Architecture
AIA Jacksonville President’s Message
What an honor and privilege it is to serve as this year’s president of the American Institute of Architects, Jacksonville Chapter. Great things are happening in our wonderful city and it’s an exciting time to be an architect. I always look forward to the architecture issue of Arbus Magazine and this year is no exception. With all of the excitement and anticipation generated by the various Downtown related projects, I am especially interested in this year’s article. How do architects feel about these projects and how do we ensure that...
read moreArchitecture’s Role in Downtown Rejuvenation
New major promises, but can they deliver? We will focus on revitalizing Downtown. We will bring more residents to Downtown. We will move more businesses and their employees to Downtown. We will utilize the Shipyards to the city’s advantage. You’ve heard it all before. These claims have become almost commonplace to long-time Jacksonville residents. Could this time really be different? Recent proposals – like Shad Khan’s monumental plans for the Shipyards, a floating party “BARge” connecting the North and South Banks, and a waterfront aquarium...
read moreThe Color Purple
The global authority on all things color raised more than a few eyebrows when it announced that the color of the year for 2014 would be purple. The specific color, PANTONE 18-3224 Radiant Orchid, was chosen by Pantone LLC, which provides professional color standards for designers in the areas of home, fashion and industry. Orchid is a bright, rich purple color based on the orchidaceae flower and ranges from grayish purple to purplish-pink to strong reddish purple. The first recorded use of orchid as a color name in English was in 1915. On the...
read moreThe Art of the Table
Southerners know hospitality. Gathering friends and family, welcoming newcomers: It’s who we are. Whether an after-church brunch, birthdays, holidays or an impromptu party, Southerners love to get together. And every affair is made to be special. Outdoor settings often call to us because of their ease and abundance of natural light. On the First Coast, blue skies, lush greenery and perhaps even sandy beaches add to the festive atmosphere. But the table setting is central to pulling it all together. “One of life’s most reliable pleasures...
read moreWhy hire an Architect?
Mark Macco, AIA, NCARB President, Mark Macco Architects The metric for any successful project is an outcome that works aesthetically, environmentally and financially. All of these elements can only be orchestrated by a single conductor – the architect: the only professional with the unique skill set to pull it all together, resulting in healthier communities and an overall better quality of life. With every design decision, architects must consider five elements: cost, function, aesthetics, time and sustainability. This is in essence what an...
read morePrescription for a Healthy Place
Prescription for a Healthy Place The Urban Land Institute and AIA Jacksonville apply a health initiative to the Northbank Riverfront District What if someone could write a prescription for the health of Jacksonville’s Northbank Riverfront District? A real Rx, listing specific procedures to follow, additional recommendations and resources for assistance, and expected outcomes to incentivize action, just might inspire new approaches to the redevelopment of an area that is indispensible to the (very) longterm efforts for the city’s Downtown...
read moreStonecore: Everything for Your Outdoor Living Environment
Over the past twenty years, while expanding the Isokern fireplace brand across North America, everyone from concrete products distributors, brick manufacturers, masonry contractors, stone products and quarry operators to general contractors have become loyal customers. Stonecore, 9100 Philips Hwy, 296-0558, www.stonecore.co.
read moreMoxie Kitchen + Cocktails
Moxie Kitchen + Cocktails — Bold Beginnings at St. Johns Town Center When your reputation precedes you, how do you reinvent yourself? That was the challenge that lay before Chef Tom Gray and Sarah Marie Johnston, his wife and business partner, in 2012, when they left Bistro Aix, the San Marco eatery they started in 1999, and set out to create a multi-million dollar signature restaurant at the St Johns Town Center. Moxie Kitchen + Cocktails, 4972 Big Island Drive, St. Johns Town Center, 904-399-9744. Written by Nancy White ...
read moreThe Marble Bank Building
The Marble Bank Building—A Glimpse into Jacksonville’s Past and Future Stepping through the now boarded-up entryway you aren’t quite sure what to expect. The outside of the building is still grand and imposing, but you’ve heard that years of neglect have led to the ruin of the interior. Anticipating a gloomy, cobweb-filled vestibule you are taken aback as you enter an enormous room filled with sunlight. Sure, some panels of the skylight that occupies much of the ceiling are shattered or cracked and the walls and floor are in terrible...
read moreThe Modern Office According to Herman Miller
You know we’re in the midst of a major social shift when Herman Miller designs an entire new system of office furnishings. When one walks the timeline of workplace evolution, the pioneering modern design company is at each big step of the way. First it was the introduction of modular furniture in the 1930s to help make offices more adaptive during times of flux as industrial mass production grew; then came the L-shaped desk in the ’40s to accomdate desktop technology such as typewriters and telephones; and in the ’60s they developed the...
read more
