RDA Holiday Gift Guide - Park Circle Edition

As small business owners and proud members of Lowcountry Local First, we believe in supporting our hyperlocal economic eco-system, hence this year’s edition of RDA’s Holiday Gift Guide will highlight our go-to Park Circle / North Charleston businesses. We encourage everyone to be intentional with your dollars as shopping local provides great benefits for both individuals and communities. When consumers choose to patronize local businesses, they support their local economy, as a greater percentage of their spending stays within the community. This helps create jobs and stimulates economic growth by fostering entrepreneurship. Additionally, local shops often offer unique products and personalized customer service that larger chains cannot match. Shopping locally also contributes to a sense of community identity and cohesion, as residents become more connected to the places they live. Furthermore, local businesses tend to have a smaller environmental footprint, reducing the impact associated with long-distance shipping and promoting more sustainable practices. Consider supporting one or more of our Park Circle neighborhood shops below this holiday season or those local to you.

“For every $1 spent with a local business, over two-thirds ($0.68) stays in the local community to support local families, local causes, and other local businesses. It’s called the multiplier effect. By contrast, for every $1 spent with a national retailer, only about 30% to 40% stays local, or $0.30 to $0.40.”

— American Express 2022 Small Business Economic Impact Study

ROADSIDE BLOOMS

Self-described as Community Oriented, Socially + Environmentally Conscious, Creative Thinkers, Inspiring Makers and Educatoris, the team at Roadside Blooms is not only the experts on flower arranging, events and workshops, but have a curated selection of plants and gifts at all price ranges. OR give someone on your list “Flowers for a Year!”

[4491 Durant Ave, North Charleston, SC]

SHOP DOMESTICS

Curated by Charleston Interior Designer, Lauren Waldorf, Shop Domestics offers “fine and found goods for the Soulful Home. Shop Domestics brings together a collection of furniture, home decor, self care items, accessories for you and your home.”

[4411 Spruill Ave, North Charleston, SC]

FIREFLY DISTILLERY

In addition to purchasing spirits, Firefly Distillery offers branded merch, unique tailgating and bar gifts - or consider a gift card for a Tour and Tasting experience.

[4201 Spruill Ave. North Charleston, SC]

ODD DUCK MARKET

Stop by Odd Duck for coffee and breakfast and peruse their collection of local food and beverages as well as locally made products from Rewined and Old Whaling Company to name a few.

[1082 E Montague Ave, North Charleston]

EVENTIDE PENNANT COMPANY

“Whether you're announcing your new little one to the world, celebrating a long-awaited adoption, congratulating a loved one, documenting your baby's monthly growth, or sending your kids off to school... we're here to help you mark milestones and holidays and make them memorable!”

[4470 Newmans Aly, North Charleston, SC]

ITINERANT LITERATE BOOK STOP

Itinerant Literate Books opened in 2015 as a mobile and pop-up bookstore and in 2018 opened the flagship bricks-and-mortar Bookstop in Park Circle. Our name is reflective of our mission: we believe stories are powerful vehicles for growth and that access to knowledge should not be limited by zip code or district.

[4824 Chateau Ave, North Charleston, SC]

NEIGHBORLY

“A thoughtful mix of goods made and gathered for you and your neighbors.” Curated by Jamee Haley of Lowcountry Local First fame, Neighborly is the newest shop on this list, officially opening on Small Business Saturday 11/30 and carrying local brands J Stark and Smithey Iron Works among many others.

[1042 E. Montague Ave, North Charleston]

THE STATION at PARK CIRCLE

This popular vendor centric shop has a mixture of art, home goods, records, vintage furniture and clothing.

[4610 Spruill Ave, North Charleston, SC]

Sweetgrass Pharmacy at Carolina Park

During the first design meeting with the Owner’s of Sweetgrass Pharmacy, we discussed the architecture of the building reinforcing their existing pharmacy brand, the use of natural looking materials to provide a warm and welcoming building and the desire for a forward-looking, modern building to match the innovation that happens in their compounding lab. The property fronts Park Avenue Boulevard in Carolina Park, Mount Pleasant, which allowed for the building to hold a strong street presence with the main customer entrance, a take on the corner store entry, near the parking and drive-through lane. Materials were chosen for their warmth, texture and durability, and include Meridian Brick “Magnolia Bay” in queen size, Nichiha Vintage Wood siding in a cedar tone and Hardie Artisan V-Groove siding.

Main customer entry with an angled inset and steep canopy is a contemporary derivative of the corner store entry.

Detail view of main corner entrance with angled steel canopy.

Daytime view from Park Avenue Boulevard in Carolina Park, Mount Pleasant.

Evening view from Park Avenue Boulevard in Carolina Park, Mount Pleasant.

15 Years | Rush Dixon Architects

As we mark our 15th year in business, we wanted to thank all of our clients, colleagues and mentors for being a part of our story. We consider it a great privilege and responsibility to design for our community and neighbors. In honor of this and in recognition of the opportunities we have been given, we have made a donation to each of these local non-profit clients; please check out their missions and programs if you are considering supporting the Charleston community.

One80 Place

Mission: Ending and Preventing Homelessness

35 Walnut Street, Charleston, SC 29403

Click here for their website.

Their mission to end and prevent homelessness in Charleston with a vision where everyone is housed. In 1984, community leaders came together to start a shelter to help the growing number of people who were homeless. Over three decades later, what started as a small effort to address an emergency need grew to be largest provider of homelessness services in Charleston. “While we are bigger than we used to be, we are local, regionally focused, and cater to our clients one person at a time, one family at a time.” Since the start of the pandemic, 134 individuals (including children, women, men and Veterans) have been moved into homes of their own. In addition, One80 Place tested all of the staff and clients in the shelter last month with everyone testing negative - a satisfying demonstration of their social distancing and sanitation protocols at work.

Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center

Mission: Prevent Abuse, Protect Children and Heal Families.

1061 King Street Charleston, SC 29403

Click here for their website.

Child abuse does not define who a child is or who they will become. At the Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center, children and families have a safe, child-friendly place to turn when there is a concern about abuse. Primary services include providing immediate support and assistance to children and their families through forensic interviews, medical examinations and mental health assessments. Dee Norton also provides therapy to child victims and their families where appropriate. Dee Norton is a community-based, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and coordinates with more than 30 partner agencies in the Charleston community to take appropriate action and deliver the critical services needed for the child and family. Since 1991, Dee Norton has helped over 29,000 children and their families.

East Cooper Community Outreach

Providing safety net services to our low income neighbors, while empowering them to create a better future for themselves, their families, and our communities.

1145 Six Mile Road Mount Pleasant, SC 29466

Click here for additional information on their website.

Founded as an emergency relief effort in 1989 after the devastation from Hurricane Hugo, East Cooper Community Outreach (ECCO) has since grown into a permanent resource for the community in need with three main program areas: Basic Needs, Health Services and Empowerment. Thousands of families a year receive emergency assistance for food, clothing, household furnishings, financial aid, and have access to dental care, medical care, prescription assistance, counseling, and educational opportunities like financial literacy classes, computer skills training, job readiness workshops. These services are all enhanced through personal interaction with staff who provide individualized support for each client, ongoing case management, and emphasize accountability and achievement.

Paul R. Williams Student Scholarship

[07.01.22 UPDATE: We have just been notified that this scholarship is no long an active program. Please consider supporting or participating in the National Organization of Minority Architects’ HBCU Professional Development Program instead.]

We are life-long learners. As architects, we are always seeking a greater understanding of design precedents, building science, context and history to inform our work. We bring an open mind to each client, project and opportunity. As entrepreneurs and small business owners, we understand the highs and lows of the journey, the grind and hustle involved. We also understand that the opportunities we have been given, as a white woman and a white man, are not universally given. And while we look at the world with empathy and optimism, we now understand that all of this is not enough.

It is not enough when our industry does not reflect the diversity of our country’s population. It is not enough when only 2% of licensed architects in the AIA (American Institute of Architects) are African American. It is not enough when only 0.3% of licensed architects are women of color.

From Alice Liao’s “Diversity in Architecture” piece for Architect Magazine (May 2019) “According to the Census Bureau, the U.S. population is 61 percent white, 13 percent African American, 18 percent Hispanic or Latinx, 6 percent Asian, and 1 percent Native American. Meanwhile, the makeup of AIA members is 67 percent white, 2 percent African American, 5 percent Hispanic or Latinx, 6 percent Asian, and less than 1 percent Native American, with 18 percent not reporting.” This first article in her three part series pinpoints barriers to entry including cognizance of the architecture profession, money and biases (both latent and expressed).

It is a fact that the more diverse the room is, the better the outcome. It is important for any workforce to reflect the population they are serving. Specific to the architectural industry, having designers who represent the building users and people who work, love and play in that community is the only way to truly create an inspired and relevant built environment for every person.

We started thinking about how to increase the diversity and equity in the architectural profession and looked toward scholarship opportunities for persons of color. That led us to DesignClass’ Paul R. Williams Student Scholarship. In their words, “Paul Williams kicked off a prolific career by becoming the first licensed African-American member of the AIA in 1923. Throughout his life he designed over 2,000 buildings in California and helped shape Los Angeles into the metropolitan city it is today. In 1957, Williams became the first African-American elected as a Fellow of the AIA. DesignClass honors the legacy of Paul R. Williams with a scholarship for African-American architecture students seeking to foster curious and creative confidence in their communities.” The scholarship provides financial assistance to African American students studying at a NAAB accredited architecture program. [More to come on Mr. Williams’ work in a future blog.]

Please help spread the word, consider contributing to this scholarship fund and sharing other ways that the veterans of our profession can help the industry to achieve true racial equity. As always, we are works in progress and welcome any and all lessons we have yet to learn.

“Talent is universal but opportunity is not.”

Kennedy Odede