Tag: design

Hanging With Mr. Buck O’Neil

This short story illustrates how inspiration feeds design

The Light

Our CEO Jonathan O’Neil Cole had the privilege of hanging with Mr. Buck O’Neil and Mr. Bob Kendrick at the 2005 Baseball Winter Meetings in Dallas, TX – It was a day he’ll never forget!

This is the story of how Buck’s light shined so bright that it inspired a chain reaction of events that continue to resonate 17 years later. Pendulum’s collaboration with Mr. Sean Kane on the Buck O’Neil tribute painted glove was incredibly special. The images below are the illustrator’s design notes as we progressed through the process of design.

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In addition to the Buck O’Neil Tribute Glove, Pendulum commissioned Sean Kane to paint a tribute to Hank Greenberg pictured below.

The Look Ahead

While many organizations use this time of year to reflect on past accomplishments, Pendulum’s focus is straight ahead. We are committed to more dynamic collaborations with incredibly talented and passionate creatives. Stay tuned for several major announcements first quarter 2023.

Acknowledgments

Lighting the ‘FUSE’ on a Dream Like Ballpark In NC

“Architect Cole has broken the code for creating 5,000-seat ballparks for half the budget of other such facilities.” – Jock Mock USA Today Sports

USA Today Sports Weekly released an in-depth article by Joe Mock. The article chroniclesMock’s recent visit to CaroMont Health Park, home of the Gastonia Honey Hunters. The Honey Hunters are the newest Atlantic League team located in Gastonia, NC.

on May 27, 2021 CaroMont Health Park opened to a capacity crowd. To add to the fanfare, Earvin “Magic” Johnson made an in-person appearance as a show of support to the Gastonia community and team owner Brandon Bellamy.

Click this link to read the full article: USA Today Sports Weekly June 23 – 29, 2021

CaroMont Health Park/FUSE District Phase Two Development Concept

Phase one construction for the ballpark is complete, now our sights are set on the surrounding commercial development. Pendulum authored an advance look at what phase two may entail – see image above for a broad overview. Pendulum will continue to expand our efforts at “breaking the code” forward thinking design. Affordable solutions to economic development with sport facilities as the catalyst for growth is our specialty.

The Grill Nation Show Preview – Next up: Jason Grill & Pendulum’s Jonathan Cole

The Grill Nation Show featuring Jason Grill and Jonathan Cole will air on Saturday July 11, 2020 on KMBZ 980AM and on iTunes.  In this clip Cole answers the question “what is your favorite stadium (that you didn’t work on) and why?”  It is just a sneak peek of the full conversation that goes into detail about Pendulum’s history, inspirations, emotional muscle memory, and design methodology.

Be sure to tune in on Saturday…this will be a lot of fun!

 

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For Immediate Release – Jonathan O’Neil Cole Acquires 100% Ownership of Pendulum Studio, LLC

Kansas City, Missouri, July 1, 2020

As founding principal, Jonathan O’Neil Cole has served as managing member and 51% owner of Pendulum, a Kansas City-based architecture firm, since its launch in 2007.  As of July 1, 2020 Cole has acquired the remaining 49% balance of company shares and shall continue serving in his role as practice leader and CEO.

“I am honored to be in the position to continue to lead Pendulum in the direction of growth and innovation.  While this acquisition is more of a formality, I do believe it will provide a great deal of clarity for our employees, collaborators, and past, present, and future clients.  While there are very few things I’d change about our history, we’ve certainly got an extremely bright future ahead of us,” Cole said.

About Pendulum

Founded in 2007 in Kansas City, Missouri, Pendulum has gained notoriety in the sports architecture marketplace with the design of thirteen built sports facilities and counting.  Of recent note Pendulum teamed with Florida based Fawley Bryant Architecture to complete the design of Cool Today Park, spring training home of the Atlanta Braves.  The completion of Cool Today Park in March of 2019 was quickly followed by the two firms being selected to design the  renovation of Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, spring training home of the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals.  In addition to sports architecture Pendulum has developed a reputation for the design of unique Kansas City, Missouri commercial buildings including The Guild, RW/2 Studios, and Crosstown Substation.

About Jonathan O’Neil Cole, AIA, NCARB, NOMA

Education

    • 1990 – 1995 California Polytechnic University Pomona, Bachelor of Architecture

Positions Held

    • 1995 HNTB Corporation – Irvine, CA – Design Staff Member
    • 2001 HOK Sport S+V+E – Associate Staff Member
    • 2006 360 Architecture – Architect/Market Leader
    • 2007 Pendulum – Principal

Awards

    • 2020 Rethinking The Future Awards – Future Stadia
    • 2019 CSI Award, Innovative Design + Function – Wyco Vintage Broadway Kansas City, Missouri
    • 2019 CSI Award, Visionary Design – Cool Today Park North Port, Florida
    • 2018 CSI Award, Community Investment – The Corner Ballpark Detroit, Michigan
    • 2018 CSI Award, Excellence in Craftsmanship – Dunkin’ Donuts Park Hartford, Connecticut
    • 2018 Hartford Magazine Best Sports Venue – Dunkin’ Donuts Park Hartford, Connecticut
    • 2018 Kansas City Business Journal Coolest Office Award – Pendulum Headquarters Kansas City, Missouri
    • 2017 Ballpark Digest Best Ballpark Award – Dunkin’ Donuts Park Hartford, CT
    • 2017 Baseballparks.com Ballpark of the Year – Dunkin’ Donuts Park Hartford, CT
    • 2017 ACEC Michigan Engineering Eminent Connector Award – Jimmy John’s Field Utica, Michigan
    • 2017 Phoenix Community Impact Award Excellence in Brownfield Redevelopment – Jimmy John’s Field Utica, Michigan
    • 2017 IIDA Mid America Design Silver Award for Renovation & Restoration – Pendulum Headquarters Kansas City, Missouri
    • 2017 NOMA Honor Award, Built Category – Dunkin’ Donuts Park  Hartford, Connecticut
    • 2016 Ballpark Digest Best Renovation – AutoZone Park Memphis, Tennessee
    • 2014 EDC Cornerstone Award – Crosstown Substation Kansas City, Missouri
    • 2013 NOMA Design Excellence Citation – RW/2 Studio & The Guild Kansas City, Missouri
    • 2013 EDC Cornerstone Award for Residential Building – East Village Apartments Kansas City, Missouri 

Pendulum Celebrates 13 Year Anniversary!

May 18, 2020 was the 13th anniversary of the launch of Pendulum.  Under normal circumstances we’d be gearing up for an amazing party with friends and close collaborators but these aren’t normal times with COVID-19 forcing the globe to proceed with caution.

Even though we can’t gather together in one place, our CEO Jonathan O’Neil Cole shared a few words about what this year means to him.

Many thanks to our staff, clients, close collaborators for fueling our ability to keep swinging.

Shout outs:

Behr Productions – music score

 

Public Assembly Spaces Post COVID-19, Brief Thoughts on a Path Forward

 

For Immediate Release – 2020 Pendulum Client Awards

 

As designers, awards are highly coveted in recognition of our vision and as acknowledgment from our peers and colleagues for a job well done.  When our projects win our clients win – they share in the bragging rights, but we’ve decided to take that sentiment a step further.  Pendulum is pleased to announce the launch of the “Pendulum Client Awards”.  We will nominate and select three clients from the previous year for their accomplishments in their individual market segments, their vision, and overall willingness to collaborate with us on the execution of designs that we believe in.

We’ll announce the first of three awards on January 30, 2020 at 10 AM CST.

Design Review – Crosstown Substation

As designers and curators of space, sometimes it takes time for our vision and intent to be fully realized in the built environment.  This can happen because the resources required to execute the vision aren’t available, or it could be that the stakeholders we originally sold on the design are no longer in place.  Unfortunately at times our vision isn’t fully realized because we didn’t clearly communicate our intent loud enough so that those that need to hear it get it.   As we take this moment to recognize projects from our past and present we think Crosstown Substation completed in 2013 warrants a mention as one of the most underutilized and unrecognized projects in Kansas City.

Pendulum was presented with the challenge of creating an architectural buffer between pedestrian traffic and high voltage electrical equipment that occupies an entire city block at the intersection of 18th Street and Holmes in the Crossroads District of Kansas City, MO.  Our solution ornamentally wrapped Zahner Solanum Weathering Steel around white concrete panels designed to display projected still and motion video (see image of full size mock up below).  A kinetic display of light was designed by artist Jim Woodfill to interact with the patterned weathering steel to create splashes of color and programmed motion.

Although the static white painted concrete panels that surround the substation survived several years without significant graffiti, sadly due to low traffic and the absence of curated projected art, we’ve seen an increase of vandalism over the past two years.  As we transition from winter to spring and the kick off of First Fridays in the Crossroads we’d love to see the substation utilized to its full potential and as intended.  Our vision for Crosstown Substation is a hub of pedestrian activity, a backdrop for local digital art, films, fashion shows, automotive gatherings, community events, cultural gatherings, concerts, etc.  The videos included in this blog represent a small cross section of what can be, hopefully a planted seed that one day blossoms into something much larger.  Stay tuned…this could be good!

For a virtual tour of our design click the link: Crosstown Substation Tour

 

 

Buck O’Neil Education Center – Web Interactive Project Launch

Our latest web interactive release is a design concept for upgrades to the Buck O’Neil Eduction Center located in the 18th & Vine Jazz District of Kansas City, MO at the corner of 18th street and Martin Luther King Blvd. (formerly Paseo Blvd.).

Pendulum was retained by the City of Kansas City, MO to conceptualize  renovations and add an iconic feature to the north facade of the building that is identifiable from several blocks away.  Our scope included the addition of vertical circulation in the form of a pedestrian ramp, stairs and a passenger elevator.  The scope was then expanded to include additional storage, an open air elevated cafe deck, and a freight elevator connecting the basement and the first two floors above the grade level.  The improvements in total will enhance the operator’s ability to substantially expand his/her offerings to private entities and the community.

Click the rotating image above to take the virtual tour of the project.  Stay tuned for upcoming announcements, more projects will be added.

 

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