Downtown Sarasota Project Recognized for Excellence in Urban and Regional Design
Rosemary Square was designed by architect Jonathan Parks AIA and project managed by Selma Göker Wilson, INT'L ASSOC. AIA, RIBA
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has revealed the winners of its National 2024 AIA Design Awards during a prestigious gala held at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. The category of Regional & Urban Design was established to honor the best in urban design, regional and city planning, and community development. Sarasota-based architecture firm SOLSTICE Planning and Architecture was bestowed with an Honor Award for Regional and Urban Design for Rosemary Square, designed by architect Jonathan Parks AIA and project managed by Selma Göker Wilson, INT'L ASSOC. AIA, RIBA. A national AIA award is the ultimate acknowledgment of impactful, exemplary work in architecture and design. Rosemary Square was among only a handful of projects in the country to be recognized in this category, including others located in Washington, D.C.; Staten Island, NY; Chicago, IL; and Austin, TX.
“Tonight, we celebrated not only the exceptional talent within our profession but also the innovative and sustainable solutions that our award winners have delivered. This event is a testament to the incredible impact architecture has on our communities and the world,” said AIA EVP/Chief Executive Officer Lakisha Ann Woods, CAE.
“In Sarasota, Rosemary Square, which occupies a little more than an acre of land, represents our team’s vision to transform the district’s central thoroughfare into a living room for the neighborhood that finally brings the arts to Boulevard of the Arts,” explained Jonathan Parks AIA. “The collaboration between client, contractor, and architect is what makes these types of innovative projects possible, so we wanted to recognize the entire team for their insight and hard work.”
Rosemary Square in Sarasota during a community night event. Dylan Jon Wade Cox Photography
Hundreds of submissions to the AIA design awards were received from across the United States for the design awards juried by a panel of peers: Neil Kittredge, AIA, Chair; Beyer Blinder Belle, New York; Mide Akinsade, AIA, Perkins & Will, Houston; Kim Reddin, AIA, FLAD, Madison, Wis.; Sheba Ross, HKS Architects, Atlanta; and Vince Tam, AIA, HNTB, Dallas.
The award-winning regional and urban design for Rosemary Square transformed an abandoned community garden into the living room for the neighborhood, finally bringing arts to Boulevard of the Arts. Though the aspirationally named Boulevard of the Arts runs through it, Sarasota’s Rosemary District previously contained no cultural institutions, which stood at odds with the city’s designation as Florida’s “Cultural Capital.” The site for this project, which sits at the center of the district, included an abandoned community garden and boxing club that depressed surrounding property values and stood out as blemishes in the neighborhood. This project, however, has created a nexus for the arts that has reenergized the community through a mixed-use development that includes retail, restaurants, performing arts studios, and housing for artists. Tenants now include the Sarasota Ballet School, The Players Studio, and Sarasota Contemporary Dance. The Sarasota Opera houses their visiting artists within the project’s thirty apartments. There are also murals and a sculpture for the visual arts and restaurants celebrating the culinary arts, including Wolfies, Spice Station, Artisan Cheese, and Make it Swirl.
The Rosemary District, originally known as Overtown, was founded in 1885 as part of Sarasota’s original plat. It was home to a vibrant Black community until unsympathetic development practices in the 1960s pushed residents north toward Newtown. As time marched on, the area remained in downtown Sarasota’s shadow until it was officially renamed the Rosemary District in 1994 in recognition of a nearby historic cemetery. At its grand opening in 2019, Rosemary Square teamed up with the community group Newtown Alive to invite past Overtown residents and their families to commemorate the community’s rich history and bright future. That event, which one community leader Walter Gilbert noted was the “first time the Black community has ever been invited back since the 1960s,” has sparked a number of new initiatives and connections, including a series of murals charting Overtown’s history.
View this 90 second YouTube video to learn more about Rosemary Square including quotes from the architect, Jonathan Parks AIA; Leymis Bolaños Wilmott, Artistic Director of Sarasota Contemporary Dance, and Walter Gilbert, Community Scholar for Newtown Alive.
Rosemary Square project team:
Architect: Solstice Planning and Architecture
Developer / Client: Rosemary Square, LLC, Mark Kauffman
Landscape Architect: Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.
Engineer - MEP: Global Sanchez, Inc.
Engineer - Civil: Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.
Engineer - Structural: Snell Engineering Consultants, Inc.
General Contractor: Gilbane Building Company
Developer Mark Kauffman and Architect Jonathan Parks AIA at Rosemary Square for the Grand Opening held in conjunction with Overtown Heritage Day, 2019
View the project information for Rosemary Square on the SOLSTICE website: https://solstice-pa.com/rosemary-square-1/
Click below to view the project information for Rosemary Square on the AIA national website as well as the other winners:
