Strolling into Mirror Lake Library I glance across the concentrically rippled water and spraying fountain in the lake to see the modern gray stone rectangular office building for Wannemacher Jensen Architects, Inc.—one skewed angle of balcony jutting out with quirky charm. Browsing the nonfiction sections once inside the library, I’d be hard-pressed to find Jazz and Architecture anywhere near one another. However, in this unlikely pairing Jason Jensen found harmony.
“Jazz is wildly creative and truly reactive to the context of each performer,” Jensen explained to me. No song is ever the same twice. This formed the foundation of Jensen’s approach to architecture. Jensen, a rare St. Pete native, attended the arts program at Gibbs High School where he won the Clearwater Jazz Festival and Al Downing Jazz scholarships and went on to the University of Florida to study both music and architecture. He made his way to the firm in 2002 and found it to be a perfect fit because, like jazz, WJA had soul.
A Firm with Soul
WJA was founded in 1992 by Lisa Wannemacher, AIA and is distinct in their make-up and structure. Their creative group has more freedom than most with their added full-service construction arm, WJ Create, and the Entertainment division. WJA’s diverse team is representative of all walks of life, boasts 50% women, and offers varied perspectives to yield unique design solutions. To date, WJA has developed over 250 projects in St. Petersburg.
The soul of the firm lies in their mission to design architecture of inspiration and optimism that enriches the city of St. Petersburg. One way they live this mission is by partnering with local nonprofits to design and construct facilities to best serve their clients in need. They have worked hand-in-hand with nonprofit organizations including YMCA, CASA, St. Pete Free Clinic, Great Explorations and several area faith centers to provide a physical community presence to match each mission and vision. Jensen said that they want to ensure more efficient service delivery in a better environment and maintains that once organizations consider their physical structure in relationship to their mission, they often are able to meet the needs of many more.
The firm goes above and beyond by symbiotically adopting each nonprofit’s mission while collaborating. For example, when designing for CASA (Community Action Stops Abuse) they sent a principal and project manager to go through the volunteer training so they could understand the full process and engage participants. This keen attention to the organization for which they are designing shows in their inimitable creations around the city.
Partnering with Nonprofits
WJA navigates the process of design and construction with each nonprofits’ board of directors. Meeting spaces are made to be visible, less intimidating, and tangibly open to the community with the use of glass walls. Similarly, outdoor spaces are made to be inviting for events, maximizing usage in our Sunshine City. For example, the Madeira Beach City Hall has become a center for the community and it is booked for the next year with weddings in its outdoor space.
The firm believes that function and place inform design which results in construction specific to St. Pete and each nonprofits’ operations. Views, shade, and weather are considered. Large overhangs and glass on the north and south of the building minimize heat gain. With hurricanes in mind, despite open views, the construction is robust.
Cost doesn’t have to be limiting to nonprofits when working with WJA. Jensen assured that good design does not need to rely on expensive materials. Because the entire process from design to construction is in-house, WJA can accurately forecast costs and nonprofits are able to fund-raise early on for the project. Additionally, WJA gets more value from the construction costs when they are in control of each component. This is just another facet of how WJA serves its clients thoughtfully.
Vision for the City
The balance of art and function are evident in everything Wannemacher Jensen Architects builds. WJA is working to build variation at the street level, giving St. Petersburg a unique skyline and a sense of place, encouraging visitors to explore around the next corner like a meandering, improvised solo. They are currently working on a “live, work, and play” concept at Mirror Lake that features a new 30,000 square foot office building with 10 residential units on top. Whether it be through collaboration, creativity, or working with key community nonprofits, That same soul of jazz that intrigued Jason Jensen is what WJA seeks to imbue into their design and construction. Jason Jensen spoke for the firm, saying “We aren’t just talking about how to improve a community; we are taking the steps to make it happen.”
To view their beautiful projects, including the new James Museum downtown, please visit wjarc.com. Their office is located at 180 Mirror Lake Dr. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
