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ArchitectureWorks

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ArchitectureWorks

Since 1995, ArchitectureWorks has been creating places of enduring quality. Our mission is, quite simply, to make inspired places. To make better.

04/14/2026

ArchitectureWorks led design development and construction for Ladybird Books, a thoughtfully curated independent bookstore occupying a mid-century storefront on King Street in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. Our work was developed in close collaboration with the interiors and branding team at SDCO Partners, with our scope focused on construction documents, structural coordination, and contract administration.

On the sales floor, new curved partitions were developed in direct dialogue with the geometry of the original 1945 storefront, echoing the sweeping forms already present in the existing hardwood and terrazzo floors. Fixture design and coordination included built-in shelving and custom curved benches that carry that soft geometry through the space. The removal of an existing raised display freed up floor area for additional shelving and improved the overall flow of the floor plan.

Back-of-house spaces were also renovated as part of the scope, and material selections throughout were guided by the same attention to continuity and character. Through detailed construction documentation and administration, ArchitectureWorks ensured that every element was executed with precision and respect for the building’s history.

Photography: Peter Frank Edwards
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04/10/2026

We're excited to be part of the upcoming ULI Alabama tour of Lakeview Marina, a pedestrian-focused destination for office, retail, dining, and entertainment that we're proud to have contributed to through our work on High Dive HiFi Lounge.

High Dive began in 2021 as a concept for an intimate cocktail lounge for audiophiles and evolved through years of design iteration into a full bar and restaurant with a world-class audio-visual setup. Balancing a massive amount of technical infrastructure with an aesthetically refined and architecturally efficient space required close coordination with a broad team of consultants, and we couldn't be more proud of the result.

Join us at 9am on April 21st to hear from Kimley-Horn, CCR, Macknally Land Design, Rives, and the Lakeview Marina team as we discuss the original vision for this adaptive reuse redevelopment and what's next for the community.

Register at https://alabama.uli.org/events/detail/063DE7D6-8335-47B7-968A-B61FC99D6196/?utm_source=realmagnet&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ULIAL%202026%20April1
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04/06/2026

Progress on the Gulf Coast Engineering Research Station for the Auburn University Samuel Ginn College of Engineering in Orange Beach. This 18,000 SF facility, funded through the RESTORE Act and developed with partners including the City of Orange Beach and the University of South Alabama, will support coastal research, laboratory work, and collaboration along the Gulf Coast.

Excited to see the framing for both wings coming together as the building begins to take shape!
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11/11/2025

Please join us in welcoming our newest team members, Judith Seaman and Logan Lee!

Judith holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Auburn University and spent her third and fifth years at Rural Studio, later returning as Clerk of Works. Her passion for handcraft, community-based architecture, and resilient design guides her work. Outside of architecture, she loves crafting, baking, and cycling.

Logan earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Auburn University and also spent his third and fifth years at Rural Studio, where he worked on the Bathhouse project. His hands-on experience deepened his love for construction and craft. When he’s not in the office, you’ll find him exploring new coffee shops, playing pickleball, or hanging out with his dog, Scout.
Welcome, Judith and Logan, we’re excited to have you on the team!
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11/04/2025

We are proud to announce that ArchitectureWorks received four awards at the 2025 AIA Alabama Design Awards! The Gulf Coast Ecocenter won an Honor Award and Divine Detail Award for the Small Projects category, as well as being the overall People’s Choice Award winner. The Indian Springs School Kayser/Samford Community Commons also received a Merit Award for the Small Projects category.

The Gulf Coast Ecocenter, a collaboration with WATERSHED, is a 17,000-square-foot environmental education campus designed to foster ecological stewardship along the Gulf Coast. Funded by the RESTORE Council, the LEED Gold and FORTIFIED Silver-certified project uses open-air, low-impact structures with passive ventilation, daylighting, and biophilic design to connect visitors to the surrounding landscape. The jury described it as “a project that transforms sustainability into an architectural and cultural experience,” praising its “poetry in the spaces between” and its “timeless” relationship to its site.

The Kayser/Samford Community Commons, the second phase of Indian Springs School’s 2012 Master Plan, serves as the campus’s primary dining and social hub. Rooted in the landscape and overlooking the campus lake, it blends warm interiors, natural light, and durable materials to create a welcoming, connected environment. The jury commended its “thoughtful integration of material warmth, daylight, and landscape connection.”

Thank you to AIA Alabama and the jury for this recognition!
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10/31/2025

2025 has been a fantastic time of reflection on the past 30 years. Now we look forward to the next 30 - keeping close our commitment to Community, to Collaboration, and to Make Better.

Thank you all for celebrating with us! And of course, in keeping with tradition, a classic AW Hootenanny closed out the night!
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10/24/2025

While unpredictable headlines dominated the news during this time, the years 2022-2024 brought opportunities for earlier notions to come full circle as our firm returned to in-office work, albeit with more laptops than desktops. We resumed work on later phases of our school masterplans and with return clients, including an expansion to the Events Pavilion at Auburn University’s President’s Home and a new Community Dining Commons at Indian Springs School. Our K-12 work expanded through new master plans for The Altamont School, Alabama School of Fine Arts, and The Montgomery Academy.

University-level work continued with multiple projects at the big three state institutions. Historic renovations of The University of Alabama’s Oliver Barnard Hall and Tuomey Hall, a new Student Assembly Building on UAB's campus and a major renovation at Lister Hill Historical Collections Gallery, plus renovations to Auburn University's historic Samford Hall and the Rural Studio iconic Red Barn. Meanwhile we returned to the Gulf Coast with Auburn University for a new Gulf Coast Engineering Research Station, while also reimagining two of Birmingham’s historic buildings, The William and Wooden City.

Our most welcome change was the elevation of two of our own to Partners in the firm, Jessica Bennett and Roger Mainor. Together with Partners Cindy Coyle, Jay Pigford, and Bruce Lanier, Roger and Jessica reinforce our commitment to community, to service, and to Make Better.
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10/17/2025

The years of 2019 through 2021 brought substantial changes to our office, to the community, and to the world. ArchitectureWorks joyously welcomed new babies and new phases for our work, and deeply mourned the loss of our founding Partner, Richard “Dick” Pigford, FAIA, and our time working side by side due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Throughout these changes our goal to “Make Better” stayed at the forefront as we tended to one another and our craft:

We found ways to work with our hands and grow our community through the completion of the Highland Park Community Garden and the groundbreaking of Jones Valley Teaching Farm’s Center for Food Education.

We stayed committed to the pursuit of learning and outdoor education, completing projects at Creative Montessori School and Turkey Creek Nature Preserve, broke ground on the Gulf Coast Center for Ecotourism & Sustainability, and restored the CCC-era lookout tower atop Flagg Mountain on the Pinhoti National Recreation Trail.

And most importantly, we valued being together and being in Birmingham by furthering our restoration work at 16th Street Baptist Church, Historic Bethel Baptist Church and St. Paul’s Cathedral, and creating new storefronts with Continental Drift, Slims Pizzeria, and Son of a Butcher.

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10/10/2025

Between 2016 and 2018, ArchitectureWorks entered a period of remarkable transition and growth. The firm’s work stretched across Alabama—from over 25 miles of trails and two new campuses at Gulf State Park to the master planning and documentation of the Pinhoti Trail—reflecting a deep commitment to elevating design and connecting communities to place.

As projects grew in scale and complexity, so did the studio. ArchitectureWorks reached its largest size to date, and future partners Jessica Bennett, Bruce Lanier, and Roger Mainor began their journeys with the firm, bringing expertise across residential, hospitality, and retail design.

Notable projects from this era include MAKEbhm’s home in Avondale, Cayenne Creative’s offices, Brät Brot, the Highlands School Student Life Center, and a mixed-use development in Cahaba Heights featuring El Zun Zun, Crestline Bagel, and Leaf & Petal. One hundred-year old loblolly pines were also repurposed for a small, private lakeside pavilion.

Throughout this era, the firm honed its craft—sketching, building, and learning together with curiosity, camaraderie, and care.
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10/03/2025

The years 2013-2015 saw a wealth of design produced by the office: An open-air gymnasium at Camp Desoto using trees felled onsite for the main structure, The Bayhouse and Dining Hall for Children’s Harbor featuring custom timber and steel mast-like structures, and an adaptive reuse of a 1920’s historic downtown building for the Birmingham School of Law.

K-12 projects included FarmLabs for Jones Valley Teaching Farm that brought the Good School Food curriculum to eight Birmingham City Schools, a major renovation of Altamont School’s gym-cafe-torium space into the Cabaniss-Kaul Fine Arts Center, new academic buildings for Indian Springs School that refocused the campus to their iconic lake, and a new primary school building that gave new life to Creative Montessori’s campus.

Fundraisers and cultural events continued in SawWorks. Dick’s most favorite event every year, dreamArchitecture, is an art program for elementary school children that asks them to draw their dream (house, park, museum, different each year). Sponsored by AIA Birmingham, the event found its home in SawWorks with Dick emceeing, celebrating the kids’ art every year.
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.desoto

09/26/2025

By 2010, we were shifting from Macs to PCs, and digital 3D models were quickly taking the place of physical wood models. At the same time, Birmingham was beginning to recover from the 2008 crash - Railroad Park opened in 2010, and Regions Field was on the horizon, both giving downtown Birmingham the public spaces needed for revitalization.

During these years, our expertise expanded into education, with master plans for Indian Springs School and Creative Montessori School followed closely by phase one design projects at both schools. The 2012 Indian Springs Master Plan would be our first of two partnerships with Lake|Flato, Jay’s former firm in Texas. Stakeholder collaboration, a staple of AW’s ethos, shaped these visions, creating campuses that reflect their values and foster vibrant, connected learning environments.

Residential work carried forward our tradition of crafting homes rooted in place, while historic restoration projects at Independent Presbyterian Church and St. Paul’s Cathedral underscored our commitment to preserving Birmingham’s architectural legacy.
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Address

130 19th Street S
Birmingham, AL
35233

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+12053200880

Website

http://www.architectureworks.com/

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