Alloy Workshop was formed two years ago this January as a partnership between licensed architect and contractor, Dan Zimmerman, and licensed contractor and carpenter, Zach Snider. In the past year, the firm has added a graphic design studio headed by Zimmerman’s wife, Serena Gruia, to the mix. The firm now has two architects (Zimmerman and […]
Call this a tale of two public designs. They’re both local, but they’re very different from each other. One is a system of signs that points visitors toward the Downtown Mall. You’ve seen them: They’re in primary colors, enclosed in black metal frames, and they bear the silhouettes of the three presidents we claim as […]
For this year’s Design Annual issue, we began as we usually do when brainstorming a story. We sat around a table and talked about what we thought was cool and what we thought was worthy of criticism. New buildings, old buildings, funky graphic t-shirts, pretty plantings—plenty of local designs and designers’ names came up in […]
Omnitech 1Gig Flash Drive “[It] has it all…looks, brains, and brawn. It has a capsule-like body with a soft rubber, black matte coating that makes it more fun than a flash drive should be to handle. The cap slides on and off with a reassuring glide and stop, no Swiss Army knife folding nonsense.”—Rob Tarbell, […]
Modern for a change Why do we love the two new additions to Campbell Hall, home to UVA’s School of Architecture? First, because of Dean Karen van Lengen’s smart and plucky decision to hire her own faculty members to design them. W.G. Clark’s tall East Wing, which presents a striking translucent face to Rugby Road, […]
A few short years ago, just about any site in the Charlottesville area seemed viable for redevelopment, whether it was currently occupied by 100-year-old houses, a historic church or public housing. Banks were lending, money was flowing, and everybody’s cousin had a development idea within reach. Welcome to 2009. In a climate like this, when […]
On January 1, the Staff Union at UVA (SUUVA) officially ended its six-year run. Communications Workers of America (CWA), SUUVA’s parent union, cut its funding for lack of new membership. In December, SUUVA had 250 members, but CWA’s target was at least 1,000. UVA has roughly 17,000 full-time and part-time employees and faculty members. Before […]
The Pittsburgh Steelers are on their way to their second Super Bowl in the past three years. And what’s it have to do with Charlottesville? No. 83 of course: 6’5" tight end Heath Miller, who made a name for himself playing for Al Groh at UVA. Miller had three receptions for 62 yards, second only […]
Phil Webster Age: 29 Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana Year: Grad student Concentration: Religious studies What’s in your backpack? Pocket Oxford Latin Dictionary, Pocket Classical Greek Dictionary, Selections from Herodotus, The Spirit of Early Christian Thought: Seeking the Face of God, The Fathers of the Church, five small notebooks, Latin course readings, two folders, shirt, Ziploc bag […]
The unmistakable smell of change is dissipating in the air. After Noah Schwartz left as executive director of the Charlottesville Redevelopment Housing Authority, another position within the city has opened up. Mike Svetz is leaving Charlottesville for the spring training town of his beloved Cleveland Indians. Mike Svetz, Charlottesville’s director of Parks and Recreation, is […]