ONARCHITECTURE- Pavement paradise: Water Street design winners announced!
Last Friday, October 5, the jury selected by the Charlottesville Community Design Center to judge the winners of a contest to develop the Water Street parking lots selected their winners. In addition, the general public was allowed to vote for their favorite designs the weekend before when the exhibit opened. Not surprisingly, several local architects placed, as well as a design team from faraway Barcelona.
The design contest, which the City paid the CCDC $103,000 to organize, and which offered a $25,000 cash prize to the winners (1st: $12,000; 2nd: $8,000; 3rd: $5,000), was instigated by a group of influential citizens– including Mitch Van Yahres, Blake Caravati, Maurice Cox, and UVA architect Bill Morrish– who wrote a letter to Mayor David Brown last year voicing their concerns about the possibility of unchecked development on the valuable site. Although the City does not own the Water Street parking lots (it owns a very small portion, actually), and no future developer willing to cough up the $10+ million for the land will be required to use any of the winning designs, the City hoped the contest would generate a "compelling design vision" for the site.
Little, Charlotte, NC.PHOTO COURTESY CHARLOTTESVILLE COMMUNITY DESIGN CENTER
Last Friday, October 5, the jury selected by the Charlottesville Community Design Center to judge the winners of a contest to develop the Water Street parking lots selected their winners. In addition, the general public was allowed to vote for their favorite designs the weekend before when the exhibit opened. Not surprisingly, several local architects placed, as well as a design team from faraway Barcelona.
First Place: Little – Charlotte, North Carolina
Team Members: Bo Sun, Michael Baujan, Chad Lukenbaugh, Ryan Fujita
Jury Comments: Of all the submissions, this design emerged almost immediately to the jury as the winner. As juror David Baker said, "This would create an exciting space on First Street. I can imagine people meandering through the site, especially on market days."
James Huemoeller + David Malda, Charlottesville
PHOTO COURTESY CCDC
Second Place: James Huemoeller + David Malda – Charlottesville
Team Members: James Huemoeller, David Malda
Jury Comments: While this design may not be as financially realistic as other submissions, the density offered in this scheme is probably close to that preferred by the general public. The inclusion of a mid-size (30,000-square-feet) grocery store in the concept, while difficult to bring to reality, is a nice effort to bring this much-needed amenity to downtown Charlottesville.
Speranza Architecture, Barcelona
PHOTO COURTESY CCDC
Third Place: Speranza Architecture – Barcelona
Team Members: Philip Speranza, Kathryn Hilton, James Middlebrook
Jury Comments: The ambitious site plan and organic quality of the architecture stood out to the jury as an attempt to create a special destination that would be a place to stop, not to travel through. As juror Brian Hogg noted, "It's a modern piazza that would be a pleasant surprise to a first-time visitor."
The Folsom Group LLC, Charlottesville
PHOTO COURTESY CCDC
Honorable Mention: The Folsom Group LLC – Charlottesville
Team Members: Jim Duxbury, Richard Price
Jury Comments: The team's description of how the development of the site could be built by various developers and architects in multiple phases showed a strong grounding in reality. As juror Jair Lynch commented, "This is a scheme that could probably be built."
James Dayton Design, Minneapolis
PHOTO COURTESY CCDC
Honorable Mention: James Dayton Design – Minneapolis
Team Members: James G. Dayton, Angela Varpness, Jenna Quirk, Scott Elofson, Patrick Regan
Jury Comments: This scheme revealed the possible benefits of taller and thinner buildings as opposed to the current restrictions in Charlottesville's zoning code. Its slightly industrial architecture is appropriate for the Water St. location.
Little Rhino Studio, Charlottesville
PHOTO COURTESY CCDC
People's Choice Winner: Little Rhino Studio– Charlottesville
Team Members: Bob Anderson, Lindsay Howe, Kris Huisinga, Dustin McCracken, Shiho Nishiyama, Julie Ulrich
The Jury:
David Baker, FAIA
David Baker + Partners Architects
Timothy Beatley
Teresa Heinz Professor of Sustainable Communities, University of Virginia
William B. Daggett, Jr., AIA, NCARB
Founding Partner, Daggett + Grigg Architects PC
Mark Giles
President & CEO, Virginia National Bank
Brian Hogg
Senior Historic Preservation Planner, Office of the Architect, University of Virginia
Jair K. Lynch
President & CEO, The Jair Lynch Companies
Diane Edgerton Miller
President & CEO, blue moon fund
Jessica Nagle
Co-founder, SNL Financial
James E. Tolbert, AICP
Director, Department of Neighborhood Planning & Development Services, City of Charlottesville
Collette Hall
President, North Downtown Neighborhood Association (Hall was a last-minute addition to the jury when the City realized it had not appointed a North Downtown resident as promised.)
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