On November 4th and 5th, Alfred Godfrey spoke to the City Parks Alliance Parks Study Tour in Austin, Texas.
The tour purpose is for participants to examine a parks and recreation system in one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country.
Through a carefully-curated itinerary in partnership with Austin Parks & Recreation and The Trail Conservancy, participants are investigating how Austin leverages resources and partnerships to meet its growing demand for access, equity, programming, and connectivity. With its 300+ parks, 225+ miles of trails, and 67 community gardens, Austin provides high-quality parks and programs to all of its residents despite such explosive growth.
Mr. Godfrey’s two sessions focused on the recently-reclaimed Holly Street Power Plant, where a decommissioned power plant site is being transformed into a 9-acre riverfront park. And the Seaholm Waterfront, whose centerpiece is the Seaholm Intake Building, which is being repurposed for park use.
City Parks Alliance is the only independent, nationwide membership organization solely dedicated to urban parks.
Dove Springs Recreation Center Renaming and Opening Ceremony
After a long delay due to COVID, it’s now official. It is now named the George Morales Dove Springs Recreation Center. The ceremony was Saturday, July 30th. The mayor spoke, representative Lloyd Doggett spoke, and most importantly, George Morales spoke.
The renaming is an acknowledgement of George’s unique position of respect and admiration within the community, and reflects his decades of work and advocacy on behalf of the people of Dove Springs. Along with 4 brothers and three sisters, he was raised in Dove Springs, and he continues to reside there. He is also Travis County Constable for Precinct 4.
While secondary to the importance of the renaming, Limbacher & Godfrey’s addition and rehabilitation work was the occasion for the opening part of the ceremony.
Alfred Godfrey, LEED AP BD+C
The LEED AP BD+C designation is an advanced credential for LEED experts knowledgeable about the LEED for Building Design and Construction rating system and certification process. Alfred Godfrey has earned the LEED AP BD+C credential.
LEED is the most widely used green building rating system in the world, and is available for virtually all building and interior space types. LEED provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings. LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership. It was developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
LEED milestones in 2021:
Nearly 24 billion square feet LEED registered and certified.
110,000 projects participating in LEED.
More than 610 million square feet of LEED certified residential space.
Preservation Merit Award for the Travis County Probate Courthouse
Established in 1960, Preservation Austin’s annual Preservation Merit Awards program honors visionary approaches to preserving Austin’s unique architectural, cultural, and environmental heritage.
This depression-era Moderne architecture courthouse building has served as both a practical and visual Federal presence among nearby municipal and private historic buildings in downtown Austin since it was completed in 1936.
It remains a handsome 4-story limestone-clad presence with an exterior defined by fluted, reed-like pilasters, decorative metal grilles and a carved stone parapet. Its interior has both Art Deco and Art Moderne finishes including marble-clad lobbies and corridors.
On December 29, 2016, Travis County received deed to the building from the U.S. Government with a covenant that stipulates that the building’s historic integrity be preserved. The County intends to use it for its Probate Court, and is committed to the preservation of the building. To that end, it awarded the restoration assignment to a multi-disciplinary team that includes Limbacher & Godfrey in a leadership role. LGA lead during the programming and the schematic design phases, and continued in a senior advisory capacity through to project completion. The project required coordination with the State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service. The Historic Austin Federal Courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places.
In collaboration with prime architect, Lord Aeck Sargent Architects.
Alfred Godfrey spoke at the fifth and final AIA Austin Design Talks event of 2021, sharing the firm’s Dove Springs Recreation Center project and discussing the role and importance of recreation centers to their communities. Other speakers were Heather McKinney, FAIA of McKinney York Architects and Dr. Liana Kallivoka, Assistant Director of the Austin Parks and Recreation Department. About 50 architects were in attendance.
Laurie Limbacher, Keynote Speaker, The Daughters of the Republic of Texas
Her talk, The Legacy of the CCC in Texas State Parks, traced the history of parks in Texas and the DRT’s role as an early champion for historic preservation in public parks. It covered the history of the CCC nationally, its importance for Texas and its enduring influence on parks development today.
The event was an annual workshop attended by 80 DRT members from 21 Texas counties.
Alfred Godfrey and the Seaholm Waterfront Project
As Trail Foundation board member https://thetrailfoundation.org/ and as chair of the Projects Committee, Alfred Godfrey has played a leadership role in the development of this project from the beginning. For a description of the process and the project itself, check out this recent Towers article:
Hidden Railroad Relic Steams Toward Historic Status
The Shoal Creek Conservancy seeks to place the Third Street Trestle on the National Register of Historic Places. Located in the heart of downtown, the trestle is one of the last remaining vestiges of Austin’s railroad infrastructure. Limbacher & Godfrey’s concepts for converting it into a linear park space support the application, and serve as the centerpiece of the Cypress & Shoal Creek planning project.
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Happy Trails
As an online promotion for the Guide to Austin Architecture, AIA Austin has just released the “Happy Trails” tour. Following the hike-and-bike trail around Lady Bird Lake, the tour includes The Boardwalk:
The Guide to Austin Architecture is a program of @austinfdnforarchitecture and @aiaaustin, and is supported by Austin Energy Green Building. Special thanks to community partner @thetrailfoundation for their assistance in the production of this tour.
Image by James Innes. #archguideatx
Preservation Austin Merit Award for Shipe Park Shelter House
Established in 1960, Preservation Austin’s annual Preservation Merit Awards program honors visionary approaches to preserving Austin’s unique architectural, cultural, and environmental heritage.
Shipe Park was opened after the city’s 1928 plan called for a new parks system. Early shelter houses supported athletics, dancing and crafts. The Shipe Park Shelter House is one of just four that remain today. Completed in 1930, its unusual design takes inspiration from 19th century dogtrot cabins. Shipe Park is located in the Hyde Park Local Historic District. A conditions assessment by Limbacher & Godfrey served as the basis for this rehabilitation by the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department.