Letter from the OFA Chair AIA Orlando 5th Annual Mini Golf Tournament Hands Creating Plans: A Review of Central Florida Architecture Architecture on Tap +1 Timeless Vision: The Renaissance Ideals of Rollins College and Winter Park 2024 OFA Scholarship Awards & Architecture Showcase OFA Movie Night at Casa Feliz Building Communities, Building Connections. Orlando Park Beneath I4 "The Canopy" Promoting Health Through Building Materials It's Time to Renew Your OFA Membership Purchase Your Copy of OFA's Architectural Guidebook
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Letter from the OFA Chair |
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Greetings! During this traditional month of love and celebration of the history and contributions of African Americans in our community, I am inspired by stories of people and places that represent the heart and soul of our city, particularly landmarks in the downtown core. The Wells’Built Hotel was constructed in 1926, just west of what is now I-4 in the Parramore neighborhood, decades before Orlando became the hospitality mecca we know today. Conceived and funded by Dr. William Monroe Wells, a prominent local African-American physician, the hotel provided accommodations for African Americans who were barred from staying in many of Florida’s hotels during the era of racial segregation in the early 20th century. The hotel and South Street Casino next door became a hub for famous African-American jazz and blues artists including Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, and Louis Armstrong, as well as other famous political personalities and athletes. Fans, both black and white, came from all over Central |
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Florida, establishing the venue as a hub and cultural landmark that blurred racial lines and fostered community connections. The hotel closed in 1957 and fell into disrepair. The casino was demolished in a fire in 1987, but the Wells’Built,still stands as a historic preservation fairy tale, championed by State Representatives Alzo Reddick, Sr. and Geraldine Thompson. On February 4, 2000, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and in 2001 became the Wells’ Built Museum of African American History and Culture, showcasing memorabilia related to Orlando’s African-American community, artifacts from Dr. William Monroe Wells, and displays on the Civil Rights Movement in Orlando. The museum is open to the public by appointment –- make plans to stop in the next time you are going to a concert or game at Amway or visiting other new venues west of I-4. Like finding pictures of a long-lost love, linger, learn from the past, and relish in the memories. Wells'Built Museum | (wellsbuilt.org) Beyond the physical landmarks, the people, past and present, are the true heart and soul of the City Beautiful. The talents and resilience of the visionaries that spawned Orlando’s early development and the diverse population today make up the complex and beautiful tapestry that exemplifies her beauty and progress. Looking ahead to March, I encourage each of us to “March forth” into the city and neighborhoods to re-energize community connections. Seek opportunities to share the love by serving people and projects that improve the quality of life in Central Florida. Take time to inspire a young person, volunteer in a food bank, join a community cleanup, or walk alongside families in underserved neighborhoods. Volunteer Opportunities - City of Orlando Please also stay in touch with OFA at www.orlandoarchitecture.org for upcoming events and opportunities to engage in our community and with each other in the promotion of historic preservation, diversity, architecture education, and sustainability in Central Florida! From the Heart, |
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Debra Lemons, AIA, IIDA, WELL+AP OFA Chair |
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AIA Orlando: 5th Annual Mini Golf Tournament Saturday, March 9th, 2024 10:00AM - 12:00PM Lost Caverns Adventure Golf 6306 International Dr. Orlando, FL 32819 AIA Orlando presents our 5th Annual Mini Golf Tournament! This event brings students, architects, and design professionals together with vendors and allied professionals for a round of family-friendly competition and networking to raise scholarship fund. Proceeds of the tournament benefit continuing education programs and scholarships for students studying architecture in America’s only 2+2+2 architectural degree program. |
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Hands Creating Plans: A Review of Central Florida Architecture Sunday, March 10th, 2024 1:30PM - 3:00PM Deland City Hall 120 S. Florida Ave. Deland, FL 32720 The Arts Culture and Entertainment District of Deland (ACED) will be hosting a presentation of work by notable legacy architects in Central Florida, showcasing work specifically in Volusia County; Guest Speakers include Steve Belflower, AIA/HuntonBrady Architects on behalf of Clyde Brady, Jack Rogers, FAIA/RLF, and Kevin Schweizer, AIA Ray Johnson, AIA will be the Moderator/MC. |
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Architecture on Tap +1 Wednesday, March 27th, 2024 6:00PM - 8:00PM Redlight Redlight Brewing 2810 Corrine Dr. Orlando, FL 32803 Join OFA at Redlight Redlight Brewing for a casual evening of conversation about Why Design Matters in Central Florida. Come out and connect with OFA members, students and other design professionals as we discuss plans for the Orlando Center for Architecture and Design (OCAD). OFA Committee Chairs will also be attending and can answer questions about how you can get involved with Committee volunteer opportunities. |
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Timeless Vision: The Renaissance Ideals of Rollins College and Winter Park Thursday, April 11th, 2024 7:00PM – 8:30PM Crummer Auditorium, Rollins College 1000 Holt Ave. Winter Park, FL 32789 Victor Dover and Bruce Stephenson will examine the Renaissance ideals that define the historic plans for Winter Park and Rollins College. Drawn during the American Renaissance, the plans for Winter Park and Rollins College represent that last full flourish of the Renaissance that begun in Italy in the 15th Century. The speakers will illustrate how these works drew on the works of Frederick Law Olmsted and John Nolen and have informed the redesign of campus and community. The evening will conclude with a discussion of how Renaissance ideals inform Dover-Kohl's current effort to plan Lake Wales as "an Olmsted City." 's current project. 1 AIA CEU AVAILABLE! |
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2024 OFA Scholarship Awards & Architecture Showcase Wednesday, April 3, 2024 5:30PM - 8:30PM Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts: DeVos Family Room 445 S Magnolia Ave. Orlando, FL 32801 The Orlando Foundation for Architecture is hosting its annual awards event in collaboration with UCF, the University of Florida, and Valencia College. The evening will feature student presentations, scholarship awards, and a presentation by David Goldberg, FAIA, President of AIA's 2023 Firm of the Year, Mithun Architects. As Mithun’s president, Dave has served on the firm’s board of directors since 2003, and has been instrumental in helping grow the practice to national prominence. Under his leadership, Mithun has been recognized with the 2023 AIA Architecture Firm Award and his projects have received diverse industry and peer design recognition, including two AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top Ten Awards. He lectures nationally on integrated design process and sustainability. Dave has served on the boards of Woodland Park Zoo and IslandWood, where he currently serves as board chair. |
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OFA Movie Night at Casa Feliz Tuesday, May 21st, 2024 6:00PM - 7:30PM Casa Feliz 656 N. Park Ave. Winter Park, FL 32789 Join us for OFA's second movie night at Casa Feliz! A double feature showing: "Jewel of Parramore" A UCF Student Film about prominent early black physician Dr. Wells and the Wells'Built Hotel, now the Wells'Built Museum of African American History & Culture. "Rosenwald" A documentary chronicling the remarkable story of a Jewish partnership with African American communities. Courtesy of the National Center for Jewish Film, Waltham MA. |
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Building Communities, Building Connections. OFA Architectural Guide to Central Florida |
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Through a lens of architecture, planning, and community activism Planner and Urbanist, Eliza Harris Juliano/CNU-A, unravels the story of how Central Florida has embraced and reshaped the New Urbanism movement, offering valuable lessons and inspiration for cities around the world. Continue reading about the New Urbanism movement on our website HERE. |
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Orlando Park Beneath I-4 “The Canopy” Final Design and Name By Ryan Gillespie |
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The long-planned park beneath the massive highway bridges of Interstate 4 in downtown Orlando has a new look and a new name. City officials last week released the final designs for “The Canopy,” as the previously dubbed “Under-I” plan will now be known, nodding to the greenery and tree-like artwork throughout the 10-acre space spanning about four city blocks, stretching from Washington past Church Street. The area will include a wide trail around the perimeter with open space in between for festivals, vendors and stage shows beneath the highway. The north end features roughly 500 parking spaces, a Lynx bus stop and a connection to the Downtown Urban Trail. Continue reading about the brand-new park beneath I-4, "The Canopy" HERE. |
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Promoting Health Through Building Materials By Ariel Hadley |
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On average, 90% of a person’s life is spent in an indoor environment. Whether at work, school, or leisure activities, people find themselves within the confines of buildings. The desire for safe and peaceful environments has only intensified as a result of global health crises and growing climate anxiety. Architects and interior designers face a critical challenge: to create spaces that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also healthy. At the heart of this endeavor lies the choice of materials. Continue reading promoting health through building materials HERE. |
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It's Time To Renew Your OFA Membership |
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Thank you for being a valued member of The Orlando Foundation for Architecture, a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to public education that inspires people to discover WHY DESIGN MATTERS. With your loyalty and support, OFA is able to continuously provide our members with valuable benefits and programming through educational programs, tours, exhibits, and events. Your investment also allows us to provide college scholarships to students that participate in the 2+2+2 program at Valencia College, UCF and UF CityLab Orlando. |
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Purchase Your Copy of OFA's Architectural Guidebook |
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Order your copy of The Architectural Guide to Central Florida- the first available guide to offer visitors and natives alike an overview of outstanding buildings spanning nearly a century and a half of growth in Central Florida. With dramatic color photography, the guidebook introduces the major cities from Daytona to Lake Wales, and architects who have shaped the communities, including Murry S. King, James Gamble Rogers II, Nils M. Schweizer and Gene Leedy, with essays by ten knowledgeable experts. It showcases historic buildings from the early twentieth century, mid-century modern, to the |
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present, as well as the only campus designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and a new spectacular Polytechnic University by Santiago Calatrava. A bevy of buildings at Walt Disney World and Celebration Florida by Leading National and International architects Robert Stern, Arata Isozaki, Phillip Johnson, Aldo Rossi, Michael Graves, Venturi Scott Brown, Graham Gund, Welton Becket, Walt Disney Imagineering, and Architectonica round out the collection. We printed a limited number so be sure to purchase your copy today! |
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Thank You to Our New OFA Members & Supporters! |
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Join us in welcoming our new members and supporters to the Orlando Foundation for Architecture, we look forward to working with you within this great organization! |
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Jeffrey Gormley Pamela Lindon Becky Bell, AIA Scott Malenock, AIA Gregory Stock, AIA Henry Wolf, AIA Emeritus |
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Your support is essential to the continuing success of the Orlando Foundation for Architecture and its community-centered programming. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to OFA or join as a member! |
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OFA would like to recognize our Company Members that support our organization and programs. Thank you to OFA's Gold Members BBM Structural, Casa Feliz, and Grace Arts Center, Silver Members L2 Studios and ELEVEN18 Architecture, Bronze Members TLC Engineering Solutions, Brasfield & Gorrie, HKS Architects, Aleskovsky Architecture + Interiors, Little Diversified Architectural Consulting, BTS Engineering Consultants, American Interiors, Stantec and RLF Architecture & Engineering |
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