For forty years brwarchitects has told the stories of our clients and communities through architecture.
We approach every project with compassion and collaboration, from resident-led affordable housing to commercial, ecclesiastical, and residential design.
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Stories
brw clients celebrate southwood and habitat
brwarchitects’ clients at 701 Water Street hosted a special event in October to celebrate the grand opening of the newly remodeled lobby space and showcase its new resident artist. The party was also an occasion to recognize Habitat for Humanity’s Southwood Redevelopment and its Capital Campaign. The building owners, together with Manchester Capital, graciously opened the doors to a lively mix of Charlottesvillians and the night was a wonderful example of the crossover between art, architecture, and the important work of community building.
Host and emcee Jeff Hall of Manchester Capital introduced Dan Rosensweig, local President of Habitat, and illuminated the importance of the Southwood project as a model for community engagement, resident-driven planning and the goal of redevelopment without displacement. Mr. Rosensweig delved into these issues and in particular focused attention on our community’s vital need for affordable housing. The central theme of Habitat’s Core Building Operations is the Vision of “a Greater Charlottesville Community where everyone can find a decent place to live.”
restoring history on the downtown mall
Brwarchitects’ renovation of one of the oldest buildings on Charlottesville’s Historic Downtown Mall has become an attractive feature for locals and tourists alike. At the very beginning of this project, the exterior paint was stripped which revealed an attractive patina on the brick wall. In fact, this exterior paint was the main cause of the building’s extensive water damage throughout the years, and removing it created an immediate improvement in water infiltration.
In addition to rehabilitating the historic brick exterior, brwarchitects opened new windows in the existing 3rd Street masonry wall and removed the outdated wood façade and replaced it with a new glass and steel assembly. This contemporary intervention complements the building’s historic presence, while the addition of new oversize windows opens the interiors to the public mall.
designing for people: reflections from our summer intern
As an undergraduate student in architecture coming into the office for the summer, my experience with real projects was very limited. In school, we are given only theoretical projects with no client, no budget, and very few other constraints. Students are encouraged to focus on creating beautiful, efficient, environmentally-friendly spaces; there is much less consideration for the people that would inhabit them.
This summer I got to experience a community redevelopment project in which the focus is not only on improving the living conditions for the residents but also including them in the planning process and giving them a voice for the future of their neighborhood.