WBA Ranks First in Birmingham's Top Architecture Firms

The Birmingham Business Journal has ranked Williams Blackstock Architects number one in their list of architecture firms in Birmingham. 

“The top players on the List retained their spot since last year. Williams-Blackstock Architects PC tops the ranking with 21 architects in Birmingham offices…”
— Birmingham Business Journal

2016 AIA Birmingham Design Awards

We had a great evening representing the firm at the 2016 AIA Birmingham Design Awards, taking home awards for Alagasco Metro and Cahaba Brewing projects.

 

Cahaba Brewing Company

  • Merit Award

A controlled material palette and priority on craft was leveraged in the creation of a memorable atmosphere unique among Alabama’s breweries. Custom tables and chairs made from reclaimed wood provide customers with various seating options and breaks up the expansive space. The overhead doors are often opened in the evenings allowing patrons to overflow onto the patio. Use of natural light from the monitor windows gives the reclaimed pine walls a radiance in the afternoons, highlights the existing steel structure all while providing the brewers and customers with adequate light.

 

Alagasco Metro Operations Center

  • Merit Award

Located in the urban center of Birmingham, this facility serves as Alagasco’s primary service center. The three main buildings, two office buildings and a garage totaling +/-37,000 SF, as well as the outbuildings, including a truck wash, fuel island, and several sheds, were constructed using pre-engineered metal building structures. The main building construction include concrete slabs on grade, architectural metal panels, brick veneer, standing seam metal roofs, and storefront. A fence is provided around the entire campus for security, which includes a combination of masonry fencing, prefinished aluminum fencing, and vinyl coated chain link fencing.

2016 Top 40 Under 40: Binx Newton, Williams Blackstock Architects

Binx Newton

Binx Newton

Congratulations to Binx for achieving the Birmingham Business Journal's 2016 top 40 under 40.

A Principal since 2013, Binx leads many of our research laboratory, healthcare and higher education projects. H fosters team collaboration with a passionate drive for thoughtful solutions, attention to detail and careful execution of concepts to realize client aspirations. With a sencere desire to improve the quality of the environment, he leads the firm's sustainable design practice.

“Newton, 39, was the first employee to go from intern to principal at Williams Blackstock Architects, and he’s also leaving his mark on Birmingham.”
— Birmingham Business Journal

2016 AIA Alabama Design Awards

WBA was honored to take home two awards from the AIA Alabama Design Awards Ceremony. 

“The Alabama Council’s Design Awards Program encourages excellence in architecture through the commentary of our colleagues. From a group of statewide entries, the jury awarded a Honor Award, four Awards of Merit, two Honorable Mention Awards.”
— AIA Birmingham
 

Homewood Board of Education

  • Merit Award

The new home for the Homewood Board of Education Central Office is the first phase of a 24-acre development plan for the Homewood School System. The New Central Office provides for the programmatic needs of the Homewood City Schools administrative staff which includes offices, conference rooms, and meeting rooms for professional development and public events.

The building is conceived as a “garden pavilion” integrated with the site, intended to mediate between public and private, man-made and natural. Sited to create synergy between the Central Office, Middle School, Community Garden and the adjacent residential neighborhood, the building is nestled behind a line of pine trees with a cantilevered porch roof extending just beyond the pines. With pavilion as precedent, the roof is accentuated in the form of a kite inspired by the social history of the site; fondly known as “Kite Hill”. The north façade - the public face of the building,is a solid “garden wall” with punched openings at offices. The private south façade provides a sense of immersion in the landscape, dematerializing from stone to glass to provide views of an existing stand of pine trees.

 

Cahaba Brewing Company

  • Merit Award

Located on 5th Avenue South in the historic 1925 Continental Gin Building complex, Cahaba Brewery & Taproom occupies 21,000 SF of their renovated 50,000 SF space.

A controlled material palette and priority on craft was leveraged in the creation of a memorable atmosphere unique among Alabama’s breweries. Custom tables and chairs made from reclaimed wood provide customers with various seating options and breaks up the expansive space. The overhead doors are often opened in the evenings allowing patrons to overflow onto the patio. Use of natural light from the monitor windows gives the reclaimed pine walls a radiance in the afternoons, highlights the existing steel structure all while providing the brewers and customers with adequate light.

The brew house was custom made in Wisconsin and is the only American-made brew house being used in Alabama. The brew house is treated as an art piece framed by steel and reclaimed wood.  Butt jointed glass allows customers an uninterrupted view into the production of their beer and a literal window into the building’s industrial past.