How Birmingham-Based Blackshop Is Making Its Mark On The Iron City

Architect Cassandra Kellogg and residential designer Zane Morgan are redefining what it means to be a metalsmith. Hailing from New York and Alabama respectively, the married duo met in Auburn’s architecture program before completing thesis projects with the university’s renowned Rural Studio, ultimately founding Birmingham-based Blackshop in 2015. Although its scope still includes full-scale architectural projects, their firm evolved to focus on high-end metal fabrication. Comprising mostly blackened steel (occasionally brass, bronze, stainless steel or copper) the couple’s timeless work is equal parts strong and sturdy, finessed and delicate. Here, Kellogg tells us how they’re making their mark on the Iron City.

Does your architectural training impact how you work with clients? Being able to interpret the needs of a trade client or very sophisticated homeowner is one of our strong suits. We collaborate at every stage of the process—from concept to drawings to production. We understand high expectations and get really excited about things like scale and detail. A weld or fastener gets special attention.

It seems you treat the fastener as an object of beauty, rather than just utility. We get so obsessed about some of these, analyzing what type of screw heads to use, and if they all face the same direction as the main material. It sounds over-the-top, but that thoughtfulness is what makes these details sing, or can make a complicated piece appear minimal.

Do you have different areas of specialty? Zane is a very proficient welder and great all around in the shop. My expertise is patina; Zane calls me the finishing queen.

What’s next? We have a furniture line in the works, but we’ll need more space first. We’re breaking ground this year on a much larger workshop and new home for our family on 32 acres north of Birmingham. It will allow us room to build upon big ideas over the next few years.