Cultural, Institutional and Civic Design Studio

3 praxis architecture planning design architecture . urban design . planning . media design . graphic design . web design praxis3 firm profile 1: the application of ideas 2: the use of knowledge 3: the practice of skills

Founded in 1997, Praxis3 is an innovative, -based architectural and design firm whose mission is to foster design excellence while providing client-driven solutions. Deploying the talents of multi-disciplinary studio teams, Praxis3 tackles each project as an exploration of ideas in the creative process, producing unique, site-specific designs for even the most challenging building sites and programs.

The firm specializes in mixed use, automotive and specialty retail, residential, and cultural-institutional project designs throughout the . Praxis3’s comprehensive approach to designing and building projects includes extensive research, in which its designers engage in hands-on sessions, asking tough questions and listening carefully to client input. Ultimately, the Praxis3 process ensures that projects will meet client’s creative and financial goals.

With its experienced team of professionals in architecture, urban design and planning, as well as web design and graphics, Praxis3 is a leader in navigating the personal, technical, and political dynamics that designing, building and marketing complex urban and campus projects demand. The firm’s state of the art technologies include the Revit Building Information Modeling CADD Software (BIM) and the in-house developed Tangentworks project management system.

3 praxis architecture planning design Decatur Firestation No. 2 City of Decatur Decatur, GA

Architects: The team’s innovative new station is designed to replace a dilapidated 1950’s era LP3 architecture firehouse with a new and in–scale neighborhood civic monument. A glass tower Client: tracks the movement of the sun throughout the year with the No. 2 logo of the station City of Decatur projected on to the tower’s front face. The energy efficient building is certified as LEED Silver and is sited to preserve several large trees on the site.

3 praxis architecture planning design Institute of Technology Robotics and Intelligent Machines (RIM) Laboratory and Research Center Atlanta, GA

Architect: The Georgia Institute of Technology is home to one of the world’s premier Robotics and LP3 architecture Intelligent Machines programs. The two-phase 20,000 s.f. renovation, currently under Client: design, will be the new home for the department. Georgia Institute of Technology The renovated space contains a state-of-the-art laboratory and research environment to facilitate greater interaction and cross-pollination between the numerous disciplines and specializations required for the creation of the next generation of robots. The space plan is driven by the desire to maximize day-lighting and to provide flexibility for ongoing reorganizations common with the department’s projects. Beyond the functional imperatives of the plan, the space will create an interactive habitat and display environment for the robots created at Georgia Tech. A central element of the design will be the animated and robotically inspired mixed media display wall, located at the entry to the space. In addition to showcasing current research projects, corporate donors and ongoing events at the school, the wall will incorporate display platforms for functioning robots. 3 praxis architecture planning design Georgia Tech College of Architecture, Galloway Cafe Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA

Praxis3 was selected to complete this small but important project for the College of Architects: Praxis3 Architecture at Georgia Tech. The Galloway Cafe commemorates the life of Thomas with Fred Pearsall Galloway, the late Dean at the College of Architecture. The cafe serves as a center of Client: Georgia Tech student life at the college serving coffee, teas and desserts to students and faculty. The College of Architecture 21st century cafe incorporates a media wall as an integral part of the cafe. The wall will show a variety of special media programs as well as student work and other content.

3 praxis architecture planning design University of Georgia Lamar Dodd School of Art: Jewelry and Metalwork Program Studio University of Georgia Athens, GA

Praxis3 is performing a preliminary space programming study for the Office of the

Architects: University Architects to assess options for relocating the Jewelry and Metalwork Program Praxis3 into more spacious and enhanced facilities that will better meet its needs. The study

Client: will define the Program’s operational needs and, thereby, help determine which campus University of Georgia facilities can best accommodate it, as well as how much funding will be required for the Lamar Dodd School of Art project. Study components include assessment of faculty offices, classrooms, design and production studios, display space, storage, and FF&E (furniture, fixtures and loose equipment).

3 praxis architecture planning design Decatur Recreation Center City of Decatur Decatur, GA The building housing the Decatur Recreation Center was originally constructed in 1958 Architects: LP3 architecture and houses a diverse schedule of recreational, civic and arts programs for the city of Decatur. LP3 architecture is re-programming and developing plans to renovate the Client: City of Decatur building to accomodate the functional requirements of a 21st century recreation and community center. The vinatage mid-century building will be restored and updated while the front lawn of the structure will be utilized as new more active city park space.

3 praxis architecture planning design Axonometric at Lower Level

Axonometric at Main Level

Decatur Recreation Center Renovation and Addition

Decatur Recreation Center City of Decatur Decatur, GA The building housing the Decatur Recreation Center was originally constructed in 1958 Architects: LP3 architecture and houses a diverse schedule of recreational, civic and arts programs for the city of Decatur. LP3 architecture is re-programming and developing plans to renovate the Client: City of Decatur building to accomodate the functional requirements of a 21st century recreation and community center. The vinatage mid-century building will be restored and updated while the front lawn of the structure will be utilized as new more active city park space.

3 praxis architecture planning design Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity House at Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA

The existing Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity House on the campus of Georgia Tech reflects Architect: its multi-year history of additions and alterations. The new house will incorporate the Praxis3 shell and foundations of the existing buildings providing an all new multi-purpose Client: facility. The new building will be a model of environmental sustainability and include Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity both passive and active energy strategies. Large south-facing roofs will capture solar energy while a 3-level front porch/screenwall will act as both a solar screen and social gathering spot for the fraternity. A large central multi-story central activity area will define the indoor social space of the house. Residential sections of the house will provide group study areas along with a variety of room types. Praxis3 worked closely with TKE alumni , counselors and current members to develop the program for the new facility.

3 praxis architecture planning design West Central Technical College [WCTC]- Coweta Campus: Main Classroom and Administration Building Coweta County, GA The first Buildings at the new Coweta Campus of the West Central Technical College Architect: will house the Central Campus Administration, a new home for the Coweta County Praxis3 Chamber of Commerce and two new General Classroom wings. The courtyard scheme Client: acknowledges proper solar orientation to maximize energy efficiencies. Buildings will West Central Technical College Foundation be constructed with long-term environmental sustainability as a primary goal. The more formal campus layout of these main buildings gives the College a dignified, academic feel, something that the client felt was important for those returning to school at the Technical College facility. The courtyard space is oriented towards an existing wooded area and natural stream bed and takes full advantage of the pristine wooded site.

3 praxis architecture planning design Features of the new building include: extensive use of daylighting and indirect lighting systems, exposed brick walls at classrooms differentiating the original shell from the new structure, floor tile and other patterning used as an interpretive learning device, a central sky lit atrium area designed as a gallery for student’s ceramic panel artwork. The new twenty-two classroom school building, media center, multi-purpose room and auditorium, will be completed in January 2005 after an accelerated nine month construction process.

Neighborhood Charter School Atlanta, GA

Architect: On February 10, 2003 the Neighborhood Charter School, housed in a building originally Praxis3/ Verge constructed for the Atlanta Public School System in 1907, was substantially destroyed by Client: fire. Using insurance funds and additional money raised by the community, the school Neighborhood Charter School was rebuilt. The original exterior shell of the school building, located in the historic Grant Atlanta Public Schools Park neighborhood of Atlanta, will be preserved and restored. The existing walls will house a newly designed contemporary school facility.

3 praxis architecture planning design Capitol Gateway Community Center Capitol Gateway, LLC A joint venture of Trammell Crow Residential, Integral Group, Urban Realty Partners and the Atlanta Housing Authority Atlanta, GA

Architects: Located in the shadow of the Building southeast of downtown Praxis3/Verge Atlanta, Capitol Gateway is a Hope VI-sponsored redevelopment of the former Capitol Client: Homes public housing project. The Community Center building serves as the physical Trammell Crow Residential, Integral Real and symbolic center of the new neighborhood. The $1 million center anchors a new park Estate Group, Urban Realty Partners, Atlanta Housing Authority and swimming facility and be located at a major crossroads of the new development. The 2-level community, meeting and recreation facility houses a flexible multi-purpose Project Team: Stuart Romm, David Hamilton, space, conference room, kitchenette, exercise room, swimming pool, changing/shower Brian Tanner, Corey Overton, rooms, and a maintenance and storage facility for the entire Capitol Gateway Complex. Duc Pham, Kenny Ellsworth 3 praxis architecture planning design Variety Playhouse Balcony Renovation Atlanta, GA

The Variety Playhouse has become one of the best known and most beloved music Architects: venues in Atlanta and the Southeast. Located in the Little 5 Points neighborhood, this Praxis3 former movie theater attracts national and internationally known musical acts. The theater’s original main balcony was an open clutter of scattered seating- all with mostly Client: bad sightlines. This study proposes a new fixed seating scheme that will increase balcony Steve Harris, Variety Playhouse capacity from 100 to over 140. Most importantly, all seats will have excellent views to the stage.

3 praxis architecture planning design DeKalb School of the Arts | DeKalb Center for the Arts DeKalb County, GA The DeKalb School of the Arts project was accomplished pro bono for a concerned group of parents and teachers. The drawings were intended to show the county school board that a dynamic new facility could be located adjacent to the current school building, built in Architects: the 1950s. Each arts discipline- Dance, Music, Visual and Media Arts and Theater, is housed Praxis3 + Amy Landesberg Architects in its own second level studio space. Courtyards occupy the spaces between discipline Client: studios. Open spaces below each studio at ground level are utilized as student and public DeKalb School of fthe Arts PTSA interfaces with each artistic discipline and include a gallery space and sculpture garden at the Visual Arts and Media studio and a small amphitheater at the Theater Arts studio center. The complex is tied together by the two level General Curriculum classroom center located in the connecting building at the rear of the courtyards. Shared campus spaces, including the Main Administrative area, Media Center and Cafeteria are housed in a linear building fronting North Druid Hills Road.

The connected, DeKalb Center for the Arts is shown beyond the school. Together these two complementary complexes share spaces and functions and most importantly, present a prominent face for the arts in DeKalb County.

3 praxis architecture planning design Making Our Way Better (MOWB) Campus Union City, GA

Making Our Way Better was a comprehensive non-profit organization dedicated to helping Architects: the complete person. The campus included extensive educational, health, fitness, arts Praxis3 and cultural facilities as well as senior housing. Conceptualized as a single stop center Client: for a variety of services currently available only at widely disparate locations the campus Making Our Way Better, Inc. would serve multiple generations of people seeking self and community improvement. The project included strategic partnerships with several major community healthcare and educational groups.

3 praxis architecture planning design Kennesaw State University Central Parking Facility Kennesaw, GA

As KSU has grown from a commuter school of 1,000 students to a major university with over 20,000, the crucial need for additional parking became apparent. The new, centrally- Architects: Praxis3 located, 8-story, 2,600-car deck provides much needed relief of the parking problems at this rapidly expanding university campus. This major design-build parking structure was Client: Kennesaw State University Foundation successfully delivered on time and under budget by the Praxis3-Choate Construction Team. As KSU Assistant Vice-President for Facilities, John Anderson, recently said Project Manager: regarding the Praxis3 use of the Building Information Modeling (BIM) modeling Gleeds, USA software Revit, Project Team: “It seemed to be a great tool that allowed the project to progress very quickly. We were very Stuart Romm, Brian Tanner, Duc Pham, Joe Lamb pleased with the results. This is a very attractive parking structure that was on time and under budget! Thanks for all that you did to make this project a huge success!” 3 praxis architecture planning design The Florence and Seymour Gerson Mikvah Congregation Beth Jacob Atlanta, GA

Architect: The Florence and Seymour Gerson Mikvah is a freestanding structure built on the Congre- Romm+Pearsall, gation Beth Jacob campus. This facility encloses the Mikvah immersion pool, built in strict Amy Landesburg accordance with Jewish law, from which the overall roof form was derived in order to collect Client: rainwater within exact requirements. The building encompasses supporting functions such Congregation Beth Jacob as reception, individual changing rooms, salon, laundry, and office. Although men or women may use a mikvah, this facility was constructed specifically for the women of the Atlanta community. Additionally, since it may only be used after sundown, privacy and security were the highest priority. Thus the building was required to be essentially windowless, and since the site is somewhat steeply sloped, the design seeks to embed the building into the earth as much as possible, again echoing the ‘modesty’ inherent in the program. 3 praxis architecture planning design Rail Club Rail Atlanta Nightclub Atlanta, GA Architect: This multipurpose nightclub, special events space and restaurant was designed for an praxis3 industrial site adjacent to a major rail yard in Atlanta. The club takes inspiration from its Designer: tough industrial surroundings and introduces water as a major design element. Light- Stuart Romm Byung Il Yoo ing, video and graphics enhance the sleek minimal exterior of the building.

Client: Rail Atlanta Nightclub

3 praxis architecture planning design