Photo courtesy of Turner Batson.
The exterior of Mountain Brook Junior High School following renovations.
A century’s worth of TurnerBatson’s design work can be seen in a drive around Mountain Brook, from historic estates like the Ireland House on Fairway Drive to ongoing renovations at Mountain Brook Baptist Church and Mountain Brook Junior High School.
“A 100-year anniversary is a big deal,” said Dave Reese, TurnerBatson’s president and principal architect. “We want to celebrate that, and being able to look back and look ahead at the same time is a really healthy thing to do.”
The architecture firm was initially founded in 1924 by George P. Turner, who was known for designing many of the estate homes in Mountain Brook and original homes in the Hollywood section of Homewood. Turner studied in Spain and is credited with bringing the Spanish-style influence to the Hollywood neighborhood.
In the 1950s, Edgar Batson married George Turner’s daughter, and joined the firm to create Turner and Batson Architects. Early design projects for the firm included East Lake Hospital, Dawson Memorial Baptist Church and more than 200 other church and institutional projects.
Batson’s son, Rick, joined the firm in the 1970s, becoming the third-generation leader of the family business. Rick Batson retired in 2017, and TurnerBatson is now led by Reese and Vice President Eric Berg, who has been with the firm 30 years.
Reese and Berg consider themselves to be the “fourth generation” of an extended “family” business. There are now 23 team members including architects, interior designers and 3D software specialists.
While residential projects aren’t a primary focus for the firm, Reese has designed more than 80 homes in the Homewood and Mountain Brook areas for his commercial clients and neighbors.
“I have always been passionate about residential design, and my involvement has allowed me to develop rewarding, lifelong relationships with so many families,” he said.
Other past TurnerBatson projects include the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Birmingham, East Lake Methodist Church, Trinity United Methodist Church, The University of Alabama’s Tutwiler Residence Hall and Performing Arts Academic Center, Highlands College and the Trussville Entertainment District.
Reese helped lead the design work for the renovation underway at Mountain Brook Junior High, which includes demolishing the original one-story facility and replacing it with a glassy, three-story, Tudor-inspired design. He said a turret at the entry drive helps integrate the school with the historic neighborhoods around it.
“It was such an honor to get to help re-envision this important school and that my three kids will get to enjoy it,” Reese said. Another phase in the school’s interior renovations is slated to begin this summer.
The renovations at Mountain Brook Baptist Church offer a full-circle project for the firm, since the original 1950s church sanctuary, now the chapel building, was designed by George Turner. His watercolor rendering hangs in the narthex in the church.
Construction began in March on a facility-wide interior renovation at the church, including a new youth area and updates in the chapel, gymnasium, Sunday School classrooms, corridors and restrooms.
A second-phase of renovations to the sanctuary, gathering areas and preschool classrooms is scheduled to begin in the fall.
Both Berg and Reese work to carry on the legacy founded in the early days of the firm.
“Our designs are intended to reflect and enhance the culture of our clients,” Reese said. “Our business legacy has been based on our desire to provide exceptional service and thoughtful, intentional design.”
“Our team is exceptional, and we are honored to be working with some very special clients,” Berg said. “We think the future looks very bright.”
