East Cooper Community Outreach Expansion + Renovation

“Neighbors helping neighbors” is a core mission of one of Mount Pleasant’s oldest non-profit organizations. During the start of the pandemic, we had the privilege of assisting East Cooper Community Outreach reorganize their Wellness Pantry to create a safer environment and more efficient layout to better serve the growing client base. This was our first behind-the-scenes glimpse of the work ECCO provides for our East Cooper neighbors. Since then we have been able to learn how each of ECCO’s departments support the core mission and were selected to design the expansion and renovation of their existing facility in Mount Pleasant. Founded as an emergency relief effort in 1989 after Hurricane Hugo’s devastation, East Cooper Community Outreach (ECCO) now functions as a permanent resource for the community through their food pantry, dental, medical, housing and financial assistance services. An over-arching goal of the building improvements was to locate all of the organization’s services under one roof; thus a space needs programming effort was critical to exploring how best to redesign the existing building and add on. The final design provides a total of 16,200sf and a new porte cochere. The existing ‘Lowcountry vernacular’ architectural aesthetic of the existing building was continued in the renovations but with a fresh color scheme to mark this new chapter for ECCO. Click here for an interview with ECCO’s Executive Director, Stephanie Kelley.

A new porte cochere or covered drive will allow clients, volunteers and donors to be protected during daily interactions.

Discussions with staff members resulted in the consolidation of the medical and dental departments to create a single “Health Services” wing (in purple) as well as the importance of consolidating the multiple entrances into a single main entry door where every client is received and personally assisted with their needs.

The existing facility, shown above, was built in 2002 and expanded in 2008.

A Groundbreaking Ceremony was held on April 10, 2024.

General Contractor: Harbor Contracting

Civil Engineering: Seabrook Engineering

Landscape Architecture: The Tomblin Company

Architecture: Rush Dixon Architects

Structural Engineering: ADC Engineering

MPE Engineering: Charleston Engineering

Interior Design: Form + Function

ServisFirst Bank - Summerville

One of the projects we have the good fortune to be a part of is the adaptive reuse of a mid-century retail building into Servis 1st Bank’s latest branch location. Servis 1st happens to be our own bank which brings a rare and welcomed full circle moment to providing architectural services. Some of our other favorite aspects of this downtown Summerville project include:

• Servis 1st’s reinvestment in the Town of Summerville’s historic downtown fabric by giving a vacant corner building a new activated chapter.

• Leveraging the existing road and utility infrastructure.

• Reuse of an existing building thus preventing demolition and sending building materials to landfills.

• Receiving support from the Town of Summerville’s Design Review Board on the proposed design improvements.

The existing building at the corner of North Cedar and W. 3rd North Street in downtown Summerville was previously used as a multi-tenant retail building primarily addressing North Cedar street. To increase the visibility and welcome customers, a corner porch element was added along with additional windows to provide natural light and align with the programmatic use. Aesthetically, the exterior improvements take cues from the building’s mid-century vintage. Vertical slat installations for sun screening and a fresh coat of paint round out the exterior changes.

General Contractor: Harbor Contracting

Site Planning: Bowman Engineering

Structural Engineering: ADC Engineering

MPE Engineering: Charleston Engineering

Architecture + Interiors: Rush Dixon Architects

'Sunsets on the Stono'

Our design for a modern home on the Stono River was featured in the October issue of Charleston Magazine. Thank you to Jennifer Pattison Touhy for the unique storytelling.

“A minimalist, modern home on the banks of the Stono River marries the beauty of the Lowcountry with stylish practicality for one couple’s golden years.” Jennifer Pattison Touhy, Charleston Magazine

Click here for the full article.

Wing Warping - Design Inspiration for the Camp Hall Trailheads

“My observations of the flight of birds convinced me that birds use more positive and energetic methods of regaining equilibrium than that of shifting the center of gravity…they regain their lateral balance…by a torsion of the tips of the wings.” Wilbur Wright

Concept Design for trailheads at Camp Hall [Rush Dixon Architects]

Wing warping was an early system for lateral /roll control of a fixed-wing aircraft. The technique, used and patented by the Wright Brothers, consisted of a system of pulleys and cables to twist the trailing edges of the wings in opposite directions. Birds visibly use wing warping to achieve control. This was a significant influence on early aircraft designers. The Wright brothers were the first group to use warping wings as their first plane mimicked the bird’s flight patterns and wing forms.

Interesting stuff, but why are we researching wing patterns, you ask? If you have been following our journey designing the initial structure’s for Santee Cooper’s Camp Hall Village, you will recall that elements of nature have been the over-arching design inspiration and wing warping is our latest muse.

Santee Cooper’s Camp Hall is a next generation commerce park where “people, nature and productivity connect.” With state-of-the-art manufacturing in a setting of vast natural beauty, the design concept of “Nature and the Machine” permeates the built environment. Like the vehicles and machines produced in Camp Hall, the architecture is intended to embody precision, sleekness and innovation; the building forms are abstract interpretations of the patterns, colors and figures found in nature. The latest example is the design for various trailheads to be erected throughout the campus in which the concept of wing-warping was explored. In this case, the roof planes twist to create offset drainage. Stay tuned for progress photos of the trailheads in the coming years.

Diagram showing wing positions supporting warping configuration.

Wright Brothers’ kite diagram using the wing warping concept

Concept Design for trailheads at Camp Hall [Rush Dixon Architects]

Concept Design for trailheads at Camp Hall [Rush Dixon Architects]

Daniel Island Recreation Center

“Rush Dixon Architects listened to our goals for the building - function, aesthetics, maintenance, budget - and produced a design that captured those goals and emphasized the surrounding community.”

Edmund Most, Deputy Director of Capital Projects - City of Charleston

One of the true highlights of our career began back in the summer of 2017 when we submitted our qualifications and interviewed for the competitive architectural selection to design a new recreation center for the City of Charleston. Our firm was ultimately selected by the committee to design the 20,000sf Daniel Island Recreation Center which would serve as both a recreation center and community gathering space. The design process kicked off with numerous department meetings and facility tours to better understand the City’s functional needs, programmatic goals, maintenance resources, lessons learned etc. The resulting design includes two main spaces - a basketball court and a multi-purpose meeting room - which are evident in the building’s massing. Rounding out the program are small conference rooms, yoga space, cardio center, concession kitchen and supporting offices.

The gymnasium is sized and striped for basketball, volleyball and pickleball with the option to have half courts and spectators.

The Multi-Purpose Room captures views of nearby Governor’s Park and offers the City a place for meetings and light recreation. The room can be divided into two smaller areas for flexibility and uses the Armstrong Woodworks ceiling system for both acoustics and aesthetics.

The design is inspired by the agricultural history of the site in broad strokes through architectural massing and materials, and specifically, through the storytelling of the local indigo industry on the interiors. The use of Trespa Phenolic Wall Panels, both in white and grey, provide a textured wall harkening to the wood planks historically used for barns, with the benefit of durability and low maintenance for this civic use. The project gained approval from the City of Charleston’s Design Review Board, Daniel Island Architectural Review Board, Mayor’s Design Review, Technical Review Committee along with the required site approval entities for new development. The construction spanned from 2019 to 2021, was ushered successfully through hurricanes and the pandemic by our friends at Hill Construction and ultimately opened to the public in August 2021.

Client: City of Charleston

General Contractor: Hill Construction

Civil Engineering + Landscape Architecture: Seamon Whiteside

Structural Engineer: ADC Engineering

Mech / Plumbing / Electrical Engineer: Charleston Engineering

Building Envelope: SKA Consultants

Cost Estimating: Aiken Cost Consulting

Photography: Chris Smith

Treetide Office Building

The design approach for this 11,000sf office building responded to the historic 49” Live Oak tree on the property, both literally and figuratively. The “L” shape footprint wraps the tree allowing for a strong visual connection for the building occupants and a passive outdoor gathering area under its limbs. The building facade explores repetition of understory trees through the repeating brick pilasters and weaves abstract patterns and textures of bark and leaves into the detailing.

Aiding in the study of biophilic design, the prominent tree on the property served as the main driver of decisions related to the site design, landscape architecture and building design. An effort was made to ensure that the building and its occupants be able to engage with the tree in a meaningful way. This engagement began with a metaphor of the canopy trees and the understory trees. As the proverbial understory trees, the building attempts to embody patterns, textures, rhythms, and filtered light as a way to connect the building and those inside to the natural landscape while preserving the historic tree.

The resultant design evokes a solidness and sturdiness as well as vast amounts of glass allowing all of the interior workspaces to be visually connected to the outdoors. Chevron details in between the brick pilasters are derived from patterning found in nature while wood elements bring a warmth to the structure.

General Contractor: Harbor Contracting

Civil Engineer: Seabrook Engineering

Landscape Architecture: The Tomblin Company

Architecture: Rush Dixon Architects

Structural Engineering: ADC Engineering

MPE Engineering: Charleston Engineering

Stono River Residence published in Luxe Magazine

Inspired by mid-century architecture, this modern residence located in Charleston, South Carolina captures Stono River views with transparency and clean detailing. Forever thankful for our clients who trusted us and the collaboration with these pros:

Landscape Architect: Steve Dudash

Interiors: Allison Elebash

Builder: Cline Homes

Photography: Julia Lynn

Styling: Kate Malpeli

Author: Stephanie Hunt

Excerpt from Luxe Interiors + Design Southeast Nov/Dec 2022 by Stephanie Hunt:

“The sun slipping beneath the horizon of Charleston’s Stono River affords a view unlike any other. The languid humidity, lingering nearly the whole year here, filters light like a kaleidoscope, tossing color to and fro. Frame this scene in the arms of majestic, moss-draped oaks, and it’s enough to take your breath away.

Such were the natural gifts of a picturesque Charleston property, where one couple hoped to capture these Lowcountry dreamscapes from every angle. Although the pair had adored a steel-and-glass addition at their previous, more traditional home, the Stono River site afforded the opportunity to indulge their midcentury preferences from the ground up. A respected real estate developer in the area, the husband already had collaborated with architects Rush and Judy Dixon on several commercial projects in the past, which made teaming up for a new residence a no-brainer. “This house is all about the view and connection to the water,” reveals Judy, adding that a benefit of embracing a modernist discipline is its inherent minimalism. “From our first meeting, these clients were clear they didn’t want something grand, fussy or ostentatious; rather, a home that would be organic, eclectic and clean,” she continues. “They understand the power of simplicity.”

Joining the project from the outset, landscape architect, Steve Dudash had the fortune of consulting heavily on the home’s siting, even directing a 180-degree flip in orientation to best capture the sunset views. To further leverage the river vistas and blur boundaries between inside and out, the Dixons devised a transparent, open living space. Bound by glass on two sides, it’s bookended by the primary suite as well as a two-story tower hosting additional bedrooms and a den. “The main living area easily absorbs all comings and goings when everyone is busy at home, but it still feels intimate when it’s just the two of them,” Judy says. “It was essential that every room, every space, feel comfortable on a personal scale, and with a connection to nature.” In the public spaces, cypress ceilings, soffits and a louvered overhang that filters strong afternoon sunlight all speak to local natural materials. Such details underscore the tireless efforts of buider Jay Godefroy and his team, including design coordinator Alexandra Frick. “Jay was exceptionally patient and thorough,” reveals Rush, who ensured a nod to classic Charleston vernacular by way of a white stucco facade.

Serenity comes not only from the breathtaking location, but from the simplicity of the interiors, where designer Allison Elebash capitalized on the Dixons’ modernist hallmarks. She anchored the main living area, for example, using a curved sofa with 1970s notes. “Solving the seating configuration in such a large horizontal space was tricky,” admits Elebash, adding that its embracing shape and golden mohair upholstery smartly combine form and function: lush to the touch, but durable enough to stand up to daily life. “I loved the practicality of these clients,” continues Elebash. In every part of the house, “they wanted to avoid anything extraneous; everything is purposeful.”

A custom walnut dining table bridges the area between this gathering space and the kitchen, where a calming palette of earth tones and sky blues is expressed through a dark gray island countertop and azure leather stools - all streamlined, per the clients’ request, so as not to compete with the views. But Elebash pushed back against the husband’s “no maintenance, no upkeep” pragmatism when it came to the kitchen backsplash. “I insisted we go with real marble,” recounts the designer, who specified a book-matched slab of Calacatta Namibia because “nothing beats the drama of natural stone.”

Situating the pool deck to capture the same sight lines as the house, however, required no cajoling. “Everyone agreed on the size, shape and location of the infinity pool, which would be surrounded by a bluestone patio,” Rush recounts. “The owners’ bedroom wraps around it, so again, there’s a connection from their personal space as well as the living room.” Keeping the pool and patio on the same elevation as the house likewise guaranteed the outdoor areas - updated by Dudash with fresh plantings of beautyberry, African iris, Foster holly and more - would be a seamless extension of the interior.

From this vantage point, the homeowners can fully soak up their fulfilled vision: a modern homage to Charleston’s ancient landscape that marries old and new, indoors and out, natural and man-made, with peace and practicality. After all, as the storied river and old oaks know, simplicity is best when nature’s beauty is so abundant.”

Rotational Symmetry | What it is and why we love it

If you went to architecture school, you may have had that professor that liked to take your drawings or cardboard models and flip them upside down. While it may have been insulting at first, the forced change of perspective often did result in unforeseen and hidden moments of inspiration. It's amazing how often the "flip” finds its way into our daily design process. "Rotational Symmetry" is one such flipping technique that is all around us. You’ll see it in graphic & logo design, industrial design, product design, and even the occasional building. Sometimes the solution is purely aesthetic and symbolic: think of the Yin & Yang symbol or the Recycling logo, each element wrapping around itself. Sometimes the solution is purely functional: think of the repeated blades of a wind turbine or the cogs of a gear. We find the notion of repeating a single component in a not-so-obvious way to create whole new forms, geometries, or spaces to be endlessly fascinating.

Examples of Rotational Symmetry in 2D graphics and 3D objects:

Craighill’s Venn Puzzle is a die cast stainless steel example of rotational geometry.

Examples of Rotational Symmetry in Architecture:

Symmetry and balance have been revered as architectural tenets for centuries, going back to Vitruvius’s Ten Books on Architecture circa 1st century Rome and before. When people say something has symmetry, they are usually referencing the use of an implied “Line of Symmetry” where each side of the object is a mirror to the other. Rotational symmetry goes one step further with repeating a form or mass around a fixed point. Intrigued by the notion of ‘complexity within simplicity’ and creating a measured dynamic, we studied historical precedents that inspired many of our recent designs.

DAYFIELD PARK

The design approach for Building B at Dayfield Park, a soon to be commercial destination in the award-winning Nexton Community, is rooted in strong massing, innovative detailing and creating an inspiring place to work and do business. The program included providing space for offices and retail tenants in a single story building while creating a unique and modern business park that engaged with adjacent green spaces and supported the current day work place expectations. The resulting design used rotational symmetry to leverage the square footprint by creating a central courtyard and through two overhead ‘thresholds’. The dynamic suggestion is amplified by angled walls and highly textured surfaces. Click here for more about the project.

RDA’S SUBMISSION FOR THE NORTH CHARLESTON FLAG

Earlier this year, the City of North Charleston launched a public design competition to select a new City flag. One of the symbols used in our submission was a reference to Park Circle (a derivative of a Garden City urban plan). By deconstructing the graphic and using rotational symmetry, we were able to invoke dynamics as if in rotating motion. Click here for more on our flag design.

CAMP HALL PARK PAVILION

Santee Cooper’s Camp Hall is a next generation commerce park where “people, nature and productivity connect.” With state-of-the-art manufacturing in a setting of vast natural beauty, the design concept of “Nature and the Machine” permeates the built environment. Like the vehicles and machines produced in Camp Hall, the Architecture is intended to embody precision, sleekness and innovation. The building forms are abstract interpretations of the patterns, colors, and figures found in nature. Specifically, the Park Pavilion uses rotational symmetry to create a subtle dynamic-ness of the roof planes. Click here for more on the project.

FIREFLY DISTILLERY GIFT SHOP FIXTURES

Part of our scope when we were designing Firefly Distillery’s new facility in North Charleston, SC was to carry the building’s design concepts to the gift shop merchandise fixtures. Using barrel lids, steel pipes, and rotational symmetry, a simple solution was created.