We believe strongly in cultivating community, whether it's through designing built environments or just doing our part to contribute to our surrounding community.
This holiday season, in lieu of sending holiday cards, GSC Architects opted to make a donation to a community organization that is near and dear to our hearts.
The Meals on Wheels and More organization gives back to our community by providing hot, nutritious lunch time meals for people who are homebound and living with disabilities. This is one of many services Meals on Wheels and More provides which help make it possible for their clients to stay healthy and living in their own homes. For more information on how you can be a part of Meals of Wheels please visit thier website by clicking here.
Happy Holidays.
UMHB Ground Breaking Ceremonies
Tuesday, 25 October 2011 15:09
Two of GSC Architects' projects have broken ground at The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Congratulations to our project teams!!
UMHB Isabelle Rutherford Meyer Nursing Education Center
GSC Architects participated in the UMHB ceremony to honor the generous grants and celebrate the breaking of the ground on October 21, 2011. The entire nursing student body welcomed donors and dignitaries at the site on Friday. Dean of the College, Dr. Sharon Souter and members of the Meyer Foundation spoke about how the building is part of great plans for the Scott and White College of Nursing. The Nursing Education Center will include an auditorium, interactive classrooms and a simulated hospital and clinic. BartlettCocke General Contractors will begin work on the facility this fall. It is scheduled for opening in January 2013.
UMHB held a ceremony for the breaking of the ground for the Baugh Center for Visual Arts on September 30, 2011. Dean Ted Barnes and Babs Baugh of the Baugh Foundation expressed the University's excitement for the future of the Visual Arts Center and plans for growth in the department. The building will include studios for learning specialty art techniques, a gallery, lecture hall and outdoor work area and sculpture garden. BartlettCocke General Contractors will begin work on the facility this fall. The project scheduled for completion in Fall 2012.
We recently received confirmation that the Fort Hood Chapel Complex & Religious Education Facility has received LEED GOLD certification.
The original goal was to achieve Silver certification, but the team was able to achieve Gold with no additional cost to the Government. This is an unprecedented feat and was no simple task. It also is the first LEED Gold certified building on the Ft. Hood base.
Special recognition goes to our team for buckling down and finding those hidden opportunities.
Being a female leader in architecture can be challenging at times. However, there are also many amazing opportunities to share experiences and be inspired by other women in the industry. This year’s AIA Women's Leadership Summit on September 23rd and 24th was one such opportunity. The event was held in Kansas City, MO. This was my first trip to Kansas City and it was a pleasure to discover the inspirational architecture that creates the fabric of the city. The city's revitalization investment has paid off in a BIG way. As part of the summit, we were able to participate in private tours of the new Kauffman Performing Arts Center, a Moshe Safdie / BNIM project and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, a Stephen Holl / BNIM project.
On Sunday, August 28th, 2011, the Taylor ISD Board hosted a dedication ceremony and open house for the new Taylor High School. In 2008, the Taylor community voted to fund a new high school to replace the existing facility built in 1969. The dedication ceremony featured speakers such as Danny Ward, THS Principal; Jerry Vaughn, TISD Superintendent; political action committee chair Jesse Ancira Jr.; Jim Dunaway, Taylor City Manager; Mayor Don Hill; and Brad Moss, TISD Board President.
On Friday, August 12th, GSC Architects attended the 2011 IIDA Texas/Oklahoma Chapter Awards Gala in Dallas, Texas. GSC was honored to receive the prestigious Pinnacle Award for a medium sized firm. This award is the highest honor that the IIDA Texas/Oklahoma Chapter can bestow upon a design firm. It is granted only to firms who have consistently contributed to the highest aspirations of the profession, community and to the IIDA organization.
We are honored to have received this award and look forward to continuing our support of the interior design community!
Round Rock ISD Technology Center Achieves LEED Silver Certification
The Round Rock ISD Technology Center, a GSC Architects project completed in early 2010, just received confirmation from the Green Building Certification Institute that LEED Silver certification has been achieved! The project was awarded 35 points to earn the LEED Silver rating. Congratulations to the project team for a job well done.
Wednesday, June 1st was a monumental occasion for the 25 high school students of the 2011 graduating class at Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Not only did these 25 students make up one of the largest graduating classes in this school's history, but they were the first class ever to accept their diplomas in the newly completed auditorium. While several changes were made to the original design during construction, and it took significant effort from all involved parties to complete the project in time for the event, the reward of watching those students walk across the stage to accept their diplomas made it well worth the effort.
On Tuesday, May 17th, The Hays County Commissioner's Court selected the design-build team of GSC Architects and the Lott Brothers to create its future Precinct 2 Office Building. The building will provide new space for the commissioner, justice of the peace, adult and juvenile probation and the tax assessor-collector. It will be located in the Uptown Kyle development on Kohler's Crossing.
Of the 13 companies that responded to the County's Request for Qualifications, "Lott Brothers and GSC were chosen because they showed the best ability to meet an aggressive construction schedule while saving Hays County money." - Brenda Jenkins, Broaddus & Associates
GSC Principal-in-Charge Joseph LaRocca will be leading the architectural design portion of the project. "We are looking forward to designing such a prominent building for the County. Working with Broaddus & Associates and the County, we will complete the design phase as soon as possible to help Hays County residents achieve the best value for their construction dollars," said LaRocca.
To read the full article written in the Hays Free Press, click here.
GSC Architects recently held an office-wide contest for employees to reuse and repurpose their old business cards, appropriately named CARDstruction.
Employees were asked to make use of the "vintage" GSC cards that could no longer be distributed after the company rebrand, relocation and name change at the end of last year. Staff entered in three different categories: 1) Most creative use of cards, 2) Most useful/functional re-purpose, 3) Staff choice for best overall design.
The 30-year old 700 Lavaca building in the heart of downtown Austin was purchased by Travis County as part of an on-going master plan for the county's central campus district. The building will serve as the new Commissioners Courtroom where public meetings and media events will be held. The project scope also includes offices for the Judge and 3 of the Commissioners, a new cafeteria and other associated public spaces.
GSC Architects and The Lawrence Group were awarded the 64,000 SF project in April and will be well under way with programming and design by the end of the month. The diverse consultant team includes specialists in broadcast studio design, lighting, acoustics, security and food service. The firm HS&A will provide project management for Travis County on this project and assist in integrating the project into the scope of work for the upper floors.
"We are looking forward to updating such a prominent building in Austin and working with the County," said GSC's Principal In Charge, Tom Cornelius. "The building was a good find for the County. The former bank lobby presents challenges but also offers many architectural opportunities".
On Friday, April 1st, GSC Architects attended the 2011 Austin Business Journal's Best of Real Estate Awards. Two GSC projects received awards.
The new ACC Round Rock Campus, completed in Fall 2010, received the Social Impact award. The project is the most ambitious in ACC's history and opened on time and at full capacity.
The Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired revitalization project in Central Austin demonstrates a community effort to creating productive citizens. The project received the Best Government Project award.
GSC Architects was interviewed by Green Building + Design Magazine last summer. The article is now out in this month's issue and features Austin Community College's Round Rock Campus.
Gorzycki Middle School, a GSC Architects project completed in August 2009, received an Outstanding Project Award in the spring issue of Learning By Design.
The Diane Gorzycki Middle School achieved success for the Austin ISD, the community and the environment.The building orientation takes advantage of the steep sloping site, GS&C designed the school with 3 floors to capture views of the Austin's skyline.The school is an achievement of sustainable design on many levels, obtaining a Three-Star Rating from the Austin Energy Green Building Program.Thoughtful details were designed to conserve energy, ranging from the occupancy sensor lighting controls to the high reflective roofing material.GS&C implemented a creative way-finding system to create a sense of community for each grade level.Each grade resides in one of the four color-coded wings of the building, which converge to a Central Library and Commons area at the building's heart.A directional compass was designed in the floor pattern of the common area for additional teaching opportunities.The library, gym and dining room offer separate access for community use after hours.The campus incorporates several outdoor gathering areas for the students, parents and community.They include tree and bench areas close to the gym and dining area.We have also incorporated an outdoor classroom that was created with onsite boulders in an existing grove of trees. The Diane Gorzycki Middle School achieved success for the Austin ISD, the community and the environment.
GSC implemented a creative way-finding system to create a sense of community for each grade level. Each grade resides in one of the four color-coded wings of the building, which converge to a Central Library and Commons area at the building's heart. A directional compass was designed in the floor pattern of the common area for additional teaching opportunities. The library, gym and dining room offer separate access for community use after hours.
Belton, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor has selected GSC Architects of Austin to design a new building for the university’s Scott & White College of Nursing. GSC brings many years of experience to the project, having played a leading role in the design of hospitals and educational projects at colleges and universities.
The architectural firm most recently completed work on the Texas A&M Health Science Center in Round Rock, which is focused on the training of medical students, and the first phase of the Austin Community College Round Rock Campus, which included a state-of-the-art building for the college’s nursing and radiology programs.
For the past five years, GSC Architects has been host to participating IIDA Student Members during IIDA's Annual Student Mentoring Week. This year was no different. GSC hosted three participating students for one day on February 23rd. Students were able to shadow our designers, of varying experience levels, to seek out answers to their questions on the Interior Design/Architectural industry from the student's perspective.
Julie Zitter, IIDA, Director of Interiors, Sr. Associate at GSC Architects, assisted in establishing this program with IIDA with the passing of her first Mentor, Linda Lloy Hack, in Boston, MA. Ms. Hack was a huge advocate of the power of mentoring younger designers. A fund was established in her name, followed by the pairing of the Fund to the Mentoring Week in 2002. Students are able to collect $1,000. if their summary essay of their day is selected.
GSC Architects strives to Cultivate Community in hosting professional organization events, including ones that strengthen the future designers of our industry.
GSC at USGBC Panel Discussion
Wednesday, 23 February 2011 11:16
USGBC Balcones Chapter - Mass Wall Presentation
GSC President Tom Cornelius will be one of the featured panelists at the USGBC discussion on mass walls.
Event Details:
February 23, 2011 06:00 PM - 09:00 PM
Austin City Hall, Council Chambers, 301 W 2nd St., Austin, TX 78701
On Friday, Jan 21st, GSC Architects attended the AGC Awards (Associated General Contractors) as a guest of Solis Constructors. Solis won an Outstanding Construction Award for the CH-47 Aircraft Maintenance Hangar at Fort Hood. Congratulations to Solis, and our design team - Paul Meyer and Renu Razdan!
Construction Update for Taylor ISD's New High School
Written by Marcus Gibbon, Construction Administration Team Member, GSC Architects
The month of December has been a very productive month for the construction of Taylor High School even with all the holidays. Before the cold weather started, there was a strong push to get a large portion of the building in the dry. This allowed for a majority of the academic areas to receive gypsum board and have been prepared for texture. Exterior framing has begun in the Career and Technology areas and the Boys and Girls Athletic areas and interior framing are soon to follow.
Taylor High School Construction made the front page of the Taylor Daily Press on January 4, 2011 as one the Top Stories of 2010.
