Project: Fayetteville Montessori Primary School
Firm: Marlon Blackwell Architects
Contractor: Nabholz Construction Corporation
Location: Fayetteville
Montessori Primary is a complete renovation of an outdated suburban office building into a 9-classroom school building in Fayetteville. The renovation was completed in 11 months (design through construction) for $118 per SF project cost. The design utilizes the original structure of the building including the rhythm of the storefronts along the south and west walls which now provide large banks of glass into each classroom.
Angled walls, conceived as a carapace, drop in front of the windows to provide shade and visual separation from the street. An addition on the north side of the building, unseen from the exterior entry, intersects the existing building at the reception area and conference room. The insertion creates a dynamic, acute corner as the corridor extends to three additional classrooms and frames two courtyards, used for outdoor play, between the old and the new.
Owner/Client: Victoria Butler
Project Team: Marlon Blackwell, FAIA; Meryati Johari Blackwell, AIA; Bradford Payne, Assoc. AIA; William Burks, Assoc. AIA; Spencer Curtis, Assoc. AIA; Justin Hershberger, AIA; Stephen Reyenga, Assoc. AIA; Stephen Kesel, Assoc. AIA
Consultants: HP Engineering Inc., Bates & Associates, Myers-Beatty Engineering PLLC
Photographer: Timothy Hursley
Project: Jim and Joyce Faulkner Performing Arts Center
Firm: Allison Architects Inc.
Contractor: Manhattan Construction Company
Location: Fayetteville
University of Arkansas alumni and former band members Jim and Joyce Faulkner realized a dream of giving back to the UA music department by funding the renovation of its historic Field House, now known as the Jim and Joyce Faulkner Performing Arts Center.
After years of minimal maintenance, the exterior shell of the building was restored to its 1930s appearance, including its original steel casement windows. The building’s masonry was cleaned and repointed. A close study of historical photographs assisted the project team in replicating the original wooden entry doors and flagpoles.
A large portion of the ground floor was removed to accommodate the new 600-seat concert hall. Instrument and stage storage areas are provided at both stage level and below, where a platform lift moves between the two. Fumed Larch and Venetian plaster panels line the hall while hidden acoustical curtains allow for tuning the room. This project is anticipated to receive LEED Gold certification.
Owner/Client: University of Arkansas
Project Team: John Allison, AIA; Chris Hartsfield, AIA; Katie Bruhl, AIA; Aaron Ruby, AIA; Sarah Goss; Tim Carl; Adam Luckhardt; Andrew Weyenberg
Consultants: TME LLC, Engineering Consultants Inc., Development Consultants Inc., Jaffe Holden, Schuler Shook
Photographer: Ken West
Project: Manzeum
Firm: Modus Studio
Contractor: L&L Metal Fabrication
Location: Springdale
The Manzeum is part of a multi-phased collaboration between the artistic minds of its owners and the editorial will of the architect. The current master plan plunges the Manzeum addition toward the developing landscape of the 20-acre site. The central roundabout, marked by a stacked concrete totem, is the primary orientating device for all the constructed elements on the site.
The strong and raw palette of concrete, steel, and cedar are extensively intertwined, transforming an existing workshop into a strong, modern form. The ‘big dumb wood box’ concept is the organizing element in a patchwork of naturally weathering and painted steel. A dual personality exposure between tectonic workshop space and entertainment space is created, crafted, embellished, and enjoyed. Old versus new is continually merged on the interior spaces while the new fire pit terrace provides steel containment as the overall structure is carved into the evolving landscape.
Owner/Client: Brandon and Josie White
Project Team: Chris Baribeau, AIA; Brandon White
Photographer: Timothy Hursley
Project: Riggs CAT Corporate Headquarters
Firm: Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects
Contractor: Baldwin & Shell Construction Company
Location: Little Rock
The challenge given to the project team was to create a highly personal structure at a comparable cost associated with an off-site suburban office building, an option considered by the owner.
Designed with an expressive steel structure reflecting the Miesian sensibility of the adjacent 1950s warehouse (also renovated into a training center), the building acts as a large open shed, sheltering key programmatic elements. CAT equipment provided subtle inspiration for abstract arm booms and wheel tracks dug into the earth. The lobby is both a showroom and a reception space, allowing a glimpse into company operations. The boardroom floats above the lobby as a viewing window into leadership meetings while “catwalks” in the upper levels and a sculptural open stair connect leadership offices directly to clients below.
The building’s transparency echoes the company’s core values, emulating the way workers and their equipment are used in the construction environment as perfect reflection of both the company’s technical prowess and its family atmosphere.
Owner/Client: Riggs CAT
Project Team: Cindy Pruitt, AIA; Reese Rowland, FAIA; Josh Newton, AIA; Laura Hendrix, ASID; David Porter, AIA
Consultants: McClelland Consulting Engineers Inc., TME
Photographer: Timothy Hursley
Sign up for Daily E-news
