Our Firm

History

Richard B. Hudgens Architect was formed in March 1979 and was based in Linden, Alabama which is located in the “Black Belt” region of Alabama. Mr. Hudgens’ roots go back seven generations in this region of Alabama and the firm was formed four years after Mr. Hudgens graduated from Auburn University with degrees in Architecture and Building Science. The firm has completed a comprehensive range of projects over the past thirty-seven years including: renovation of existing public housing projects and new public housing projects; new schools and renovation of existing schools; new National Guard armories and maintenance facilities; new assisted living facilities; hospital emergency rooms; medical offices and clinics both new and renovations; day care facilities; housing for youths with special needs; historic hotel renovations and additions; new office buildings; house museums and visitor’s centers for historic parks; private residential projects including renovation, restoration and additions to historic houses; repairs and restoration to historic churches; renovation and restoration to historic city halls; historic lighting fixture restoration and renovation; and specialized historic interior and exterior finishes including soft and hard furnishings.

The firm has specialized in historic renovation and restoration projects throughout Alabama and Mississippi. In order to improve his qualifications in the preservation field of architecture, Mr. Hudgens attended Attingham Summer School in Shropshire, England in 1982 where the intensive course was lead by members of the British National Trust and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Two years later in 1984, Mr. Hudgens continued his education at West Dean College in England and completed their architectural conservation course where the emphasis was on protecting the historic fabric of buildings with modern conservation methods.

Preservation

The firm began work on historic projects for the Alabama Historical Commission in the 1980’s and prides itself on over thirty years of successful projects with the Alabama Historical Commission. All of the buildings in the Alabama Historical Commission Museum Projects are on the National Register and several are National Historic Landmarks. Many of the private historic projects are on the National Register as well. The firm is very familiar with the Secretary of the Interiors Standards for Historic Preservation and the review process with the National Park Services and State and Local Historic Review Boards.

The firm was hired by the City of Selma, Alabama to write its Historic Ordinance and also serves as advisor to the Architectural Review Board. Selma has the largest number of historic districts of any City in Alabama and all structures in those districts are subject to review by the Architectural Review Board.

In 1989 Mr. Hudgens moved the firm from Linden, Alabama to Selma, Alabama where it is currently located. Selma is the largest city in Alabama’s Black Belt region which is the home to some of the grandest antebellum buildings in the state. Many of the historic buildings the firm works on are repaired, renovated, or restored in phases over several years. This approach can actually enrich a project because it gives more time for research and analysis of the building and time for the Owners to refine their program. Very careful analysis and observation is required of a building before a major project is begun. The firm has understood that expert consultants in historic materials and finishes are required to solve complex problems that are very often the result of multiple factors in historic buildings. The firm has built a very successful relationship with experts in these fields completing numerous projects together.

Mission

The firm’s mission is to continue to preserve our architectural heritage in the South and enable it to retain its historic integrity while successfully adjusting to the technological innovations of the future.

Vision

The firm’s vision is that our built environment is a three dimensional link to the past and without it we as a people loose context as to our place in the world. It is imperative that we understand where we have come from in order to understand what kind of world we want to create. By contributing to the preservation and continued use of our historic structures, landscapes, and furnishings from the smallest most mundane to the grandest and most opulent; we enable future generations to better understand what their heritage is and what their context is in the world. We are not just American citizens anymore; we are world citizens now with many common values. Our built heritage helps make us unique.