Architects compete, raise money with new trail designs for downtown Lexington

Magda Wala, left, Ian McHone and Josh Duddey of EOP Architects sketched out some ideas for Saturday's design Slam at the West Sixth Brewing Company.

Mark Ashley Herald-LeaderBuy Photo

On Kentucky's 221st birthday as a state, more than 200 people gathered to watch architects and associates imagine a little piece of Lexington's future.

And, in the process, nearly $7,000 was raised for Habitat for Humanity.

It was all a part of the first annual "design slam," a fundraiser put together by the American Institute of Architects East Kentucky Chapter and Fayette Alliance, a land-use advocacy group.

The slam, held at West Sixth Brewing Co., pitted five teams in competition to come up with a downtown trailhead at 137 West Main Street for the bike-and-walking path known as the Legacy Trail. The space, known as the "missing tooth" in that block, is now a parking lot between the planned 21c Museum Hotel and an office building painted light blue.

Each team had one hour to come up with a design a process that might normally take six months.

Team Jim, composed of Josh Duddey, Ian McHone and Magda Wala all of EOP Architects took first place and the prize known as the "Golden T-Square." A T-square is a technical drawing instrument used by draftsmen to draw lines. The square will be like the Stanley Cup, going from winning team to winning team.

Team Jim's design incorporated a bike ramp that went from ground level to the second floor.

"I think people could picture themselves using that," Wala said.

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Architects compete, raise money with new trail designs for downtown Lexington