By Emily Etheredge
When Clanton architect Barry Davis was given a choice of what career field he might choose, the choice was simple and based largely on one thing—an air conditioner.
“Before I was ready to go to high school I was given an option of what classes I might like to take,” Davis said. “I knew that the building with the drafting room was air conditioned so I took mechanical drafting for two years and that was the start of my career as an architect.”
Davis, a 1973 graduate of Chilton County High School, now owns Barry Davis, Architects P.C., celebrating 25 years of being in business with two company locations, one in Clanton and one in Hoover.
Davis, along with his daughter Olivia, now run the two offices and have worked on projects in Chilton County including the Fire Station No. 3 and the Fire Station No. 2 in Clanton, Clanton City Hall and the Chilton County Jail.
Some of the other projects include, the Peach Park fountain, Chilton County Judicial Center Program, Chilton Shelby Mental Health Center, Agee Brothers Funeral Home, Clanton Park facilities, Chilton County High School stadium renovation, Clanton Police Department renovation, Chilton Medical Center façade, Maplesville Water Board office, Maple Springs Baptist Church renovation, Chilton County Sheriff’s office, various Chilton County residences, Baker and Baker Dentist office renovation, and Second Avenue Park.
Davis said his favorite project so far in Chilton County has been working on Clanton City Hall due to the project shaping and revitalizing a small town central business district.
“I feel it impacted many lives in a positive way,” Davis said. “While it was not an expensive project, we had a realistic budget that allowed us to include some nice elements (marble flooring and wainscot, wood paneling and moldings, state-of-the-art electronics). It is an important gathering place for Chilton County and includes exterior as well as interior public spaces. I think it is good civic architecture.”
A more current project for Davis in Chilton County includes Fire Station No. 3 in Clanton, located near Interstate 65 Exit 212 and the peach water tower.
The station, designed by Davis, has a 9,000-square-feet footprint including living area features with a “watch office” (where phones and radios will be located), patio area, kitchen and dining area, locker room, male and female dorms, and a workout room.
The locker room, where turnout gear will be stored, funnels firefighters out to the bay, possibly saving valuable seconds during an emergency.
Davis said the most challenging project he has faced during his 25 years in the architecture business was the work he did on the Chilton County Jail.
Davis said not only was it the most challenging project, but the technical aspects of a detention facility made it a unpopular project.
“There were factors that often strained the owner-architect relationship,” Davis said. “It is difficult, if not impossible, to make a jail a thing of beauty, so it became a struggle for an architect to determine what it should be.”
Davis said overcoming some of the challenges made for one of his more satisfying projects.
“It isn’t a bad-looking building for a jail,” Davis said.
From the family side of things, Barry Davis and daughter Olivia have enjoyed working together as a team in both offices while also living in a house in Clanton, designed by Barry.
Barry is also married to Jan Davis who has helped with several design projects Barry has worked on throughout the years.
Olivia joined the business in 2011 and helps her dad by discussing architectural plans with different clients, maintaining contracts from the legal side, accounting and maintaining bookkeeping, as well as marketing.
Olivia works out of the Hoover office and said her day-to-day duties often vary.
“I have been helping my dad since I was a little girl,” Olivia Davis said. “I have always enjoyed when he pulls me aside on different projects and asks me what I think people would enjoy.”
Olivia Davis said when Barry Davis was starting the process of designing their Clanton home, he often consulted Olivia and Jan on different things they might like to have within the home.
“I was in the seventh grade when he was working on the house,” Olivia Davis said. “He would ask us what we wanted as far as different colors, and I got to help with the glass block walls dividing part of our house.”
Although Olivia notes having a family business often brings on different sets of challenges and there were growing pains toward the beginning of Olivia’s debut with the company, she enjoys getting to work alongside her dad.
“I have had to learn a lot more about small business and tack that onto the emotional involvement with family ties,” Olivia Davis said. “We are to that point now where it is much more enjoyable to work alongside each other as colleagues during the day but also know that we are family.”
Barry Davis, a Vietnam veteran with a service-connected disability from having served in the Army as an airborne ranger, opened his firm in 1988.
Barry Davis continues to serve the military through architectural services and takes pride in those that serve the United States in the front lines.
A future project Barry Davis would like to design is a large, multi-use facility that includes a skyscraper.
“It would include residential, office, entertainment and retail,” Davis said. “It would be nice to include a sports arena as well. I think this would be a special place for Alabama and would love to design something like this in the future.”
Currently, both Barry and Olivia split their time between Hoover and Clanton but enjoy working close to the area where they both grew up.
“Chilton County is very special to both of us,” Barry Davis said. “This is our home. We are proud to serve Chilton County with our designs.”