The design theme of this project captures the equestrian heritage for which the Blue Grass state of Kentucky is known, and especially the local horse farms that surround Lexington.  The visual references of architectonic form of a traditional horse farm are echoed in the architectural roofs of the project design.  The project is a hybrid of a traditional strip mercantile center with an enclosed mall space, with an area of 166, 642 square feet and a budget of $6.1 million dollars.

 

The south side of the project is the long strip center with parking.  A central porte-cochere serves as focal point and is the entrance to the mall space.  The mall extends to large open space, with bowed steel-trusses with a ridge skylight.  As designed, the food court space was on the lower level with a stage backed by a half-circle tiered fountain in the center.  As one entered the space, the sound of the water was present, yet it was not seen, which would draw people to it.  A man-made lake, which functioned as the storm water retention structure for the entire site, could be seen through the glass wall beyond.  Restaurant spaces were planned to overlook the water on either side of the food court space.

 

The roof of the food court was double tongue and groove southern yellow pine stained a warm honey color.  The bowed steel roof trusses were painted white and designed without a bottom horizontal member.  This added to the vertical feeling of the open court space.  Two functioning cupolas crowned the ends of the ridge of the roof.  The cupolas were designed with the smoke evacuation fans housed in the base shroud of each cupola.  The skylight ridge was sixty feet above the floor below.

 

I developed the first design sketch; remained fully involved through all phases of subsequent design, construction drawings, contract administration, construction observation to the final ribbon cutting ceremony.  Subsequently, I prepared a designs for the out-parcel tenants, including an ice cream shop, dry cleaners and fuel center.

 

The project received an AIA Award in 1988.

 

Project Architect/Designer for Cooper Carry & Associates.