Notable buildings, notable architects: designing for community involvement.

• Author: Kalytiak, Tracy
• Position: Special section: ENGINEERING & ARCHITECTURE - Architectural structure of Eielson center, Barrow Hospital and Afognak Native Corp office in Alutiiq Center

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Alutiiq Center is the Anchorage office for the Afognak Native Corp. and its subsidiary, Alutiiq LLC. The 71,000 square-foot building and site design draw their inspiration from images of Afognak Island and the region of the Alutiiq people. There is a 51,000 square-foot parking structure and two exterior deck areas for office workers' use. Inside, a small museum exhibits displays of historic and cultural materials of the Alutiiq people, in addition to modern artwork integrated throughout the lobby and upper levels of the office building, kpb architects collaborated with the owner's cultural committee to effectively weave artwork into the building design, rather than incorporated afterward.

A projecting glass wall above the entry contains the images of four ancient petroglyphs found in the Alutiiq region; these petroglyphs are images carved into stone on Afognak Island. Providing a unique identity for the building, the exterior uses a granite facing and aluminum composite panels for the building's skin. Principal Landscape Architect Tamas Deak said, "During a visit to Afognak Island in the conceptual phase, we were inspired by the ocean and the shore. This led to the use of ornamental grasses, driftwood, large rocks and pebbles into the site that reflect the close and indelible bond the Alutiiq feel with their homeland."

The Alutiiq Center is one of many notable buildings designed by notable architects in Alaska. A small sampling follows and readers are encouraged to read the larger, online version of the story with more photos of notable structures at www.akbizmag.com.

DOWNTOWN ANCHORAGE

As winter clutches the city of Anchorage, there is an area downtown where the street and sidewalks are free of snow and ice, fabric canopies shield pedestrians from inclement weather and even a parking garage shows aesthetic flair.

The $8.5 million F Street Connectivity and $40.5 million Linny Pacillo Parking Garage are components of a system kpb architects put together to open a clear path for people who wish to park their vehicles and move on foot between several of the city's key structures: the Atwood State Office Building, Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center, Town Square Park and Egan Center.

Construction began in March 2007. The parking garage was completed in September 2008, and the F Street Connectivity was finished in 2009.

"This is based on the notion of calmed traffic, narrowed intersections, pedestrian bubbles at the intersection, elevated pavement," said kpb architect Richard Reed, who worked with landscape architect Tamas Deak on the project. "There's a different texture, motif, in the brick pavers based upon Alaska's Native heritage. Pedestrians walk freely. It's like a European city."

The main pedestrian connectivity is intended to relate the new Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center to the existing Egan C enter on 5th Avenue, two blocks away, passing the front of the performing arts center en route.

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