Design Workshop Wins Prestigious Form-Based Codes Award
14 April 2010
Denver, CO – Design Workshop, an international landscape architecture, land planning, urban design and strategic services firm, was recently named one of three recipients of the Richard J. Driehaus Charitable Lead Trust Form-Based Codes Award, as selected by the Form-Based Codes Institute (FBCI).
The Denver office of Design Workshop is being recognized for its form-based code, “The Commons: Urban Design Standards and Guidelines,” which was adopted by the City and County of Denver in December 1997.
“To be recognized by the FBCI for our work is truly an incredible honor,” said Todd Johnson, Principal of Design Workshop Denver. “We worked extremely hard to create a code that could be emulated and executed with precision, and our project team was thrilled to hear of this prestigious distinction.”
The annual award is given for achievement in the writing and implementation of form-based codes, defined as a method of regulating development to achieve a specific urban form. They create a predictable public realm primarily by controlling physical form and secondarily by land use.
In selecting the Denver Commons code, the jurors singled out these aspects of the code for comment:
- This is a groundbreaking early form-based code with excellent built results.
- The visioning and intent statements were so fine they made a convincing case for public and private support of the code. Area by area, the intent was clearly outlined.
- The public realm requirements in the code were provided in great detail. A distinction was made between these required standards and additional guidelines on each subject.
- This code could be emulated at any scale.
- While this code was adopted as a Planned Unit Development (PUD) using “design guidelines” language, its essential elements could be replicated today as a form-based zoning district.
About Design Workshop
Founded in 1969, Design Workshop is an international landscape architecture, land planning, urban design and strategic services firm with six offices in the U.S. and work spanning the globe. The firm has been recognized with over 150 prestigious awards for its work in new communities, urban centers, resorts, public parks, golf courses and residences. The firm's philosophy challenges the project team to equally integrate and balance artistic vision, environmental sensitivity, community values and sound economics to create unique places that stand the test of time. It refers to this approach as DW Legacy Design®.
About FBCI
The Form-Based Codes Institute (FBCI) is a nonprofit corporation engaged in research, standards setting, outreach, and education. Its mission is to advance the knowledge and use of, and develop standards for, Form-Based Codes that achieve a community vision by time-tested forms of urbanism. The Institute recognizes that a well-crafted Form-Based Code is the most effective type of development regulation for shaping pedestrian- scaled, mixed-use and fine-grained urbanism.
http://www.formbasedcodes.org/
|
