1898. Continental Eagle Archives.
1898. Continental Eagle Archives.
170516 signs horizontal
American Cotton Planter, March 1859
American Cotton Planter, March 1859
pratt04
1925 Sanborn Map
1925 Sanborn Map
Postcard, 1900.Photograph, 1880.
Postcard, 1900.
Photograph, 1880.
180119-pratt-plan-2
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SHED 2
SHED 2
1962.
1962.
170517 concrete diagrams2b
INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH GRAPHIC Giant paint stripes trace the former rail line creating an urban figure that connects the site to the city.
INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH GRAPHIC Giant paint stripes trace the former rail line creating an urban figure that connects the site to the city.
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170106c pedestrian blvd ideogram
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BUILDING EXCAVATION Curated architectural fragments define industrial public space populated with lawn, groves, and gaggles.
BUILDING EXCAVATION Curated architectural fragments define industrial public space populated with lawn, groves, and gaggles.

Prattville, Alabama
Material Reuse + Site Design
2016 - ongoing
 

Pratt Gin

2019 Award of Honor
in Analysis and Planning
ASLA Alabama Chapter

The Historic Pratt Gin complex stands as one of the South’s first industrial manufacturers, and a remarkable landmark in the heart of Prattville, Alabama. Daniel Pratt, the city’s namesake, began making cotton gins in 1833. Along with the gin factory complex, he built houses, churches, and schools for his workers. Pratt Gin eventually became Continental Gin which later became Continental Eagle Corporation. After almost two centuries of fabrication, Prattville’s gin factory closed its doors in 2013. Just across the creek from downtown, the Historic Pratt Gin Factory is being carefully transformed into housing.

Site strategies capitalize on the industrial scale and rich patina of the complex. Massive steel columns and beams are retained, creating distinct outdoor rooms. Existing concrete slabs are carefully harvested and strategically re-introduced throughout the site as paving, edging, and retaining walls. The former rail line bisecting the site is marked with large paint stripes, and early successional plant communities are seeded to initiate a more verdant, porous, and occupiable site.

Collaboration with
Architect: Chambless King Architects
Civil: Larry E. Speaks and Associates