THE CHARLOTTE COURT HOUSE DISTRICT is a national historic district located at the heart of the town of Charlotte Court House, the county seat of Charlotte County, Virginia. Since the early 1800s, this square has housed the County’s judicial system. The proceedings of these courts are housed in various historic buildings on the square, the paramount being the 1823 courthouse designed by Thomas Jefferson.
Following a feasibility study completed by Glavé & Holmes, the Circuit Court declared that a new courthouse be built to bring together the various courts and associated services housed in multiple buildings. The new courthouse is adjacent to the existing Clerk’s Office and across the public square from the historic Charlotte County Courthouse.
The 29,000 sf structure consists of two above grade floors and one partially below grade level. An enclosed pedestrian walkway connects the new courthouse to the existing Circuit Court Clerk, allowing secure public circulation from one security screening entrance. The courtroom and related spaces are located on grade and upper levels, while the lower level space includes holding cells, the sally port, and secure parking.
GLAVÉ & HOLMES ARCHITECTURE (G&HA) was selected by the City of Williamsburg to design a new 362-car structured parking garage one block north of Duke of Gloucester Street in Colonial Williamsburg’s Merchants Square. Declaring the G&HA preliminary designs to be “beautiful and appropriate” for this controversial project, the City Council unanimously approved the G&HA proposal.
The parking garage is designed as a series of distinct pavilions that provide passersby with the illusion of a much smaller building. Additionally, existing buildings frame attractive views to these pavilions in a manner similar to that of Colonial Williamsburg’s historic streetscape. The Prince George Parking Garage was constructed in cooperation with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
THE VIRGINIA WAR MEMORIAL FOUNDATION sought to expand the existing memorial facility to accommodate the Foundation’s educational initiatives as well as their current activities. An Education Center was added to the Memorial’s Visitor Center, Hall of Honor Auditorium, and Shrine of Memory. The new Center houses research, artifacts, and exhibits to honor the Commonwealth’s fallen heroes.
The architecture of the Paul & Phyllis Galanti Education Center carries the language of the existing Shrine and building. In order to preserve the prominence of the Shrine, a subterranean level was designed with a green roof and plaza at the Shrine level thusly retaining the open pastoral feeling and view of the James River. There is a quiet and inviting collection of building pavilion façades that frame the existing Shrine. Each façade is influenced by the existing materials. The fieldstone found in the original walls around the Shrine and in its patios informed the material for the lower level façade. The striated texture of the Tennessee Marble, which graces the Shrine, is complimented by a soft mottled granite in a color that accents the pink hue of the extant buildings. A new outdoor amphitheater takes advantage of the panoramic view from the Memorial’s location. Previously under-utilized, the site now offers significant and integrated indoor and outdoor programming.
The new wing provides space for large and small groups to tour the Memorial simultaneously. Educational programs may be viewed in three class-sized theaters and exhibits of battlefield artifacts may be examined. The Memorial also offers the opportunity to learn about the differences in uniforms, weapons, flags, and individual military equipment. In addition, the new wing houses the necessary archival storage to preserve the collections and administrative spaces to operate the Memorial and its educational programs.
THE CITY OF FREDERICKSBURG embarked upon a major planning effort for a new court facility to be situated in the city’s historic district. City officials elected to solicit proposals under the auspices of the Public Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act (PPEA) for the new courthouse. The proposal submitted by FirstChoice Public-Private Partners, an entity that included English Construction, Moseley Architects, and Glavé & Holmes Architecture (G&HA), was awarded the contract. The resulting project was implemented in phases to comprehensively address the conceptual design, master planning, and the functional needs of the new 78,500-square-foot courthouse.
Glavé & Holmes, as a consultant to Moseley Architects, was responsible for designing the exterior for the main courthouse building, which occupies a prominent downtown site. The design, including the building’s signature cupola, draws from local and historic architecture to be contextually appropriate in Fredericksburg’s Historic District. The building is four levels and houses the city’s Circuit Court and General District Court, with associated support functions. A secure, enclosed parking area is located in the basement level.
THE INTERPRETIVE CENTER at Historic Blenheim is tasked with interpreting the history of the site, the original Blenheim farmhouse, and the Civil War in the greater Fairfax area. The Center is the primary gathering place for visitors to the property and includes an exhibition gallery, a multi-purpose classroom, a gift shop, and visitor facilities. Housed within the Center is a full scale replica of the Blenheim House historic attic, which contains evidence of the signatures and graffiti of occupying soldiers from the Civil War period. The Center and surrounding grounds are also the site of Living History demonstrations, lectures, classes, and tours. In addition to the interpretive roles, the Center is available for weddings and other social functions.
THE CENTERSTAGE FOUNDATION, formerly known as the Virginia Performing Arts Foundation, was created to provide the Richmond area with superior performing arts facilities. Glavé & Holmes Architecture (G&HA) is part of a team, along with Wilson Butler Architects, Inc., and BAM Architects, selected to renovate a series of historic downtown buildings for the envisioned performing arts complex.
The first phase of the project, known as CenterStage, consists of the renovation and expansion of the Carpenter Center. It also includes the renovation of the old Thalhimers department store building for which G&HA was responsible. The transformation of both buildings both retained existing features and updated the original façades to house a 200-seat Community Playhouse, rehearsal spaces, an education center, and modernized support spaces for the Carpenter Center.
Mimi Sadler of Sadler & Whitehead Architects provided tax credit consulting services for the Virginia Performing Arts Foundation in Richmond, resulting in Part 2 approval for nearly $8 million in eligible state and federal tax credits.