Old town charm and contextual design faced off with utilitarian and commercial expediency as the Cabernet and Vinegar Awards were given out from a list of Sonoma County's public buildings.
The ten best and ten worst buildings were selected from nominations made by Sonoma State University urban design students and their professor, Dr. Steven C. Orlick. An audience of professional planners, architects, and interested members of the public selected the winners during an evening presentation on July 9 at the Sonoma County Library in Santa Rosa.
The focus of the awards was that aspect of community planning concerned with creating pleasurable and cohesive visual environments, Urban Design. A primary focus of Urban Design is the overall appearance of communities, their impression of visual unity, "sense of place," and "imageability," Orlick told the audience.
"The Cabernet Awards are given for outstanding contributions of individual buildings to the visual environments of their communities. The Vinegar Awards signify places where a community's visual image has been seriously damaged or eroded," the professor said.
Below are the top ten in each category from a field of 25 best and 25 worst nominations. Included for each winner is the rationale provided for its initial nomination.
BEST BUILDINGS IN SONOMA COUNTY
1. Duhring Bldg. (reconst.), E. Napa St./1st St. E., Sonoma
Burned to the ground about a decade ago, it was painstakingly rebuilt just as it historically existed for over a century on this important corner opposite the Sonoma Plaza. Many of the original bricks were reused in the reconstruction. A nice touch is the inclusion of the two construction dates, a hundred years apart, on the front. "This building continues to contribute to the unique identity of the Sonoma Plaza area."
2. Petaluma Community Center, N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma
Unlike many, if not most, public buildings constructed in recent years, this one is an "elegant landmark." Its exciting design, splashes of color, extensive landscaping, pedestrian friendliness, and its attractive siting adjacent to a small lake, makes this a public building to take pride in.
3., 4. (TIE)
Sebastopol Police Department, Laguna Park Way, Hwy 116, Sebastopol
Sebastopol's Police Station is unlike many, if not most, public buildings these days whose primary design concern appears to be to demonstrate to the taxpayers how cheaply they were built (refer back to the criticism of Healdsburgís Police Station and other Vinegar nominations). This downtown building has a real sense of permanence and even elegance. The design is clearly modern, yet it relates to its older neighbors well in terms of scale, color, and detail. Red brick is the dominant building material, though it is of varying shades that are artfully arranged in alternating horizontal lines. This building adds color to this otherwise dull area of the downtown, but not so much as to call attention to itself. "This building will be a continuing source of pride and enjoyment for Sebastopol's residents, and is a model of what public buildings can be."
Matanzas Creek Winery, Bennett Valley Rd., S. Rosa (uninc.)
This is not really an "urban" design, but it nevertheless demonstrates "designing with nature," rather than attacking it. The winery is built low on the hillside above the fertile valley floor, yet is designed to have minimal visual impact. The structure itself is low in scale and earth toned. The winery has a number of noteworthy pieces of public art on display, and many places to sit under large oaks. It is partially surrounded by extensive lavender gardens. The winery seems to beckon visitors "to come, stay, and enjoy."
5., 6. (TIE)
Fountaingrove Inn/Equus Rest., Mendo./Fountaingrove Pkwy., S. Rosa
Located on a highly visible site adjacent to an extremely busy
intersection, it is hard to imagine a project more visually suited to its context. Unlike the blatant disregard for nature associated with most of the other office and high tech industrial buildings in Fountaingrove, its low height is ideal, not blocking the view of the hillside or the historic Round Barn behind and above it. The thoughtful choice of materials and colors used on its exterior, dark wood and light stone, further complements both the natural conditions on the hillside and site, as well as the prominent Round Barn structure. "This building is truly art." "It displays a sense of pride and dignity." "Even its signs are works of art, especially the dramatic carved wooden horse heads."
Swenson Bldg., Phase I, Healdsburg Ave/Plaza St., Healdsburg
(The students referred to this as the "clock tower bldg.") Though it is a large structure, it is articulated to look like a series of attached smaller buildings. It isn1t a new building designed to look old, but rather a new building that understands the sensitivity of its location and minimizes contrast. Variations in the roofline are particularly effective. The clock tower definitely is a noteworthy downtown landmark. "Anyone who didn't know better would think that this building always has stood with the older structures across the street and nearby."
7. Seventh St. Parking Garage, 7th Street, Santa Rosa
"This is what a parking structure can be." The use of red brick and an interesting front entrance complements nearby structures. The date above the entrance demonstrates a sense of history and civic pride. The stepped back floors help maintain a smaller scale along the street for pedestrians. "More thought and care seem to have gone into the design of this garage than went into the design of the Brickyard Center across the street." "Surprisingly, a parking garage can make a positive contribution to the street."
8., 9. (TIE)
Finley Community Center, W. College Ave., Santa Rosa
This is a large, attractive complex surrounded by several acres of park land. Although low in height, its crafted redwood exterior, landscaping and surrounding green space make this public building a unique landmark, especially in contrast with the visual uniformity that characterizes much of the newer development in this part of Santa Rosa.
Barnes & Noble (remodel), 4th/"D" Streets, Santa Rosa
This building represents a significant remodeling of the former Rosenberg's Department Store. Saved from the wrecker1s ball, in its new incarnation, the Art Deco building with its lighted tower continues to be a distinctive and widely admired downtown landmark. "Its unique style, bright, cheery new colors, and extensive pedestrian friendly windows, help give downtown Santa Rosa its unique sense of place."
10. Swenson Bldg., Phase II, Healdsburg Ave./North St., Healdsburg
Standing behind and adjacent to the clock tower building, it is similar in many respects to its direct neighbor, yet contains elements and details, such as its roofline and window treatments, that give it a unique presence. It also looks like a collection of smaller, attached structures. "It is a new building that (like its neighbor) understands and reflects its context."
WORST BUILDINGS IN SONOMA COUNTY
1. Pacific Bell/AT&T Bldg., Between 2nd & 3rd Sts., Santa Rosa
This structure is really two attached buildings. It occupies most of one rectangular downtown city block. Its scale is overpowering and unsettling, dwarfing all nearby buildings. Its lack of windows and giant exposed antennae on the roof suggests that the structure1s design is strictly utilitarian. There is nothing for the pedestrian on the adjacent sidewalks to look at but blank walls. It is "a massive dead space in the heart of downtown." (And now it has served as a model for the contextual design of others!)
2. Santa Rosa Town Center, S. Santa Rosa Ave./Hwy. 101, Santa Rosa
This is another typical grouping of medium sized boxes housing chain stores around a sea of parking. Everything about the center has the feeling of cheapness and impermanence so common along strip commercial roadways. It is yet another auto dominated development on the Santa Rosa Avenue strip where the pedestrian has been forgotten. Besides having a loud color scheme, the false fronts on the buildings contain fake, oversized windows. "This center looks like a bad Hollywood stage set." What makes this even worse is that it is all highly visible from Highway 101. The name of this complex is presumptuous, and even arrogant, an attempt to give the impression that this particular collection of chain stores has a greater role in the City of Santa Rosa than it achieves in fact and earns by its appearance. "This center is shocking and repulsive." "What was the City thinking when it approved it, including its name?"
3.,4. (TIE) Petaluma Outlet Mall No. Petaluma Bl./Fac. Outlet Wy, Petaluma.
The entire complex faces inward, showing a blank backside in all directions. It is not intended to be seen from anywhere! The scale of the buildings for the pedestrian is good, but this is obviously a collection of shops to be reached only by car. The varied shapes and splashes of color create interest, though there is too much concrete and metal, and dominant color being gray. The use of animal feed troughs for planters is perhaps novel, though it is hard to believe the buildings were modeled after barns in the Petaluma area. The complex lacks energy and life. "Where are the customers? It's like walking through a ghost town." In conclusion, "artificial attempts at uniqueness can all too often equal ugliness."
Rattigan State of Calif. Bldg., 2nd and "D" Streets, Santa Rosa
The large rectangular mass of the Joseph A. Rattigan State Building dwarfs every other nearby building. Its style is clearly contemporary and dramatic, though its dominant materials (concrete and dark reflective glass) and harsh angles contrast severely with nearby older and smaller structures. It has an intimidating, even foreboding feel; completely lacking in any design features or elements that would bring it down to the human scale. This massive structure could be located in any large metropolitan city, but in the context of Santa Rosa in general, and downtown Santa Rosa in particular, it seems like "an elephant in the living room."
5. Roxy Stadium 14 Cinemas, Santa Rosa Ave./1st St., Santa Rosa
Who would ever guess that a new building dedicated to entertainment and escape would have as its design inspiration the Pacific Bell/AT&T Building? This is a case where contextual design does not produce an asset to the community1s visual environment. The blank side walls lack anything of interest to look at, having horizontal lines that are reflections of those on sides of the Pacific Bell/AT&T Building! (Even the dominant exterior color is the same shade of pale yellow as is on the Pacific Bell?AT&T Building!). There is lots of foot traffic along the walkways on the sides of the building, yet there is nothing but dead space for pedestrians to look at. The new cafÈ in the front of the building may provide something of interest to see for those theater goers standing in line. Oddly enough, for a new building, the Roxy has a look of impermanence about it. The marquees on the front of the building look flimsy, are utilitarian at best, and lack any of the excitement, aesthetic character and grandness associated with those on classic older theater buildings that have been restored and retained in downtowns elsewhere. In fact, there is nothing "grand" about the appearance of this theater complex, except perhaps that it is a "grand visual disappointment."
6.,7.,8.(TIE)
Yardbirds Center, Bicentennial/Mendocino Ave., S. Rosa
Here is a large retail development that will never win a "Designed with Nature" award. The site of the center was created by removing the top of a hill. The center was designed and constructed so as to be highly visible from a large area of northern Santa Rosa, including from Highway 101. In truth, there is nothing about this development that inherently required it to be built up in the air on a hillside. It could have been located in many more suitable, (i.e., flat) locations (for example, it wouldn1t be surprising to find it amongst the new developments on Santa Rosa Ave.). "Whatever the economic benefits of the development might be, they come as the consequence of a savage attack and devouring of a highly visible hillside, and a blatant misuse of our environment."
887 2nd St., 2nd Street near Brookwood, Santa Rosa
This building is quite small, but what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for with bright, gross, attention-grabbing colors. It is out of context with the entire street, including the building of the same "style" next door to the west, and certainly with converted old houses to the east and nearby. "Though the building lacks a visible sign, the entire building must function as a sign!" "The building looks like it was made of legos!" It would be a bad building anywhere.
McDonald's Restaurant, Healdsburg Ave./Hwy 101, Healdsburg
Located at the primary southern gateway off Highway 101, the building has a standard, garish and tasteless design that sharply contrasts with the historical and older structures on Healdsburg Ave. and in the Plaza area. Although it is covered with banners and flags, the most offensive thing about this building is its location, providing visitors with their first impression of the town. Its design suggests that "Healdsburg is like everywhere else."
9. Sonoma County Hall of Justice, Santa Rosa
This is another undistinguished public building in a complex of drab, utilitarian, depressing buildings. This building lacks any visual interest or attractiveness, and for a Hall of Justice, there is nothing noble or inspiring about it. It lacks significant landscaping, there is no sense of cohesiveness with other buildings in the County Administrative complex, and there is no connection with anything in the built or natural environment beyond the complex. "The entire County Administrative Center is visually loathsome."
10. Santa Rosa Marketplace, Santa Rosa
This sizable shopping center is undistinguished in almost every respect. The design theme of the buildings is the historical "hop kiln." There are hop kiln like structures placed randomly atop the rooflines of the buildings, especially those of the "big box" stores. The buildings are painted in the same garish turquoise and red color scheme. They are oddly spaced far apart, encouraging or requiring people to drive within the center from store to store. It surely is unsafe for customers to attempt to walk across the acres of central parking lots and roadways. "This entire shopping center is a pedestrian's nightmare." "This center is a visual liability on a visually impoverished street."
