2008 Brick In Architecture Awards Competition |
In the Sept. 2008 LASN issue, we gave a brief rundown of the landscape architecture firms that won paving awards in the Brick Industry Association?EUR??,,????'?????< Well, that time has come. The four landscape architectural firms the Brick Industry Association recognized were:  The alley also shifts its axis at its midpoint. The landscape architect used edge-laid brick in this area as well, changing the pattern from running bond to herringbone in order to dramatize the shift. The Landscape Architecture Bureau?EUR??,,????'?????<Project: Cady?EUR??,,????'?????<
Architect/Landscape Architect: Landscape Architecture Bureau,Washington, D.C. The Landscape Architecture Bureau views its projects as a fusion of art, science and stewardship. Pursuing art through designs that are iconic, imaginative, and inspirational the company enjoys a well-earned reputation for creating astonishing designs that result in a memorable sense of place, integrity, and lasting beauty. For more information, please visit: www.labindc.com  Brick, granite Belgian blocks for the ?EUR??,,????'?????< Cady?EUR??,,????'?????<A single developer assembled a number of small parcels comprising the entire block between 33rd and 34th Streets, M Street and the C&O Canal in Washington, D.C. (Georgetown), then commissioned five architectural firms to design mixed-use projects in the parcel called Cady?EUR??,,????'?????< The primary design element for the alley was to make it an inviting and invigorating pedestrian zone for shopping. However, a major requirement of the project was to allow periodic service uses (deliveries, trash pick-up, etc.). So Cady?EUR??,,????'?????< The key was to do both, but uphold a pedestrian character. While the space is essentially pedestrian, it had to be designed for heavy vehicular loads.  Looking west from the midpoint of the alley, the landscape architect dramatized the passage of water down the centerline by using eroded, water-washed pebbles in a center strip. Cady?EUR??,,????'?????< It is important to recognize Cady?EUR??,,????'?????<  he view looking east down Westgate towards Marion Street in Oak Park, Ill. highlights the range of project materials, including clay pavers (3x3x9-inch) boardwalk pavers (Whitacre Greer), bluestone sidewalks and granite curbs. The Westgate section features a narrow, one-way, curbless street with planters, cast iron tree grates (3x5 ft., Iron Age Designs, ?EUR??,,????'?????< Image courtesy of the Village of Oak Park, Office of Communication & Cable Television The Lakota Group?EUR??,,????'?????<Project: Marion Streetscape, Village of Oak Park, Ill.  This view of Marion Street is looking north towards Lake Street from the railroad viaduct. New decorative lighting and the reintroduction of vehicular traffic has created an improved sense of safety on Marion at night. For the winter season, a low-voltage mesh radiant-heating product (Warmzone Management) will melt the snow as it falls. Marion Street, Village of Oak Park, Ill.In 1974, Lake and Marion streets in Oak Park were converted to a pedestrian shopping mall to compete with regional indoor shopping centers. In recent years, ?EUR??,,????'?????< Village Park updated its downtown master plan in March 2005. The plan called for reopening Marion Mall to vehicular traffic with a European-style design that would enable it to be closed for special events and include traffic-calming elements to ensure low-traffic speeds. In June 2006, the village began planning, hiring a team of consultants to study a potential village-owned downtown parking deck, as well as the function and appearance of the streets leading to the deck. Metro Transportation Group, a planning firm, and The Lakota Group, an urban planning and landscape architecture firm, studied the feasibility of reopening Marion to vehicular traffic to support the proposed deck.   The bluestone ?EUR??,,????'?????< Streetscape DesignFor the first several months of 2007, the steering committee held 11 meetings with the consultants and village staff. The existing dedicated right-of-way for this section of Marion is only 50-feet wide, with most of the buildings setback slightly, creating a street zone of 55 to 58 feet. To emphasize the pedestrian environment and slow vehicular traffic, drive lanes were kept to 10-feet widths. Parallel parking was located throughout the project in small clusters of three to four spaces. In these zones, the pedestrian sidewalk is the most narrow, approximately 10 feet. Outside the parallel parking zones, the curbs return to a narrow street configuration to create a wider pedestrian zone of 18 feet or wider to offer additional landscape and outdoor seating. The right-of-way for Westgate Terrace is only 33 feet, making it difficult to create two-way vehicular access. The final design includes one-way westbound access along Westgate until it connects with the existing two-way street. The one lane of travel was kept at 12 feet to once again preserve a minimum pedestrian zone of 10 feet. Street, Sidewalk, Curbs and PlantersClay brick pavers were selected for the streets, in keeping with Marion?EUR??,,????'?????< Oversized granite pieces at the ends of several planters offer seating. The planters are lined on the sidewalk-side with decorative cast iron trench grates to collect surface runoff. The gutters, like the street curbs, are built of the same dark gray granite used for the raised planters.  The streetscape materials create a pedestrian, European-style street that can accommodate street festivals. Removable bollards (?EUR??,,????'?????< LightingThe committee selected a globe light similar to those used here in the Roaring 20s. ?EUR??,,????'?????< Street FurnitureTo maintain flexibility for outdoor cafes and special events, permanent benches are kept to a minimum. Decorative black metal benches trash receptacles and ash urns are clustered in select locations. The trash receptacles have customized recycling containers. A simple stainless steel bike rack with a loop design complements the circle motif of the globe lights and benches. Custom signage includes an events kiosk and historic plaque. LandscapeDecorative cast iron tree grates (3???5-ft.) were generally placed adjacent to parallel parking spaces. The grates were selected for their narrowness to create the widest sidewalks possible and as an additional area for water infiltration. Structural soils, underneath the sidewalks in a 10???15-ft. area around each street tree, create an expanded zone for root growth. Trees, low shrubs, perennials, groundcovers and annuals go in the raised planters. Cast iron movable planters are placed around the pole bases of several of the pedestrian lights and at regular intervals along Westgate. FountainThe fountain design is a simple low-granite base, using the same materials and a similar scale as the raised planters, surrounded by cast iron trench grates to match the other tree and trench grates used throughout the project. The fountain sports 10 jets that gently bubble water into the basin. The water cascades over the edge, along the rough granite face of the base into the trench grates. Each jet has its own internal lighting, with additional subtle lighting hidden under the lip of fountain edge and at the fountain base. Green InitiativesStorm water runoff goes to a large ?EUR??,,????'?????< Zoning Overlay InitiativesThe dimension from building to building varies from 57 to 58 feet. The new zoning preserves those distances and does not allow build up to the right-of-way. The village also reduced the maximum allowed building heights from 125 feet to 45 feet.  An aerial view of CCB Plaza in Durham, N.C. reveals the paving patterns: circular, single-soldier, double-soldier, herringbone and stacked bond. Three types of pavers were installed. The darker red bricks (?EUR??,,????'?????< Photo by Cameron Davidson for Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.?EUR??,,????'?????<Project: Downtown Streetscape Improvements, Durham, N.C. Durham, N.C. StreetscapeThe city of Durham, N.C. engaged Kimley-Horn to lead an effort to revitalize its downtown core. The process began with a significant public planning effort, geared toward understanding the needs of the downtown and capitalizing on the culture and history of the area. Kimley-Horn provided a wide range of services in the reconstruction and revitalization of the downtown core (15 city blocks) of the city of Durham, including implementing the first phase of the master plan. Kimley-Horn?EUR??,,????'?????< Durham, N.C. has embraced New Urbanism, with the planners setting out to make downtown not only more visually inviting, but more friendly to pedestrians, bicycles and motorists. The downtown has carved offices, homes and businesses out of old buildings in the urban center. The conversion of Main Street to two-way traffic has improved traffic flow and makes it the hub to which other downtown districts are linked. The streets have been reconstructed using standard paving and decorative pavements. The sidewalks have been reconstructed, using predominantly brick pavers designed to fit in with the surrounding brick buildings, made from clay mined in North Carolina?EUR??,,????'?????<  The lowest point of the water feature and campus includes waterfalls ranging from 4 to 13 feet. The area was dug out to expose the basement of Fowler Building on the right and provide natural light. The existing diagonal concrete supports were uncovered and cleaned but are a part of the existing construction. Doors and windows have been added to access a Health Club and Restaurant. The Pump House is located at the far end of the photograph and the water feature reservoir is located below the brick patio right of the basin. Photos COurtsey of Jean Aldy, Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart, Capital Broadcasting (owner) and photographer Bob Hughes Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart & Associates?EUR??,,????'?????<Project: American Tobacco Campus Historic Redevelopment Phases I and II Located in the heart of downtown Durham, North Carolina, the American Tobacco project features restaurants, pubs, a YMCA fitness center, amphitheatre and retail. The home of the Durham Bulls (baseball) are nearby, and within minutes you can be on the campus of Duke University or at Research Triangle Park, home to some of the most prolific innovation and technology companies in the world.  The 16-acre American Tobacco Co. property in Durham, N.C. is on the National Register of Historic Places. The industrial plant, comprising nine buildings, was in operation from 1874 to 1987. Brick, concrete and wood, the original materials for the plant, became the major hardscape materials for the redevelopment. New brick bridges were provided at several locations, and brick and concrete patios were added near restaurants. The amphitheatre stage was constructed below the existing water tower. The American Tobacco Co., a 16-acre property with nine buildings, was an active industrial plant from 1874 to 1987. In 2000, the American Tobacco Factory was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the site was approved by the Durham City Council as a local historic landmark. Prior to 2002, there were several failed efforts to revitalize the old plant. It was common knowledge in the community that development of the property would be more cost effective by simply tearing down and rebuilding. However, in early 2002, Capitol Broadcasting Co. chose to invest in Durham. The costs and risk were high, but Capitol acted with vision and courage to preserve and reincarnate a significant part of the area?EUR??,,????'?????<  The main pedestrian entry to the American Tobacco Co. campus also provides emergency access and is a part of the regional Rails to Trail. The steel on the sign is reuse of steel from older buildings. Where new concrete was placed near or adjacent to existing concrete, the new concrete was stressed and stained to blend with the 50 year old concrete. The design intent was to redevelop the old tobacco factory to fit today?EUR??,,????'?????< Since the brick buildings were constructed over a 75-year span the selection of the brick and color palette presented major challenges. The selected brick has a rumbled finish and a full color range to allow its use throughout the project. Benches were designed and constructed by local artists using existing steel and wood beams. Water became a principal unifying element. The ?EUR??,,????'?????< Leaving behind the large open park space, the river continues its journey along sloped planted edges and old concrete ruins. A major pedestrian arrival point is Crowe Bridge and as the river flows beneath this area, open steel gratings, underwater lighting and the sound of rushing water are constant reminders of the river?EUR??,,????'?????<  |
