CNU26.Savannah 'Architecture of Savannah'

The 26th annual Congress for the New Urbanism conference that recently concluded here in Savannah was full of notable speakers, professionals and experts representing the architecture, urban design, and planning industries. The program was curated with a variety of session types that featured some of the best in the business, speaking on their expertise, insight, and experiences, while offering theories and details for advancement.

We've shared our presentations on Savannah's unique feature of curated outdoor spaces built around a carefully structured plan through Design Lessons of Savannah's Squares, the architecture of different housing types and the rare characteristic that all can be found within the city in Missing Middle Housing: Found!, and the specific traits plus ways to modify a timeless housing type in Savannah's Rowhouses. Now, we take a step back and look at the overall framework that makes this wonderfully complex city able to retain both a healthy tourist economy and vibrant local community.

The physical qualities Savannah possesses sets the stage for the way people feel, act, and react within the city. The "fabric" can be broken down into 4 physical categories:

1. Building Typologies

2. Frontages

3. Material

4. Proportion

Not unlike most cities, these categories are important in establishing a comprehensive mixed-use environment. Savannah creates a memorable experience through a variety of techniques within these categories, including a full range of building types and frontages perceptible block-by-block, developing an engaging transition between the private and public realm; a conscious use of local material that instills a connection with the land and elicits visual comfort; and the classical human/nature-centered ideology of a base, middle, and top pattern visible within the proportional spectrum of Savannah architecture.

Eric's presentation of Architecture of Savannah can be viewed below. We hope you've enjoyed viewing our presentations from CNU26! Make sure to follow us on facebook at Brown Design Studio and on instagram @browndesignstudio for more architectural content and updates from the studio!