The latest Decatur Focus arrived in my mailbox yesterday, and in addition to warning me that the Fire Dept would be testing hydrants in June (Yay!  Brown water!), the June issue listed all the building projects in town that received Decatur Design Awards this past year.

That got me thinking about the diversity of our city’s commercial building stock.  Needless to say, it is unique.  While many of our residential areas, like much of metro-ATL, are relatively intact (with the very large exception of Beacon Hill), the commercial districts have been seriously altered over the years.

So, I wonder, is there any consensus on a favorite commercial building?  And I think we’ve gotta exclude the Old Courthouse from this discussion just to make it a bit more interesting.  Which is your fav and why? I can be old, new, borrowed, blue, whatever.

And no, even though the High House is currently used as office space, I don’t think it qualifies.

Kelly sends in a press release noting that Renewal Design Build’s renovation projects at 224 Barry Street recently won a Decatur design award.

May 7, 2009 – This year, Decatur’s Historic Preservation Commission presented the annual Decatur Design Awards on May 3rd at the Old Decatur Courthouse. These awards recognize projects that preserve, enhance and contribute to the historic character of the City. Recipients were given a certificate signed by Mayor Bill Floyd, as well as an honorary plaque. And, this year, one of the awards for Best Addition went to Renewal Design-Build.

The judging commissioners thought the scale of the winning project – a major two story addition – was very compatible to the adjacent properties, and that incorporating sustainable materials also added a great deal of value. According to Regina Brewer, the awards’ organizer, “They also felt you could discern that the addition was new, and that it did not create a false sense of history.”

Once a small home in disrepair, this completely remodeled home is now a Tudor style cottage with double the square footage. And, the homeowner of the winning project couldn’t be more pleased. “My home is beautiful; it’s my dream come true,” says Dr. Dallin Randolph.

The Renewal team is humbled by such an award. “It is such an honor to be recognized by the City to whom we owe so much of our success,” says Renewal CEO, Peter Michelson. “Our goal is to continually contribute to the beauty and character of Decatur.”

You can check out a few Before & After pics from the project over at Renewal’s website.