posted July 23, 2005
Stroud Watson, who retired recently from the Urban Design Studio, is now helping out at the RiverCity Company,
President Paul Brock said.
Mr. Brock said Mr. Watson spends much time at his second home in Maine and is doing some traveling, but he is helping RiverCity when he is in town.
Mr. Brock said RiverCity is carrying out a re-evaluation of its role after helping with the 21st Century Waterfront Plan.
He said one focus may be to revitalize the Central City District.
According to an article in Family-Centered Communities, Stroud Watson was born in New York City, and he earned a Bachelor of Architecture Degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign in 1960. In 1964, he received a Master of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania. While teaching all levels of architecture at the University of Arizona (1966-1969), he and 10 artist friends purchased a "dude ranch" and formed a self-sufficient community known as Rancho Linda Vista in Oracle, which still exists and thrives today as both an artist colony and an integral part of the Oracle community.
In 1969, he was awarded the Plym Fellowship in Architecture from the University of Illinois, based on a portfolio of his work, teaching and writings since graduation. In 1974, he accepted a position as a principle architect at Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. His experience in Milton Keynes was architecturally extensive but, according to Mr. Watson, most salient to today's work was the fact that he formed an Urban Design directorate. It became fundamental to bridging the gap between planning as policy and architecture as implementation - through the making of "civic places" for people. This clarified his personal goals and formed the basis of his architectural/urbanistic position that the city can be designed and, when excellence in planning, design and implementation at all levels prevails, the "living room" of the city will be cared for and enhanced by the community.
In 1980, Mr. Watson and his family moved to Chattanooga, where the University of Tennessee and The Lyndhurst Foundation provided him with an opportunity to return to teaching and simultaneously work directly with the city. The initial time in Chattanooga was critical to defining "downtown" philosophically and physically - through a visual perspective of the past, the present and the future of Chattanooga.
A shift was made from looking at the city as built objects to embracing the view from the urban public realm - the streets, squares, parks and public buildings that collectively form the "living room" for all citizens to participate in the life of the city.
UTK student and studio work focused on forming a center - Miller Park District - "the heart of the city," and return to the river's edge - Ross's Landing - "the origin of the city." In 1984, a joint funding effort with the Office of the Mayor, Lyndhurst Foundation, and the University was implemented, Mr. Watson became the Urban Design Advisor to the city, and the Design Center (now housing 8 professionals) was established.
The student work now became the catalyst for real projects and professional involvement producing: 1985 Tennessee Riverpark Master Plan (in conjunction with Carr Lynch & Associates) - 1998 APA/AICP Outstanding Planning Implementation Award; 1982-1985 Miller Park District Guidelines (in conjunction with Koetter, Kim & Associates) - 1987 Urban Design Award presented by Progressive Architecture; 1989 Excellence in Architecture National Honor Award, AIA; 1987 Presidential award of Merit for Distinguished Service by the Tennessee AIA; 1988 ACSA Faculty Design Award; 1990 AIA Award for Miller Park/Plaza; 1990 Fellow Urban Design Institute Award; 1997 ACSA Distinguished Professor of Architecture Award; 2001 Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture, AIA.
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