Frederick + Frederick wins two AIA SC Awards

We were awarded two Robert Mills Residential Design Awards by The American Institute of Architects South Carolina at the annual design award gala on October 23, 2010.

The Fienning Residence in Beaufort was recognized with citation award. Juror, Phil Szostak, FAIA, said "He liked the quiet restraint of the addition to the historical house."

The Cole Residence in Palmetto Bluff won a merit award. Mr. Szostak commented that "He appreciated the vernacular form of the dog-trot and the regionally appropriate material palette."

Beaufort 3 Century New Freedman's Cottage

"What if every simple act of design and construction made the world a better place?"

"WHAT IF EVERY INTERVENTION RESULTED IN GREATER BIODIVERSITY; INCREASED SOIL HEALTH; ADDITIONAL OUTLETS FOR BEAUTY AND PERSONAL EXPRESSIONS; A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF CLIMATE, CULTURE, AND PLACE; A REALIGNMENT OF OUR FOOD AND TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS; AND A MORE PROFOUND SENSE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CITIZEN OF A PLANET WHERE RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES ARE PROVIDED FAIRLY AND EQUITABLY?"

THIS IS THE LIVING BUILDING CHALLENGE. WE ACCEPT THIS CHALLENGE FOR THE FUTURE FORM OF BEAUFORT TO HONOR THE UNIQUE CULTURAL AND ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE OF THE NORTHWEST QUADRANT AND TO PROTECT THE NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK DISTRICT. THE 560 SQUARE FOOT "FREEDMEN" COTTAGE IS BASED ON THE CIRCA 1850'S FREEDMEN COTTAGES FOUND IN THE NORTHWEST QUADRANT. THESE WERE THE HOUSES OF THE NEWLY FREED AFRICAN AMERICANS AND NOW IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY WE WILL BE FREE FROM THE GRID OF POWER, WATER, AND THE AUTOMOBILE. EACH HOUSE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WILL GENERATE AROUND 4000KwH PER YEAR IN ELECTRICITY THROUGH PHOTOVOLTAICS AND WIND TURBINES, WHILE CONSUMING AROUND 2000 KwH PER YEAR; SELLING THE REMAINING ENERGY BACK TO THE POWER COMPANY. EACH HOUSE WILL COLLECT RAINWATER FROM THE ROOF TO TREAT AND USE AS POTABLE WATER IN THE HOUSE. GRAYWATER AND CONDENSATION FROM THE HEAT PUMP WILL BE COLLECTED AND STORED IN A SEPARATE CISTERN AND USED FOR IRRIGATION IN THE COMMUNITY GARDENS. THE PROCESSES, MATERIALS, AND PRODUCTS PRESENTED IN THIS PROJECT ARE AVAILABLE TODAY. AS ENERGY AND WATER FEES INCREASE AND TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES THEY WILL BECOME AFFORDABLE.

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We haven't built a physical model since we started with Revit three years ago. It is much faster to build a model in Revit than by hand! For more infomation on the Beaufort 3 Century Project http://www.beaufortthreecentury.org/ Please visit the exhibition at the Verdier House Mondays - Saturdays 10 am until 4 pm (it's free) and vote on the people's choice!

Beaufort 3 Century Architectural Competition

We have been super busy the last few weeks preparing our competition entry. The description of the competition as found on the Beaufort County Web page http://bcgov.net/about-beaufort-county/public-service/planning/expo_2011/index.php or condensed below.

"The Beaufort Three-Century Project & Historic Beaufort Foundation are hosting a public exhibition of architecture and community design to complement the City of Beaufort tri-centennial celebration. The exhibit will demonstrate how the valued built forms of Beaufort can be successfully fused with the future requirements for sustainability of energy, water, materials, human ecology and indigenous vegetation. The design categories will include the Single Structure Infill and the Neighborhood Plan – each on one of three pre-selected opportunity sites in historic Beaufort. In addition to cash awards for these two categories, there will be a People's Choice award, as voted by exhibition visitors during the three-week long event.

This professional competition is open to architecture and land design professionals & students of those disciplines. Submissions should be physical models, virtual or perspective renderings of single structure infill or community plan models for one of three selected sites in historic Beaufort. Each submission should be accompanied by a specification board headlining the fundamental design principles and sustainable strategies used."

We chose to enter both the neighborhood master plan and individual building categories. The site we selected was the four blocks at the intersection of Wilmington and Washington Street.

The gray buildings on the site plan are recognized as contributing structures to the National Historic Landmark District. The are modest one and two story houses generally built right after the Civil War. This neighborhood was started by freed slaves and the majority of the current residents are African Americans. The white buildings are non-contributing structures.

This is the new master plan. We added a gathering place at the intersection of Wilmington and Washington and community gardens at the rear of each property.

AIA Georgia 2010 Convention - Savannah

As we drove across the bridge into Savannah Thursday afternoon we were hoping that the rainy weather would move up the coast.

 The theme of the conference was "Waves of Change" and it was all about water - the first activity was a sunset dinner cruise on the Savannah River. We boarded at River Street across from the convention center and headed up river to the Talmadge Bridge.

 The ships were huge close up

The bridge is beautiful from the water.

After a full day of great seminars on Friday we headed to the Telfair Museum Jepson Center for a reception and keynote speech by Jean Michel Cousteau about his work with the Ocean Futures Society. I will write a post later on the critical need to conserve water. The food was excellent, especially the Thai chicken rolls...I ate way too many of them. The photo above is me in front of  Daniel Shiffman's interactive video "Swarm" Take a look of it in action...

The color swarms across the screen and mimics the view in front of the camera. The keynote was followed by Pecha-Kucha Night hosted by AIA Savannah at Alligator Soul. A highlight was Ed Atkins presentation on finding unused space in Atlanta to house the homeless and grow food. The billboard apartments were great.

On Saturday we woke to a beautiful day and after the keynote, Michael and I decided to spend the morning exploring Savannah. We left the hotel and wandered down to the river.

We happened upon the 11th annual weiner dog races....there were over 150 dogs racing..it was a hoot!

After trying to watch one heat we realized that we were too late to get a good seat so we continued our stroll. We passed through square after square and came to one of SCAD's classroom buildings..they are all over town. It is an attractive building and maybe was an elementary school in it's former life.

We continued toward Forsyth Park through the Whitaker Street Design District; I love the color of this door.

When we arrived in the park we were detoured around a wedding and discovered two knights jousting!

We headed back to the hotel and an afternoon full of continuing education seminars and the awards gala Saturday night.

I am now back home preparing Jana's 25th birthday dinner!