Posted on March - 29 - 2010
‘Citizen architect’ Hagan designs better living by giving
Photo by Mike Maple // Buy this photo
Architect Joey Hagan looks over Handy Performing Arts Park on Beale, a space that he helped redesign from a “sea of concrete” into a true performance venue and park. “The redesign … really, really made a difference for Downtown and Beale Street,” he said.
There’s no one blueprint for earning the Francis Gassner Award, the highest honor Memphis architects give to those contributing to the field.
One architect might win it for cutting-edge designs, another for educating the public, or a client for funding and inspiring great work.
Architect Joey Hagan will receive the honor Saturday for being a great “citizen architect.”
“Joey’s road came through being a cornerstone of our architectural community and helping in so many ways to advance the profession,” said Lee Askew, a Gassner recipient himself and chairman of the Selection Committee for American Institute of Architects Memphis.
Yes, Hagan, a principal at Architecture Incorporated, has been a leader in the local and state AIA chapters.
But he has also devoted untold hours helping other organizations and nonprofit organizations, such as the Tennessee Governor’s Task Force on Energy, Memphis Landmarks Commission, Porter-Leath Children’s Center, Memphis Heritage, The Center for Southern Folklore, Memphis Botanic Garden and Kiwanis of Memphis.
“‘Citizen architect’ means not only being an architect, but really using their architectural organizational skills to be a great citizen and community leader,” Askew said.
Hagan has such a reputation for helping nonprofit organizations that they seek him out to serve on their boards.
For example, Mike Warr, executive director of Porter-Leath, knew that Hagan for years had helped run the Center for Southern Folklore’s annual folk festival.
Since Porter-Leath had a festival of its own, the Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival, Warr approached Hagan about serving on his board. Hagan not only completed two three-year terms, but he continues to help run contests at the Rajun Cajun.
“He’s just got a lot of different interests,” Warr said. “The items we used him for were not all pertaining to architecture.”
Hagan also served on the Landmarks Commission 10 years, and was chair when Nancy Jane Baker started as the commission’s new manager.
“He helped me establish my feet with the commission,” she recalled. “He’s always been a good reference point if there are things staff has concerns about and wants to talk to a professional.”
Hagan describes his volunteer spirit as “inbred.”
“My father always was very active in local community groups and civic organizations,” said Hagan, who moved to Memphis 26 years ago.
“I don’t have a lot of money to be extremely philanthropic. But I do think it’s important to give to the community. Free labor is one way to do it,” he said, laughing.
The work he’s proudest of involves preservation, but specifically adaptive reuse.
“I’m most proud of taking an old building and inserting a modern use into it that it clearly wasn’t designed for originally, and making it work. Still maintaining and respecting the historical fabric of the architecture.”
He’s particularly proud of work he and former colleague Michael Grogan did in redesigning Handy Performing Arts Park on Beale.
“The redesign of Handy Park really, really made a difference for Downtown and Beale Street,” he said.
The park had been a “sea of concrete” and a little cold, he said. “We reoriented the park so you could have a true performing arts facility.
“And I think we turned it back into a park. Added grass. Went to great lengths to preserve all the trees. Created a nice entry to Beale that provided a sense of place.”
Celebration of Architecture Gala
Host: AIA Memphis
When: Saturday, social hour at 6:30 p.m. and design awards presentation at 8
Where: Opera Memphis, 6745 Wolf River Boulevard
Tickets: $50 for architects and public, $35 for students, associates and interns
For tickets or information: Call AIA Memphis at 525-3818
– Tom Bailey Jr.: 529-2388
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