

another classmate, we

From the art of answering

on schematic design to

role in each project and

developed the proposal for

phones, measuring a building,

assembling bid proposals

was constantly switching

a renovation to the current

and how to prepare for

for new projects. The studio

from different programs to

Urban Studio building. We

every type of meeting. My

culture at ArchitectureWorks

complete tasks throughout

were fortunate enough to

experience will undoubtedly

is less of an office and more

each day. I also had the

start at the beginning of the

continue to be influential for

of a family.

opportunity to go on-site a

process and work our way to

the start and throughout my

few times.

construction documents.

young professional career.

251

Christopher Architecture and Interiors

Standard Creative

Rob Walker Architects

Birchfield Penuel & Associates

3040 Independence Drive

825 C 39th St S.

2229 1st Ave S. # 110

2805 Crescent Ave. # 200

Homewood, AL

Birmingham, AL

Birmingham, AL

Birmingham, AL

Every designed space has a story. With each of our STANDARD CREATIVE!, a full service commercial and

At Rob Walker Architects, we believe the architects Birchfield Penuel & Associates endeavors to develop long-

projects we seek a collaboration with the client to tell residential architecture firm, was founded by a group

role extends beyond the traditional services. We serve term relationships with select healthcare, institutional

that story. Working with a pallet of materials and colors of young architects led by Bruce Lanier in 2006. After

as a close advisor and partner to the clients for the and wellness clients of this region, providing experienced

appropriate to each space, we seek to balance the spending over 10 years within the industry. Lanier

entire process. Our knowledge and experience helping senior leadership and responsive project implementation

pragmatics of budget and lifestyle with a proportioned wanted to offer a better working environment to both

to sift through the labyrinth of regulatory, financial and consistent with the Clients vision. The firm is composed

and elegant design. The projects within these pages other architects and clients. By opening STANDARD

management issues that every development project of a staff of nineteen design professionals and support

are the results of several of our recent collaborations. CREATIVE! on their own terms, they were able to build

entails has yielded successful projects for our clients.

What unfolds in each of these designed spaces is just a creative, energetic, and adaptable firm. This allows the
the beginning. These are stories which will be told slowly architects freedom to create their designs in an open and
over the years to come.

honest environment, while also offering clients a more

comprehensive approach than is presented in typical
firms

Rob Walker Architects, LLC is a design firm with a wide

array of expertise in the building industry. Rob Walker
Architects experience with mixed-use developments,
office buildings, multi-family residential, single-family
residential, educational, and restaurant facilities provide

staff. The entire BPA staff has extensive experience in the

planning, design, and implementation of these project
types since over 85% of our project volume is related
to this specialty. A comprehensive integration of our
Clients vision, program, budget and schedule towards an
innovative design solution defines our success.

the broad spectrum of knowledge to each project.

252

Aleks Hays

Aleks Hays

Jaslin Whaley

Charlie Abram

Ive always enjoyed custom

Working with Bruce Lanier

My experience at Rob Walker

During my time with

homes so getting to work

at Standard Creative! was

architects was a tremendous

Birchfield Penuel and

on some of the preliminary

an invaluable experience. It

learning experience. I always

Associates, I was exposed

designs was something I

was the perfect merger of

felt welcomed and excited to

to a variety of project types

found fun and interesting.

architecture, woodworking,

start a new task. Each day

including healthcare, civic,

Seeing how closely the firm

and community involvement.

was a new experience, I was

and industrial storage

worked together internally as

There were many times

paired with project architects

projects. My responsibilities

well as with clients showed

where I worked on projects

on several different projects.

for each project were similar,

that it takes an entire team

in the architecture office, and

During the internship I worked

and I enjoyed the freedom

plus a good client to achieve

then spent the rest of the day

on various projects, including

to bounce between project

the best design possible.

in the shop.

restaurants and apartments.

types.

253

Davis Architects

Williams Blackstock Architects

Golden Construction, LLC

120 23rd St S.

2204 1st Ave S. #200

2212 1st Ave S.

Birmingham, AL

Birmingham, AL

Birmingham, AL

In 2005, the firm relocated its headquarters to the historic BEBCO Building in downtown Birmingham. Previously a

In 1994, Williams Blackstock Architects was founded to The mission of Golden Construction, LLC is to provide

1920s car repair shop, the space was transformed to house the architectural studio, conference rooms, and support

provide inspiring design through a close collaborative honest, accurate general contracting and construction

spaces of Davis Architects. The firm is proud to have a continued presence in the City of Birmingham. Seeing the

relationship with our clients. Almost two decades later, management services to our clients. While providing

opportunity for growth in other markets, Davis Architects opened a new office in Atlanta in 2008 in the Midtown

having executed millions of square feet across the US, construction services, we will conduct our business in

West District just west of downtown. The Atlanta office focuses primarily on multi-family, retail, and mixed-use

the firm remains committed to this simple but powerful a manner that instills the client with confidence in our

development, as well as institutional projects.

approach. Since its origination, the firm has grown quickly company as a steward of their construction funds and

In 2012, Davis Architects celebrated 100 years of continued operation. The firm is proud to have served the State
of Alabama and the Southeast for so many years and looks forward to another 100 years of continued service.

and continued to evolve and remain at the forefront of the provider of high quality constructed products.
the ever-changing design industry.

Our clients will realize added value in our pursuit of their

Since the firms founding, it has developed a reputation based on integrity and a deep personal interest in each

Over the years, our firm has established a reputation for repeat business, for it is repeat business that will provide

project, regardless of size. This same interest, a meticulous attention to detail, and the extensive cumulative years of

success by collaboratively working with our clients as a the sustained growth of our company.

experience in all types of design, assure an innovative, individual approach to the needs of each client in its practice,

team member and communicating clearly. With every

reaching from Birmingham, Atlanta, the Southeast, and abroad.

project, our goal is to provide the highest level of service

and expertise. Combining architectural experience
with both client and contractor input enables us to
provide innovative, visionary design solutions which are

Golden will ensure the very same care taken with

our clients is also extended to our subcontractors.
Relationships with our subcontractors provide us the
tools needed to build successful projects for our clients.

inspirational, pragmatic and functional.

254

Kevin Thompson

Alex Buehning

Anne Johnstone

Michael Lewandowski

My time spent with Davis

As a young professional it

While working at Williams

I performed general

Architects was unique, as I

was unbelievably exciting to

Blackstock Architects, I

construction administration

was given the opportunity to

work with Davis on a variety

was tasked with going on

duties and designed a

start a project, go through

of large scale projects at

site visits to measure and

graphic format for recording

the schematic, development,

various levels of completion.

document existing conditions,

the status of ongoing

and construction phases.

It provided a lot of clarity

developing Revit models for

construction elements.

We started with a client

to my career aspirations

projects, producing Sketchup

and existing building, and

experiencing every step

Models and renderings for

my last week of work was

from schematic design to

presentations, and correcting

spent finalizing a set of

construction.

construction documents as

construction documents.

needed.

255

Giattina Aycock Architecture Studio

Dungan & Nequette Architects

Sims Architectural Studio

Boomhover Phillips Architecture

1827 1st Ave N. #100

1906 Cahaba Road

2318 2nd Ave S.

200 28th St S.

Birmingham, AL

Mountain Brook, AL

Birmingham, AL

Birmingham, AL

Since 1966, Giattina Aycock Architecture Studio, Inc., Our firm does a wide variety of projects for clients from

Sims Architectural Studio, Inc. (SAS) embodies individuals Our goal is for each project to be distinct, personally

has worked to deliver well-conceived, constructible Nova Scotia to the Bahamas and points in between. I

representing many years of history and experience in the reflecting our clients interests and needs. We pay great

architecture

provide would say our culture is not at all corporate. It is a fast

design and construction of a variety of project types. attention to preliminary programming, closely listening

comprehensive architectural services including building paced kind of culture, full of people that are passionate

Currently, we are a firm of 10 people dedicated mainly to our clients wants and concerns while meeting the

and interior design, master planning, site design, about creating thoughtful and beautiful places. We dress

to the design and construction of projects of quality and projects budgetary and programmatic requirements.

feasibility studies and related services. We believe in the casually most days, just comfortably but professionally.

distinction.

with

lasting

value.

We

practice of problem-solving, with a mission to find value We have about twenty employees in our three design
through creative thinking.

firms and enjoy great relationships, being creative and

working with our clients. Internally, we work hard and
have fun. We are self-starters. When looking for potential
studio members, egotism and self-importance are dimly
viewed. Its a fun and comfortable environment, not
without trials as with any career, but we enjoy our time
together- and it shows in the quality of our work. We

Through extensive planning and detailed drawings we

Our talented staff has a rich background of architectural

experience that ranges from resort to retail design,
master planning and design of schools and government
facilities, to the design of institutional facilities. Currently,

see to it that our clients personality is interpreted into a

custom product with engaging architecture and interiors.
Our years of experience on unique and complex projects
serve as a catalyst in Bringing Your Vision to Reality.

90% of our projects involve the design of healthcare

facilities.
SAS is currently in its 19th year as a design firm.

could not achieve this level, without the culture and spirit
we enjoy.

Taylor Christiansen

Vince Lombardo

Donneshia Clark

Alan Darpini

My internship at GA Studio

My experience at Dungan

During the course of my

After completing the fall

/ BLOX encompassed the

Nequette touched on many

internship I was involved

semester at the Urban Studio,

design process holistically,

aspects of the architecture

in a various amount of

Alan left for Barcelona to

providing the opportunity

profession. I enjoyed having

healthcare and residential

complete his architecture

to engage in schematic

a hand in the design and

projects. I worked on a series

thesis.

development as well as

production of residential and

of projects from 3d modeling,

detail intensive design and

university projects as well

construction documents,

fabrication of manufactured

as getting to participate the

rendering, program/

modules.

firms culture.

schematic design, interiors

and being involved in client

256

ownership meetings.

257

Future of the
Urban Studio
Quinn MacKenzie, Matt Mason, Alex Krumdieck
The design methodology for the Urban Studio
Renovation is based around three core principles:
visibility, collaboration, and agility.

Visibility

describes the buildings relationship within the

context of Birmingham. The highly visible location
on 20th Street and 3rd Avenue North creates an
opportunity for strong pedestrian and vehicular
relationships. Users exiting the city utilize the oneway street of 3rd Avenue North as one of the major
thoroughfares traveling east toward the interstate.
Pedestrian traffic along 20th Street, the major spine
of the city, is considerable . Collaboration describes
the existing and proposed identity for the Urban
Studio.

Collaboration occurs most significantly

today between academia and the profession.

The

future proposal aims to maintain this relationship

and enhance collaboration across the disciplines of
industrial design, architecture, and graduate students.
Finally, with collaboration as a goal agility describes
how the interior should perform to reach the greatest
potential. All the spaces within the building are
designed to account for as many different group sizes
and uses as possible.

258

259

LEFT ABOVE
Historical
RIGHT ABOVE
Existing
LEFT
Proposed Future
RIGHT
Goal

260

VISIBILITY
Many studies have been conducted to anticipate the
visibility of the interior from the exterior.

The two

sketches to the right display the pedestrian interaction

and the vehicular interaction as those users move farther
away from the building.

261

ABOVE
proposed basement plan
ABOVE RIGHT
proposed ground floor plan

AGILITY
Above are the different scenario proposals for different
uses of the ground floor corner space. From banquet
halls, summer camps, lecture series, and different types
of gallery layouts, the design of the space attempts to be
as flexible as possible.

262

263

ABOVE LEFT
2nd floor plan
ABOVE RIGHT
3rd floor plan
RIGHT
2nd floor perspective

264

COLLABORATION
The glass wall separates the studio space from classroom
space on the second and third floors. The glass material
is magnetic and accepts a dry erase marker allowing for
group process work and final pin ups.

265

ABOVE
glass wall vertical connection
RIGHT
3rd floor perspective

VISIBILITY
The two walls are the backdrop for visibility and the
vertical connection for the entire building. The third floor
ceiling plane is significant because it is readily visible
from pedestrians on the sidewalk.

266

267

FINAL JURIES
May 5, 2015

268

269

COMMUNITY PRESENTATION
May 7, 2015

270

271