UDA @ Fifty

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For 50 years, Urban Design Associates has practiced urban design and architecture based on democracy in action. From our beginning, we have enfranchised citizens, businesses, institutions, and local leaders in the evolution of their neighborhoods, towns, and cities. It is this method that brings people together to exchange aspirations, concerns, perspectives, and wisdom, creating the context for forging urban plans that are appropriate and responsive. The 1960s, the decade of our beginning, was turbulent for American cities. The deep social divides of tense racial conflict dominated the political and physical transformations of urban communities. There was concern that many cities would not survive as places where diversity could harmonize into creative, productive, safe, and successful lives. It was in this context that co-founders David Lewis and Ray Gindroz formed UDA in 1964. David and Ray understood that the wholesale demolition of urban neighborhoods and the displacement of citizens would not create safer nor more desirable cities. They also recognized that many traditional downtowns across the nation were being destroyed to expand highways that favored suburban transport over urban integrity.


From that beginning, UDA focused on the process of how to understand and engage communities in restoring livability and connecting people to one another — socially, physically, and perceptually. We recognized the remarkable qualities inherent in each place we worked. These qualities originated from past decisions about foundational vision, physical environment, cultural change, leadership, commerce, and development. Each place is different and unique. Reflecting on 50 years of practice guides us as we continue developing to meet the challenges and opportunities facing cities today and tomorrow. It is exciting to experience a new cycle of change as the next generation returns to urban environments to pursue interests in a connected, diverse, and creative setting. This shift has led us to re-think many conventional assumptions and approaches in our designs and work. This book shows the evolution of UDA through the decades. It illustrates changes in our designs as we learned and progressed. Our examples of Urban Districts, Neighborhoods, Pattern Books, and Architecture are windows into a few of the efforts we have been fortunate to join.


1964


QUESTIONING

UDA formed during the 1960s, a period of dissent due to racial injustice and an unwanted war. Riots tore American cities apart. Many architects and urban planners tried to reinvent cities with top-down planning and strange solutions. The resulting new architecture abandoned some parts of our cities and made other parts less pleasant and functional. UDA emerged from Carnegie Tech’s urban design program as a firm that questioned what was going on in our profession and our cities. In the early years, ideas were far more important than architectural craftsmanship. UDA was unafraid of using design to confront extremely complex social and economic issues. The founding partners developed a unique approach: before designing, ask questions and explore ideas with the community.




1974


LEARNING

The 70s brought an eclectic range of projects in various locations, each one a learning experience for our design team. UDA found the city to be a laboratory from which many lessons could be drawn. Traditional building commissions were rare. New concepts and projects tested the fringes of the profession where fresh thinking was needed. Fundamental attitudes about urban design began crystallizing as the firm studied historic districts, documented architectural patterns, designed public spaces as urban rooms, and explored block patterns and urban structure. UDA realized that there was much to learn from American downtowns and neighborhoods. Many designers regarded single-family neighborhoods as only ticky-tacky boxes, but UDA saw potential for beautiful American urbanism and tested these urban lessons with its first neighborhood designs.




1984


CONNECTING

UDA’s practice became a mix of urban design and architecture that served up a rich stew of ideas. The firm designed a number of buildings that worked as miniature cities. These structures were organized along internal streets that connected the building activities together. Challenged with large, abandoned areas in Norfolk, Richmond, and Pittsburgh, the firm studied the architecture and landscape of admired nearby neighborhoods to discover local patterns for new development. The firm realized that building a neighborhood was a group effort needing shared goals and design standards. UDA reinvented a lost American tradition called the pattern book as a tool for developers, builders, and homeowners. With enlightened leadership, Norfolk became one of UDA’s most important clients as a laboratory of urban design that is still experimenting and evolving today.




1994


BUILDING

Demand for UDA’s talents in urban design began moving from individual buildings to whole urban areas, leading the firm to concentrate its energies on designing neighborhoods and urban districts. “Hope VI,” the government’s program to transform housing projects into neighborhoods, gave UDA the opportunity to combine public participation with urban design at the community scale, creating distinctive mixed-income neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Norfolk, Louisville, Wheeling, and other cities. A new dimension to the urban design practice emerged as cities sought to fix their downtowns and reconnect to their waterfronts. Fundamental urban planning principles were now applied to largescale projects in Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Norfolk, and Minneapolis, all of which saw dramatic results.




2004


EXPLORING

Throughout its history, and in many different forums, UDA has taught others how to design and build cities, both nationally and internationally. In the United States, UDA used city-wide strategic planning to prepare Virginia Beach, Hampton, and Yonkers for better transit and urban regeneration. The firm designed new housing initiatives on several military bases across the country, making life more pleasant for our servicemen and women. UDA began to practice internationally with projects in Canada, Central American, the UK, France, Scotland, Libya, India, China, and Russia. The experience challenged our staff members with new cultures, different rules and regulations, and exotic patterns and traditions. UDA gained an international reputation for building cities, and our planning methods and publications have become teaching tools in universities and standards for the rapidly expanding profession of urban design.




2014


RECONSIDERING

The start of our sixth decade finds us immersed in many urban initiatives across North America. Cities are considering how to reposition their urban cores to meet market demands from businesses, entrepreneurs, and residents seeking diverse urban atmospheres. This return to the center city produces a new paradigm for urban designers and urban planners. Our work implements creative reinvestment strategies to transform tactical cities into vibrant communities. Past traditions have established a pattern that is now the catalyst for new places with modern sensibilities to serve the next generation. There is a growing need to expand how we design places as part of a broader movement towards sustainable urbanism.




URBAN DISTRICTS



A New Front Door  The urban design plan for Cincinnati’s waterfront erases long-standing barriers between downtown and the Ohio River, creating a new “front door” for the city. Hired by the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, UDA involved local officials and citizens to create a preferred plan and strategy for development. The waterfront is now a vibrant, mixed-use district with regional destinations, including a new park, two stadiums, and a museum.

Cincinnati Riverfront  Cincinnati, Ohio


The River’s Edge UDA redesigned the West Don Lands for Waterfront Toronto, transforming the former industrial brownfield site into a twenty-first century urban district. In 2005, this design earned the Award of Excellence for Visions and Master Plans. Before being further developed into a varied, mixeduse environment, the West Don Lands will serve as the athletes village for the 2015 Pan Am games.

West Don Lands  Toronto, Canada


Seaplanes and Trolleys  Commissioned by Vulcan, Inc., UDA redeveloped South Lake Union as a thriving urban district. Built on former industrial land, the district features world-renowned facilities, including the University of Washington medical research campus, Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Amazon, Google, and ZymoGenetics. The plan extends an existing streetcar line and cross-town arterial roads to create networks complimented with mixed-income housing, restaurants, retail centers, hotels, and parks. South Lake Union  Seattle, Washington


Moscow Calling When officials from the City of Moscow sought designers for an ambitious expansion of Moscow, they chose ten international teams, including the Capital Cities Planning Group. UDA served as the lead urban design consultant under the Capital Cities Planning Group, which an international jury selected as the winner for the design of Moscow’s new Federal District.

Moscow Expansion  Moscow, Russia


Reclaiming the Center UDA’s master plan for downtown Norfolk began in 1989 and led to 25 years of partnership with the City of Norfolk. Designers created a dynamic urban center, complete with an active waterfront and a growing downtown residential population. Now the city center is a major destination within Virginia’s Tidewater Region. The addition of downtown housing, new employment uses, a retail center, improved parks, and a rail transit system have created a magnetic environment.

Downtown Norfolk  Norfolk, Virginia


Reinventing Pittsburgh Over the years, UDA has collaborated with the City of Pittsburgh, the URA, the Steelers, the Pirates, and the Penguins to prepare master plans for regenerating Pittsburgh’s urban neighborhoods and mixed-use districts in the downtown. Some benefits from these partnerships are the North Shore Riverfront district and the Hill District’s expansion and reconnection with the downtown.

Downtown Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


NEIGHBOR HOODS



Think Local  In the 1970s, UDA collaborated with the Richmond Housing Authority and former Randolph residents to redesign the Randolph neighborhood. The team hired local builders to recreate the Randolph neighborhood’s Richmond building types by using a pattern of traditional streets and neighborhood parks. By encouraging the community to think differently about urban redevelopment, UDA transformed the Randolph neighborhood.

Randolph Neighborhood  Richmond, Virginia


No-man’s Land  In 1994, Uptown Partnership, Bank of America, Charlotte citizens, and Charlotte city officials chose UDA to transform First Ward, which was a largely vacant and underutilized section in the heart of Charlotte’s uptown. UDA’s master plan for a mixed-use, mixed-income precinct in Charlotte has transfigured First Ward into one the city’s most dynamic downtown neighborhoods.

First Ward  Charlotte, North Carolina


Reclaiming the Hill  In partnership with URA, UDA rebuilt Crawford Square, part of Pittsburgh’s Lower Hill District. Today, Crawford Square is a mixture of market rate and affordable residential units, integrating both rental and ownership properties throughout the area. UDA’s Crawford Square design became the model for later HOPE VI efforts to create more sustainable and diverse urban neighborhoods.

Crawford Square  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


Creating Good Neighbors The city of Baltimore commissioned UDA to plan a new Bio-Tech District around Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. The design included the novel integration of parks, neighborhood housing, and retail uses with the biomedical facilities, producing a holistic urban district where both neighborhoods and institutions share common addresses.

East Baltimore Bio-Technical District   Baltimore,Maryland


Village Life Clear Spring Development Company asked UDA to design Baxter Village with a sense of the unique regional character found in the upcountry of South Carolina. Integrating the heart of the new village with a retail street, a new elementary school, a county library, a YMCA, and small offices has produced a vibrant, affordable area. UDA provided the urban design, architecture, and pattern book for the new village.

Baxter Village  Fort Mill, South Carolina


The Next Generation  UDA’s design team developed the plan for IREO’s new urban district in Ludhiana, a rapidly growing city in northwest India. The plan creates a walkable, integrated pattern of uses and building types that are part of a restorative landscape system; native plants flourish thanks to recycled water resources from the buildings.

Ludhiana Township  Punjab, India


PATTERN BOOKS


LOUISIANA SPEAKS: PATTERN BOOK U R BA N

D E S I G N

A S S O C I AT E S

louisiana speaks: planning toolkit urban

design

associates

LO U I S I A N A S P E A K S I S T H E LO N G -T E R M C O M M U N I T Y P L A N N I N G I N I T I AT I V E O F T H E LO U I S I A N A R E C OV E RY AU T H O R I T Y

Cov1


A New Classic  The Disney Company hired UDA to provide a pattern book for architecture and neighborhoods in the new Town of Celebration. Basing designs on traditional towns found in the southern United States, UDA worked with national, regional, and local builders to develop a selection of building types rich with regional character.

Celebration Pattern Book  Celebration, Florida


E LE M E NTS OF TH E NEW NEIGHBORHOOD

The new neighborhood is a collection of streets, parks, houses, and mixed-use buildings that fit within these frameworks. STR E ETS

Within the plan area, street types include small-scale neighborhood streets, a collection of alleys and service ways, and a perimeter drive around the park. For each of these street types, there is an appropriate crosssection which describes its width, the design of the sidewalks, and the lighting. L o t R e q u i r e m e n t s : S e t b a ck s a n d f a c a d e z o n e s a t the neighborhood scale

Streets

L A N D S CA P E : S T R E E T S CA P E S A N D P U B L I C O P E N S PAC E

The street rights-of-way are further developed with street trees in the planting verges, the development of a park, and special treatment along the banks of the canals. B LO C K S A N D LOT S

The framework of streets defines the blocks for development. The blocks are subdivided into individual parcels for sale to home owners and developers. Different parcel types accommodate different building types. LOT R E Q U I R E M E N T S

Landscape: Streetscapes and Public Open Space

Buildings placed on lots

In order to organize the urban space of the neighborhood, the plan establishes setback lines and facade zones for each parcel. These set the location of individual buildings within the plan and create the relationship of the house to the street. B U I LD I NG S

Facade Zone Setback Zone

Lot Requirements: Lot scale

A wide variety of houses and buildings can then be placed on the lots. A diverse collection of styles and types of buildings creates a coherent urban environment. The illustration includes: >> Single-family houses on wide lots >> Small cottages on small-scale streets >> Attached houses >> Small apartment houses >> Mixed-use buildings on the main square

B l o ck s w i t h L o t Ty p e s Rowhouses

A Louisiana house on its lot Large Houses

Mixed-Use Buildings

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Identity Crisis  In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, many Louisiana towns and neighborhoods faced reconstruction that would compromise the local culture and architectural traditions. Concerned about a future without roots in the Louisiana ethos, the Louisiana Recovery Authority commissioned UDA to develop two resources: The Louisiana Pattern Book (for residents and builders of both historic and modern building types found in Louisiana) and The Louisiana Tool Kit (for local municipalities). Louisiana Speaks: Pattern Book and Tool Kit   Louisiana Region


A PAT T E R N B O O K F O R N E I G H B O R LY H O U S E S

A PAT T E R N B O O K F O R N E I G H B O R LY H O U S E S

OVERVIEW

A

H O U S I N G PAT T E R N S

C

A Neighborly House National surveys indicate that the vast majority of Americans are comfortable with affordable housing if it “fits in” the neighborhood. If efficient floor plans and basic massing are utilized (in keeping with Habitat’s guidelines for cost-effective housing), it is possible within a very limited budget to create the detail and character needed for a house to be viewed as a “neighborly house” rather than just an “affordable house.” The house illustrated below accomplishes this, utilizing the recommendations detailed in this Pattern Book.

The Neighborly Habitat House The result is a Neighborly Habitat House that is in harmony with its neighborhood and an asset for the community.

Housing Patterns

Architectural Character

Parking Placement The placement of parking is well behind the front facade of the house, preferably served by an alley and providing an accessible route to the house.

The front facade, including the porch, is the most ornamented and finished part of a Neighborly Habitat House. The facade contributes most significantly to the public space: the sidewalk and street. The house has a recognizable architectural style that is found elsewhere in the community and is recognized as an expression of local tradition. The most basic house can be modified with minimum effort. Using correct proportions and standard elements, such as columns, that are correctly sized can make the difference between a house that fits and one that does not.

H o u s i n g Ty p e s

The six building typologies presented in this section are found throughout American neighborhoods. In many older neighborhoods, styles were adapted over time as certain patterns became popular. The following inventory of building types reflects various architectural styles and vocabularies. While there are many variations on house types, those illustrated here appear to dominate the most lasting and successful neighborhoods.

Single-Family Detached Houses

This section of the Pattern Book provides an outline of typical Neighborly Habitat House types, allowing for appropriate selection according to neighborhood location. Six housing types are illustrated: single-family detached houses, single-family attached houses, mansion apartments, townhouses, apartment buildings, and mixed-use buildings. The basic elements of each type are reviewed here. The Architectural Patterns section should be consulted when designing a new house or transforming an existing plan. Strategies for green building, visitability and accessibility, and ancillary structures and parking are also addressed in this section. These recommendations apply to all housing types.

Single-Family Attached Houses

Mansion Apartments

Accessibility

Placement on Site

A house’s accessibility should be considered at the beginning of the design process. Ramps and accessible walks are an integral part of the design of the house, as opposed to add ons. Due to careful design, the siting of the house illustrated provides a zero-step entry approach from its parking area.

The front facade is set back from the street the same distance as the majority of houses in the neighborhood. It joins the facades of adjacent houses in defining the public space of the street. The front door of the house is on the facade facing the street.

Townhouses and Stacked Flats

Front Door and Porch In those communities with porches, the house includes a front porch with the same depth and dimensions of existing houses. If there is no porch, the front door is embellished.

Apartment Buildings

Green Design Front yard The front yard is the most public part of the property and the majority of landscaping and embellishment is provided there as a contribution to the street.

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Green design techniques help to achieve an affordable house. In taking advantage of a house’s site and green building techniques, Neighborly Habitat Houses promote energy efficiency and conservation in a way that helps to assure long-term affordability.

Mixed-Use Buildings

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A PAT T E R N B O O K F O R N E I G H B O R LY H O U S E S

The House as a Reflection of One’s Self  The U.S. Area Office of Habitat for Humanity International and The Institute of Classical Architecture & Classical America (ICA&CA) sought a way to assist their affiliates in shifting their existing housing designs to better integrate local communities. The organizations partnered with UDA in a national effort to develop a pattern book of regional house types and details.

A R C H I T E C T U R A L PAT T E R N S

D

Step 1:

Massing, Composition, and Materials

A. Choose Massing Type

Victorian

The Victorian era refers to the years during which Queen Victoria ruled England, but in reference to American architecture it defines the national style that achieved widespread popularity toward the end of her reign, specifically in the years between 1860-1900. These years saw the rise of the railroad and growth of industrialization, which led to big changes in the construction of American homes. Traditional heavy timber framing methods were being replaced, and consequently architectural styles began to evolve. The emergence of factories accelerated the production of doors, windows, and detailing. Ornate details had once only been available for landmark houses, but with the combination of mass production and lowcost transportation along railways, complex shapes and elaborate details became affordable options for all homes. The style was also readily accessible to many home builders as a result of pattern books that provided drawings of these early house designs. Traditional houses in the Victorian style were often complex in form, creating picturesque compositions. Heavily detailed porches, elaborate woodwork, and textures created by scalloped, diamond, and fish-scale shingles were all common features. While exotic Victorian houses incorporating Eastlake, Queen Anne, and Italianate details grew in popularity throughout the country, a more restrained style known as folk-based Victorian also emerged, which adapted the elegant styles of Victorian architecture to smaller, simple houses.

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS

Prominent porch elements added to simply massed houses to create more complex forms

An orderly, symmetrical relationship between windows, doors, and building mass

Cut wood ornament influenced by natural forms or turned decorative millwork

Vertically proportioned windows and doors

Hipped or side-gabled rectangular volume, often with a dormer flush to the front facade Roof pitch is typically 8:10 One-story shed or hip front porches from one-fifth to the full length of the main body Side Gable

B.

1/5

Front Gable

1/5

1/5

1/5

1/5

“L” Shape

1/3

1/3

1/3

2/5

1/5

1/5

1/5

Choose Window and Door Composition

Characterized by a symmetrical and balanced placement of doors and windows Same window design throughout, with the exception of special windows

Often, the first-floor windows are larger than the second floor.

Align door head with window heads.

Symmetrical and balanced placement of doors and windows

Entrance doors are located in the corner of narrow houses and the center of wide houses.

28'—36'

1/3

1/3

18'—34'

18'—24'

1/3

1/3

1/3

18'—32'

26'—34'

1/3

1/3

2/3

18'—26'

C. Choose Materials Siding:

Wood or fiber cement board Exposure: 5-8" Corner boards: 3-7" Colors:

A Pattern Book For Neighborly Houses  Habitat For Humanity International, U.S. Office

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Body: Pastels and a range of yellows, beiges, grays, blues, and greens Trim: Deeper shade of the body color or a slightly different deep shade; white trim may be used

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Urban Patterns for Infill

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Introduction Neighborhoods and towns are complex systems consisting of many different elements. The most appealing and remarkable spaces in towns are those in which harmony exists among all of the elements which create these spaces, including: the scale of the street, the widths of sidewalks, the placement and height of buildings, the architectural character, and the landscape details that add layers of richness and color. However, creating this harmony is a challenge because the responsibility for the design and development of these diverse elements often lies in the hands of different people with different scales of focus. The existing fabric of Denton – especially that which is near the urban core – serves as a wonderful example of a complex place that is beloved by residents and visitors alike because of the way it makes them feel. This response to place is a result of the many systems of the town coming together to create an even better whole. The drawing at left of the downtown core and its closest in-town neighborhoods illustrates the important relationship among the town’s varying systems. The Urban Infill Kit of Parts which appears on the next page examines each of the elements identified above to illustrate how they are all necessary and must also work together to form a strong, positive sense of place. Existing Site and Town The aerial view you see here looks southeast across the banks of the Choptank River. Downtown Denton and the Caroline County Courthouse are in the foreground. It’s easy to recognize the densest blocks of the town between Gay and Franklin Streets, from the river to Fourth Street. In all directions, the in-town neighborhoods feather outward to the less dense neighborhoods beyond. This view makes it easy to see the neighborhoods, or areas, of Denton which are alike in character and scale. Through this ability to break down the scale of the town into discrete parts, we can better understand the way in which they are put together.

Note: This drawing illustrates the Pattern Book design principles applied to the existing fabric of Denton. Areas of the town are depicted in a somewhat idealized state to illustrate possible infill scenarios consistent with the ideas presented in the Pattern Book. The possibilities shown in the drawing do not necessarily correlate with specific development initiatives proposed or underway.

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the denton pat ter n bo ok

the denton pat ter n bo ok

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Growing Up on the Shore  City officials from the small town of Denton, located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, had approved new development that would double its size by 2004. Citizens wanted to grow without losing the essential character and quality of Denton. UDA, with support from the Town of Denton, Chesapeake Bay Trust, and NOAA, produced a town-wide pattern book to guide growth in ways faithful to the historic core.

Denton Pattern Book   Denton, Maryland


t h e v i l l ag e s t re e t is the shopping street that Storrs has been missing. Both sides of the street will be lined with shops for impulse buying, eating establishments, and conveniences. Busy during the day time, the sidewalks will be filled with activity. The buildings and street will bend, creating idiosyncratic spaces that are filled with benches, planting areas, dining terraces, seating walls and ever changing pavement. The street is lined with continuous storefronts in tall narrow commercial buildings with apartments above in the tradition of mercantile streets of New England.

Manor House Apartments

The Stables

The Park Tower

The Manor House Apartment building is an elegant residence at the edge of town with units that enjoy views of the surrounding wooded preserve. The four and a half story building features an entrance court and units and picturesque massing with an animated roofscape, dormers, towers and chimneys. Paired with the Stables, the ensemble resembles a converted estate.

The Stables is an assembly of rowhouse units organized around an interior courtyard. Living spaces for each unit are oriented to the surrounding forest. The central court, once for horses, is now a motor court with garages behind stable doors wrapping around the courtyard. The units vary in height from one-and-a-half- to two-and-a-half-story units. The units are unique because they are designed as converted stable lofts.

The tall apartment building is designed in the great tradition of elegant ‘park address’ apartment houses, similar to precedents found along Chicago’s North Shore, New York’s Central Park, and Boston’s Charles River. The building is oriented to maximize views and features exclusive penthouse units. The apartments feature large balconies and terraces that overlook the woodlands.

8'-24’ Sidewalk/Terrace/ Planting Area

Typical street section of The Village Street

36'-38’

8'-24’

Road Bed

Sidewalk/Terrace/ Planting Area

ROW varies

The Village Street draws cues from local college towns.

The Rise Architecture addresses

Town and Gown  UDA collaborated with Leyland Alliance to develop a master plan and pattern book for Storrs Town Center, a mixed-use development adjacent to the main campus of the University of Connecticut. Inspired by New England college town centers, the design provides retail, entertainment, and other services to the town and university. Built along a ridge, the quiet, residential precinct offers townhouses and condos direct access to a woodland preserve. Storrs Center Pattern Book Mansfield, CT

The Village Street b

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addresses

b

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© 2007 ur ban de sign asso ciate s

© 2007 ur ban de sign asso ciate s

Massing and Facade Composition


Tradition as the Threshold to the Future  UDA, in collaboration with The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment, produced a master plan and pattern book for restoring Ellon (a historic village in Aberdeenshire) and Cromleybank and Castle Meadow (two nearby expansion areas). UDA and the Foundation involved the local community in planning for the new architecture and designs to match the desired historical character. Using UDA’s pattern book and master plan, private builders still construct new neighborhoods. Ellon Pattern Book  Aberdeenshire, Scotland


ARCHI TECTURE



Bridging the Gap  UDA created construction documents and designs of a new headquarters building for SMS, a Germany-based engineering company. Located in Pittsburgh’s downtown North Shore district, the building design creates a lively street space for pedestrians crossing the Allegheny River, which runs between the North Shore and the Golden Triangle of downtown. To reflect the character of historical warehouses that once supported Pittsburgh industries, designers used steel and similar designs for construction. SMS Building  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


A Move Towards the Center  With Michael Dennis and Associates as the project architects, UDA designed Carnegie Mellon University’s new University Center. Built at the crossroads of the campus, the Center brings together students, faculty, and staff to serve the diverse needs of daily campus life. The 200,000-square-foot University Center is designed to be the social and recreational hub of the campus, combining recreational sports, entertainment, dining, and extracurricular activities.

Carnegie Mellon University, University Center   Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


It Takes a Village  In collaboration with Clear Springs Company and Studio A1 architects, UDA designed the Springmaid Building, the first structure along Baxter Village’s Main Street. Designers followed the pattern of many business districts in Fort Mill, where individual commercial buildings create a humanscaled collage. The Springmaid Building is a single 35,000-square-foot mixed-use building with different facades in a mixture of two and three stories, creating the illusion of individual storefronts. Baxter Springmaid Building  Fort Mill, South Carolina


Lights On  Tidewater Community College’s Mason Andrews Science Building is a focal point of the revitalized downtown Norfolk. When UDA designed the master plans with architects from Williams, Tazewell and Associates, the Science Building became the first new building on Granby Street, a traditional downtown shopping area. The building is designed to unite the common spaces with the public square; events are visible within the buildings, creating a dynamic, safe, urban environment. Mason Andrews Science Building, Tidewater Community College  Norfolk, Virginia


When the Cows Come Home  In collaboration with architects from Frazier Associates, UDA created the master plan and pattern book for Homestead Preserve and its Old Dairy Community Center by adapting a collection of historic agricultural buildings for a new purpose. The 10,000-acre conservation initiative, based in historic Homestead Resort among the Blue Ridge Mountains, is an example of how reuse and reprogramming can transform underutilized structures into community assets. Old Dairy Community Center  Warm Springs, Virginia


After the Storm  The New Faubourg Lafitte neighborhood rests among the 27-acre site of the former Lafitte public housing complex, previously damaged in Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The mixed-income community replaces all 900 subsidized apartments and adds 600 homes for working families and first-time homeowners. Partnering with Enterprise Foundation, MWA architects from Eskew + Dumez + Ripple, residents, and community stakeholders, UDA developed the master plan and designs based on traditional New Orleans styles. The New Faubourg Lafitte  New Orleans, Louisiana


Historic Neighborhoods Inspire the New As a centerpiece to a new, active adult neighborhood at Daybreak, the Kennecott Land Company appointed UDA to design a center for community life. The clubhouse design calls for a series of buildings that form an internal garden and pool. With construction documents from Design West Architects, UDA’s plan draws inspiration from the European Romantic style, a common residential language of historic Salt Lake City neighborhoods.

Garden Park Clubhouse At Daybreak  South Jordan, Utah


Urban Living  Sego Homes asked UDA to complete Daybreak’s new village center by designing production builder townhouses. After teaming with Architecture Belgique for construction documents, UDA’s services included a new master plan for the west end of the district. The architectural amenities included three standard floor plans with both ground-level and roof-top terraces as well as multiple facades, shaping the dynamics of new streets and parks.

Production Builder Townhouses   South Jordan, Utah


IMAGE INDEX  Images read top left to bottom right

1964 David Lewis Democracy and Design in Action Ganada Town Center, Ganada, NY Human Resources Center, Pontiac, MI Great High Schools, Pittsburgh, PA Ganada Town Center, Ganada, NY Mack Community Center, Ann Arbor, MI

1974 Queensgate II Town Center, Cincinnati, OH Pittsburgh’s “Wall Street District”, Pittsburgh, PA The Oakland Plan, Pittsburgh, PA Village of Shadyside, Pittsburgh, PA Confluence, UDA Anniversary York Design Guidelines, York, PA

1984 Celebration Pattern Book, Celebration, FL Crawford Square, Pittsburgh, PA Middle Towne Arch, Norfolk, VA Diggs Town, Norfolk, VA Jewish Community Center, Pittsburgh, PA Cary Street, Richmond, VA

1994 Broadway Overlook, Baltimore, MD North Shore, Pittsburgh, PA Baxter, Fort Mill, SC University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA East Garrison, Monterey County, CA Cincinnati Riverfront, Cincinnati, OH

URBAN DISTRICTS Administrative Business Center, Moscow, Russia West Don Lands, Toronto, ON, Canada Yonkers, NY Currie Barracks, Calgary, AB, Canada Al Fallah, Tripoli, Libya Norfolk, VA

2004 New Moscow Federal District, Moscow, Russia Ludhiana Township, Punjab, India South of Broadway, Nashville, TN South Lake Union, Seattle, WA Ellon, AB, Scotland Storrs Town Center, Storrs, CT

NEIGHBORHOODS The New Faubourg Lafitte, New Orleans, LA Summers Corner, Summersville, SC East Beach, Norfolk, VA First Ward, Charlotte, NC North Wheeling and Wheeling Heights, Wheeling, WV Westbury, Portsmouth, VA

2014 Currie Barracks, Calgary, AB, Canada Anderson Station, Calgary, AB, Canada Urban Assembly Kit The Waterfront, Tampa, FL Detroit Riverfront, Detroit, MI

PATTERN BOOKS Louisiana Speaks: Pattern Book and Toolkit, Louisiana Region Mount Washington Resort Pattern Book, Bretton Woods, NH A Pattern Book for Norfolk Neighborhoods, Norfolk, VA Gibson’s Grant Pattern Book, Easton, MD WaterColor Pattern Book, Walton County, FL Homestead Preserve Pattern Book, Hot Springs, VA A Pattern Book for Neighborly Houses, Habitat for Humanity International, U.S. Area Office


Denton Pattern Book, Denton, MD Ni Village Pattern Book, Spotsylvania County, VA Roche Harbor Pattern Book, San Juan Island, WA A Pattern Book for Gulf Coast Neighborhoods, Mississippi Region Bundoran Farm Pattern Book, Albemarle County, VA East Garrison Pattern Book, Monterey County, CA Callaway Gardens Pattern Book, Pine Mountain, GA Stork Pattern Book, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA Sewickley Heights Pattern Book, Pittsburgh, PA

ARCHITECTURE SilverTip, Canmore, AB, Canada  La Roche College, Pittsburgh, PA Sheep Meadow House, Homestead Preserve, Hot Springs, VA Clarksburg Municipal Building, Clarksburg, WV Production Builder Townhouses, South Jordan, UT North Wheeling and Wheeling Heights, Wheeling, WV Seaside Central Square, Seaside, FL

Many thanks to all of the UDA alumni whose work and contribution to the studio has produced so many important ideas, projects, and initiatives over the years. Thank you to our clients who collaborate with us day in and day out to create great places that bring new energy to cities where people live, work, learn, and play. We are indeed honored to be part of your efforts.

BOARD MEMBERS Barry J. Long Jr., AIA, LEED AP Paul B. Ostergaard, FAIA, AOU Eric R. Osth, AIA, LEED AP Rob Robinson, AIA

PRINCIPALS & ASSOCIATES Gail A. Armstrong David R. Csont, ASAI Megan O’Hara, AICP, LEED AP BD+C

PRINCIPAL EMERITI Donald K. Carter, FAIA, FAICP, LEED AP Raymond L. Gindroz, FAIA David Lewis, FAIA


Š   2 015 u r b a n d e s i g n a s s o c i at e s


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