Tag: norfolk

CEO Mel Price Talks About Workplace Transparency with Inform Magazine

Written by WPA on . Posted in Architecture, Norfolk, Uncategorized, Virginia, WPA.

Workplace transparency has been central to WPA’s operations since the firm’s founding in 2010. In a recent interview with William Richards for an article about “radical transparency” for Inform Magazine, CEO Mel Price discusses why the firm adopted an open books policy early on, how that decision has shaped the business and whether she and founding partner Thom White have any regrets. Richards writes: 

“Back then [in 2010], the economy was shaky and the recovery from the Great Recession was slow-going. It maybe wasn’t an ideal time to try something radical when it came to company finances, but in that moment of uncertainty it was critical to create a culture of trust,” says Price about WPA’s founding.

Today? The firm’s approach to openness appears to be both prescient and also sustainable. 

“The recent business climate hasn’t changed our approach to transparency at all and I really can’t imagine any economic situation that would,” she says. “I think the kind of trust between staff and management that true transparency creates is critical in the current moment as well. I can’t say if transparency is right for every firm all the time. But I do believe that if more firms tried, they would see what we have seen and they wouldn’t go back.”

Read the full Inform Magazine article here.

WAVY offers a sneak peek at the new William A. Hunton YMCA in Norfolk

Written by WPA on . Posted in Architecture, Civic, Hampton Roads, Hunton YMCA, Norfolk, Uncategorized, Virginia, WPA.

The William A. Hunton YMCA and Work Program Architects have revealed designs for a new facility that will support the YMCA’s ongoing role as a resource and safe haven for families living in and around South Hampton Roads. The facility, located at 1045 E. Brambleton Avenue, will also serve as a gateway and key landmark for the transformed St. Paul’s neighborhood in downtown Norfolk.

As WAVY noted in a recent segment on the project, the Hunton YMCA is the oldest independent YMCA and one of four Heritage YMCA’s in the United States, established when People of Color were denied access to other YMCA facilities. The new facility will build on Hunton’s 150-year history, promoting health and wellness while enhancing its continuing mission to provide early childhood education, as well as community meeting spaces and programs to teach life skills.

Highlights of the design include separate areas for upper and lower schools, a library, kitchen and cafetorium, reception, administrative offices, a full-size gymnasium, an outdoor swimming pool, and facilities for health services, seniors, and civic and community gatherings. A private courtyard will embrace an arbor of mature trees and feature a natural playground.

WPA collaborated with community members, as well as Hunton staff and board members, to arrive at the design for the new facility.

The project has been made possible by the sale of the previous Hunton Y to the City of Norfolk, which will be demolishing the old facility to make way for the Blue Greenway, a 22-acre resilience park that will serve the Kindred and St. Paul’s community. 

Additional funding will be provided through a capital campaign, which is scheduled to kick off later this year. It is hoped construction can begin in 2025, with completion in 2026.

View the full report from WAVY here.

View the project page here.

Elizabeth River Project’s Ryan Resilience Lab Is a Finalist in Fast Company’s 2024 Innovation by Design Awards

Written by WPA on . Posted in Architecture, Awards, Civic, Elizabeth River, Elizabeth River Project, Environment, ERP, Innovation, Norfolk, Urban Design, Virginia, WPA.

The innovative structure is designed to help the world’s urban coastal residents protect themselves – and nature – as sea levels rise.

The Elizabeth River Project’s Ryan Resilience Lab was recently honored in Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards for 2024. The Norfolk project, designed by Work Program Architects (WPA), was recognized as a finalist in the competition’s Urban Design category, alongside the Lynn Wyatt Square for the Performing Arts in Houston. Omaha’s Riverfront Revitalization was this year’s winner in the category.

The Innovation by Design Awards, which can be found online and in the Summer 2024 issue of Fast Company, honor the designers and businesses solving the most crucial problems of today and anticipating the pressing issues of tomorrow. The competition, now in its 13th year, features a range of blue-chip companies, emerging startups, and promising young talent. It is one of the most sought-after design awards in the industry.

The Ryan Resilience Lab was designed by WPA to house operations for the Elizabeth River Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring the Elizabeth River, and to showcase what the future of sustainable coastal living might look like.         

“This recognition highlights the importance of this project and the valuable contribution the Elizabeth River Project is making to the restoration, sustainability and resilience of coastal communities around the world,” says WPA CEO Mel Price. “It is also a testament to the hard work that the team at WPA put into this project and the brilliance of the project’s architect, Sam Bowling.” 

The lab was intentionally constructed inside a flood zone along one of Norfolk’s busiest commercial corridors and flanked by multiple residential neighborhoods. Inside and out, visitors will find ways to live sustainably and prepare for rising tides. Everything from the floating entry pavilion and storage shed to a “living shoreline” instead of a hardened shore, an 80,000-watt solar energy system, 10 gallons or rainwater collected and re-used in the toilets and a permeable parking lot to keep polluted runoff from reaching the river. Meanwhile, green roofs and walls covered in vegetation reduce runoff and conserve energy in winter and summer.                                          

“This year’s honorees show how essential creativity is to the process of innovation,” said Brendan Vaughan, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. “It’s inspiring to see how some of the best minds across industries are using design to shape our world for the better.”

The judges include renowned designers from a variety of disciplines, business leaders from some of the most innovative companies in the world, and Fast Company’s own writers and editors. Entries are judged on the key ingredients of innovation: functionality, originality, beauty, sustainability, user insight, cultural impact, and business impact.

Earlier this summer, WPA gathered with the Elizabeth River Project and members of the community to celebrate the opening of the lab. View WTKR coverage of the event here.

Work Program Architects Names Two New Principals, Updates Staff Titles for Future Growth

Written by WPA on . Posted in Chrysler Museum, Elizabeth River Project, Glass Studio, Norfolk, NSU, Principal, Science, Virginia, WPA, WPA Studio.

Norfolk, Virginia, May 3, 2024 — The principals of Work Program Architects are excited to announce a number of changes to staff titles and roles that position the firm for future growth, including naming architects Erin Agdinaoay and Sam Bowling as associate principals. Agdinaoay and Bowling will join co-founders Mel Price and Thom White in leading the firm. 

In addition to Agdinaoay and Bowling, three other long-time team members have received new titles and responsibilities. 

Stacey Crawshaw has been named marketing director and will collaborate closely with WPA’s urban designers, architects, interior designers and graphic designers while continuing to play a pivotal role in brand development, graphics and print design. Sharon Manana has been named director of community engagement and will facilitate productive discussions with diverse groups and individuals impacted by WPA projects. John Stephens has been named director of operations and will oversee the firm’s daily operations, monitoring project progress and managing staff workloads to ensure timely completion. 

“We have been growing as a firm and our staff has been making the adjustments and sacrifices to deliver success for our clients” says CEO Price. “These new titles are both a recognition of the work that this amazing team is already doing and a necessary step to assure that WPA will continue its work to build more resilient communities well into the future.”

Since its founding in 2010, WPA has contributed to numerous projects that address social,  economic, and coastal resilience in Norfolk, Hampton, Newport News, Chesapeake and Virginia Beach, along with other communities in Virginia and North Carolina. Its current projects include the Ryan Resilience Lab for the Elizabeth River Project, the Perry Glass Studio at the Chrysler Museum of Art and the new Science Building for Norfolk State University.

WPA CEO and Co-founder Mel Price Receives Prestigious AIA Fellowship

Written by WPA on . Posted in AIA, Architecture, Awards, FAIA, Fellowship, Hampton Roads, Mel Price, Norfolk, Uncategorized, Virginia, WPA, WPA Studio.

NORFOLK, Virginia (April 5, 2024) — Mel Price, co-founder and principal at Work Program Architects, has been named to the College of Fellows by the American Institute of Architects. 

The fellowship is the highest membership honor for the organization and is bestowed on those who have demonstrated “exceptional work and contributions to architecture and society.” 

“It is a great honor to be recognized by the AIA,” Price said, “but this fellowship is also a great responsibility. I will use this opportunity to share what I have learned with my peers, to learn from them and, most importantly, to ensure that the profession grows and adapts with the next generation of architects so that we may continue to positively impact society.”

The AIA identifies mentorship as a core aspect of the fellowship program, along with providing service to society and advancing the profession.

Price is one of 96 architects in this year’s class. Only 3% of AIA members become fellows.

Visit the AIA website to read more about this year’s class.

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