For Jones Pierce’s Commercial Studio, May 19 at Urban Land Institute’s 26th Annual Awards of Excellence event was a night to remember.
As the Commercial Studio and Firm Leader for Atlanta-based Jones Pierce Architects, Cooper Pierce was honored to see James P. Brawley Apartments win the Excellence in Small Scale Development award presented to the Westside Future Fund (WFF) nonprofit, our client. Upon winning, the WFF recipient spoke about how much the development meant to the community as a transformative project to rejuvenate the neighborhood and provide affordable housing.
The well-known Urban Land Institute (ULI) award prompted Cooper to thank the broad group of talented consultants and construction team members to make sure the collective efforts didn’t go unrecognized. So, we’re taking a few moments with this article to talk more about the project and team.
Commitment to Community
According to ULI, a nonprofit education and research group, its respected jury deliberated on award entries that exhibited leadership, innovation, market success, sustainability, resilience and met its surrounding community’s current and future needs. ULI’s judges evaluate which projects demonstrate a commitment to positively shaping the Atlanta region.
ULI Atlanta’s priorities include increasing housing attainability in communities with a responsibility to diversity, equity and inclusion — a recognition that building successful and sustainable communities only works if it’s for everyone.
On behalf of our project partners, Jones Pierce Architects is thrilled to receive the Urban Land Institute Atlanta’s Award for Excellence in Small Scale Development for James P. Brawley Apartments!
Project Backstory
James P. Brawley Apartments fulfilled the needs of its community on several levels. For the Vine City and English Avenue neighborhoods, the renovation offers affordable housing, stabilized and reinvigorated nearby property values and presented a pride of place for many area residents.
In the area’s early days, the English Avenue community worked with WFF and COA to create the Westside Land Use Framework Plan and, in cooperation, defined the new zoning regulations that would benefit the comprised communities.
Partners that Shine
After four years of intense planning, preparation and execution work to bring the JP Brawley project to life, the ULI Awards for Excellence win brings an opportunity for reflection.
Cooper recalls that, as the project grew, collaboration was especially key in making meaningful improvements to the apartment complex.
The companies who partnered on this WFF project include:
Structural engineer firm Stability Engineering, based in Atlanta and Charlotte, NC
Mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering design provided by Proficient Engineering, located in Atlanta, Knoxville and Denver
Atlanta-based firm Flippo Civil Design for civil engineering and site development
Local construction project managers and general contractors from Red Clay Development Partners and Community Construction Group
Trees Atlanta, a nonprofit that planned the landscaping
Sidenote: The construction team faced many hurdles along the way of the development process, including a massive fallen tree that resulted in a complete reconstruction of two-thirds of one of the rear buildings! Also, during the construction, the team had to work through the COVID-19 pandemic to keep the project on track and acquiring needed materials.
The entire team’s dedication to this community-focused project exceeded WFF’s expectations. It also impressed the jury of the ULI, and for that, our commercial team is immensely grateful.
Congratulations to all the winners of the signature awards show, the event sponsors and ULI Atlanta!
Need a Commercial Architecture Firm’s Expertise?
If you’d like to know more about the James P. Brawley apartment complex project, read our Apartment Complex is Star of Westside Neighborhood Rezoning Project article. And if Cooper and our Studio Pierce team can help you with a project based in or near Atlanta, let us know. Call 404.446.3882 or email us to schedule an informational meeting.
Elevate Excellence illustration is courtesy of ULI Atlanta.