Masonry Magazine January 2009 Page. 22
PAVERS
In the Georgetown neighborhood of our nation's capital, a single developer issued a daunting design challenge: Convert a number of small, disjointed parcels on an historic city block into a unified, hip, mixed-use destination. Five different architectural firms were commissioned to design the buildings. Together, they created a combined pedestrian, retail and residential space where the major open area throughout the parcels is Cady's Alley, a historic passageway in Georgetown's industrial past and now one of the "hottest" shopping destinations in the nation's capital.
Cady's Alley presented important design considerations. To start, it is different from other "streets" in Georgetown. The streets drain to the sides, while alleys drain to the center. With this in mind, the drainage section of the alley seeks to dramatize the passage of water down the center-line to carry the water to the alley's ends.
Additionally, it was important for the designers to create the alley in such a manner that its historic character and status were respected and celebrated, although no original paving materials remained in the area. Following the example of the brick and cobblestone alleys throughout Georgetown, the decision to use brick grounded the newly designed alley to its historic past.
Third, it was necessary for the alley to serve as a pedestrian zone as well as allow for heavy vehicles to make deliveries and remove trash. To facilitate these divergent uses, the sides of the alley were paved in brick turned on edge in mimic of a sidewalk. This edge-laid brick deepens the paving, making it stronger for inevitable truck traffic, while also making the paving pattern more interesting and of smaller, more appropriate scale for pedestrians.
Today, the redeveloped Cady's Alley successfully blends function and form, creating a hardscape that properly reflects the spirit of its storied, historic setting.
Brick Paver
Installers Network
A Detroit company, 1-800-BRICK-PAVERS, plans to establish a national network of brick paver installers. Requests are now being taken from brick paver companies that want to participate in this national reaching network. A company's capability to produce, along with experience, will play in integral role in the decision-making process. Selections will be made on a first-come, first-served basis.
All calls to 1-800-BRICK-PAVERS will be immediately routed to the member servicing the designated market area that he has reserved. Having a vanity toll-free number like 1-800-BRICK-PAVERS helps generate revenue in a number of ways. All it takes is a split-second glance to remember the number, whereas it is significantly more difficult to remember a number that doesn't spell anything or is random. The more memorable a phone number is, the more incoming calls it will receive.
Representing all 50 states and Canada, 1-800-BRICK-PAVERS is looking for the best and top paving companies in North America. For more information, visit www.1800brickpavers.com. IMAS
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