Author: ArchitectureWorks

Restored Flagg Mountain Tower marks start of the Pinhoti Trail

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Flagg Mountain is the centerpiece of Weogufka State Park and the start of the Pinhoti Trail. Atop Flagg Mountain is a 40-foot tall Civilian Conservation Corp era stone Lookout Tower. After documenting the existing tower, the interior stairs were replaced, allowing visitors unparalleled views of Alabama’s great forests. ArchitectureWorks collaborated with many partners on this project including Alabama Forestry Commission, Alabama Trails Foundations, Alabama Historical Commission, and University of Alabama’s Department of Economic Development and College of Archaeology.

See more on ArchitectureWork’s Instagram here

M2 offers exceptional hub for Birmingham workspaces

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M2 is a 70,000 sf modern workplace serving enterprises and entrepreneurs operating in light manufacturing, production design, and other creative industries. Gathering organizations, established companies, startups, and individuals that might not otherwise work together and give, M2 provides a place and process to get things done.

Anchored by the Ghost Train Brewing Company’s second location, M2 occupies an important moment as the Red Rock Trail network continues to connect downtown Birmingham with its immediate suburbs. What was once 2nd Avenue South now serves as a transition between the industrial areas of Lakeview to the more commercial and entertainment-focused Avondale.

See more on ArchitectureWork’s Instagram here

Photography: Cary Norton

Gulf State Park Learning Campus receives AIA Alabama Design Honor Award

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A hub for park visitors, K-12 students, rotating researchers, and park staff, the Gulf State Park Learning Campus offers classrooms, laboratories, flexible meeting spaces, and lodging options. ArchitectureWorks received an AIA Alabama Design Honor Award for the Learning Campus’s eco-focused, open-air design.

Built on a previously developed area in an evergreen forest, this LEED Silver awarded project demonstrates sustainable building practices and cultivates stewardship through interactive environmental programming. The site design of the Campus encourages visitors to park the car and use a network of pedestrian trails, creating various experiences amid native longleaf pines and live oaks. The Student Lodge, equipped with 64 bunk beds and 2 private rooms, and a Community Restaurant are a short walk-in-the-woods away from a collection of Classrooms and a 200-seat Auditorium. Connected by boardwalks and characterized by screened porches nestled under the trees, the Classrooms and Auditorium provide a variety of learning opportunities. Together, they form Gulf State Park’s primary learning destination for exhibits and formal research.

Learn more here: bit.ly/GulfStateParkLearningCampus

Photography: Cary Norton (exterior) and Valor Hospitality (interior)

New pavilion at Alabama’s Turkey Creek Nature Preserve expands education options

Posted on by ArchitectureWorks

Turkey Creek in north Jefferson County is home to not only one, but three endangered species of fish, including one found nowhere else on the planet.

Meanwhile, the nature preserve just north of Birmingham that bears the same name is drawing ever-larger crowds who come to enjoy the creek’s pristine waters, the preserve’s hiking and biking trails and the popular swimming hole that stays refreshingly cool on even the hottest summer days.

Protecting the preserve’s delicate and important habitat while accommodating people who want to enjoy its natural beauty is a delicate balance. So is finding ways to cover the ongoing costs of maintaining the preserve.

A new classroom pavilion under construction at the 466-acre Turkey Creek Nature Preserve will hopefully provide a revenue source sustaining the preserve while also offering an eco-friendly amenity to further the preserve’s education mission. A recent grant under the public-private Five Star program will support the project in a way that protects the preserve – and the rare creatures that inhabit it.

Read more at the Alabama News Center website here.

Lake Pavilion awarded at AIA Birmingham Design Awards

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The Lake Pavilion was recognized with a 2020 Merit Award by AIA Birmingham. Although the ceremony was a bit different this year, there was still a stellar lineup of projects. Congratulations to all of the other recipients!

At the Lake Pavilion, one hundred and fourteen year-old loblolly pines were given a new purpose after a full life located on an area golf course. Read more about this project here.

 

This pavilion is the ideal spot for an Alabama lake day

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When a family was looking to update their lakefront property, they turned to Birmingham firm ArchitectureWorks to help them better utilize their space. With their children now grown, the family found themselves using their lakeside pool less and less. So, they decided to fill it in to make room for a pavilion where the entire family could comfortably gather to enjoy 360-degree views of the gorgeous surrounding scenery.

Read the full Birmingham Magazine article here.

AW designed Highland Park Community Garden is ready to grow

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Today is the official opening of the Highland Park Community Garden! Designed by AW’s Carlos Hernandez, a member of the community garden board, this garden nestled in the Highland Park neighborhood of Birmingham has been many years in the making. Truly a great example that simple materials and a strong community spirit are all that is needed to create a beautiful, productive environment.

ArchitectureWorks Wins ACIA Top Block Award for Highlands School

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The ACIA presents the Top Block Award to a firm in the state for a project of “distinguished design whose primary building material is concrete block”. ArchitectureWorks received the first award of 2020 for their design of Highlands School in Birmingham. Read the full description of the award on the ACIA website here or check out the full project write-up full project write-up here. Congrats to the entire Highlands School team!

 

Life Learning Experiences Built In

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ArchitectureWorks, architects for the Creative Montessori School in Homewood, created learning spaces that put the student experience at the forefront of design.

Innovators in the architectural design of school focus on improving the student experience with special enhancements to the learning environment. Award-winning upgrades and expansion of the Creative Montessori School in Homewood prove a case in point.

Check out the full Business Alabama article here

Cayenne Creative and Brät Brot Biergarten Awarded at AIA Birmingham Design Awards

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AIA Birmingham recognized two ArchitectureWorks projects with Merit Awards at the 2019 Design Awards last night, hosted at Brät Brot Biergarten in Birmingham. Both projects, Cayenne Creative and Brät Brot Biergarten, were also awarded by AIA Alabama this year. Thank you AIA Birmingham for another great event and congratulations to all architects and project teams who were honored this year!