The crisp, Fall air is right around the corner and so is the ever anticipated changing of the leaves. The Birmingham Botanical Gardens is just the place for you to wander this season, so stop and smell the roses while we discuss this natural gem in the heart of our city. 

Just like the city of Birmingham, Rickwood Field is known for having its own rich history. We’re traveling back in time to visit America’s oldest professional baseball park, still with its original structure, to examine its design and how it’s utilized today.

Birmingham is The Magic City for many reasons including being home to amazing historic architecture. However, as time carries on and as new projects take shape, many of these magical buildings are left in the past to make room for the future. Let’s take a look at a few Birmingham buildings we’ve lost to history and why it’s important to preserve the ones still around.

Are you a Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Slytherin or Ravenclaw? Just like each house, you probably also have a favorite set design or location in the mystical world of Harry Potter. Production Designer Stuart Craig is the mastermind behind designing its iconic architecture.

When you hear the name Tiffany & Co., what do you think of? Maybe you picture Audrey Hepburn eating a croissant staring longingly into the store’s windows in the 1961 film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Or maybe you think of the baby blue, trademark color that seems to be synonymous with luxury. Yet, perhaps one of the brand’s most iconic namesake’s is its flagship store, located in New York City on Fifth Avenue. Though not Tiffany’s first flagship store, it remains the longest standing and most popular. Let’s dive deeper into the famous jewelry brand’s colorful history.

From the time of the horse and the buggy, mobile transportation has linked American infrastructure to the ways humans interact with cities. When Ford manufactured the famous Model T car in 1908, cars quickly assimilated in the American way of life. As cars became more common, cities began to change. Architects such as Harvey W. Corbett and Le Corbusier began imagining utopian cities in which cars and people would be separated on levels to account for different paces of traffic. One look around a modern city today will tell you that this idyllic dream never came to fruition. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has shifted our world in a variety of ways over the past two years. The pandemic has not only impacted our social and personal lives but also our professional lives. The way that we work has changed. As an architectural company that designs and renovates commercial and office spaces, it is important that we stay aware of the post-Covid office trends and you should too.

The City Center District Management Corporation (CCDMC) is bringing Birmingham a stunning and smart makeover. The reinvention of 20th Street, which spans from the railroad tracks to Linn Park, is currently in the final phase. The project began on October 11, 2021, and should be finished in time for the start of the World Games on July 7, 2022.

Alabama has a multitude of historic properties that have been worthy of preservation throughout the years, particularly in Birmingham. The Alabama Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit exists. This program is a 25% refundable tax credit for both commercial property owners and private homeowners who significantly restore and/or rehabilitate properties that are eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and are 60 years old or older. Let’s take a look at some of the buildings that have been saved by this incentive program.

As 2022 blazes forward, it seems as if new developments and architectural projects are popping up every day in Birmingham. Just last year, the new Protective Stadium opened and solidified The Magic City’s position as the go-to spot for all things sports and entertainment. This is great news for architects, as it opens the door for a wide variety of new projects and opportunities. From new apartment complexes to shopping centers and urban areas, we’ve gathered up some of the most exciting projects coming to Birmingham in the upcoming months.

Every holiday, families construct one of the most edible architectural structures: the Gingerbread House. Crisp cookie walls and a roof decorated with icing, gumdrops, and an assortment of candy are markers of the iconic holiday treat. Although the exact origins are unclear, the gingerbread house continues to be a part of many households’ Christmas traditions.

Materials used to construct buildings not only shape the structures themself but also our perception of them. The St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow is recognized for its boldly colored exterior made of painted bricks and wood. Frank LLoyd Wright’s Guggenheim museum is shaped by one-of-a-kind plywood forms filled with gun-placed concrete to create the iconic curves of the building. The Empire State Building combines Indiana limestone and granite, 10 million bricks and 730 tons of aluminum and stainless steel to form its imposing exterior.

The beautiful city of Birmingham is home to a wealth of unique and historic spaces that serve our community with their many activity opportunities, from exotic zoos to shopping malls and expansive parks. First up on ADA’s Birmingham Building Series features are the Riverchase Galleria, the Birmingham Zoo, the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, as well as one of the area’s most famous parks.

Architectural design techniques have come a long way since the Greeks built the Parthenon and the Romans built the colosseum. As art, science and technology have evolved through the years, so too have the methods and tools with which architects design the buildings that we eat, pray, love and worship in. While hand drawings will always be a central technique to the practice, modern programs such as computer-aided design and graphics software have allowed architects to increase the scope, scale and speed of their work. Let’s break down the tools that modern architects use to create innovative and impactful solutions for their clients.