We are excited to announce the opening of a new office location! As we continue to grow and expand our business, we are proud to extend our reach and provide even better service to our Clients. We’ve opened a new office in the heart of downtown Raleigh. This is in addition to our offices in Atlanta and Greensboro, NC. Our team is thrilled about the opportunities this new location will bring. We are looking forward to welcoming you to our new office. Thank you for your continued support and trust in our company.
Category: News
Best In Atlanta Real Estate Awards – Atlanta Business Chronicle
The Thrive Sweet Auburn Project is one the three finalists in the Best In Residential category of the Best in Atlanta Real Estate Awards.
The Thrive Sweet Auburn development brings 117 units of mixed affordable and supportive housing with 16,000 sf of co-working and office space to the historic Sweet Auburn district of Downtown Atlanta. The project is a partnership between GVSA by Mercy Housing, one of the nation’s largest affordable housing developers. Mercy teamed with Project Community Connections, an outreach organization specializing in the permanent rehousing of families experiencing homelessness, to develop a solution to both the lack of cost-effective housing in the downtown area and to help families burdened by homelessness to achieve self-sufficiency. The exterior design brings a distinctive character to the area with a mindfulness of the district’s history through its careful use and integration of materials and massing. The interior design and layout of the spaces have beed developed to foster a sense of community by physically linking the new home office of PCCI with supportive housing above to form a codified bond between the residents and the supportive office. Additional co-working space on site, the relationship between residence and productivity is further synergized through the creation of a wholistic live/work solution.
119 Pharr Road Luxury Condominiums
Goode Van Slyke is in the news with this article by Urbanize Atlanta about our new project 119 Pharr Road Luxury Condominiums.
Savannah’s Enmarket Arena Now Open
The Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia, is now open and is being hailed as the largest public works project in the city’s history. This new venue, which officially opened on February 5th, is expected to bring a wide range of music, sports, and entertainment experiences to Southern Georgia. The opening ceremony, which included a community day and ribbon-cutting event, attracted hundreds of attendees.
One of the architectural firms involved in the design of the Enmarket Arena is Goode Van Slyke Architecture, which is based in Atlanta. GVSA served as an associate architect on the project, working alongside the design lead firm Perkins&Will. Their contributions to the project included designing various aspects of the building, including non-public areas like operations offices and visitor lockers, as well as many of the public areas located on the concourse and overlook levels. This collaboration between architectural firms has resulted in the creation of a significant new entertainment and sports venue for the Savannah community.
Webinar on COVID Safety in S.C. Charter Schools Planned
Atlanta (February 2021) Goode Van Slyke Partner and Co-Founder Paul Van Slyke will speak at an upcoming event designed to inform educators at South Carolina charter schools about ideas and actions to make educational facilities safer during the pandemic. The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) helps schools improve COVID-19 prevention efforts.
Atlanta Intown Features Seven88
Atlanta Intown, a news outlet covering the city’s intown neighborhoods, profiled GVSA high-rise Seven88 in its July issue. The Perspectives in Architecture column by Melody Harclerode was titled: Firm Reaches New Heights with Skyscraper. It examines the history of skyscrapers in the U.S. and Atlanta, noting that luxury condo Seven88 West Midtown is Atlanta’s first commercial skyscraper designed by a Black-owned architectural firm.
It also illustrates the project’s uniqueness in other ways as well. “Two outdoor amenity decks with a saltwater pool and whirlpool pool spa, yoga lawn, and dog spa offer contemporary, resort-style relaxation for condo owners and visitors,” Harclerode wrote. The column also illustrates the firm’s versatility with mentions of other high-profile projects.
Lou Walker Senior Center Recognized as a Nationally Accredited Senior Center of Excellence
The Lou Walker Senior Center in DeKalb County, Georgia, has achieved recognition as a Nationally Accredited Senior Center of Excellence by the National Council on Aging’s National Institute of Senior Centers. This accreditation is a significant honor, with only 200 senior centers nationwide earning this distinction. It highlights the commitment and excellence of the center in serving the senior population.
The Lou Walker Senior Center, designed by Goode Van Slyke Architecture and opened in 2005, has a mission to provide a world-class environment where seniors are valued, respected, and supported in aging well. The facility in Lithonia, Georgia, offers a wide range of amenities and programs, making it a hub for senior citizens in the area. Some of the features include learning areas, a pool, a computer lab, a kitchen, and a hair salon with a barbershop and spa.
The center provides a diverse selection of classes and activities to cater to the interests and needs of its senior participants. These programs encompass fitness, technology, martial arts, self-defense, dance, music, art, drama, public speaking, photography, and more. This extensive range of offerings reflects the center’s commitment to promoting the physical, mental, and social well-being of seniors.
Eligibility to participate in the Lou Walker Senior Center’s programs is open to any citizen of DeKalb County who is aged 55 and over. Additionally, non-residents who are part of the Silver Sneakers programs are also welcome, further extending access to senior services in the community.
Redesign Bethel Towers – Iconic Affordable Housing Community
The involvement of Goode Van Slyke Architecture in providing architectural and engineering design, along with construction administration services, indicates their crucial role in the project’s success. The fact that it was a $34.5 million renovation of Bethel Towers, a historic 16-story residential tower, suggests a substantial effort to preserve and improve the affordable housing community.
The partnership between The Benoit Group LLC and the owner, Big Bethel A.M.E. Church, highlights the collaborative effort between private and nonprofit entities to revitalize this important housing resource. Such projects are crucial for maintaining and improving affordable housing options in urban areas.
Pacesetter Awards Honor
Congratulations to Goode Van Slyke Architecture (GVSA) for receiving recognition as one of Atlanta’s Fastest-Growing private companies at the 25th annual Pacesetter Awards! This is a significant achievement, especially considering the challenges posed by the pandemic.
GVSA’s inclusion on this prestigious list highlights their outstanding performance in the business landscape. It’s particularly impressive that GVSA is the only architecture firm to make the cut, showcasing their expertise and growth in the industry. Their ranking in the top seven among real estate-related firms and #92 overall reflects their dedication and success.
The fact that GVSA’s projects, such as the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Seven88 West Midtown luxury condo high-rise, and educational developments, were featured in the video by the Chronicle further underscores their contribution to the Atlanta community. Additionally, their involvement in The Bailey, a spa wellness mixed-use and healthcare development in Alpharetta, shows their commitment to shaping the region’s future.
GVSA’s commitment to community involvement, including affordable housing renovations and new developments, highlights their positive impact beyond their architectural projects.
Managing Partner and co-founder Chris Goode’s optimism about the firm’s future growth and expansion into other areas of the Southeast region is promising. It’s clear that GVSA’s dedication to excellence and community engagement has played a significant role in their success.
Being recognized by the Pacesetter Awards is a testament to GVSA’s resilience, innovation, and contribution to Atlanta’s business landscape. This achievement speaks volumes about their ability to thrive in challenging times.
GVSA Helps Amana Academy Launch West Atlanta Campus
Goode Van Slyke Architecture is helping Amana Academy, an Atlanta-area charter school, launch its newest campus – Amana Academy West Atlanta. Amana announced plans for the new school, to be built at the Girl Scouts’ Camp Timber Ridge.
GVSA’s work for the West Atlanta campus started three years ago when it began helping Amana investigate possible locations. This included evaluating existing buildings as well as undeveloped land. Once Camp Timber Ridge was chosen, the firm worked to mesh Amana’s long-term strategy with that of the Girl Scouts’ 270-acre site. It is also working to locate structures for immediate move-in this fall while accommodating expected growth.
Both the original Amana Academy North Fulton in Alpharetta and the new Amana Academy West Atlanta in Mableton are public, tuition-free, STEM-themed charter schools. Each uses the Harvard-based EL Education model, which emphasizes critical thinking and active engagement.
Ehab Jaleel, Amana’s Executive Director, says Goode Van Slyke fully understands the school’s unique educational approach to teaching and learning. He added that the diversity of the firm’s team reflects the diversity of the charter school’s faculty and student body.
“There’s clear alignment with our philosophy for innovation and education and how to create spaces and features in the architecture that match that approach,” Jaleel said. “They are eager to understand what we’re looking for and then they come back with creative solutions. That kind of temperament is very easy to work with.”
The firm’s relationship with Amana Academy began more than a decade ago when it developed the flagship school’s master plan and renovated what was formerly a big-box retail space into its middle school. Its many individual projects since then included redesigning the overall cafeteria and lobby. The cafeteria now doubles as an open, welcoming assembly space and the new lobby includes aspects of a community art gallery showcasing student work. Additional projects are also underway.
Jaleel says GVSA has been his “right hand” for both campuses. “Charter schools are very lean in terms of their resources,” Jaleel added. “We’re looking for not just architects but consultants. GVSA doesn’t shy away from wearing different hats – taking on different roles we need and being flexible with us.”
“Amana has become more of a mission/heart-based pursuit for GVSA versus a business pursuit and this fits with the kind of firm that we are and are continuing to try to be,” said Partner Paul Van Slyke.
“We are excited that Amana Academy is entrusting us to design this inspiring project,” added GVSA Managing Partner Chris Goode. “Creating great educational environments has always been part of the culture of our firm.”
For more about Amana Academy, which is now enrolling students at both campuses, visit AmanaAcademy.org