Announcements March 10, 2020

Four of our Projects Earn International Recognition for Future-Focused Design

Rethinking the Future Awards 2020

Congratulations to our Dallas and Washington, D.C. studios for earning Rethinking the Future Awards!

Rethinking the Future Awards highlight the best innovations in architecture that address contemporary global challenges and inspire next generations of architects and designers. This year, we’re honored to be recognized for our leadership in sustainability, material health, and neighborhood revitalization. Our winning projects include: The Epic at Deep Ellum in Dallas, Texas; The Baylor Scott and White Sports Therapy and Research Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas; our very own studio space inside a historic Dallas high school; and “Revolution,” an ultra-green D.C. office design concept that pushes the existing limits of sustainability. Our winning projects propose innovative design solutions for an increasingly interconnected world. Here’s a look at the winners:

Dallas, Texas
The Epic at Deep Ellum

The Epic, a new office building in the historic Deep Ellum neighborhood, acts as a gateway to the neighborhood, with 18 floors of flexible office space, parking, and retail, all housed in four uniquely stacked sections. . Representing the intersections of downtown Dallas, the Deep Ellum neighborhood character, the I-75 highway system, and the various scales of an emerging, vibrant district, this new type of office mirrors its community and integrates amenities like a rooftop garden, non-toxic materials, and bike storage and changing rooms for cycling commuters.

“With smart, sensitive design, The Epic draws new people and opportunities to the area, without losing its neighborhood scale,” says Design Director Ron Stelmarski.

The Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy and Research Center at the Star

This Sports Therapy and Research center is a newly built project that creates opportunities for interdisciplinary work in the athletics and wellness arena. The center seamlessly combines athletic training facilities, like a non-VOC emitting turf field, and scientific research labs under one (retractable) roof—during games or training sessions, a 30-foot-tall retractable wall allows the play surface to stretch from inside to outside, inviting in fresh air and also public passersby. “Here, we ensured that old meets new,” says Ron Stelmarski, “while also designing a unique type of mixed-use building with no precedent.” Combining the goals of athletes, scientific research, and community wellness outreach, our design recognizes that balance is key for a healthy building and a healthy community.  

Frisco, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Our Dallas Studio

“Our Dallas studio brought new life to a woefully shuttered building,” says Ron Stelmarski. “Not only is our office a new space for growth and innovation for our team, but it was an act of urban resuscitation.” Housed in a turn-of-the-century high school, the beautiful brick building sat abandoned for over 20 years in the emerging Arts District of Dallas, a neighborhood that resonated with our Dallas team and their commitment to the design community. . Our new workspace is designed to promote the practice of high-performance architecture and design with a variety of seating types and collaboration areas. Complete with a new materials library housed in the schools historic stacks and a hybrid “cafetorium” that can morph between a reception, event or lecture hall, the result is a dynamic studio space that “connects with a collective memory, inspired by talks with notable alumni and Arts community leaders. 

Revolution

The Revolution office design by our Washington, D.C studio combines ambitious, “ultra-green” design solutions, like 100% material recyclability and passive solar daylighting for tomorrow’s workforce, today. The un-built proposal for a trapezoidal building proposal offers a desirable workspace for a variety of eco-minded clients right in downtown D.C, coupling an attention to design aesthetic with solutions to meet the challenges of a warming world.

“Our team went all in on this design, thinking outside the box of any existing rating system to create something truly unprecedented,” says Interior Design Director Ken Wilson. “Far from just a building on an energy diet, this office is grounded in reality that will be applied to all our future projects.”

Washington, D.C.