2023 Golden Hammer Awards Nominations Now Open

Storefront for Community Design and Historic Richmond will partner for a seventh year to host the Golden Hammer Awards to recognize professionals and community members improving our neighborhoods.

Do you have a project that was completed after January 1, 2022? Application fees are $75 for businesses, $15 for nonprofits, and $10 for community member entries. Applications must be submitted before 11:59 p.m. on September 10, 2023.

Cyane Crump, Historic Richmond’s Executive Director noted, “Last year, the collective work of our nominees reflected innovative solutions to address contemporary issues, marking a year of progress towards a more vibrant Richmond with more housing, more food, more parks, more history and more education.  We can’t wait to see the creative projects submitted for 2023’s Golden Hammer Awards!”

Projects must be completed after January 1, 2022 and located in the greater Richmond area (City of Richmond, Counties of Chesterfield, Hanover, and Henrico) to be considered for the categories of: Best Restoration, Best Adaptive Reuse, Best New Construction, Best Residential, and Best Placemaking & Urban Design.

"Year-round Richmond's historic places and community-created placemaking is celebrated by neighbors and visitors," said Shawn Balon, Executive Director, Storefront for Community Design. "We welcome grassroots community driven placemaking projects that have improved a neighborhood today and for generations to come.  We are excited and look forward to seeing the submissions this year!”

The Golden Hammer Awards were started in 2000 with a goal of honoring excellence in neighborhood revitalization projects throughout Greater Richmond. Historic Richmond and Storefront for Community Design will partner for a seventh year to host the awards program to recognize professionals and community members improving our neighborhoods through restoration, adaptive reuse, new construction, placemaking, and historic preservation.

Become a Design Mentor for City Builders

Are you a professional designer and interested in getting involved in our City Builders Design youth program? We are looking for three (3) qualified design professionals to become design mentors during our 12-week program this fall. Design mentors will receive a stipend for participation along with the reward of developing the next generation of designers. Apply by Friday, August 26 to be considered.

Design Mentor Roles and Responsibilities

• Provide mentorship to students throughout the 12-week program

• Assist the Youth Innovation Director and the Storefront team to design hands-on activities and implement them during workshops. 

• Assist students with projects, studio time, and various tasks during the weekly workshop.

• Review student projects and provide constructive feedback.

Design Mentor Requirements

• Currently working or has experience working in a design career such as architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, graphic design, etc. 

• Commit to a minimum of 10 in-person workshop sessions (2.5 hours each) out of the 12 workshops offered. Weekly workshops will take place on Tuesday or Thursday evenings this fall. 

• Be available to meet for two hours between workshops as needed.

• Experience with teens ages 13-18 preferred but not required.

• Pass a background check.

The City Builders fall semester will take place at Storefront’s office at 205 E Broad Street. The program will kick off on September 29 and will run through mid-December.

About City Builders Design Workshop:
The City Builders Design Workshop is a semester-long program for teens ages 13-18 with a vision to engage the next generation of designers and grow urban youth leaders.

Join Storefront’s Advisory Council: Nomination form now open

Storefront for Community Design’s Advisory Council is a group of enthusiastic community members who are passionate about community voice, equitable design, and collaborative partnerships. This is a newly forming group that will supplement the Storefront team and board’s skills and help advocate for Storefront’s mission. The Advisory Council is also a great steppingstone for non-profit board service.

The nomination form is now open for the Advisory Council and will close on May 27, 2022 at 12:00pm. Review of applications and selection of members will take place in June. The first meeting will take place in July.

The Advisory Council’s purpose:

• Provide technical expertise or advice in areas such as youth education, design education, architecture and planning, finance, fundraising, community building, event planning, advocacy, etc.

• Help to spearhead and/or fundraise for a special project or event

• Provide an independent sounding board for the Board of Directors

• Serve as an advocate for the organization

The Advisory Council will include up to eight (8) community members and will meet quarterly (min. 4 times per year; 2 hr. meetings). Members of the Advisory Council are also encouraged to attend board meetings or join a committee if interested. Committees include communications, finance, development, and programs. If you have questions, contact us.

Storefront Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Each year, Valentine’s Day reminds us to purposefully demonstrate love, care, and support for our families, friends, and communities. This year’s holiday also marks Storefront for Community Design’s 10th anniversary and we want to shout a huge THANK YOU for your support in making our first ten years a success.

Since the beginning, we set out to make design accessible to all “for the love of our city.” Through partnerships and community collaborations, we continue to discover new ways of seeking Richmond's physical and social transformation through design and community voice. After an incredible ten years, we remain humble, yet excited for the possibilities that lie ahead for our organization, partners, and neighbors.

Our Board of Directors, staff, and partners are excited to celebrate this milestone anniversary throughout the year, so stay tuned for ways to get involved. To kickstart our celebration, here’s a few ways you can show your support today.

• Donate to Storefront to support our next ten years

• Volunteer as a Session Designer

• Share our story with your network

Whether you’ve been with Storefront from the beginning or just a short time, we wanted to celebrate our anniversary with a look back over the last ten years. Enjoy the memories and accomplishments of our community and we look forward to making many more with you in the coming years. Now, it’s time to celebrate!

image: Timeline of Storefront Milestones

2009: The Beginning

Sometime in 2009, Storefront Founding member Burt Pinnock, FAIA, NOMA, received a call from Cynthia Newbille, 7th Voter District Council Representative. The Old and Historic District (O&HD) had been expanded in her district and she wanted to figure out how to bring design services to her constituents, many of whom lived below the poverty line. With the added design overlay of an O&HD, things like adding a ramp or replacing windows became that much more complicated for community members.

Soon after, he connected with others who were convinced that a city-wide design center was desperately needed. With a vote of confidence from the City Council, Storefront was founded on February 14, 2011 in the East End of Richmond on 25th Street. Additional founding Partners included community members, members of the Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods, affordable housing developers, City of Richmond Planning and Economic Development departments, members from VCU’s Urban and Regional Planning program, and practicing architects, landscape architects, urban planners, and preservationists.

Storefront set out to make design accessible to all “for the love of our city” by providing pro bono design and planning assistance to support local businesses, residences, organizations, and neighborhoods. Think of Storefront as the architecture, design, and planning equivalent of legal aid for a free clinic. Our services would soon connect Richmonders to one another in a variety of ways, with the end goal of seeing an improved quality of life for all residents of the City of Richmond.

2011-2014

In 2011, Storefront’s programming included Community Workshops, Community Improvement Days, and Design Session. To this day, our Community Workshops and Design Sessions have been the lynchpin throughout our programming. Community workshops have facilitated public input and engagement offerings for neighborhood, civic, merchant, and friends’ associations throughout the city; Design Session has provided a pro bono design assistance program that offers one-on-one advise, sketches, and plans of action from volunteer design and planning professionals; and Community Improvement Days have created a way of gathering volunteers to add fresh coats of paint, plant trees and flowers, and pick-up trash in our neighborhoods. Since 2011, Storefront has completed over 300 Design Sessions, over 25 community engagement processes and workshops, and 10 design education series with an estimated value of services well over $300,000

In 2012, Storefront partnered with mOb studiO (short for “Middle of Broad”), an interdisciplinary, service-learning design lab consisting of three VCUarts design departments: fashion, graphic, and interior design. The studio provides the opportunity for up to 30 students to participate during the semester. After joining forces, we moved our office to the Art & Cultural District at 205 E. Broad Street creating a collaborative workspace with mOb studiO. Since our conjunction, we continue to administer our community design and civic advocacy programs from this space and open our doors every First Friday to showcase design, process, and community engagement work as part of the Arts & Cultural District’s Art Walk where more than 8,000 people have visited our storefront.

image: mOb studiO; Final poster project to educate community members on the benefits of a food forest

2014-2017

In July 2014, we were named “Best of Richmond” in the categories of Urban Planning and Community Development by Richmond Magazine. At that time, we also embarked in a three-year partnership with Richmond Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA) and mOb studiO to co-create and destigmatize mental illness through our Recovery by Design program. After a successful first year, we received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to continue engaging in “making” with over 90 participants recovering from addiction, intellectual disabilities, and mental illness. Through pre- and post-interviews, we learned that participants showed improvements in sociability and expressed general excitement in skill building.

While our clients are Richmonders, we are part of a larger national movement of community design. In 2015, we hosted the Association for Community Design’s national conference, drawing more than 175 attendees from 18 major cities where we had the opportunity to talk with our national neighbors as well as our next door neighbors in the heart of Richmond’s Art & Cultural District.

In our early years, we began focusing on community organizing in Northside’s Highland Park neighborhood where we built on six years of engagement efforts as part of the Highland Park Quality of Life development and implementation plan. A major request of the quality of life planning process was to strengthen the neighborhood youth. With this in mind, Storefront led the idea of the Six Points Innovation Center (6PIC), a teen serving, non-profit collaborative in Highland Park.

In 2016, Storefront received funding through the Robins Foundation Community Innovation Grant to open 6PIC in partnership with four non-profits including Art 180, Groundwork RVA, Saving Our Youth Virginia, and Untold RVA. After additional fundraising, design, and build-out of the space, 6PIC opened in June 2017 providing a resource and engagement outlet that serves an average of 20 youth per day while providing a space for Storefront’s presence in the Northside. Since opening, 6PIC continues to be an evolving partnership between Storefront, Groundwork RVA, Saving Our Youth Virginia, ART 180, Boaz & Ruth, Community 50/50, Untold RVA, the Association of Black Social Workers (ABSW), RVA Rapid Transit, Virginia LISC, Community Preservation and Development Corporation (CPDC), the Highland park Quality of Life Team, and Richmond Public High School students.

image: Youth Innovation programming at Six Points Innovation Center (6PIC)

Since 2000, the Golden Hammer Awards have honored excellence in neighborhood revitalization projects throughout greater Richmond. In 2017, the Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods (ACORN) disbanded and Storefront (with the support from Better Housing Coalition) and Historic Richmond partnered to administer and co-host the Golden Hammer Awards and gearing up for our fifth year of successfully highlighting excellence in our communities.

2018-2020

In 2018, 6PIC partners completed a strategic planning and evaluation process to define how the layered, integrated services of multiple non-profits can overlap and intentionally improve equity and health in the community. This launched the City Builders program with support from Richmond Memorial Health Foundation and Capital One. The vision of City Builders realizes 6PIC’s mission of growing urban youth leaders and advances civic power for Northside residents through place-making projects and neighborhood-based skill building in program areas offered by 6PIC partners.

In 2019, Storefront and mOb studiO hosted a nationwide architecture and youth competition funded by the NEA Artworks to consider how to re-present the history and figures monumentalized on Monument Avenue. The competition, called Monument Avenue: General Demotion/General Devotion, asked participants to reconsider Monument Avenue through its role as a historic urban boulevard, its viability as a 5.4-mile interurban connector, its presence in Richmond given the city’s emergence as a diverse and progressive city, its significance in the history of the United States, and the debate about Confederate statues in public spaces. The exhibition of competition finalists opened on February 14, 2019 at the Valentine Museum.

image: Monument Avenue: General Demotion/General Devotion Exhibition at the Valentine Museum

In late fall 2019, Storefront’s Board of Directors and staff engaged in a workshop to help shape and guide the Strategic Planning process and the future of Storefront programming. Key partners and stakeholders throughout the community were involved to develop a plan that represented the transition from idea-rich conversations to a strategy that would strengthen the organization and hone our impact in the future. The Board for Directors and staff have used this document to begin program implementation and plan for future staffing and operations.

2021: Here’s to Ten More Years!

In early 2021, Storefront announced the selection of our new Executive Director and Center Director making this an ideal moment to reflect upon the progress we’ve made to assist in creating more equitable communities and establish a vision moving forward; an opportunity to discover how we can better align and advocate to the current needs of our communities and future development trends around the City of Richmond. Planning has begun on the following goals and we look forward to working with you to realize our vision in the coming years.

• Craft Storefront’s brand messaging to engage individuals unfamiliar with our purpose

• Build on the successes of our Design Session program by increasing opportunities for low-cost design assistance

• Develop an innovative community engagement methodology for Storefront programming and to share with community members

• Increase the Youth Innovation Studio through robust curriculum development and innovative design programming

• Develop new resources and toolkits to share with neighbors around the city

Let’s get to work!
Press Release

Storefront Welcomes New Executive Director and Youth Innovation Director

Storefront for Community Design is excited to announce the selection of Shawn Balon as its new Executive Director.

Shawn brings a wealth of experience in design, non-profit, and educational environments with expanded knowledge of organizational management and strategic planning. He has the strategic vision necessary to elevate Storefront for Community Design and its programs in the years to come and will bring a creative, innovative, and collaborative approach when working with staff, board members, donors, partners, volunteers, and the community-at-large.

“I appreciate the board’s confidence in me, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to lead such a great organization. It will take innovative and purposeful solutions to create a path for Storefront for Community Design to continue addressing the challenges in our communities, and I look forward to advancing my efforts to focus on the importance of participatory design to honor differences, challenge injustices, and create vibrant neighborhoods,” said Balon.

In addition to the arrival of our new Executive Director, we are thrilled to welcome Kai Banks as the new Youth Innovation Director. Kai has extensive experience working in communities around the City of Richmond for the past seven years and has connected with various partners, businesses, and organizations to manage and supervise programs that bring social change to youth and families. She brings exceptional communication skills, leadership, and innovative thinking and is prepared to analyze needs and create unique solutions designed to provide growth to the community.

“I am honored to join Storefront for Community Design as Director of the Highland Park Six Points Innovation Center (6PIC) to develop equitable and culturally responsive strategies in conjunction with the community and other partners. I am committed to bridging the gap for marginalized communities by listening to their needs and providing education, opportunity, and resources so they can accomplish their goals,” said Banks.

Shawn assumed his duties as Executive Director on January 4 and we welcome Kai to her duties as 6PIC Director on January 19. We are excited to introduce our dynamic team of Board of Directors and staff to elevate Storefront’s mission in the coming years.

As we celebrate our 10th anniversary this year, we reflect upon the progress we’ve made to assist in creating more equitable communities. At Storefront, we believe design, when guided by community priorities, has the power to offer tangible solutions to community challenges. We will continue to provide a space for stakeholders to gather and engage in bold and difficult conversations with the goal of creating new models of leadership and community engagement around neighborhood development.

We have provided a link to our press release announcing Shawn, Kai, and our ten year anniversary.

In Community,

Bernard Harkless
Board Chair

Shawn Balon, Executive Director (left); Kai Banks, Youth Innovation Director (right)
images: Kim Peters

About Shawn Balon
Shawn has worked in the design, education, and non-profit sectors throughout the U.S. Prior to joining Storefront for Community Design, his work as a landscape architect and urban designer provided experience domestically and internationally combining graphic communications, conceptual design, community engagement, master planning, and project management. At the American Society of Landscape Architects, Shawn developed and managed the career discovery and diversity strategic work plan increasing awareness of design career opportunities to youth. At the George Washington University and Reynolds Community College he served as adjunct professor where he taught technical and drawing courses. Shawn graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Degree and received a Master of Science in Urban Design Degree from the University of Texas at Austin.

About Kai Banks
Kai is a Richmond native. She is currently attending Virginia Commonwealth University pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science with a Non-Profit Management minor. Banks is an AmeriCorps (ACES) Action for Enhancement Services Alum. During her term with ACES, she served as a co-conspirator for several non-profit organizations including The Relationship Foundation of Virginia, Girls for a Change, Higher Achievement, and the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club under the strengthening families’ initiative. She is a trained facilitator on an array of topics such as conflict resolution, trauma, social change, food access, and healthy relationships. Most recently, as an Outreach Specialist for the Richmond Food Justice Alliance, her efforts have been focused on inclusive community engagement around healthy food access and policy.

An Equitable Richmond

Dear Storefront Family and Friends,

The senseless murder of George Floyd in Minnesota, along with the shootings of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery and so many lives before them still leave me speechless.  To the Black and Brown communities, families, and youth that we serve:  know that we see you, we love you, and we’re here for you.

Systemic racism and injustice are diseases that still plague our country and have directly impacted communities of color, more specifically African Americans.  This disease is not just limited to corporate America.  It manifests itself in the built environment all around us; the places where we live and work.  From redlining to urban renewal, there are countless examples of policies that have created hierarchies within the larger context of the city.  Not all neighborhoods are considered equal, and not all individuals have access to the same opportunities for economic prosperity.  This is no different in our city…and that’s why Storefront was created.

Storefront’s Monument Avenue exhibit at the Valentine demonstrated our commitment to shining light on the issues of injustice.  The civil war iconography of Monument Ave has served as a mechanism used to further divide our city for generations.  The historical decision to remove these monuments is a momentous step to heal a city that was built upon division.  This is a significant milestone in creating a more just city, but let us not lose sight of the primary goal of this struggle, economic prosperity.  Most specifically, economic prosperity for our communities that have historically been disenfranchised.

At Storefront, we strive to be a partner in navigating these challenging times, hand in hand with the communities we serve.  We support the creation of spaces that cultivate innovation, collaboration, healing, equity and growth.  We also connect people to design tools, resources, and creative spaces that will assist in developing a new generation of community designers and planners.

Through the work with our partners at the Six Points Innovation Center, we are working to teach youth and their families about land use policies that have shaped the communities in which they reside.  This community is teaching us how to design and build in ways that support and enhance the quality of their lives and the lives of their children.  Our hope is to build a more equitable Richmond where everyone has what they need to thrive, no matter where they live and regardless of their race, ethnicity, or socio-economic status.

Storefront’s work is more significant now than it ever has been.  Our ability to combine design tools and creativity to some of the most intractable issues in our built environment provide hope for Black and Brown communities to contribute to the economic progress that exists around them.

We believe design, when guided by community priorities, has the power to offer tangible solutions to community challenges.  We hope that the physical and social space we provide for stakeholders to gather and engage in bold and difficult conversations, can be the impetus for new models of leadership and community engagement around neighborhood development.  May we empower individuals, more specifically Black people and people of color to shape the future of the city.

People Matter.
The Community Voice Matters.
Black Lives Matter.

In community,
Bernard Harkless
Board Chair, Interim Executive Director

Golden Hammer Awards 2019 are now OPEN!

2019 GOLDEN HAMMER AWARDS WELCOMES NOMINATIONS

Richmond, VA – June 4, 2019 – Historic Richmond + Storefront for Community Design will co-host the Golden Hammer Awards on Thursday, October 24, 2019 at the historic Monumental Church. Nomination information for the 2019 Golden Hammer Awards can be found at historicrichmond.com/2019-golden-hammer-awards. Applications must be submitted before 12:00 p.m. (Midnight) on September 8, 2019. The 2019 Golden Hammer Awards are sponsored by Quinn Evans and Atlantic Union Bank.

Historic Richmond Executive Director Cyane Crump said, “We are thrilled to celebrate the projects bringing new life to our historic built environment and the impact they have on our neighborhoods and community. The Golden Hammer Awards aligns with the mission and values of both Historic Richmond and Storefront for Community Design. We are excited to continue this partnership for the third year!”

Projects completed after January 1, 2018 located in the greater Richmond area (City of Richmond, counties of Chesterfield, Hanover, and Henrico) will be considered for the categories of: Best Restoration, Best Adaptive Reuse, Best New Construction, Best Placemaking, and Best Residential.

“With over 30 submissions last year, and the high quality of work, craftsmanship, and the scale of the nominations, we were delighted to award 10 Golden Hammers!” said Ryan Rinn, Executive Director of Storefront for Community Design. “Teamwork and partnerships have always been critical to preservation and placemaking in Richmond and we look forward to another year of high quality submissions.”

Contact:
Katherine McDonald, (804) 643-7407
kmcdonald@historicrichmond.com
Ryan Rinn, (804) 322-9556
ryan@storefrontrichmond.org

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About the Golden Hammer Awards. The Golden Hammer Awards were started in 2000 with a goal of honoring excellence in neighborhood revitalization projects thought Greater Richmond. In 2018, 10 projects were awarded the coveted Golden Hammer Award designed by Richmond artist Jason Adkins. Winners included the Richmond Ballet, 1717 Innovation Center, Jefferson Green Condominiums, Monroe Park, the Institute for Contemporary Art, 125 N. 25th Street, 2013 & 2015 Venable Street, Holly Lawn, Main Street Station Train Shed, and Ellwood Thompson’s the Round Building.

About Storefront for Community Design. Storefront for Community Design is Richmond, Virginia’s nonprofit design resource center. Storefront improves the quality of life in the city by facilitating access to planning and design resources. Storefront matches professional designers who volunteer their time with members of the community to uncover Richmond’s urban potential. Visit storefrontrichmond.org, join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @StorefrontRVA.

About Historic Richmond. Historic Richmond is a non-profit organization dedicated to shaping the future of Richmond by preserving our distinctive historic character, sparking revitalization and championing our past and future architectural legacy. We are champions of the past and passionate fans of its future. Visit HistoricRichmond.com, join us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram @historicRVA.

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Awards Ceremony

Thursday, October 24, 2019
Monumental Church
1224 E. Broad Street
Reception & Awards 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Monument Avenue: General Demotion/General Devotion Exhibition To Open February 14

A new exhibition debuting on Valentine’s Day will conceptually reimagine Richmond’s historic Monument Avenue. Opening at the Valentine on February 14, this exhibition follows the Valentine’s Monumental: Richmond’s Monuments (1607-2018), which examined the role and context of more than 40 monuments in and around the city.

Titled Monument Avenue: General Demotion/General Devotion, this new exhibition is the result of a multi-year collaboration with the Storefront for Community Design and the mOb studiO at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts.

“In keeping with our mission, the Valentine listened to the debate taking place in the wider Richmond community concerning monuments and what they mean to us today, and we responded with Monumental,” said Valentine Director Bill Martin. “We are excited to take this concept of important and timely community conversations a step further by hosting an exhibition that asks us to question the future of Monument Avenue.”

Last year, the Valentine, Storefront and VCUarts mOb studiO applied for and received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to host an international design competition, which invited teams of planners, architects, designers, artists and individuals to conceptually re-imagine Monument Avenue.

“We received 70 proposals from architectural firms, centers of higher education, artists and many others,” said Camden Whitehead, mOb studiO co-founder and an associate professor of interior design at VCUarts. “We hope that the diverse ideas on display in this exhibition at the Valentine will demonstrate the unique power of design to serve as a catalyst for community discussion and contribute to the important dialogue about race, memory, the urban landscape and public art.”

Submitted concepts will be featured in the exhibition at the Valentine. A jury will also review the submissions and select finalists. The winning concepts, including a People’s Choice Award, will be announced on November 21 at a closing reception hosted at the Valentine.

As part of related programming, exhibition organizers are in the process of planning two community conversation events.

Additionally, from February 16 to April 20, the Branch Museum of Architecture and Design will host the results of a similar design competition specifically for Richmond students in an exhibition titled Monumental Youth.

“The Branch Museum is excited to have the Monumental Youth exhibition in our galleries, as it gives a voice to young people tackling large design ideas in thoughtful and exciting ways,” said Branch Museum Executive Director Penny Fletcher. “In addition, it addresses a pressing design challenge confronting our community and many others – how can we make public spaces, designed a century or more ago, relevant and accessible today? We are proud to be showcasing this important and contemplative work from students in and around Richmond. The Branch Museum is dedicated to bringing exciting and challenging design thinking to our community, and the students represented in this exhibition have done that beautifully.”

Monument Avenue: General Demotion/General Devotion closes at the Valentine on December 1, 2019.

Finalists will be notified on the opening day of the exhibition at the Valentine.

You can read more about the exhibition and competition on our feature on NextCity.