A2SO4 New Corporate Office Featured in Indiana Preservationist magazine

A2SO4′s new corporate headquarters, St. Joseph’s Church,  is featured in the September – October issue of Indiana Preservationist Magazine. The church is one of several that is highlighted in their featured topic: Born Again, Again, in which they highlight historic churches around the state and their new uses.

To learn more about Indiana Preservationist Magazine, please visit the Indiana Landmarks.

A2SO4 Projects to Be Featured in National Education Publication

A2SO4  Architecture, LLC will be highlighted this summer in the 2012 edition of American School & University’s Educational Interiors Showcase, an annual national publication of education-related interior design projects.

The Chase Near Eastside Legacy Center, for which A2SO4 provided interior design and environmental graphics design services, was designed in collaboration with architect of record RATIO of Indianapolis. The project was entered under the Community Centers/Joint-Use Facilities category. The project is located on the Indianapolis Public School Corporation’s Arsenal Technical High School campus and covers approximately 28,000 square feet.  The $11 million facility is used by IPS students and the greater Near Eastside community and offers comprehensive and holistically considered fitness programs as well as wellness and academic education. In addition to its fully-equipped fitness facilities it includes classrooms, a community garden and greenhouse, teaching kitchen, art studio and media production facility.

Purdue University’s historic Shealy Hall, part of the five-phase renovation of the Windsor Halls women’s residences at Purdue’s West Lafayette campus, was selected in the Historic Preservation category.  A2SO4 is the architect of record of the project, which was designed in collaboration with structural engineers Fink Roberts and Petrie (FRP), Durkin Villalta Partners Engineers for systems and landscape architect CBA Studios.  The $7 million renovation of the 51,000 square foot 1936 structure modernized the building’s systems and accessibility while retaining and restoring its historic interior features. The first floor public spaces feature quarter-sawn oak woodwork, ornamental plaster and bronze and brass light fixtures. The multihued mosaic tile lobby flooring was retained and informs the color palette throughout the renovated complex. The dining room is repurposed as a study room that showcases its woodwork, colonnade and slate flooring.

The fourth phase of the Windsor Halls project, Warren Hall, which originally opened in 1951, was selected in the Interior Renovation category.  A2SO4 teamed with Scholer Corporation of Lafayette, FRP, Applied Engineering Services of Indianapolis, and Nova Engineering of Illinois.  Interior historic elements, similar to those in Shealy Hall, were retained and restored; the basements include student lounges and laundries featuring custom clothes hanging fixtures and custom wall graphics. Historic furniture was restored and complements both the contemporary and original elements. Systems upgrades throughout the renovated complex of buildings includes air conditioning and improved ventilation, compact fluorescent and LED lighting and expansion of the buildings’ already-extensive wired and wireless telecommunications systems.

Purdue Housing and Food Services Director of Facilities Tim Gennett reports that staff and residents both enjoy the buildings and expressed appreciation of A2SO4’s efforts: “We have collaborated with A2SO4 on a wide range of renovation projects in Purdue Housing.  Their work has always been timely, professional and competent, serving as strong advocates for us as their client.”

A2SO4 founder Sanford Garner, AIA, said of the award, “We’re honored to have our work selected for this publication.  We’ve been working on many education projects over the years and we’re grateful for the opportunity to share our work with the larger educational facilities community.”

Contact: Mark Darrall

A2SO4 receives praise for IUPUI Gateway Parking Garage

Responding to a blog post by Aaron Renn criticizing urban design in Indianapolis, Brian Payne, President and CEO of Central Indiana Community Fund and founder of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, defended the city’s design efforts. “IUPUI built a beautiful garage on the Cultural Trail that adds to the aesthetic experience of being on the Trail,” he posted. “In the City’s defense, the last two City administrations have been wonderful supporters and co-leaders on the Cultural Trail and that was a gutsy, creative move by both.”

The IUPUI Gateway Parking Garage is a 426,944 sf, five-story structure is being built to accommodate 1,303 parking spaces for both campus and public use in which A2SO4, teamed with Arsee Engineers, Inc., BSA LifeStructures, and Bledsoe Riggert & Guerrettaz Inc. Visual transparency and natural ventilation was achieved through the use of perforated metal panels coupled with a 50% open area. The random patterning of panels using accent colors embellishes the large façade surface areas and provides an economical, yet attractive solution.

For more information please visit: http://www.urbanophile.com/2012/07/19/why-i-dont-live-in-indianapolis/

Fresh renderings released for Millikan on Mass Ave

The project, tentatively dubbed The Millikan on Mass Ave after an apartment building that once stood on the site, is being designed by Ratio Architects and A2SO4. Millikan on Mass Ave will be a $23 million residential and retail development planned for the land surrounding the Barton Tower apartments along Massachusetts Avenue between Michigan and East streets. The project is a partnership between Flaherty & Collins Properties and Insight Development Corp. It calls for a mix of 144 affordable and market-rate apartments and retail/restaurant space along Mass Ave.

For more information please visit: http://www.ibj.com/property-lines-2012-07-26-fresh-renderings—23m-project-millikan-on-mass-ave/PARAMS/post/35741

Building On Our Foundations: St. Clair Place

One of A2SO4’s earliest projects was the planning, design and build-out of Indianapolis’s Fall Creek Place neighborhood. Since then, we have been actively working in other Indianapolis neighborhoods and other communities around Indiana.

A2SO4 in 2010 joined a team of landscape architects, urban planners, engineers, property developers and branding experts to create an integrated vision for the St. Clair Place neighborhood, located on the east side of Indianapolis. This neighborhood was identified by the Super Bowl Host Committee as the venue for the NFL’s Super Bowl Legacy Project for Super Bowl XLVI.

Under the guidance of Indy-east Asset Development, the team conducted several stakeholder workshops in the neighborhood to verify and expand information developed in the ongoing Great Indy Neighborhoods program. That feedback allowed us to prioritize needs, infrastructure and development work.

A2SO4’s focus was evaluation of the houses and commercial buildings for their overall condition and contribution to neighborhood character. This work combined historic preservation and urban design principles to inform the redevelopment guidelines – giving owners, neighbors, developers and contractors a clear understanding of how their buildings can enhance the neighborhood’s quality of life above and beyond the first-order need of safe and comfortable housing.

The St. Clair Place Neighborhood Revitalization effort was recognized by receiving in 2011 the Monumental Award which is sponsored by Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, the Indiana Chapter of Society for Marketing Professional Services and the City of Indianapolis.

We are grateful to our teammates with whom we were privileged to work:

• Eden Collaborative
• Elements Engineering
• Greenstreet, Ltd.
• Mansur Real Estate Services
• The Re-Development Group, Inc.

A2SO4 president, Sanford E. Garner, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP ND, will be featured as a speaker for Black Executive Exchange Program  in Lake Buena Vista, Florida at The Sanctuary – 4449 Red Bud, St. Louis, MO.

A2SO4 co-founder and president, Sanford Garner will be one of five speakers who will speak on the understanding of how to navigate the corporate culture and how it is paramount when striving to be successful.  In this frank discussion our panel of seasoned professionals will share their trials and triumphs, and will also provide participants an inside track on ways to excel along with the realities and challenges of being African-American males in the corporate world.

For more information please visit:  http://www.iamempowered.com/article/2012/02/29/2012-beep-leadership-conference