The benefits of a town architect

New Urban News Article with images, 6/1/2006

As a planned community founded in the early 1880s, Winter Park, Florida, has been studied as a prototype for Florida’s New Urbanism, especially with regard to its town center, Park Avenue. It also has a rich residential architectural tradition. In recent years, the city of 26,000 residents near Orlando has used principles of New Urbanism to enhance the qualities that already make it a good place to live.

I have been on the planning staff for the last 12 years; one of my roles is city architect. My focus has been to interpret the architectural and design style of the city and to apply these historic patterns in new public and private projects to strengthen the city’s unique sense of place. Not many municipalities have a town or city architect. However, the position can serve many vital roles: as seed planter, place maker, project coordinator, course corrector, and technical facilitator.

The Bank of America building at 250 Park Avenue, originally built as a 1960s glass box, was always known as the worst-looking building on Winter Park’s main street. The building was set back too far compared to other buildings, and it related poorly to the city’s architectural vernacular. One of the my first tasks was to create a series of “what if” renderings that showed its transformation into an elegant mixed-use building in the style of the early 1900s.