Appalachian Architect

Springing Back into Action

2010-05-04T10:36:00.000-04:00

The past 3 months have been busy and exciting. The City of Roanoke Planning Department is working hard to design refinements in their urban design and planning process. They wish to accomplish even greater community participation in the process as well as recruiting greater input from our planning & design professionals in the community.

I've received several requests to resume our Walking Photo Tours. City staff is eager to engage in these events, as well, to start hi-resolution building documentation for modeling. Soon we will publish a schedule of these events.

Please post any comments,questions or suggestions you may have either here in the blog or on The Heart of Roanoke Facebook Group.

Off Topic

2010-03-14T17:35:00.002-04:00

Periodically, I run across things that catch my attention. (In the interest of focus, maybe I need to set up a second blog.) Nonetheless:

A Biographical History of the Georgist Movement

“The grey heads and bald heads are in the majority. The problem that confronts those of us who want the torch held up in the future, is to fill up the ranks. In order to do that many things must be done, but we must not depend on the old or middle-aged. Somehow or other we must devise a way to reach the minds of the young people – when their minds are open, when they are ready for new truths.”

Mr. Rose, of Kansas City, Missouri (from a speech at the 1928 Henry George Foundation Congress, Chicago. Reprinted in: Land and Freedom, September-October 1928)

George's theories once were the basis for a mainstream political movement, but they have been largely forgotten in this century. George started by observing that people get rich just by owning land and the natural resources it contains, and need not ever contribute any productive labor or ideas to society. It was his view that you should get to keep what you actually earn by productive activity, but society should tax away whatever is "earned" merely by gaining control over scarce resources that should belong to us all.

Seeking Opportunities - Sidebar Part III

2010-02-24T15:13:00.000-05:00

Virginia Museum of Transportation

Another area that deserves much consideration is the East End of the building. Originally the main public and railroad employee entrance to the building. The Second Street/Gainesboro bridge project dramatically altered the sense of place the building enjoyed when the grade crossing @ 2nd St. presented a much different ...perspective.

A "place" needs to re-established on the East end to allow both a strong connection to the Rail Walk and create a sense of place from the bridge.

The place might simply be a much larger, well landscaped plaza with TREES :)

Seeking Opportunities - Sidebar Part II

2010-02-24T14:28:00.003-05:00

Virginia Museum of Transportation

The Museum is seeking community input for improvements to building and programs at "input sessions for folks who love lots of modes of transportation--cars, trucks, buses, airplanes, hang gliders, helicopters, boats, canoes, dump trucks, wheelbarrows, bicycles--you get the idea. We're the Virginia Museum of Transportation--what kind of Virginia transportation do you want to see??"
Take the Museum's Norfolk-Southern Challenge survey online @ http:\\www.vmt.org

A friend passed along this image of a reestablish aerial tram to the top of Mill Mountain from the site of the former Roanoke Mills property.

...and a link to Portland's aerial tram website:

http://www.portlandtram.org/index.htm

The birth of our City will always be reminiscent of the Railroad industry, and that we honor for the benefits we realized from such a creative endeavor. We also need to nurture and re-cultivate our innate capacity for creative endeavor for posterity.

Seeking Opportunities - Sidebar

2010-02-19T13:30:00.000-05:00

Virginia Museum of Transportation

As opportunities arise, we embrace them and grow. In response to an invitation to participate in plans for the future; a concept of a Regional Transportation Hub being located adjacent to, and together with, The Virginia Museum of Transportation.

Establishing a "Round-About" @ Salem & 3rd, with aggressive treeplanting, will establish a pedestrian friendy prominence signalling a Regional Transportation Hub. An ideal location is created for a "Marquee" for the Virginia Museum of Transportation.

Extending the architecture of the historic building south toward Salem Avenue provides shade, protection from the weather for terminal users and museum vistors alike.

Perhaps a Regional Transportation Hub would have a Segway Rental Center. Maybe it would include a Shuttle Terminal for the Airport, the Civic Center, the Medical Centers. The Valley Metro Downtown depot? Rail Excursion connection?

Transforming such vision into reality is not under the control of individuals, but within ...the power of our community. If we can establish a community vision, we can all find ways to implement the dream incrementally.

Can the Virginia Museum of Transportation serve to help envision and describe the future of Transportation as well?
"The world will not evolve past its current state of crisis by using the same thinking that created the situation."
Albert Einstein

Seeking Opportunities - #2

2010-02-17T16:51:00.001-05:00

Prominent and Proud

Formal Entry to our beloved Hotel Roanoke

In August 2009, 22 citizens gathered with camera in hand to document their impressions of a Walking Photo Tour through downtown Roanoke from the Historic Entry to the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center to the Transportation Museum. At our starting point, we enjoyed the well-kept beauty of the space with intriguing views toward Mill Mountain.

Imagining ourselves as visitors to Roanoke, we wondered about the lack of a prominent pedestrian access the Higher Education Center. As we walked down the middle of the asphalt drive toward the O. Winston Link Museum (there is an adjacent walkway but it was not as open and inviting with many steps), we saw the guests transporting their luggage found the drive for vehicles to be much more convenient.

The prominence of this major space and importance to the region, as established by public investment, could & should present greater availability to the assets of our community.

As we waited to begin our tour, we observed that more shade trees might soften the space making every entry more inviting.

Seeking Opportunities - #1

2010-02-14T13:37:00.004-05:00

North Jefferson Street

near the entrance to the Higher Education Center

In the 1950’s the grade crossing over the railroad tracks was closed between North & South Jefferson Streets creating a separation in the core of downtown. When The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center was developed, the developers (The City of Roanoke & the Virginia Tech Foundation) saw no need to provide any connection to North Jefferson St with the exception of some service and delivery activities because the NS Office Building North had been recently vacated by the NS. When the Higher Education Center was created, its main entrance was oriented to the West to take advantage of parking & expansion opportunities. As a result North Jefferson Street lost even more of its prominence and utilization as the City’s central corridor.

Recent investigation into immediate neighborhood interest in re-establishing vitality on North Jefferson Street revealed HRCC concern that opening the Conference Center to North Jefferson would likely have a negative impact on revenues for the hotel and conference center. The Higher Education Center, the Claude Moore Educational Center, and the Dumas Center all have numerous spaces available for booking for a variety of meeting functions and sizes. Easy accessability to these alternatives presents competition to HRCC.

Apparently, the greatest immediate need at the hotel is more guest rooms. An architectural firm has been retained to develop a preliminary design that responds to this need. It is my understanding that part of the design program includes additional meeting facilities. Currently additional meeting facilities are not required, but additional guest rooms create the additional need.

In 1992, the "Renew Roanoke" campaign was launched to raise enough money to reopen the hotel. Individuals and businesses from Roanoke region donated generously to this campaign. Further funding was provided by the citizens of Roanoke via tax dollars through the City of Roanoke. The City built the conference center and the multimillion dollar pedestrian bridge to the famous City Market. As a result the City of Roanoke became partners with the Virginia Tech Foundation as owners of the facilities. In its current configuration, the HRCC is the only beneficiary of the pedestrian bridge.

The irony is that the City of Roanoke government is now positioned as an obstacle to cultivating economic development in the northern sector of downtown.

Seeking Opportunities - Introduction

2010-02-11T11:18:00.002-05:00

Since late fall I’ve been struggling with exploring possibilities in regard to defining next steps for The Heart of Roanoke. Should it be a formal organization as defined by IRS codes? Should I continue it under my existing professional corporation? How can we engage more input from the community and design professionals? These remain questions for which I am seeking input.

When I began this adventure several months ago, my vision was that I would go through the urban design procedures that I have throughout my career in an open forum. It would be an Urban Design Lab online. Finally, during this period of “cabin fever”, I’ve realized that I have needed to get back on my original track. After months of data collection, photo comments, walking photo tours & model building; the next step is Seeking Opportunities.

The process of seeking opportunities includes spotlighting underutilized areas of downtown; disconnected circulation patterns; and infrastructure shortcomings, including utilities, streetscaping and aesthetic detractions. The following step will include proposing, critiquing, and evaluating proposed solutions to each of the spotlighted areas or problems, incrementally, yet, maintaining focus and impact on adjacent areas.

I’ll begin posting descriptions of each of the spotlighted areas, identifying problems and issues that would benefit by correction. We’ll be seeking comments from everyone focused on those identified problem areas.

I very often like to describe Community Design & Planning to gardening. Both do best with an initial plan that considers circulation, orientation to the sun, compatible planting & uses, tilling, cultivating, weeding, tending. Both are organisms that need continuing attention.

During this current stage of our adventure, we are spotlighting problem areas in our garden that need attention to allow the garden to flourish. We’ll begin on the North side of Downtown and follow with the rest of Downtown.

JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE 21ST CENTURY

2010-01-10T13:33:00.001-05:00

INTRODUCTION

• This journey that we as a human race are currently pressing on toward has a destination that we may be able to foresee as the center of the 21st Century. We’ll consider the beginning at the start of the Second Industrial Revolution, when the development of steam-powered ships, railways, and later in the 19th century with the internal combustion engine and electrical power generation. More locally, this time of beginning coincides fairly well with reconstruction after the Civil War and the emergence of the City of Roanoke.

REEVALUATING & RESTRUCTURING THE URBAN DESIGN PROCESS FOR POSTERITY

Unlimited talent and resources are opening up to analyze our current community, envision and define corrections to stale land use conditions; identify, evaluate and implement corrections within a rigorous review process that is endorsed by the affected community. “The Heart of Roanoke” is the harbinger of a major shift in our approach to guiding ourselves into a sustainable future. What course corrections can we and should we implement within our current fiscal means and within the Centerpiece of our urban environment, Downtown Roanoke?

And how can this adventure serve as a model for sustainable neighborhood development in the future within the scope of our community resources?

Over 40 years of experience in the field of Building, Architecture, Design, & Planning have molded my perception of our built environment and its impact upon our lives. Over many years, I sought professional association with those who achieved stature within my profession, hoping I could learn from their “success.” I found that I could also learn from their failures. Even more importantly, I learned from their experiences along with my own.

I have conducted “planning and design processes” for communities over a 30 year period. I’ve learned that the most successful projects that I have been engaged in have been those with “transparent” participation of the users of those projects. Achieving such participation leads to identification of and celebration of our heritage and our future.

Thirty years ago, the celebration created around our “city market area” produced a model for urban renewal nationwide. We were led to the idea of celebrating who we are, as compared with our longing to “keep up with the Joneses.” Roanoke needs to be happy being Roanoke; not longing to model our community and ourselves after another community.

I am committed to the idea that we need to discover and celebrate who we are to achieve happiness. The political strategy of polarization over issues creates toxic pools of stagnation and threatens our existence. At the very least we should eliminate partisan politics and clarify our expectations of our governmental representatives in local issues. We must be the model for our dreams.

Now as we enter the 2nd decade of the New Millenium ...

2010-01-02T16:31:00.002-05:00

We Get Wiser (Punctuation Marks Optional)

Christmas morning 2009 looking out the east window of the kitchen

My New Year's Resolutions:

1. Communicate change, one step, at a time.
2. Collaborate instead of Compete.
3. Avoid "hosing down" with too much information.
4. Preserve and grow value in my community.
5. Remember that what I think that someone else thinks of me is not my business.

This Could Last Through Christmas! Oh Joy!

2009-12-20T15:06:00.000-05:00

Shadows on the snow on the studio deck

Looking out toward Bent Mountain

Snow Shadows

Tuesday Mornin': Building the Arts & Rail Districts in the Downtown Model

2009-12-15T17:17:00.000-05:00

Sunday Mornin': Moving ahead with the Downtown Model

2009-12-13T17:24:00.002-05:00

Looking South from Wells Avenue

Sunday Mornin':Thinking about the Roanoke City Market

2009-12-06T18:51:00.010-05:00

I think David Trinkle's idea of providing assistance to displaced vendors in the City Market Building is well worth consideration by Council. Perhaps, the same consideration should be given to those businesses along Wall & Market Streets along the East & West sides of the Market Building.

Surely, some time must be taken to understand the real cost of moving these businesses to wherever, including upfit requirements in temporary(?) space, and reestablishing the vendors in the Market Building a year later. Was planning building systems items for renovation/replacement such as water, sewer, electrical undertaken with detailed input from the eventual building vendors?

How would that cost compare to conducting renovations to the City Market Building incrementally? What might the increments be? Half the building at a time, one quarter at a time, upstairs/downstairs, vendor-by-vendor?
With Twists & Turns and Claire V's expression of intent to leave the market due to Center-in-the Square's intent to sell the building next summer to reduce expenses and raise money to allow the beginning of their major renovation; thoughtful consideration must be given to the implementation of these "most public" of projects in an open design lab atmosphere (as compared to another "Town Hall" format).

The problem is arising from an obscure & archaic planning process. It is no one's fault!

The confluence of an economy in a tailspin and increasing divisiveness/partisanship in our society demands change in our approach to designing, planning and building our future.

The process needs to be transparent, flexible and quickly responsive. Think monumentally; act incrementally. Think globally; act locally.

Think for The Heart of Roanoke: A forum for discussion of issues like these.

If Construction is scheduled to begin 8-12 months away, the architects & engineers of the project are not so far along in the creation of construction documents and specifications that a review of the project's implementation would create a problem. In fact, such review or reconsideration of projects in this stage is normal in my experience.

Eldon L Karr-Architect

Urban Design - Historical Framework Reference

2009-10-05T18:56:00.000-04:00

As a resident of this area for a half-century and as an Architect and Urban Designer, I have tried to remain cognizant of the history of this area if not really well-studied. Recently, I discovered a book entitled, Roanoke, Virginia, 1882-1912: magic city of the new South By Rand Dotson, who has done the research work, and very well, too.

Following, is a review of the work by Tom Lee of East Tennessee State University:
Roanoke, Virginia, 1882-1912: Magic City of the New South. By Rand Dotson. (Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2007. Pp. [xxii], 338. $42.00, ISBN 978-1-57233-592-9.)
Too often, the label urban Appalachians evokes thoughts of urban ghettos in northern cities and the so-called hillbilly highway. Over the course of the last few decades, however, a number of scholars have produced studies of cities within and on the outskirts of Appalachia that have illuminated the complexities of New South cities and their relationship to the mountains. With Roanoke, Virginia, 1882-1912: Magic City of the New South, Rand Dotson has filled a huge gap in the literature and done it well.
In the 1850s the village of Big Lick, a tobacco manufacturing, warehousing, and transit center, developed around a depot located along low, marshy land, or licks, where surveyors chose to route the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad in Roanoke County. Although near ruin at the end of the Civil War, Big Lick achieved township status in 1874 and in 1880 claimed a population of 669, almost evenly divided between blacks and whites. In 1881 officials of Enoch W. Clark & Company chose Big Lick as the junction of two company-owned railroads, the Norfolk and Western Railroad and the Shenandoah Valley Railroad, and they established offices, shops, yards, and ancillary businesses. With the agreement of locals, railroad officials chose to rename the town Roanoke, and by 1883 Roanoke had become a New South boomtown with over a thousand new migrants, many of whom were skilled workers from the North and most of whom were white. By 1890 the city conceived and fostered by a single company had become what Dotson calls a "corporate town" with multiple enterprises independent of the railroads and an independent municipal government that, although factionalized, shared the tenets of the New South (p. 28).
Roanoke's economic fortunes aggravated political, ethnic, racial, and class divisions, endangered public health and public morality; and threatened potential discord and disorder. Throughout the late 1880s business and civic leaders utilized company paternalism, moral crusades, and appeals to a white-dominated urban ethos to check potential threats to city harmony, but the onset of economic depression in 1893 and the alleged robbery and assault by a black man of a white woman from a neighboring county inflamed simmering tensions within the city. When Roanoke's working-class whites, bolstered by rural whites, threatened to lynch the incarcerated suspect, the mayor, a Roanoke native and longtime city booster, called out the Virginia militia. A confused exchange of shots left eight people dead, wounded thirty-one, and forced the mayor, the militia, and other important citizens to flee: the mob hanged and burned the prisoner. The riot, crucial to Dotson's story, punctured Roanoke's reputation as a city hospitable to new investment, but it failed to force city civic and business leaders to address divisions in the city. Rather, in true Progressive fashion, they sought to restore Roanoke's image by channeling unrest into moral improvement movements like Prohibition into civic improvements like urban planning and sanitation, and into legalized expressions of "justice" like sanctioned hangings.
Dotson's work is more than a case study of a New South city on the edge of Appalachia or of any single group. With ample attention to primary and secondary sources, he explores the interactions of multiple interests within Roanoke and adds considerable complexity and nuance to the story of Roanoke's elite. While Dotson argues successfully that social conservatism and boosterism linked Roanoke with other cities of the New South, certain of his assertions need more thorough treatment. However, these minor points should not diminish the story that Dotson has assembled. Anyone with an interest in Roanoke, the New South, Appalachia, labor history, urban history, or race will find much of value in Dotson's work.

Thank you to Rand Dotson, who reminds all current Roanokers of many fences that must be mended as we move forward, while we remain cognizant of the fact that not one of us can live with the expectation that our very own great, great, grandchildren should make amends for our indiscretions.This is must read for all dedicated Roanokers, new & old.

APA

Lee, Tom. "Roanoke, Virginia, 1882-1912: Magic City of the New South.(Book review)." Journal of Southern History. 2009. Retrieved October 05, 2009 from accessmylibrary: http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-199800975/roanoke-virginia-1882-1912.html

Idea Sketches - The Greening of Henry Street #3

2009-09-05T11:34:00.001-04:00

So, now it's Spring 2012. We are standing at the intersection of Wells Avenue and Henry Street looking back toward the Wachovia/Wells Fargo building. We see the Old Henry Street frameworks that pay homage to the cultural history of this short section of street designated with a National Historical Landmark status.

Two perfectly restored vehicles; a 1930 sedan and a 1948 Tucker Torpedo have been brought to the pavilion that represents an old service station that stood in the same spot nearly 60 years ago! They were brought for the Henry Street Festival in the recently completed park area.

Development of the area continues as excavations for the new HealthCare Forum building are underway behind the trees and adjacent to the new Higher Education Plaza.

The steel silhouette of the two men talking might be talking about the new developments in the area. But, no, the plaque at their base indicates that this silhouette honors Oscar Micheaux and Oliver Hill. (What do you think the older Micheaux might have been saying to the much younger Hill?) There are four or five other silhouette monuments placed along Henry Street honoring outstanding contributors from the Gainesborough neighborhood.

Idea Sketches - Playing with Rupert's Idea

2009-09-01T18:25:00.000-04:00

Vertical Wall Gardens?

Urban Art?

or both?

What do you think?

Let's keep planting more trees, too!

Idea Sketches - The Greening of Henry Street #2

2009-09-01T08:26:00.000-04:00

Can You Imagine... A way to honor a street with no buildings that has been designated a National Historic Landmark. Do you remember Tom's Service station at the Corner of Henry Street and Wells Avenue. Today the frame could serve as a park shelter.

Idea Sketches - The Greening of Henry Street #1

2009-08-30T12:18:00.000-04:00

Studies in restoring the scale and reestablishing a sense of place. As much planting as possible to restore the air. Create an oasis with a view.

Roanoke's Original Passenger & Freight Station

2009-08-28T14:30:00.000-04:00

This photo post is in response to Kim Hardy's question earlier. Original N&W office building

distant right. Hotel Roanoke far right.

Design09 – The Heart of Roanoke

2009-08-28T14:15:00.000-04:00

Since 1979, the City of Roanoke has not experienced a more effective effort to shape the future of Downtown Roanoke than the Design'79 Urban Design & Planning exercise conducted by legendary architects Charles Moore & Chad Floyd. The secret to their success was the utilization of local TV productions to capture and engage Roanoke citizens in the process. It also was a well designed process that recruited the active participation of local private architectural and engineering firms.

Today, we find ourselves on Facebook, Twitter and a multitude of other social media sites communicating more than we did when we were growing up in 1960's thru 1990's suburban homes not even knowing our neighbor's names. A ”virtual world” site called SecondLife by Linden Labs is being utilized governments and universities around the world to establish virtual conferences , exhibits, meetings and online classrooms. http://www.secondlife.com/

I am a home-grown local architect, who has practiced throughout VA, and in MD, DE, MI, MN, NC, and TX. I created a group page on FB that seeks to actively engage all current residents, with private and business interests, as well as the bountiful resource of Downtown Roanoke's users, merchants, and clientele, in an urban design experience. It is my belief that this experience will evolve into a dynamic continuing urban design process that will assure greater fiscal efficiency through sustainable improvements.

Urban design is a part of much more encompassing plan called a Comprehensive Plan in most communities. An interesting article and discussion of the subject is on Wikipedia @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_design the following was excerpted from that article:

Urban design considers:
Urban structure – How a place is put together and how its parts relate to each other
Urban typology, density and sustainability - spatial types and morphologies related to intensity of use, consumption of resources and production and maintenance of viable communities
Accessibility – Providing for ease, safety and choice when moving to and through places
Legibility and wayfinding – Helping people to find their way around and understand how a place works
Animation – Designing places to stimulate public activity
Function and fit – Shaping places to support their varied intended uses
Complementary mixed uses – Locating activities to allow constructive interaction between them
Character and meaning – Recognizing and valuing the differences between one place and another
Order and incident – Balancing consistency and variety in the urban environment in the interests of appreciating both
Continuity and change – Locating people in time and place, including respect for heritage and support for contemporary culture
Civil society – Making places where people are free to encounter each other as civic equals, an important component in building social capital

Through the use of currently common technology, I have created 3D models of “The Heart of Roanoke” to use in the study of the growth, influences and role changes in the history of the area.
After a cautious beginning four months ago, the Group now has attracted 325 members including many prominent residents of the city. The Facebook Roanoke Network currently has over 102,000 members registered. The city’s current total population is approx. 94,000!
Members of the Group are encouraged to submit photos of the downtown area to convey observations of the things we would like to protect and those things we would like to see changed. Other members comment on the photos, as well, providing opportunity for discussion and ideas.
Link: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=77917629910
My professional experience has brought me to a place where I can provide a strong sense of connection to the specific area and community of interest and a long history of field study and education in design, planning, architecture and related public governance. In addition to utilizing “new-media” in this project, I am trying to engage the community deeply into the process that I, as an architect and an urban designer pursue on a day to day basis, including cataloguing and recording the activities.

So, it sounds g-r-r-reat, but, HOW DOES IT WORK?

2009-08-14T09:13:00.000-04:00

I seem to always find myself a little out of “sync,” particularly, while trying to push the envelope in the development and communication of new designs and new ideas.
As I began this project, coming from a more traditional urban design and planning perspective, I anticipated developing a linear chart of activities and events based upon a time schedule. The Heart of Roanoke, however, has quickly assumed a vitality and direction of its own, that I am still trying to understand! While I delve further into developing ways to share the experience of re-shaping & re-molding & re-modelling our environment, I quickly forget that some of the tasks I learned only a month ago, have become second-nature to me. So that, I forget to leave the gate open behind me, so to speak.

Following, I arranged some screen shots that should look similar to what you see on your computer/device when you are in Facebook.
First, is your home page. The following is a screen shot of mine (w/modifications to protect privacy):

What follows will be your Groups page. The column of groups on the left shows groups recently joined by your friends. The column on the right shows groups you have joined listed in order of updates, most recent on top.

Next, you’ll see “The Heart of Roanoke” main page. Be sure to use your scroll bar (or scroll wheel on your mouse). It is a long page and has several different sections:

After opening the Photo Gallery on The Heart of Roanoke Page, you’ll be able to review each photo and comments others have made. You are also encouraged to leave your own comments that may occur to you.

The next screen reveals a larger image of the photo, the photographer’s caption, and comments by others.

Please enjoy yourself.

Comments are subject to deletion if deemed inapproriate.

Looking across The Heart of Roanoke in Google Earth

2009-08-11T14:20:00.000-04:00

This view shows an overlay of an 1891 map on our contemporary landscape. Compare this image to the previous historic photograph. In the Google image you can see the Burrell site in the lower right hand corner near the Google logo. What other common locations can you identify?

This is an example of the kind of study required that can yield observations over the city's growth. I noticed that the streets that I could see appeared to be dirt. And this view is quite barren of trees.

Permission to publish Norfolk Southern images must be obtained from NS before TIFF images will be provided. Permission to publish must be obtained from Rhonda.Broom@nscorp.comNorfolk & Western Historical Photograph Collection

Looking across The Heart of Roanoke

2009-08-10T12:44:00.000-04:00

Looking across The Heart of Roanoke in 1898 from the site of The Allegheny Institute which became Burrell Memorial Hospital.