Portman understood the opportunity and risk presented to him in advance of the purchase to transform a half-century-old building from office to hotel. Portman was very involved with the transformation and new vision for the Hotel Indigo Atlanta Downtown as well as the signature restaurant JP Atlanta. We encountered many surprises along the way, but found several solutions working with Holder (the general contractor) that we felt complemented the original building and the new design intent. The goal was to make the final design integrated and seamless with the existing shell from the 1960s. The real challenges began when we started to figure out how to modify the existing building to accommodate the new design. Portman on his new design, reviewing original drawings and details and investigating what was actually built. HALVERSON: I was very fortunate to work directly with Mr. Achieving the best design possible with all of our projects is always our intent with all of our clients.ĬURBED: You recently wrapped up work on the Hotel Indigo at 230 Peachtree Street in downtown. The interesting challenge is bridging the gap between limitations and great design and achieving the unique iconic designs John Portman & Associates is famous for. Projects in Asia are in some ways bi-polar as they allow more design freedom from a concept point of view, but can also be more restrictive with respect to code compliance, seismic zones, and compartmentalization commonly used for life safety. HALVERSON: Working in Asia has taught us to examine our drawings as communication tools in addition to beautiful imagery and animations conveying design intent. Projects here in the states are typically smaller in scale, but just as important with regard to design excellence and execution.ĬURBED: And what lessons do you bring back with you from those experiences? The first project I was involved with in Korea was Incheon 151, the second tallest tower in the world at the time, a 151-story tower on reclaimed land.Īll clients desire great design, but not all clients think the same with regard to building systems, how these large projects will be sold independently, tenant customization, etc. Typically in Asia the projects are very large.

One of the major differences between working in Asia and working in the States has to do with size of the projects in which we are involved. has been practicing in Asia for more than 30 years and has developed a great many projects and relationships. We then present to the city committee consisting of 30 to 40 people from various disciplines for review and approval. Our office develops the design with the owner and the LDI. Due to legal issues to 'chop' drawings for construction, John Portman & Associates acts as the Design Architect with an 'LDI' (Local design institute/Architect of record). HALVERSON: Designing and developing projects in Asia is very different than in the U.S. What's different about designing over there versus in the U.S.? The building industry is cyclical and our office is optimistic for Atlanta as well as other areas in the U.S.ĬURBED: A lot of the work you've been involved in with the firm has been oversees in Asia. Our sister company Portman Holdings is very experienced with investigating development opportunities in the U.S. ROB HALVERSON, AIA: The financial landscape is very different now from when I first moved to Atlanta, as well as property opportunities. Emerging from the recession, how would you characterize development in Atlanta today versus when you arrived? We asked him to join us as we dust off Field Note Fridays.ĬURBED ATLANTA: You came to Atlanta almost a decade ago - just as the city was about to hit the recession - to work with John Portman & Associates. Since moving to Atlanta in 2007, Halverson has worked with the firm on a range of projects.Ī Yale and Syracuse-educated architect, Halverson has more than 20 years experience in the profession. On 230 Peachtree, that came largely from architect Rob Halverson, AIA, a Vice President with John Portman & Associates. More than 50 years after it was first completed, Portman was on hand to christen it the Hotel Indigo at the beginning of this year.

Still practicing architecture in his 90s as the head of John Portman & Associates, Portman recently embarked on the reinvention of 230 Peachtree. An architect, developer, and native son - well, almost technically he's from South Carolina - Portman arguably has helped shaped the downtown we know today more than anyone. Every Atlantan should know the name John Portman.

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