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.
“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.
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.
Pendulum gives back to Gastonia Community Kids & Local Heroes
Media Contact:
Veronica Jeon
Gastonia Honey Hunters
media@gohoneyhunters.com
(202) 803-3303
Gastonia, NC – June 10, 2021– The Gastonia Honey Hunters Baseball Team announced a new initiative that will positively impact communities in Gastonia. Jonathan Cole, Founding Principal of Pendulum Studio, and architect of the CaroMont Ballpark in the FUSE District has entered into an agreement with the Team to purchase season tickets, which will be donated to deserving students or local heroes in the City.
The initiative titled, “Mayor’s Choice Presented by Pendulum” is a three-year commitment for four (4) season tickets to Honey Hunters home games. The seats are located on the front row directly behind home plate, which will provide attendees with the ultimate baseball game experience. In partnership with the City of Gastonia, deserving youth and local residents will be selected to attend each game.
“I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Cole for this substantial contribution to the Gaston community,” said Gastonia’s Mayor Walker E. Reid, III. “Our residents are a precious resource, and it is important that we work together as a community to help them see that they have our support.”
One of the leading minds in the sports facility design world, Jonathan Cole has led design efforts on over 28 minor league ballparks across the nation in the past 25 years.
“We are thrilled to announce our newest community-based initiative and we are delighted to assist the underserved in our community,” said Team Owner Brandon Bellamy. “Through this partnership, we are grateful to Jonathan Cole and Pendulum to be able to provide local residents and youth with this incredible experience.”
Mr. Cole said that the partnership between the City, Brandon Bellamy, and the Honey Hunters inspired him to invest in Gastonia’s future that starts with the youth, specifically youth that may never have had the opportunity to experience a professional sporting event from the front row.
“During the past three years Pendulum has worked with the City of Gastonia, I’ve been impressed with Mayor’s Reid’s consistent vision for the city’s growth and development,” said Jonathan Cole, Pendulum Founding Principal. “The Mayor and Brandon Bellamy have always put emphasis on the fact that the ballpark is for everyone. It is my commitment to build bridges and develop emotional muscle memory that encourages the community to give back to others when they can.”
The donation represents an ongoing commitment by Pendulum Studio to provide support that assists vulnerable populations, which has historically included financial assistance toward disaster relief and recovery, promoting positive relationship skills, and building mental health resiliency.
To nominate a deserving youth or recognize a local hero in the Gaston community, click here.
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About Gastonia Honey Hunters Baseball: Located in Gastonia, NC, just minutes west of Charlotte, the Gastonia Honey Hunters is one of the newest teams in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB). The Atlantic League is the first Professional Partner League of Major League Baseball, a leader in baseball innovation, and a player gateway to Major League Baseball. Led by team owner, Brandon Bellamy, a passionate and purpose-driven real estate entrepreneur and CEO of The Velocity Companies, Honey Hunters Baseball aims to provide Gaston County with family-friendly entertainment and first-rate baseball, taking the field for its inaugural season in 2021. The newly-constructed 5,000-seat FUSE ballpark is the team’s home field, offering fans an intimate and memorable experience, as well as a year-long calendar of exciting events, including concerts, sporting events and community celebrations. For more information on Honey Hunters Baseball, please visit www.GoHoneyHunters.com. To sign up for Honey Hunters announcements, please join our mailing list here. Instagram: @GoHoneyHunters; Twitter: @GoHoneyHunters; Facebook: /GoHoneyHunters
About Jonathan O’Neil Cole AIA, NCARB, NOMA: Jonathan O’Neil Cole is the founding principal of Pendulum Studio, a Kansas City, MO based architectural practice that specializes in the design and documentation of civic structures, multi-family housing, and sports facilities. Cole is responsible for national business development, design, and management of sports projects. He has an eye for design that is complimented by his ability to realize in every project the potential to deliver long-term value to his clients and their stakeholders. Cole has developed an expertise in the development of community-oriented designs that foster environmental and economic sustainability. It is for this reason that Cole is considered one of the leading minds in the sports facility design world. For more information, please visit www.pendulumkc.com.
After being named a member of the VenuesNow 2020 All-Stars class, Our CEO Jonathan O’Neil Cole was invited to join a Facebook Live roundtable of industry experts. The panel moderated by Jeff Nickler of the Oak View Group was held on October 22nd covering a number of relevant topics currently on the minds of many.
To view a recording of the Facebook Live broadcast click the link above. The hour long program covers topics for conversation that include:
The impact of COVID19 on daily business operations
Thoughts on public assembly post COVID19 – See Pendulum’s thoughts in white paper releases: Part One & Part Two
COVID-19 stopped the live industry in its tracks in March and left event professionals with many more questions than answers. Many of the 2020 honorees stood out for their ideas and efforts to revive the business in the face of a pandemic and make important changes necessary for fans to return to sporting events and concerts. The VenuesNow moderator sat down with a select group of 2020 VenuesNow All-Stars to talk about how they navigated 2020 and what the future holds for the venue and facility business.
As architects we often spend a great deal of energy on projects that at the moment feel like the most important work we’ve ever done. We forget that although we have influence over design we have no control over political will, the economy, and most of all territorial rights and approvals. That being said, some of our best work gets locked away in the vault or collects dust on a shelf somewhere in the office.
Pendulum designed this ballpark with intensions for placement on the Expo 67 Island in Montreal Quebec Canada. At the time it felt like the one opportunity we’d have in a long time to aggressively stretch our design thinking – after all, the ballpark is surrounded by architectural icons.
Unfortunately the project came to a screeching halt. Ten years after the fact our CEO, Jonathan O’Neil Cole said he dreamt he attended an event at the facility….then he woke up with notes on required design adjustments…so that’s what we did.
We never stop thinking about how to make our projects better…As Jonathan always says: “Design Is Change”.
Pendulum is pleased to announce a new website feature now live in our portfolio. We are kicking things of with the multi-award wining Dunkin’ Donuts Park, home of the Hartford Yard Goats.
Visitors are welcome to drag their mouse or finger across their computer screen or smart device and rotate the digital model in a walking tour of the ballpark. There are hot spots that can be clicked to launch enraged images and brief descriptions of featured areas.
Jonathan Cole, founding principal of Kansas City, MO based Pendulum stated “virtual reality and 3D visualization is an important part of our daily process from the very beginning stages of design. We communicate the sometimes crazy ideas rolling around in our head in real time and in a human scale which in my mind is a great advantage over the historic use of scaled physical models. Our clients no longer have to interpret our drawings because we are placing them in our models at every meeting, it’s an environment that feels very real. This new web feature also allows us to engage the public/fan and experience the ballpark before they arrive at a game…they’ll know what to expect; we think that’s powerful.”
Click the rotating image above to launch our new interactive feature. Stay tuned for upcoming announcements, more ballparks will be added.
Every year for the last nine years Pendulum has completed a new or substantially renovated ballpark in addition to other civic and/or boutique projects. In the last three years we’ve made a conscious effort to shift our focus from a traditional architectural delivery methodology to a process that encourages a curating of the built environment.
Most of our clients as well as the users of our buildings are heavily influenced by art, fashion, food, music, environment, and automobiles just to name a few. The combination of these elements in interior and exterior spaces fosters enhanced user experiences. There is a certain vibe that people are looking for when they attend events in or around our facilities. Most people don’t spend much time thinking about why something is cool or why it feels right, but they immediately know when something is off, when the vibe is not authentic.
Our job as curators of the built environment is to design experiences that feel effortlessly appropriate and ahead of the curve. This design journal exposes you to some of our triumphs as well as our process. It is evidence that we not only talk the talk…we live it.
For the last 23 years I’ve spent virtually every day of my life working in some capacity on sports projects. That being said, my work has required relentless travel across the nation to service my clients and projects. One of the many things I learned early in my career from my mentor Henry Stickney (former CEO of Mandalay Baseball Properties) is, “if you’re going to travel – log miles with one airline.” When we first met we were “logging miles” together on TWA exclusively. He would layover in St. Louis, MO just long enough for me to meet up with him for a flight to Dayton, OH. We did this every week for about two years. After TWA was bought out we started logging miles on Delta. Two million miles later… the rest is history.
This volume of “Design Is Everywhere” is documentation of my travels and a tribute to my many clients over the years. One of the additional lessons learned from Hank, as the owner/operator of several Minor League Baseball teams and the individual who taught me everything I know about the business of baseball, is, “when you go to a ballpark, you should always buy merchandise; after all, it’s all about the per caps baby!”. I’ve kept that lesson close to my heart for the last 20 years. He helped me to understand that my contribution to the ballpark-built environment is about more than just lines on paper. The truth of the matter is that I’m a real fan of the game and a fan of what my clients do. I’m excited about their brands and I proudly wear their gear on the streets of Kansas City all the time. When we design a ballpark, we pour our sweat and occasional tears into what we are doing; as far as I’m concerned we are members of the team even though we’re not playing on the field. As such we find that during the process of design there are a few funny stories that develop along the way. Even more important than that: there are real relationships that we’ve developed and nurtured over the years that are a byproduct of the work. Some of these relationships have absolutely shaped who we have become. So shout out to all the teams featured in this volume; we wouldn’t be who we are without you!
Stay tuned for the next volume release, we’ll share a few stories about how several of our clients have impacted our trajectory over the years.
Credits:
Behr Productions – Original Music Score (instagram @behr_productions)
