Auburn
Center for Architecture
and Urban Studies
ACAUS
was founded in 1991 by Associate Professor Franklin Setzer
as a teaching and venue for Auburn’s School of Architecture.
Birmingham is an excellent laboratory of study for future
design professionals and as Alabama’s largest metropolitan
area is home to many of our constituents and alumni.
Fourth
year and thesis students pursue design, professional practice
and engage in community projects. In particular, the design
studio and professional practice offer numerous opportunities
for interaction with the City and practicing architects,
landscape architects and planners during project orientation,
critiques and reviews. The community projects have included
work with the Ensley community, Woodlawn, Rosedale and the
Birmingham Historical Society’s Buddy–Up Program.
In the
design studio the directed design studies have included:
Midtown Housing, Railroad Reservation Park, Sloss Furnaces
Master Plan, Lakeview and Richard Arrington, Jr. Boulevard
in–fill. These studies have helped to explore and
expand the potential of the projects and flesh out a range
of possibilities from the pragmatic to “blue sky.”
Professor
Setzer was on the board of the Housing Authority of Birmingham
when Hope VI funding was secured for Metropolitan Gardens
and he was active in the formation of the non–profit
Birmingham Affordable Rental Communities (BARC) whose mission
is to provide good and well maintain Section Eight housing
in the Birmingham area. He was also Director of DesignAlabama
from 1996–1998. Professor Setzer died in May of 2001.
Professor
Setzer was instrumental in forging ACAUS’ sense of
responsibility and possibility in work with communities
across Alabama. His work with DesignAlabama’s community
design program laid the foundation for a new program: the
Small Town Design Initiative which was begun in 1998. It
was clear that citizens and communities across the state
were anxious to protect and preserve those things that made
their towns special while preparing for revitalization,
growth and improved quality of life. Awareness was raised
and communities sensed a building momentum: were they to
be left behind, or bulldozed over. At the same time regional
planning commissions were stretched to their limits and
most communities were not in a fiscal position to hire professional
planners. The opportunities for outreach through ACAUS were
evident and since then we have worked with over 18 communities
across Alabama helping to develop long–range visions
and strategic plans for revitalization. Many of these communities
are in RPC’s and Region 2020’s counties including:
Marion, Brighton, Helena, Gadsden, Lineville and Hoover.
Helena was a team project with RPC.
ACAUS
brings extensive experience to the new Center for Regional
Planning and Design and an ongoing commitment to working
with communities to identify those positive assets that
can be the basis of a sound master plan for physical and
economic vitality - creating distinctive opportunities for
building higher quality of life, broader prospects in the
community and - a better place to live.
Additional
Contacts:
Dean
Daniel Bennett, AIA
College of Architecture, Design & Construction
202 Dudley Commons
Auburn University, AL 36849
334 844
4285
Bruce
Lindsey, Head
School of Architecture
104 Dudley Hall
Auburn University, AL 36849
334 844
4516
