Ricks’ role in advancing his field earns honor from architects’ group
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His contribution to that project may exemplify why the 60-year-old architect last month was named by the American Institute of Architects as a fellow, one of the highest honors given in his profession.
Some wanted to place the arena’s big parking garage next to Third.
“So you can imagine you’re coming in on Blues Highway (Third Street) into Beale Street, and all of a sudden you line it with a parking garage?’’ Ricks said.
“... We said no, let’s push the garage back and let’s line that parking garage with the office space for the Grizzlies on the upper floors and let’s see if we can’t get the Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum ... work a deal to pull them in on the ground floor of that liner building so we are actually making a music connection to the street on Blues Highway (Third Street) hitting Beale Street,’’ Ricks said.
Today’s vibrant street life outside FedExForum seems to affirm Ricks’ influence on what went where.
A founding principal of LRK, Ricks can now put FAIA behind his name. He is one of only 14 living fellows within the AIA Memphis chapter. Nationally, he is one of 3,200 members distinguished by the honor out of the AIA’s 88,000 members.
LRK has grown from its three principals in 1983 to about 100 employees today working out of eight offices: Memphis; Philadelphia; Princeton, New Jersey; Baton Rouge; Celebration, Florida; Dallas, Little Rock and New Orleans.
“I have been impressed by the exemplary vision and leadership he has demonstrated in pioneering the application of ‘new urbanist’ principles to community and urban redevelopment projects across the country,’’ James F. Williamson stated in his letter nominating Ricks for the honor.
Williamson is an architecture professor at the University of Memphis and is an AIA fellow himself.
“His holistic and collaborative approach to design sets him apart from many others in our profession,’’ Williamson wrote.
He added that Ricks has given “unflagging’’ support over 15 years to the U of M’s architecture program.
AIA members can become a fellow in one of five categories. Ricks was chosen for having “advanced the science and art of planning and building by advancing the standards of architectural education, training and practice.’’
One example of Ricks’ efforts to educate the community about design was his support for the old Memphis Regional Design Center. Ricks would lead the first two sessions of the Urban Design 101 courses.
“I was always impressed with that,’’ Charles “Chooch” Pickard said of Ricks’ community involvement. Pickard was executive director of the center.
LRK is “a very good planning firm, and is very often involved in urban design issues throughout the city,’’ Pickard said. “Most recently the Overton Park traffic and parking study.’’
AIA developed the fellowship program to “elevate’’ architects who have made an important contribution to architecture and society and who have achieved a standard of excellence.
“Being a fellow is an acknowledgment by peers and other folks who have been in the profession a while that work you’ve spent your life doing clears some bar, kinda of at an elevated level,’’ Ricks told The Commercial Appeal.
“In my case, it wasn’t just about the work you’re doing, but the process of the work and the collaboration . ... The culture of the firm and how I’ve tried to help build the firm that’s collaborative with all disciplines,’’ he said.
“Because architects don’t do it all by themselves. It takes a lot of different disciplines and different types of architects as well as engineers and planners and all of that to really design and build a city.’’
Architecture, Ricks said, “is a team sport.’’
His team stays busy. If there is some high-profile development or construction project in Memphis, there’s a good chance LRK is involved.
Ron Belz of Belz Enterprises said two weeks ago that LRK will help design the conversion of the old Peabody Place mall in Downtown into offices for ServiceMaster’s new headquarters.
Just some of the other local projects in which LRK was involved include:
Crosstown Concourse; Overton Square redevelopment and garage; Stax Museum of American Soul Music; MemphisShelby County Public Library; National Civil Rights Museum expansion; Lenox Park; Old Dominick Distillery; Shops of Saddle Creek; Hope & Healing Center; AutoZone corporate headquarters; First Horizon headquarters; FedEx World Technology Center; Highland Row; Court Annex Two (CA2); Overton Broad Connector; Barboro Flats; Uptown Memphis; Memphis Ballpark Neighborhood; Harbor Town; Cleaborn Point at Heritage Landing; and Hernando West.
For all the design appeal those projects may convey, Ricks identifies himself most for helping build community in and around those buildings.