ersity in Tigerville, Sc. as well as a Graduate degree in Photography from Porfolio Center in Atlanta, Ga. Evan comes to us after working in the non-profit field for two years in the Jacksonville area.

Evan will be spearheading our social media, e-mail marketing, public relations, website, blog, printed collateral and other various avenues. Evan and his wife, Christina, call Jacksonville home and Evan excited to begin this new endeavor with ELM. He can be reached by e-mail at ehampton@elm-plan.com

I’ve long felt that Jacksonville’s downtown has greater unrealized potential than anywhere. We have a sunny climate, a strong corporate history in banking, insurance, and maritime industries, a walkable historic downtown, and a huge natural ecological asset in the St Johns River that creates one of the most beautiful urban waterfront settings in the world. The “bones” and setting of the city are envious. What have we done with it?

When Jacksonville makes a major improvement we’re often left with more questions than answers. Should Monroe Street be open or closed? What do we do with the old Library? How do we deal with Hemming Park? We’ve improved The Shipyards, LaVilla, and Brooklyn, now what? How about the JEA site? We’ve got a great sports complex but why aren’t they supporting adjacent businesses or well connected to downtown’s core? What’s going to happen with Berkman’s second tower? We have a major riverfront hotel, but why is it struggling and disconnected from an inadequate convention center? What lasting benefit came from the Super Bowl?

Why is the path to progress littered with lingering unresolved issues? How do we unlock Jacksonville’s full potential and transform the city’s downtown and waterfront into a regional economic engine, continuing the 60-year evolution from heavy maritime-based industry to today?

We need to make better decisions.

As a city we should make decisions on a larger set of values and priorities that define who we are – and what we aspire to. It’s where I began the process of “what’s next” for the old Courthouse, applying the following priorities/goals to the solution:

• To be an asset to all people in the region, socially, culturally, and recreationally
• To create something attractive that adds value to Jacksonville through it’s beauty
• To stimulate private investment and long-term economic growth
• To promote an ecologically healthy river

The concept achieves each of these goals, creating what will hopefully become a permanent great urban park. Arguably (and sadly) the last truly great public park created in Jacksonville was Memorial Park, completed in 1924 and it continues to create value throughout the Riverside neighborhood.

Similarly, Courthouse Park will: 1). Enhance value and redevelopment potential for the Bay Street District, a point of emphasis for the city with a new “front door” to the river and waterfront park and potential location between a major hotel and convention center; 2). Strengthen the connection between the Sports Complex and downtown core (anther point of emphasis for the city); 3). Provide a beautiful, flexible and programmable venue for passive or active recreation, events, and daily life; 4). Create greater potential for development perpendicular to the river, translating value several blocks north into the city.

More important than the details of the plan is addressing Jacksonville’s decision-making process. Every decision in the city should improve Jacksonville’s social, cultural, economic, ecological, aesthetic, health, and functional value. The city has a great opportunity to chart its own course, and has many urgent needs and crucial decision points. I hope that city leaders and residents will demand the more intelligent, inclusive decision-making process necessary to unlock the city’s full potential.

The presentations occurred at the Studio’s at University of Florida. Jason is a University of Florida Alumnus.  Both Jason and Steve have participated in numerous guest and professional project reviews, design critiques & juries for Capstone projects over the years.

Steve has also participated in studio critiques, as a visiting lecturer, panel discussion or as a part of a design jury at Arizona State University and at the University of Florida.   Steve and fellow Principal Christopher Overdorf are also a members of Washington State University’s Professional Advisory Counsel for the Landscape Architecture program & the School of Design.

ELM’s mission is to create better places and the firm’s commitment to education is one way ELM continues to make the world a better place.

We wanted to share these images with you from a beautiful spring day at the Riverfront Park in St. Johns County. This park, part of the RiverTown community, provides local residents with an access point for the river. In Northeast Florida, much of the river is not accessible to the public, which is one of the many reasons we love this new park.

The first step was an unbiased assessment of the goals the zoo had for the project. One of the techniques we utilize to build consensus and create an efficient process is what we call “wall mapping.” At the onset of the project, even before we step out onto the site, we facilitate a session where project goals, facts, needs, issues and eventually ideas are flushed out from everyone. After we’ve gone through the process, all participants are allowed to vote on the 10 most critical elements they would like to see in the new master plan. This voting procedure allows the stakeholders to self-prioritize and categorize the most important and essential goals/needs/ideas. In Santa Ana, the “Top Ten” were:

1. Design the exhibit to support/is adaptable for multiple/other species

2. The project gets done!

3. Captures the imagination of the visitors/needs to be interactive & fun – the WOW! Factor

4. Has video monitoring for both animal welfare & off-site viewing (internet)

5. Has easy visual access for all visitors

6. Stimulates the animal’s natural behavior

7. Has a water element in the exhibit

8. Has keeper-friendly off-exhibit accommodations

9. Conservation message is integral to the exhibit

10. Stay in budget!

Armed with these goals, ELM and the rest of the zoo team got to work analyzing the best site for the exhibit. We ensured the exhibit location could take advantage of as many nearby utilities to keep costs down. We developed contextual strategies to combat the noise issue from nearby Interstate 5. We also paid particular attention to solar aspect and shadowing from the beautiful tree canopy at the zoo.

One of the idea-bursts we had was to make the exhibit as dark and dense as possible. Doing so (in addition to varied feeding times and other animal management ideas) would promote more animal activity than usual during the day. However, this created its own set of issues, specifically how will visitors be able to see the cats? So instead of making the exhibit deep and open, we made it shallow, linear and dense. Instead of sacrificing the animal’s need for hidden places to sleep, we turned it into an activity that reinforced the conservation message. Multiple viewpoints were created that would require visitors to climb into the canopy, be a ocelot researcher with an elevated blind, check a sand table for tracks, or crawl into their own den where they had another potential vantage point to “spot the ‘lot.” On top of this, we were able to develop enough design specificity to develop a detailed cost opinion based on real local materials & construction data.

From goals to site selection to design to cost in two days. Not too bad for only two days of work….

RiverTown, planned community of over 4,000 acres was featured on page 7 of the Business Journal. ELM overhauled RiverTown’s Master Plan, responding to the site’s natural features and proximity to the region’s greatest natural asset (and project namesake), the St Johns River. The ELM-designed Riverfront Park opened to widespread acclaim last month, and effectively re-oriented the community’s plan to focus on the river and the site’s rich ecological environment. Later this spring, the Riverhouse will open, and will serve as the social heart of the community, together with a health and fitness center, two pools, slide tower, adventure playground, and over 4-miles of trails, parks, and open space.

5000 Town, a new multi-family community located in the St Johns Town Center, was announced in the Jacksonville Business Journal. It is an urban-inspired $18-million dollar project located within the Town Center’s southern core, immediately adjacent to the Capital Grille, and recently opened Seasons 52 restaurant. ELM developed the Master Plan, and is the project landscape architect – including a dynamic rooftop terrace, pool courtyard, and hardscape/landscape site improvements.

ELM partner Steve Lovett was interviewed by the Jacksonville Business Journal for a story on the redevelopment of the historic Laura Street Trio & former Barnett Bank headquarters. Since 2008, ELM has been working with Steve Atkins’ development group, Linea LLC, on plans to restore Jacksonville’s most important historic buildings into an inspired mixed-use development consisting of residential, hotel, restaurant, and retail uses. This project is perhaps the most important private sector-led investment in the city’s recent history, and giving a much needed facelift to the currently-abandoned buildings in the heart of Jacksonville’s downtown core, including the potential of a new rooftop bar/restaurant on the 19th floor of the Barnett Bank tower. A fully-redeveloped Laura Street Trio and Barnett Bank building will be a transformational catalyst for downtown’s long-awaited renewal.

Jacksonville, Florida (March 13, 2012) – The Sauer-ELM design-build team completed the design for the Administrative Headquarters for the Cancer Specialists of North Florida, the region’s largest and most respected oncology physician practice. ELM, a Jacksonville, Florida and Seattle, Washington based architecture, design and planning firm, designed the master plan for the firm’s five-acre parcel and its 21,200 square foot office building in the Southpoint area in collaboration with Sauer Incorporated, the construction managers of the project.

The design of the building favors open collaborative workspaces, introduces natural light to interior spaces, and connects the outdoor and indoor spaces. Through the use of windows, and integration of landscape and outdoor patios, ELM has created an office environment intended to promote health, wellness, and inspiration.

“This new office will provide Cancer Specialists of North Florida with a highly visible office presence along the fast-growing Butler Boulevard corridor,” says Russ Ervin, one of ELM’s partners. “Their practice is doing important work helping people survive cancer, and is recognized as one of the premier and most progressive physician groups in the region. This building is being designed to represent their unique spirit of innovation and professionalism,” Ervin said.

The Administrative Headquarters will be the first building to be built on Cancer Specialists of North Florida’s 5-acre campus and is a $3 million project. Together with offices to support the physicians practice, the building’s design provides education and presentation space for the public, reinforcing the practice’s larger mission of community engagement, education, and healing.

“Cancer is a terrible disease that has affected nearly every single person in one way or another, and this building will allow the physicians to better serve their patients, and the public, and be a resource to help people fight and survive cancer,” said Ervin.

The Administration Complex will serve as the central technology hub for the oncology network and is designed to operate through a category III storm event. Cancer Specialists of North Florida chose the Sauer-ELM team due to their ability to carry the firm through the entire master planning, design, and construction process.

About Us

ELM is a leading Environmental Design practice that creates sustainable, inspired places for people. The firm’s leadership, innovation, and collaborative spirit is applied to the disciplines of planning, architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, interiors and environmental graphics. ELM’s commitment to design, sustainability and a multidisciplinary perspective brings value to national and international, urban, mixed-use, destination resort, residential, zoological and aquaria, education, civic, cultural, and strategic conservation projects. For more information about ELM, visit www.elm-plan.com or call 904-296-8066.

Sauer Incorporated is a national construction management, design-build, and general contracting company headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida with division and regional offices located throughout the United States. Sauer Inc. has been providing professional construction services that have exceeded our customers’ expectations since 1876. For more information about Sauer, please contact Brian Franco at 904-262-6444 or visit www.sauer-inc.com.

ELM, a Seattle, Washington and Jacksonville, Florida based design and planning firm, completed the Bramble Park Zoo’s master plan that strategically integrates the zoo’s four newly acquired acres into the overall site and positions the zoo as a strong regional destination.

Two principals of the ELM firm conducted the entire master planning process onsite in Watertown, South Dakota in collaboration with the leaders of the zoo team, members of the zoo board and the city. The new master plan guides the evolution of the zoo, which has a total of 19 acres including the four newly acquired acres, along with 800 animals representing 150 different species. With the master plan complete, the first two projects, estimated at $1.8 million, are in the final stages of design with construction set to begin in June.

“During our onsite planning sessions, we kept the doors wide open to ensure the zoo staff, zoo board, city leaders, and even visitors had input throughout the process. We did all the work there in front of the client,” said Christopher Overdorf, principal with ELM. “We developed a master plan that was shaped by a collaborative effort with direct input, from the zoo team to local conservation groups to the Mayor and even school children who were visiting the zoo. The children’s input was priceless as they openly shared their thoughts on what would be boring or fantastic.”

The first two projects that the master plan outlines are the development of a new walk-through otter habitat, as well as a children’s family fun farm. The new master plan will improve operational efficiencies, support a fun, engaging experience for its visitors, and expand how the Bramble Park Zoo will forward their conservation education message. For example, the design team partnered with the local technical institute to build a wind turbine scaled for the site, incorporating the long history of wind power utilized by local farmers. As a result, the icon of the children’s zone will be a 130-year-old windmill donated by a local farmer.

Download a copy of the Bramble Park Zoo master plan.

Download a photo of the iconic windmill that will be used in the Children’s Zoo.

ABOUT ELM

ELM is a leading Environmental Design practice that creates sustainable, inspired places for people.  The firm’s leadership, innovation and collaborative spirit is applied to the disciplines of planning, architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, interiors and environmental graphics.  ELM’s commitment to design, sustainability and a multidisciplinary perspective brings value to national and international, urban, mixed-use, destination resort, residential, zoological and aquaria, education, civic, cultural and strategic conservation projects.  For more information about ELM, visit www.elm-plan.com or call 904-296-8066.

So we turned our studio space on Kings Avenue into a gallery featuring the works of Paul Ladnier, the first UNF professor of Fine Arts, and Amy Donaldson, a UNF graduate and Paul’s mentee. We also invited the Cathedral Arts Project to share their story of bringing art to school students when funding cuts eliminated the art and music programs.

With more than 200 guests in attendance, we celebrated our past, present, and how we would like to be better stewards of the arts and culture in Jacksonville moving forward. Each guest received a book illustrating our past 10 years and an invitation to join us in April.

We plan to host 6 or 7 events this year to showcase local artists and local nonprofit organizations that are making a difference. The mission of ELM is to make the world a better place. We believe these events are just one more way we can make a difference.

On April 12, we will host our second event featuring the works of Donald Henry Dusinberre, Sharla Valeski, and Madeleine Peck Wagner in a show titled “Winning Over Chaos.” Our featured nonprofit organization will be released soon. Stay tuned for more.

Recently Steve Cechvala and myself wrapped up the design development phase of a new otter habitat and children’s zoo at the Bramble Park Zoo. What I love about working for smaller zoological institutions is that the process is focused, efficient and fun. Decisions are made on the spot.

On both Bramble Park Zoo projects all the conceptual design, schematics and design development work has happened in front of them and with them. There hasn’t been any “we’ll go back to our office and develop this idea some more and then figure out how much it is going to cost.” We’ve been able to be quick, nimble and focused on getting results and immediate buy-in. What’s the end result? No value-engineering to get the design idea back into budget, no wasted time from both sides. We have a complete sense of dedication to provide the best value to our client.

Another benefit of working with smaller zoological institutions is that you have to be VERY creative in the execution of all the design elements. Ingenuity is key to successful project execution. You must truly understand the potential of the entire community whether that is from volunteer efforts or donated items. For example, we knew we wanted to interpret the history of wind power in the region and tap into its potential at the new Childrens Zoo to generate power. We were able to get the local tech institute to agree to build a new wind turbine scaled for the site. Yet, we also wanted to showcase the long history of wind power used by generations of farmers in the region.

Dan Miller (Bramble Zoo Director) went on a local radio program, explained what was going on at the Zoo and then put out a call to anyone listening to donate any type of farm implements they could part with. Within a day a local farmer said he had an “old” windmill he wasn’t using. We all made a trip out to the farm (when it was 20 degrees below zero by the way) and found out that it wasn’t only old but was actually in very good condition. We sent pictures of it to the American Wind Power Center in Lubbock TX and subsequently found out it was about 130 years old and that they’ve only seen 1 or 2 other sectional windmills  like it during their lifetime. Needless to say, this “old” expression will now be the new icon for the Children’s Zoo.

What I love most is that this windmill also represents the ingenuity to be smart about our client’s hard-earned dollars.

Example of a working sectional windmill