2020 Award Winners

Bailey Power Plant - Count Zinzendorf Award

Originally constructed in 1947 to provide steam and electricity to the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, the renovation of Bailey Power Plant has reimagined the building into a mixed-use landmark within the Innovation Quarter. The building includes 116,000 square foot of office, retail, and entertainment space.

The design created by Walter Robbs Callahan and Pierce Architects and Stimmel Associates and developed by Wexford Science + Technology celebrates the history of the power plant with the use of original brick, concrete, and steel windows and the installation of an industrially-scaled metal canopy at the public, park-side southern entrance. Opaque metal panels on the northern non-historic 1965 addition are replaced with contemporary expanses of glass, affording views from adjacent office buildings into the impressive steel roof trusses and massive concrete turbine supports within. The project also included repairs to the smokestacks, retaining walls, and the elevated rail trestle as well as installation of lighting and landscaping.

Campus Gas - Joseph Winston Award

A contributing resource in the Oak Crest National Register of Historic Places district, Campus Gas is an adaptive reuse project of a former service station and Campus 66 gas station into a restaurant. The building was originally built in 1965.

With the renovation of the building, the former service station has been transformed into a colorful, joyful place for students, faculty, visitors, and residents to walk to for a quick bite or meet up with friends. The project maintained the character of the 1960s service station, namely the iconic soaring winged canopy, while adding key features as new landscaping and outdoor seating.

Bailey Park - Mayor's Award

As the front door to the Innovation Quarter, the park celebrates the RJR Tobacco Company history while embracing the technology that makes Winston-Salem a beacon for innovation in biomedical sciences. A combination of landscaped open space with gardens, water features and seating for 250+ people, and a new amenities building, the park is a welcome addition to the Innovation Quarter that provides unlimited opportunities for activities and gatherings.

The amenities building’s shed roof dramatically heralds incoming visitors to growing downtown developments while echoing historic lean-to tobacco barn vernacular. The streamlined detailing and familiar forms invite passersby while overhangs provide a contemporary design for relief from the elements. The intimately scaled stage in front of tiered topography creates a natural amphitheater utilized for events from dining to salsa dancing. It is also great for relaxing under the open-air shed roof structure.

Passageway Park - City Council Award

The new Passageway Park reimagines an overlooked and poorly maintained public walkway between Trade and Cherry Streets into an inviting corridor in the heart of Downtown. The walkway was originally constructed in the early 1970s and connected the Strollway to the south and the Trade Street Mall to the north. After years of disrepair and with increased focus on pedestrian access and connectivity, the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership decided it was time to address the situation in 2015.

With the theme of Illuminate, Cultivate, Activate, the renovation project focused on breathing new life into the walkway and turning it into a safe, attractive, well-lit pocket park and pedestrian avenue. The project included the removal of old concrete planters and above-ground landscaping, the addition of new dirt and ecological landscaping, artistic lighting, security cameras, educational signage, and bike racks.

Fire Station 42 - County Commissioners Award

Designed by ADW Architects and the Timmons Group, Fire Station 42, a new fire station in Kernersville, is a 19,000 square foot, 4-bay garage station located on Highway NC-66. The site also includes two additional accessory buildings are located on the site for training and continuing education unique to emergency service personnel.

The building features multi-colored brick with pattern variations and a decorative cornice trim. Metal canopies accent paneled and recessed windows that are complemented by gooseneck, wall mounted lighting that highlights building features and promotes safety. The four bays face directly onto Highway NC-66 and were inspired by 19th century architecture that balances a traditional style with contemporary efficiency.

Cherokee/Kenwood Traffic Circle Landscaping - Benjamin Forsyth Award

Located in the Ardmore Neighborhood, the traffic circle at the intersection of Cherokee Lane and Kenwood Drive has been beautifully landscaped and maintained by Ardmore residents Trish and Steve Anthony. Initially started by Jean McDowall, the Anthony’s have been responsible for the landscaping for the past four years.

The largest all volunteer-planted flowering bed in the city; the traffic circle is planted with flowering plants – all annuals – each year. The plants used in the design are provided by Keep Winston-Salem Beautiful and the Garden Club Council of Winston-Salem as well as purchased by the Anthonys. Each spring the Anthonys prepare the planting bed and plant the plants with over 400 plants being planted in 2019. The City of Winston-Salem waters the circle two a week with the Anthonys supplementing the watering with a hose from their home during the hot summer months.

Lewisville Beautification Committee - Flora Ann Bynum Award

Started in 1991, the Lewisville Beautification Committee was established to improve the appearance and enhance the character and small-town culture of the Town of Lewisville. For the past 28 years, the volunteers on the Committee have worked tirelessly to enhance the beauty of the Town.

The Committee has worked on several initiatives and programs to achieve their mission. One of their major accomplishments has been beautifying and enhancing Jack Warren Park. They designed, planted, and care for the Perennial Flower Garden and the Wildflower Garden in the park, as well as planted and maintain the azalea slope and rose beds and established and maintain the 7-box bluebird trail. Other projects the Committee has been involved with include organizing the twice-yearly Lewisville Clean Sweep event, presenting the Yard of the Week Award during spring and summer months, and selecting the Town banners displayed along Shallowford Road. The Committee was also responsible for the creation of the “Discovering Lewisville” booklet for new residents in 2019.

Leo Rucker - George Black Award

A local artist and muralist, Leo Rucker’s passion for art began as a child. A graduate of East Forsyth High School, Mr. Rucker pursued a career in art at Rutledge College where he received a commercial art degree. He began his career in the gold leaf department at Carolina Art and Frame.

Over his expansive career, Mr. Rucker has built a reputable for a level of photo-realism in his artwork that truly captures his subjects. His work has included annual report covers, posters, billboards, newspaper ads, and logos. He has created drawings and paintings for the Forsyth County Partnership, aka Smart Start, then Sophisticate’s Black Hair Magazine, where he created over 200 portraits for a column called “Role Models Beyond Beauty” for 18 years. He has also created works for Digg’s Elementary School, Winston Lake YMCA, the Winston-Salem Transit Center, and most recently an artistic bus shelter in partnership with the Public Art Commission. Exhibits of his work have been held at the African American Atelier Gallery and the Delta Fine Arts Gallery. When not creating works of his own, he has taught classes and held artist demonstrations at area schools and the Sawtooth Arts Center.

The Beautification and Safety Committee of the Boston-Thurmond Community Engagement Roundtable - Community Appearance Award

The Beautification and Safety Committee is a new initiative started by the Boston-Thurmond Community Engagement Roundtable. It has brought attention to the importance of neat, clean, and green yards and other open spaces. Their mission is to improve the quality of life and enhance the overall appearance of the community, encourage neighbors to take pride in their homes and neighborhood, and celebrate those who have committed to maintaining yards in a way that complements the community.

The Committee has started their work with two key initiatives. The first has been to take over areas in the community, including the neighborhood park, that have become overgrown with vegetation leading to dangerous visual obstructions and infestations of pests. The second has been a “Yard of the Month” program that runs from May through September. A winning yard is selected each month from each of the four quadrants within the community. The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive.

Hanes Park - Classic Award

In 1919, P.H. Hanes Sr. donated the land for Hanes Park for the benefit and pleasure of the citizens of Winston-Salem. The park lies on the western edge of the West End National Register Historic District with the eastern half of the park a contributing element within the District. The park has been and continues to be a valuable asset to not only the West End Neighborhood but also to the adjacent West Highlands Neighborhood and the city as a whole. Visitors enjoy the amenities that the park has to offer including tennis courts, a playground, ball fields, a track, picnic shelters, and open play areas.

As part of the 2014 bond, money was allocated for improvements to the Park. With extensive stakeholder involvement from neighbors, local and regional citizens, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County schools, civic groups, and businesses, a plan for the first phase of improvements was developed and approved. Improvements included renovation of the outstanding semi-circular main entrance, installation of new stone seating walls, bollards, and pedestrian lighting; repairs to the existing parking lot; installation of two new stone staircases; stabilization of the slopes; and installation of new landscaping. The improvements were completed in 2019 just in time for the centennial anniversary of the P.H. Hanes Sr’s gift of the land to the citizens of Winston-Salem.