|
Mayor's Urban Design Awards 2007
Project Owner: Paul Hawkins and Dick Edwards
Submitted by: Denny Christenson & Associates
Project Team: Architect: Denny Christenson and
Associates; Civil: Wyatt Engineering Landscape Architect: Sherry Pratt
VanVoorhis; Structural; DCI Engineers; Mechanical: Energy Control; Electrical:
Pennell Consulting; Interior Design: Kristen Bacon Interior
Design
|
|
Hawkins Edwards
Buildings
221 & 225 West Main
Ave.
Spokane, WA
July, 2001
Office Buildings – New Construction
Beginning with a
strong desire to fit into the historical context of the adjacent
buildings, the owner’s and design team’s teamwork paid off with the
Hawkins Edwards Buildings culminating in an architectural statement
which satisfies all parties involved.
The project
possesses a straight-forward organization. Two identical multi-tenant
office buildings frame a central courtyard as well as provide a
separation from the parking lot and the main pedestrian circulation. The
garden space maintains a circulation link from front to back as well as
creating an outdoor oasis in the urban fabric. Delineated by a wrought
iron fence, the parking lot is only accessible from the alley. The
public and private nature of the courtyard is defined by brick columns
and similar iron fencing, but it is punctuated by an open archway rather
than an actual gate. During the day, tenants can enjoy the courtyard
from the inside as well as the outside. The public can partake of the
space at any time. The courtyard has become a destination point for
professional and amateur photographers looking for an inspiring
backdrop. Both public and private uses are allowed to bear witness to
the changing seasons as the landscaping provides opportunities for a
multi-sensory experience of different sights, sounds, and smells
throughout the year.
Using the historical
context as a template, every aspect of the design - from the massing, to
the detailing, signage, and lighting - goes toward establishing the
Hawkins Edwards Buildings as valuable neighbors in the downtown
community. The articulated facades hearken back to a previous era and
provide for a comfortable and welcoming pedestrian experience. Beginning
with a base of ground-face concrete masonry, the buildings’ middle
sections of brick are punctuated with repeating pilasters, masonry
plinths, period light fixtures, contrasting lintels, and bronze and
pre-cast signage, and it is all topped with dentil-laden cornices. Large
windows provide transparency in the buildings’ skins at street level and
above. Copper awnings with curving wooden brackets provide shelter and a
definition of scale for the pedestrian. Contemporary and timeless
materials speak to an older vernacular.
By sacrificing some additional money
and some potential building area, the owner and the design team were
able to create a project containing spaces and experiences which hold
more value than the bottom line and which extend themselves into the
urban fabric. Feedback from the community-at-large testifies that the
Hawkins Edwards Buildings are a continuing success. |
