City of Charleston and Historic Charleston Foundation Partner to Hire Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company
December 22, 2014
CHARLESTON, SC – The City of Charleston and Historic Charleston Foundation have partnered to engage the services of Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company to study how to plan for, design, approve and create new buildings in Charleston.
Andres Duany is an internationally renowned architect and town planner who is a student of buildings and cities all over the world. He and his wife, Elizabeth Plater Zyberk, led a renaissance in planning and urban design that has been called New Urbanism, which promotes the creation and restoration of vibrant mixed-use communities comprising housing, work places, shops, entertainment, schools, parks, and civic facilities essential to the daily lives of the residents, all within easy walking distance of each other. They have received numerous awards and recognitions for their work designing new buildings, neighborhoods, towns and cities across the nation.
Duany and his team will study buildings that have been built in Charleston over the past 15 or so years, review the Board of Architectural Review process and evaluate the City’s policies regarding architecture. They will interview architects and builders about the process, and involve residents throughout the process. The product of their work will be recommendations for changes in city plans, policies and procedures that relate to design.
Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr. said “Charleston is among the most beautiful cities in the world, and our buildings are central to what makes our city unique. New buildings in Charleston should add to the character of our streets and neighborhoods. We should always be improving and creating better architecture and buildings in our historic city.”
Katharine S. Robinson, President and CEO of Historic Charleston Foundation, said “The Foundation is honored to partner with the City on another vital project, which is so important as we move forward and address the rapid and exciting growth of our historic city.”
Tim Keane, Director of the City’s Department of Planning, Preservation and Sustainability will manage this project and will publish a schedule for the work early in January.
