TSW

TSW LCI Study Areas Receive Transportation Funding

TSW — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 22:20:12 +0000

TSW has completed over 20 Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) studies and implementation projects through the Atlanta Regional Commission’s (ARC) program. Recently, ARC awarded 13 governments a total of $34 million to build innovative transportation projects that emerged from LCI studies.

TSW LCI study areas that were awarded funding this year include:

Atlanta, Ponce de Leon Avenue Pedestrian Facilities and Beltline Connections, $4 million

Decatur, Clairemont-Commerce-Church Bike and Pedestrian Improvements, $2.1 million

Doraville, New Peachtree Bike and Pedestrian Improvements, $2.3 million

Monroe, North Broad Street Bike and Pedestrian Improvements, $1.6 million

Midtown Atlanta was also awarded $3.4 million for Juniper Street Bike and Pedestrian Facilities, which TSW’s Landscape Architecture Studio will be leading the design for.

For the full article, click here

Woodstock Community Church Featured in The Cherokee-Ledger News

TSW — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 20:00:34 +0000

Janet Pelletier of the The Cherokee Ledger-News wrote a great article on TSW’s design and recent award for Woodstock Community Church. For the full article, click here.

TSW’s Longwood Home Plans Recognized by Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association

TSW — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 19:19:08 +0000

Brock Built Homes was awarded a Gold OBIE in the Single Family Builder Detached Urban Redevelopment Revitalization $299,999 and under category for Dupont Commons. TSW completed both the planning and architecture for the Longwood home products (see images below) at Dupont Commons.

The OBIE Awards are given out each year by the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association and are the premier awards in Atlanta’s residential building industry. For more information visit Atlanta Real Estate Forum.

TSW Grove Park Residential Renovation

TSW — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:17:13 +0000

TSW’s Architecture Studio recently completed the renovation of a single-family home in Atlanta’s Grove Park neighborhood. Check out the before and after images.

City of Woodstock Receives PEDS Golden Shoe Award

TSW — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:53:42 +0000

The City of Woodstock was recently awarded a Golden Show Award by PEDS for Pedestrian-friendly Suburban Retrofit for redesigning downtown streets for pedestrians.

TSW has been involved with the City of Woodstock since 2003: developing their Downtown Master Plan and Form-Based Code; completing master planning, architecture, and landscape architecture for the Woodstock Downtown mixed-use development; and designing and completing construction documents for several blocks of their Main Street.

For more information on TSW’s involvement with the City of Woodstock, visit our Woodstock Project page.

TSW Folk Victorian Whole House Renovation

TSW — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:26:22 +0000

While her outside (and inside for that matter) were in rough shape, the dignity that this house embodied was not hard to miss for a trained eye. The triple-hung 9′ tall front windows whose sill rested on the deep front porch, the 12′ ceilings and gracious room sizes, just to name a few aspects made it an historic structure ripe for a modern renovation.

Throughout the project contemporary and sustainable interiors are contrasted and highlighted against the unique and charming historic exterior. Opening up the original center hall into living, dining, and kitchen areas make the public areas of the house feel voluminous and fitting to a modern family. A translucent (with high recycled content) kitchen island serves as the hub of the entertaining area while hip and gauzy pendants accentuate that node. Salvaging the heart pine floors and weaving in pine lap siding into the mud room and laundry area made for fun and creative riffs on the old house. Lofting the master bedroom made for another very tall space and new windows throughout keep it sunny but comfortable. Icynene and InsulSmart spray foam insulation was added to roofline, walls, and floor for a tight and economical thermal envelope. The master bathroom had a counter and mirror of heart pine taken recycled from studs from demolition and the hall bath had a wainscoting made from the same material. Bathrooms are made sustainable and healthful with Caroma dual flush toilets, Delta humidity sensing vent fans, and Velux sun tunnels.

TSW’s Doraville 2010 Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) Study Wins Award

TSW — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:58:30 +0000

The City of Doraville’s Downtown Master Plan, an LCI Study, received an award for Outstanding Planning Document – Large Community at the Georgia Planning Association’s (GPA) Fall Conference last week. The September 30^th awards ceremony concluded GPA’s three day conference in Savannah.

The GPA is an official Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA). GPA is 1,000-plus member organization of professional planners and planning officials who serve Georgia’s communities in many ways, at all levels of government, the private sector and non-profit organizations.

GPA awards communities both small and large. In addition to Outstanding Planning Document, categories include: Outstanding Planning Process; Outstanding Plan Implementation; Outstanding Educational Tool; Outstanding Initiative; Outstanding Student Project; Great Places in Georgia (Public Spaces); Grassroots Initiative
and the Distinguished Leadership Award.

The 2010 Downtown Doraville Master Plan was a seven month, long-term community planning process that focused on a 689 acre study area, which included the New Peachtree/ Shallowford Road corridor, the section of Buford Highway between I-285 and Shallowford Road, the GM property and areas north and west of the former assembly plant.

The subject of the study focused primarily on the GM plant redevelopment and transportation connectivity to and from the site. In addition to communicating a community’s vision, goals and aspirations, transportation projects identified in LCI studies are eligible for federal transportation funding.

The entire study can be downloaded at www.tunspan.com/doraville.

Juniper Street Could Emerge as Atlanta’s First “Green Street”

TSW — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:53:05 +0000

As part of a major streetscaping project in Midtown Atlanta, the TSW team was asked by the Midtown Alliance (www.midtownalliance.org) to improve the aesthetics and function of Juniper Street. The streetscape project begins on 14^th Street and continues to North Avenue, and 12^th Street is included from Juniper Street to Piedmont Avenue. Although Juniper Street is home to some of the city’s most popular restaurants and theatres, and is
part of the Midtown Business District, the street had sections that were in need of repair, and weren’t pedestrian or bicycle friendly.

The TSW team’s design keeps three lanes of one-way travel and incorporates a bike lane, as part of the City’s existing bike lane system to provide alternative commuting options. Off -peak parallel parking was realigned, and new trees and more spacious sidewalks will be added. Additional planters, benches, bike racks and trash receptacles will tie the street
together visually and make it much more appealing and safe for cyclists and pedestrians.

A key issue was stormwater run-off since the drains feed water into a combined sewer system that can easily be overwhelmed by a heavy rain. Because the stormwater ultimately outlets into the area’s main water source (the Chattahoochee River), TSW Principal
Adam Williamson proposed a bioswale system to help capture the runoff and allow
it to be treated naturally.

TSW has used these systems in other areas, but not in an urban streetscape project. The idea behind the bioswales is to capture the first flush of stormwater off the street and sidewalk and treat it by using soil, vegetation, and microbes in a sustainable method as it is absorbed into the soil. This process will reduce the amount of stormwater entering the
combined sewer and increase groundwater recharge.

In addition to its important water diversion and cleaning functions, the bioswales will beautify Juniper Street. Each bioswale will be created from local river rock with native plants and trees that adapt to wet soils. The team plans to build a pilot project in early 2012 for testing to determine the infiltration rate and amount of pollutants that can be removed. The entire streetscape project could be complete by 2013. If this solution is
determined to be successful, then Atlanta’s first “Green Street” could emerge on Juniper and 12^thStreet.

ARC and LLC Evaluate Local Codes

TSW — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 13:28:55 +0000

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) and Livable Communities Coalition (LLC) have been evaluating local development codes since 1999 to determine implementation of “smart growth.” TSW has been involved with the implementation of several of those coding efforts through the Livable Centers Initiative program and private developments.

To read more about the region’s progress, check out August’s Land Matters, a publication of the Atlanta Regional Commission.

Las Catalinas Comes to Life

TSW — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 20:46:32 +0000

Las Catalinas, a new Costa Rican seaside town designed by TSW, is becoming a spectacular reality. In the words of Charles Brewer, town founder, “The first homes are built. Two businesses are open. We are ready for your visit.”

Five years ago, Charles Brewer bought the land that would become Las Catalinas and envisioned the site as a beautiful seaside town where shops and restaurants were within walking distance and outdoor adventures were plentiful.

Today, that place has come to life with newly constructed houses and shops. To read more about Charles’ vision and to see more images, go to Las Catalinas’ website.

In addition to master planning, site planning, and landscape design, TSW has also provided architectural design for a number of the houses available at Las Catalinas, including the following: