Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Pope.
Anthony, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born and raised in Washington, DC. in 1957. My father, James M. Pope was the managing director of the Foreign Press Center for USAIA and my mother was an administrative secretary for Aerospatiale. I obtained a Bachelors of architecture from Virginia Polytechnic and State University in 1980 and a Masters of Architecture from the University of Nebraska in 1981.
My architectural career started with the Leo A. Daly company in their Washington, DC office. My career with Daly eventually landed me in Atlanta as part of their expansion team.
In 1993, I walked away from a stable career to pursue the development of Goode Pope Architects. The GPA partnership only lasted three years, but the business connections acquired during that period laid the groundwork for my next firm. Over the next sixteen years, the practice employed over 42 architects, interior designers, and support staff; developed a portfolio of work in healthcare, education and religious projects in Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi.
2012 brought about a change in direction for me and my practice interest. I hit the reset button and started a solo practice. The stress of trying to grow and maintain a larger practice had finally taken its toll on me, both mentally and physically.
In 2015, Atelier Seven was conceived with co-founder and wife, Sharon Pope as a specialty practice that would explore building solutions for affordable and market rate housing using re-purposed shipping containers. In 2016, we added Lorenzo Winslow, AIA, as our associate and bim technology specialist.
We have recently completed design work on Georgia’s first retail Container Park; a composition of 14 shipping containers developed to house entrepreneurial businesses. The project will be completed by spring 2018 and represents a major milestone for our upstart company.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Our practice, atelier seven (A7) is faced with challenges every day. We choose not to look upon these as obstacles, but as essential elements of the design and growth process. Our focus within the practice of architecture has been narrowed to the specific niche of cargotecture.
With over 30 years of experience in healthcare and educational markets, this was a major challenge and decision by our firm, to tune into a new, innovative and very specific practice segment. Cargotecture is a relatively new market and thus has limited design and technical guides and overall acceptance by the community at large, not to mention the hurdles associated with zoning and code requirements.
We initially felt that marketing clients for such a relatively new and specific market would be difficult. Within the realm of cargotecture, recycled shipping containers are used in various ways; some to serve a short-term or temporary purpose, such as the pop-up shops and experiential marketing type products and other more permanent structures such as various scales of housing and larger place-making type retail/office parks.
The firm made a business decision to focus our efforts on designs for affordable housing, townhomes, private residences, schools and retail/office parks utilizing shipping containers. Fortunately, we have been blessed with a series of opportunities that have allowed us to accelerate our business plan. Our most pressing challenge today is balancing our workload to control growth and maintain the highest level of creativity, design innovation and quality for our deliverables.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Atelier Seven – what should we know?
AtelierSeven (A|7) is an Atlanta based studio specializing in architecture for public and private realms. Founded in 2015, the firm has a wide-ranging body of work encompassing corporate, religious, academic, healthcare, recreation, senior, and residential facilities. The firm now focuses on commissions utilizing repurposed shipping containers. Our goal is to use our skills as architects and designers in order to make a contribution to the improvement of our communities. Our vision is to utilize our knowledge, optimism, creativity, persistence and technical expertise to impact lives through our physical environment and surroundings. AtelierSeven’s practice is guided by 7 strategic principles:
Collaborative. We remain committed to architecture as a COLLABORATIVE ENTERPRISE. We focus on developing partnerships across disciplines to integrate design and architectural form with attention to budgets, schedules, and feasibility. Assembly. We explore opportunities for “UP-CYCLING” and reuse of existing materials. We are deeply rooted in the genesis of PREFABRICATED solutions resulting in efficient and sustainable building components. Patient. Our team spends time with each client in a rigorous process of EXPLORATION to ensure the best solution. Creative. We are CREATIVE. Our design process includes client ENGAGEMENT that leads to innovative and imaginative design solutions. Sustainable. Our firm is committed to environmentally RESPONSIBLE building design and incorporates SUSTAINABLE concepts where feasible within each project’s budget. Enriching. We connect people to places. Our vision is to create INSPIRING spaces to better everyday life for many people. Listeners. We listen carefully to our client’s in order to ascertain their needs and provide CREATIVE solutions to realize their visions.
Our practice is known for its ability to meet a client’s vision and budget and exceed their expectations. We have never been terminated from a project nor have we had building or system failure. This is a testament to the time we invest understanding our building methodologies, our commitment to technology not only in our buildings but also in the tools we use to develop our solutions.
Our proudest moment?
The firm completed the design for the City of Atlanta’s retail/office container park located next to the H. E. Holmes MARTA station. It will be the first retail park of its kind in the State of Georgia. This was a significant effort, not only for developing an innovative design, that should invigorate the area around the transit station, but also for researching and providing technical information to assist in the development of future container projects in the City of Atlanta.
The firm was proud to stand with the Mayor Kasim Reed at the time of the groundbreaking as he spoke of this innovative project that will spur economic activity for the community.
What sets us apart from others?
The firm is not layered with management. The principals each take on all roles within the practice. Our word is our commitment to do what we said we can do, and nothing less.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
The essential qualities that make up our practice are very simple. A firm belief that God orders our steps, opens our doors and creates our opportunities. Transparency and communication are the backbone of the firm. These characteristics mixed with a bit of dreamer mentality and a desire for exploration creates the firm’s so-called “mojo”.
Another important component of our success was realizing we had the ability to simply say “NO” to some commissions that do not fit into our firm’s mission. We are able to stay focused on the opportunities that we can provide significant positive impact by our involvement; the project fits into building a niche practice and where there is synergy between our firm and our client.
Contact Info:
- Address: 7 Chief Matthews Road, Unit 1A, Decatur, Georgia 30030
- Website: www.atelier7llc.com
- Phone: +1 404 719 3342
- Email: tonyp@atelier7llc.com
- Instagram: @atelier7llc
- Facebook: @atelier7llc
Image Credit:
Thomas Watkins Photography
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