Master Planner, HGOR, Celebrates Grand Opening of Assembly Studios

ATLANTA, Jan. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The unveiling of Assembly Studios, a 50-acre cutting-edge hub for film and TV, marks a significant milestone in the Georgia film industry. After two years of collaboration and planning, Atlanta-based planning and landscape architecture firm HGOR is celebrating a major achievement in the Doraville, GA, project together with partners Gray Television, The Gipson Company, Smith Dalia Architects. As the prime consultant for Assembly Studios, comprised of nearly one million total SF of studio soundstages, support buildings, miles of public sidewalks and trails with over six acres of open space, which provides over 1.6 million cubic feet of storage contained within two amenitized stormwater facilities, HGOR’s efforts have given life to a big idea—delivering a distinct destination like no other. 

Coined the “Idea of the Idea,” the initial concept of Assembly Atlanta, home of Assembly Studios, embodies a commitment to innovation, creativity, and sustainability across the 130-acre property. Led by HGOR Principal Chris Mutter, the team’s overarching concept focused on creating authentic filmable opportunities inside a walkable urban construct that prioritizes environmental sensitivity. They contemplated if walkable scale development blocks complemented by engaging human scale elements organized around an architectural character and aesthetics would create a dynamic, mixed-use development. They wondered if using stormwater management as an amenity to create civic open spaces could offer numerous opportunities. Turns out that it was all possible.

The Goal: Blending television and filmmaking with an exceptional public environment to deliver an extraordinary destination.

To accomplish this goal for the purpose-built film studio, HGOR skillfully planned each component of the master plan to consider every opportunity for filming. Meticulous designs for Assembly Studios centered around an outward-facing film studio that engages with public streets and is rich in architectural character, emulating New York’s brownstones and early industrial Tribeca architecture, European limestone elevations, and the New Orleans French Quarter. The design, architecture, and material elements represent various street typologies and maximize the potential for filming throughout the entire environment. The master plan’s organization provides a sense of intimacy as it breaks down the massive scope of the site into walkable-sized blocks, giving a sense of character, promoting walkability, and allowing a single block to be closed for filming without disrupting daily function and circulation. 

A commitment to environmental stewardship guided the evolution of the planning for HGOR. A brownfield site, previously with 100% impervious coverage within the Nancy Creek watershed basin, which directly influences the water quality of the Chattahoochee River, stormwater management measures did not exist. HGOR’s master plan created two separate multi-functional amenitized green spaces, saving roughly $12 million versus traditional underground stormwater management vaults. Inside Assembly Studios, “A two-acre stormwater park provides the stormwater basin, gathering and event space, and a unique filmable setting within the wet pond, or ‘wet stage’ where vehicles can literally drive across,” as HGOR Principal Chris Mutter states. This creative solution allows the development to “Manage water responsibly by encouraging infiltration and protecting water quality,” says Mutter. Similarly, the design of the four-acre public park outside the film studio enables it to hold stormwater storage capacity for another 50 acres of the property and serve as the central public gathering space for the development. The park will support events of up to 5,000 people and provide delicate environmental sensitivity, bringing the site to the current best practices and beyond. 

What originated as a vision is now a reality. Assembly Studios demonstrates that innovative thinking and creative solutions can result in unparalleled experiences. An embodiment of HGOR’s SEE philosophy, Assembly Studios has delivered an immersive, film-inspired experience tailored for entertainment, meticulously curated for everyday life, and purposefully implementing meaningful sustainability for future generations. 

ABOUT HGOR
HGOR is an Atlanta-based planning and landscape architecture firm that provides holistic design approaches backed by decades of experience in cross-disciplinary innovation. Founded in 1992, HGOR develops people-centric, innovative, cost-effective, and strategically planned design solutions.

CONTACT:
Christi Burton | [email protected] | WWW.HGOR.COM

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SOURCE HGOR