Architecture at the Umlauf

The Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum in Austin continues its 2010 lecture series, Architecture at the Umlauf, on Sept. 2 with architect Brian Dillard, AIA, of Brian Dillard Architecture. Dillard will be discussing current and past work. The lecture will focus on three current residential additions that reshape and reinvigorate their existing structures in varying ways. Doors open at 7:00 pm. Lecture begins at 7:30 pm.

Images courtesy of Brian Dillard Architecture

In its fourth season, Architecture at the Umlauf continues in October and November. October 14: Jay Hargrave, AIA, of Cottom Hargrave Architecture and November 4: Paul Lamb, AIA, of Paul Lamb Architects

TSA Summer Board Meeting

In July, the TSA Board met in Seattle for its annual retreat. In addition to tackling an agenda that was rich with informative reports and recommendations on which the Board acted, the Board ventured into new territory, spending valuable time learning about and experiencing Seattle’s take on sustainable design and programming. 

Directors were also treated to opportunities to network with and learn from several respected Seattle design-community residents. The schedule included a tour of Seattle’s Central Public Library (Rem Koolhaas); a forum with AIA Seattle’s AIA+2030 Professional Series leadership; a sustainable development briefing and tour of the City Municipal Tower; an exchange with Miller|Hull principals Ron Rochom and Norman Strong, FAIA, regarding the firm’s commitment to meeting the 2030 Challenge; a visit to the sustainable development of High Point in West Seattle; and a tour of Mithun’s Seattle office within a restored harbor front pier.

Below are a few pictures submitted by TSA President Heather McKinney, FAIA.  If you attended the meeting and have any pictures to share on the TSA blog, send to writer@texasarchitect.org.

More TSA Legislative Visits…with More to Come

(from left)TSA treasurer Mark Wolf, Rep. Rafael Anchia, Craig Reynolds, FAIA, and Todd Howard. 

TSA staff and lobbyists continue to join architects in visiting legislators to deliver the Society’s message—and TAC checks—prior to Labor Day, the traditional opening date of the biannual political campaign.

Most recently, staff lobbyists Yvonne Castillo and David Lancaster, along with contract lobbyists Kathy Grant and Wade Long, made a road trip to Dallas to visit four state representatives. On Aug. 24, Mark Watford, FAIA, and Dr. Gail Thomas, Hon. AIA, joined these four in visits with Reps. Kirk England, Will Hartnett, and Dan Branch prior to participating in a TAC reception at AIA Dallas’ Center for Architecture (DCA) that featured Rep. Rafael Anchia talking about his plans for the upcoming session and possibility of passing legislation advancing sustainability.

As a part of his DCA visit, where he also heard from architects about their hopes and concerns, Rep. Anchia (2nd from left) received a TAC check from (l to r) TSA treasurer Mark Wolf, Craig Reynolds, FAIA, and Todd Howard.

More visits are being scheduled every week, including special meetings with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Speaker Joe Straus, as well as more visits to the TSA office or AIA Austin Center for Architecture by central Texas officials or legislators coming to Austin for interim hearings or other official business.

If you haven’t already made your personal 2010 TAC contribution, click here. Thanks for investing in your profession…and getting involved!

2010 TSA Award for Outstanding Educational Contributions: John Casbarian, FAIA

John Casbarian, FAIA

A member of the faculty of the Rice University School of Architecture since 1973, John Casbarian, FAIA, will receive the 2010 TSA Award for Outstanding Educational Contributions in Honor of Edward J. Romieniec FAIA during the TSA Convention in San Antonio, Oct. 14-16.

Legendary among his students as a mentor, hero, and friend, Casbarian has taught at the graduate and undergraduate levels and served as associate dean and dean for the Rice School of Architecture, along with lecturing throughout the country and abroad.

In 2002, Casbarian founded, and continues to direct, the Rice School of Architecture in Paris (RSAP), Rice's first and only satellite campus abroad. In addition, he has been largely responsible for overseeing and directing the undergraduate curriculum into one of the strongest accredited five-year Bachelor of Architecture degree programs in the nation and has overseen the growth of the School's hallmark internship program, the Preceptorship Program.

Casbarian and students during a semester abroad for the RSAP program

A nomination letter from one of Casbarian's colleagues states: "Given his numerous responsibilities, John is never too busy to thoughtfully respond to students, past and present. He understands the importance of nurturing future architects at the earliest point in their career. He conveys his passion for architectural education in a manner that is instructive and eloquent."

Casbarian received a BA and BArch from Rice University and an MFA in Design from the California Institute of the Arts. After apprenticing with Cesar Pelli and Craig Hodgetts, in Los Angeles, he founded Taft Architects with partners with Danny Samuels, FAIA, and the late Robert H. Timme, FAIA, in 1972. Casbarian is a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome.

PBS to Air Burnham Film Nationwide in September

Photo from Archimedia Workshop

"Make No Little Plans: Daniel Burnham and the American City" will be televised nationally on September 6th (check your local listings for times).

Few architects have had more impact on the American city than Daniel Burnham. In the midst of late 19th urban chaos, his ideas provided a compelling framework for people to make sense of the world around them. His firm was among the first in the world to develop the steel frame speculative office building that shaped the modern city. He directed construction of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition that helped inspire the City Beautiful Movement in towns and cities across America. Before the modern profession of urban planning existed, Burnham prepared plans for major cities in American and abroad. But not all agreed with his vision.

Click here to view the trailer.

Convention Keynoter Will Wynn Speaks on Sustainability

Austin Mayor Will Wynn Speaks at 2008 Sustainable Operations Summit from CraigMichaels, Inc. on Vimeo.

Will Wynn was mayor of Austin when he spoke at the 2008 Sustainable Operations Summit in Monterey, Calif. In the address, he shares numerous sustainable initiatives such as green building, renewable energy, changes in land use patterns, and climate protection that are taking place in the fastest-growing big city in America. Wynn is one of two keynote speakers at TSA's upcoming convention in San Antonio, Oct. 14-16, 2010.

Register for the TSA Convention and head to Ballroom A of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
Friday, October 15th
3:30pm–4:45pm
General Session: Leading Communities Toward a Shared Purpose

Early in his political career, Will Wynn developed a strong sense of purpose related to reducing carbon emissions. In growth areas, most carbon emissions come from our vehicles, as we drive from one single-use, low-density part of town to another, and from the generation of electricity that we consume in our built environment. As Mayor of Austin, Will Wynn worked to raise awareness of the problems associated with climate change and link effective public policies needed to deal with the challenge. Wynn will present his observations and experiences joining sound urban planning with effective climate protection, demonstrating how electric utility policies and development regulations can compliment each other to dramatically reduce CO2 emissions. One of several successful initiatives Wynn will share is Austin Energy’s construction of its 33-ton capacity Downtown District Cooling System that has helped spur remarkable downtown redevelopment. Wynn received the Alliance to Save Energy’s prestigious Charles H. Percy Public Service Award, was honored for Outstanding Achievement at the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Awards, is a Distinguished Alumni of Texas A&M’s College of Architecture, and has been featured in both Time and Newsweek.
Session 101035
1 LUH

Inside the Dome: An Insider's View of the State Capitol

In the Sept/Oct issue of Texas Architect magazine, Art Levy* recounts his recent “tour guides only” dome tour, scheduled right before another restoration project would close access to the dome through the rest of this year. Below is an excerpt from his Backpage article and a few additional photos he shared with Texas Architect.

As a tour guide at the Texas State Capitol, I’m constantly asked, “Are we going to go up to the very top?” The answer is always an unfortunate “No.” It pains me to have to quash such naked curiosity. We all cherish the thought of scaling and exploring heights, from a kid climbing trees to the adventurer conquering the tallest mountains. So it’s only natural that people should ask that question within five minutes of starting a tour. Skip the history, please: we want to go up there. 

Not too long ago, the Capitol conducted regular dome tours, but after the completion of a major renovation in 1995, accessibility and safety concerns shut the tours down for good. Yet in May, I had the opportunity to join an exclusive, “tour guides only” dome tour. Just getting up there is quite an ordeal, requiring elevators and tight, creaky staircases that spiral 218 feet above the rotunda floor to a small balcony. (Read the entire article in TA's 2010 Sept/Oct issue.)

 Graffiti dating back to 1936 that adorns the inside walls.

Structural elements in Elijah Myers' double-dome system. 

*When he’s not guiding tours of the State Capitol, Art Levy writes radio scripts for Texas Music Matters on KUT 90.5 FM in Austin.

2010 TSA Award for Community Service: Juan Cotera, FAIA

Juan Cotera, FAIA

Juan Cotera, FAIA, of Cotera + Reed Architects in Austin, was recently named as the recipient of the 2010 TSA Award for Community Service in Honor of James D. Pfluger FAIA. Cotera was nominated for the award based on his work to improve the lives of Austin's residents through architecture and planning.

One example of Cotera's community involvement is his dedication to Southwest Key Programs, an organization that helps troubled youth who need support to turn their lives around before falling further into the justice system.

Through direct donations, planning, advocacy, fundraising, and pro bono architectural services, Cotera has contributed over $1 million to Southwest Keys Programs. He led the design of its East Austin Community Development Project (featured in the January 2009 issue of Texas Architect magazine)--a 30,000-sf compound that is home to a middle school, adult education center, arts and technology program, and a variety of services for at-risk youth.

Southwest Key Program headquaters

In addition, Cotera provided feasibility and planning studies pro bono for the organization's prospective Elder Housing Project and is currently working with them on the design of a new Social Enterprise Complex, which will create 100 jobs and a variety of work readiness services for chronically unemployed parents in East Austin (scheduled for completion in 2011).

In memory of his murdered son, Cotera has established the Juan Javier Cotera Saving the Next Generation Scholarship Foundation, which awards scholarships to youth who have overcome enormous barriers to graduate from high school and enroll at a community college or university.

"Cotera has excelled as an architect, an educator, a political activist, a parent, and a mentor," states one of the many nomination letters the TSA Honor Awards Committee received. "Texas has been made a better place for Juan's life among us."

Value of Secure Design

McKinney police building's success against gun attack shows value of secure design.

By Jessica Meyers

The Dallas Morning News

After not one employee felt a scratch when Patrick Gray Sharp fired more than 100 rounds at McKinney's public safety building Tuesday, the building itself became a hero.

Praised in public by the mayor and police chief, the bulletproof fortress represents the new breed of municipal buildings. In an era of homeland security, even the smallest towns are erecting safeguarded structures designed to keep people out rather than draw them in. And on Tuesday, it paid off.

Secure access points and the arrangement of rooms create a buffer between McKinney law enforcement officials and the public. Windows sit just above eye level to prevent direct attack. They slope to limit ledges for explosive devices. Bulletproof glass protects the lobby, and bullet-resistant liner lies inside the masonry walls.

Outside, concrete structures called bollards block cars from smashing through the entrance. Manicured trees make climbing or concealment difficult. Thorny bushes hover near the building's sides. Transformers and utilities sit several meters away from the 84,100-square-foot structure. Click here to read the rest of the article.

NOTE: The Sept/Oct issue of Texas Architect magazine features the GSA Regional Field Office, Houston (images below), which has been awarded a 2010 TSA Design Award. The project is an example of how high-quality design and architectural expression can exist within a framework that requires heightened security measures. (The project was previously published in the July/Aug 2010 issue of the magazine.)

GSA Regional Field Office, Houston, a joint venture between PageSoutherlandPage and Leo A Daly.

National Trust for Historic Preservation 2010 Conference

The National Trust for Historic Preservation hosts its annual conference in Austin. To complement its future-focused Austin theme, organizers have planned new programs that encourage conversation and interaction and spotlight twenty-first century preservation imperatives. For more information, visit www.preservationnation.org. OCT 27-30

San Antonio Tower Wins TSA 25-Year Award

by Stephen Sharpe

Texas Architect

During the 1960s, as several cities planned to build high-profile vertical symbols of their ambitions toward global prominence, San Antonio erected the Tower of the Americas as the theme structure for HemisFair ’68. Today, the 622-foot-tall tower (750 feet including its antenna) is one of the few enduring landmarks from the international exposition that helped redefine San Antonio as a welcoming multicultural metropolis.

In acknowledgement of the project’s architectural significance, the Texas Society of Architects has selected the Tower of the Americas to receive the 2010 TSA 25-Year Award. The annual award recognizes one building completed 25 to 50 years earlier that has retained its central form, character, and architectural integrity. Read more here.

2010 TSA Honorary Membership

TSA Honorary Membership recognizes an individual outside the profession of architecture whose long-term association with architects and architecture has sufficient distinction to make them notable contributors to the advancement of the profession. The following individuals were recently awarded 2010 TSA Honorary Membership:

John W. and Jane Barnhill Jr., of Brenham, for their passionate commitment and lifelong contributions to historic preservation throughout Texas.

Lila Cockrell, of San Antonio, for her legacy of leadership, which has preserved San Antonio's historic character while building a sustainable city for generations to come.

Senator Wendy R. Davis, of Fort Worth, for her role in advancing the revitalization of Fort Worth's near Southside and her contributions to the larger community to improve the quality of the built environment through sustainable design.

Gilbert Mathews, of San Antonio, for his collaboration with architects to transform communities through great architecture and for his tireless efforts to insure that all Texans have a more sustainable, socially equitable, and beautiful built environment.

PBS Documentary: "Citizen Architect: Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of the Rural Studio"

Hale County Animal Shelter, Greensboro, Alabama, by Rural Studio

(image courtesy of: inhabitat blog)

2010 WorldNow and WTVM News

Source: Auburn University

AUBURN –The late legendary architect Samuel Mockbee and Auburn University's Rural Studio for aspiring architects are the subject of a documentary film by producer and director Sam Wainwright Douglas that PBS will air nationwide at 9 p.m., CDT, Monday, Aug. 23.

In 1993, Mockbee and Auburn architecture professor D.K. Ruth founded the Rural Studio design-build education program at Auburn University which Mockbee directed until his death in 2001.

Mockbee developed the Rural Studio into a teaching laboratory with a strategy to improve the living conditions in rural Alabama while imparting practical experience to architecture students.

Mockbee's leadership of the program and his pioneering drive to create innovative architecture in Alabama's economically stressed Black Belt earned worldwide acclaim for the Rural Studio and a national Genius Grant for himself from the MacArthur Foundation.

Dan Bennett, dean of the College of Architecture, Design and Construction, said, "‘Citizen Architect' provides a thoughtful and insightful look at how Auburn students and faculty literally transform the lives of citizens who live and work in Alabama's remote Black Belt. The film poignantly demonstrates the role that architecture can play in lifting the spirits of some of the most economically disadvantaged citizens, and how the lives of the students are equally transformed."

Douglas describes his documentary as being guided by frank, passionate interviews with Mockbee. The film also shows how a group of students use their creativity, ingenuity and compassion to craft a home for their client, Jimmie Lee Matthews, known to locals as Music Man because of his zeal for old R&B and Soul records.

Douglas says the film reveals that the Rural Studio is about more than architecture and building. It provides students with an experience that forever inspires them to consider how they can use their skills to better their communities. Interviews with Mockbee's peers and scenes with those he's influenced infuse the film with a larger discussion of architecture's role in issues of poverty, class, race, education, social change and citizenship.

State Representatives Visit TSA

Round Rock Rep. Diana Maldonado (Dist. 52) chats with TSA staff during an Aug. 10 visit.

Rep. Patrick Rose of Dripping Springs (Dist. 45) visits with TSA staff on Aug. 2.

by David Lancaster, Hon. AIA

Austin architects have recently joined TSA staff and contract lobbyists in a series of meetings with state representatives from the AIA Austin chapter area, with more meetings scheduled later this month.

Each visit has featured a tour of the office and introductions of the entire staff, followed by more focused discussions on probable 2011 legislative topics between the representatives and the local architects and TSA lobbyists.

Among the topics stressed are the need to protect Qualifications Based Selection (QBS), taxes (including a threatened sales tax on professional services and changes to the Margins Tax), licensing issues and TSA initiatives like High Performance Building Standards and Alternative Project Delivery.

Rep. Patrick Rose of Dripping Springs (Dist. 45) visited with TSA interim executive vice president Tommy Cowan, FAIA, Austin member Jacqui Dodson, AIA, and staff lobbyists Yvonne Castillo and David Lancaster, Hon. AIA on August 2. Round Rock Rep. Diana Maldonado (Dist. 52) had lunch on August 10 with the same three staff members (Cowan, Castillo and Lancaster) and AIA Austin chapter leaders Alan Bell, AIA, John Nyfeler, FAIA, and executive director Sally Fly, Hon. AIA.

Still to visit later this month are State Representatives Valinda Bolton (Dist. 47) and Donna Howard (Dist. 48), and State Senator Kirk Watson, all of Austin.

TSA Staff Celebrate Upcoming Convention

 from left: Julie Pizzo, Tommy Cowan, and Elizabeth Hackler

 Torrey Stanley Carleton, Hon. AIA, with TSA staff


Jim Heck and Torrey Stanley Carleton

TSA staff were joined by TSA Convention Chair Jim Heck and AIA San Antonio Executive Director Torrey Stanley Carleton, Hon. AIA, at an Aug. 16 luncheon to celebrate and strategize with only two months left until the TSA Convention kicks-off in San Antonio, Oct. 14-16. Today is the last day to receive the early discount on fees to attend the convention.

Call for Entries: 2011 AIA Honor Awards (Deadline Aug. 27)

Celebrating the Best in Contemporary American Architecture

The American Institute of Architects Honor Awards program recognizes achievements for a broad range of architectural activity to elevate the general quality of architecture practice, establish a standard of excellence against which all architects can measure performance, and inform the public of the breadth and value of architecture practice.

To achieve these goals, the 2011 Institute Honor Awards program has three divisions: Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Regional and Urban Design. For the individual program eligibility, submission requirements, judging criteria, and deadlines, visit www./www.aia.org.

2010 TSA Award for Young Professional Achievement: James M. Evans

James M. Evans, AIA, Houston, Collaborative Designworks

James M. Evans, AIA, of Houston's Collaborative Designworks, has been recognized with the 2010 TSA Award for Young Professional Achievement in Honor of William W. Caudill FAIA. The award recognizes a TSA member for professional achievement in leadership development during the early years of AIA membership. 

Evans, the recipient of AIA Houston's 2010 Ben Brewer Young Architect Award, has been an active member of several AIA Houston committees and currently chairs the Residential Committee. Described by the AIA Houston Chapter as a "quiet but effective leader who is a joy to work with," Evans has already won a national design award (AIA Housing Award, 2007) and has served on national design award juries.

Additional awards and honors include: Houston Mayoral Proclamation (2010), AIA Houston Design Award - Residential (2010), PaperCity Design Excellence Award (2007), Residential Architect Grand Award (2007), AIA Houston Design Award (2006), Texas Society of Architects Design Award (2006), and others.

A graduate of Rice University, Evans demonstrates a passion and commitment to the profession along with a desire to foster students of architecture. He has participated in the Rice University Mentorship Program and in Rice University and Texas A&M Studio Reviews, in addition to serving as a substitute teacher for third year architecture students at the University of Houston in 2005.

As noted in a nomination letter to the Honor Awards Committee: "There is no doubt that Jim Evans is an outstanding candidate for this significant honor given his exemplary record of professional achievements in design and service. He is poised to make even greater contributions to the profession in all capacities."

1210, project team James M. Evans, Shirat Mavligit, Alexis Franco, and James Austin Engineers

House x2, project team James M. Evans and Matrix Structural Engineers

KRob 2010: AIA Dallas Delineation Competition

Best in Show 2009, Nathan Friese

The annual Ken Roberts Memorial Delineation Competition, sponsored by AIA Dallas, recognizes students and professional designers for excellence in architectural drawing. The deadline for entries is October 22, 2010. Awards will be presented during a ceremony November 3. For more information, visit www.krobarch.com. 

Ray Bailey, FAIA, Receives 2010 TSA Lifetime Achievement Medal

Ray Bailey, FAIA

In recognition of his contributions to building an award-winning organization; his leadership that was directly associated with Texas architects having their first law regulating the practice of architecture; and for being a leader and an architect of unquestioned loyalty, commitment, and dedication to the Texas Society of Architects, Ray Bailey, FAIA, will receive the 2010 TSA Lifetime Achievement Medal in Honor of Llewellyn W. Pitts during the TSA Convention in San Antonio, Oct. 14-16.

Ray Bailey founded Bailey Architects in 1975, where he leads the design of the firm’s projects, many of which have received local and national awards. Under his leadership, Bailey Architects has received firm awards from both TSA and AIA Houston.

Bailey is recognized in professional and academic circles throughout the state for his leadership and dedication to architecture. He was president of TSA in 1989, president of AIA Houston in 1985, and was elevated to AIA Fellowship in 1985. He is founding president of the Houston Architecture Foundation.

Long involved in community service, Bailey is past chairman and a current member of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Operation Game Thief, a past board member of the Lighthouse of Houston and the UT Austin School of Architecture, in addition to being involved with other charitable organizations in the Houston area. Bailey earned a master's of architecture from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor's of architecture from The University of Texas.

The Texas Court House Project: Meet Mick Watson

Photo provided courtesy of TexasCourthouses.com 

by National Trust for Historic Preservation on August 10th, 2010

Written by Mick Watson

Note: This is the first post in a four-part series on Mick Watson’s Texas Courthouse Project, in which he travels around Texas to photograph every county’s courthouse (all 254 of them). Follow along to learn how Mick became a preservationist with nothing more than a camera and a map.

Click here to view the photos.

I’m definitely a Texan. I grew up in Midland which is out in West Texas and I spent some years in Huntsville and Lubbock for school, but for most of my life I have lived in the Houston area. I worked in advertising as a graphic designer for awhile after graduation, but now I make my living as a high school art teacher.

Outside of work I mostly spend time with my wife, who is also a teacher, and our three children. I love to travel as much as I can, and obviously photography has become a passion of mine over the last few years. Photography has allowed me to become closer to the things I love: my family, traveling, history, and Texas.

The Texas Courthouse Project started with a question: Could it be possible to see every part of Texas? In person, with your own eyes. Not just the large cities, not even just each regional area, but everything. Big towns, small towns, farms, forests, deserts, beaches, mountains, plains, canyons and islands. And not just a drive-by, but to actually stand on the dirt and breath the air of every part of Texas.

Even when you have lived here your entire life it’s hard to wrap your head around how big this state really is. From the northwestern tip of Dallam County in the panhandle, to the southeastern tip of Cameron County on the U.S.-Mexico border, is a span of over 900 miles. That’s farther than the distance between New York and Atlanta.

Going from east to west, you would have to drive 856 miles to get from Orange to El Paso. If you drove from New York to Chicago you would drive 70 less miles. To put it another way, when you’re in El Paso you are closer to San Diego than you are to Houston.

So when I sat down and spread out a map I was amazed at how much of my home state I had never visited. There were huge, smaller state size chunks of Texas I had never even seen. I decided that I would at least try to see most of it in my lifetime.

Read more here.

Bill Greehey Receives 2010 TSA Cornerstone Award

Bill Greehey

Chairman of the Board of NuStar Energy L.P. and NuStar GP Holdings, LLC

San Antonio, TX

The Texas Society of Architects recently named Bill Greehey as the recipient of the 2010 TSA Cornerstone Award. The award recognizes outstanding contributions that enhance the quality of life by elevating architecture and the arts, promoting the value of community, or preserving the natural environment. Greehey will be recognized with the award during the TSA Convention in San Antonio, Oct. 14-16, 2010.

2010 TSA Architecture Firm Award: Overland Partners

Overland Partners of San Antonio has received the 2010 TSA Architecture Firm Award, which recognizes distinguished architecture and significant contributions to the profession and the community. The firm will be recognized during the TSA Convention in San Antonio in October.

Founded in 1987 by four friends who met at the University of Texas at Austin in the 1970s (Rick Archer, Tim Blonkvist, Robert Schmidt, and Madison Smith), Overland Partners has grown to over 60 professionals working on significant public buildings throughout the United States and several countries. The firm’s collaborative approach to architectural problem solving and design has resulted in a body of work that adheres to a common set of values and design principles rather than a common style. 

Among the firm’s projects are the Texas A&M University Bonfire Memorial, College Station; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin; San Antonio Museum of Art; Riverside Church, Austin; Penn State School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture; and The Bridge Homeless Assistance Center, Dallas. 

The firm’s work has been published in more than 20 architectural journals and 80 general interest publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Texas Monthly, Time, and Texas Architect. The firm has received numerous awards, such as the AIA National Housing Award (2009), AIA Committee on the Environment Award (2000), AIA/HUD Secretary Award (2009), American Architecture Award, Chicago Athenaeum (numerous years), TSA Design Award (numerous years), and more. 

In addition to accolades for architecture, Overland Partners is recognized for being a leader in sustainability and for contributions to its community and to issues around the world, which include humanitarian missions to Cairo; participating in border initiatives to care for the needy in Piedras Negras; and voluntarily designing a sports facility in Benin, Africa. Employees of the firm have served in numerous capacities for TSA and AIA as TSA committee chairs and convention speakers; AIA San Antonio committee chairs, president, and director; and as members of AIA advisory committees. Several of the firm’s members have been inducted into the AIA College of Fellows.

Texas Architect Design Awards Issue in Production

Texas Architect magazine is in production for the annual TSA Design Awards issue featuring the following 2010 winners. Be sure to pick up a copy when the issue hits stands in September...

2010 Design Awards

Cinco Camp (Brewster County) by Rhotenberry Wellen Architects

Grauwyler Park Branch Library (Dallas) by Oglesby-Greene

Lance Armstrong Foundation (Austin) by Lake/Flato Architects and The

Bommarito Group

La Lomita Mission Chapel (Mission) by Kell Muñoz

Mod Cott: Guest House (Lake Buchanan) by Mell Lawrence Architects

The Overlook Pavilion at H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens (State College, Pa.) by Overland Partners

Pearl Stable Restoration (San Antonio) by Ford Powell & Carson

Sid W. Richardson Visual Arts Center (Fort Worth) by Gideon Toal

Stone Creek Camp: Master House (Big Fork, Mont.) by Andersson Wise Architects

U.S. General Services Administration Regional Field Office (Houston) by Page Southerland Page and Leo A. Daly

Windsor Residence (Austin) by Alterstudio Architects