The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 was a civil rights game-changer when it was signed into law. For people with disabilities, this comprehensive, equal opportunity legislation extended not only to employment, public transportation, and communication systems, but also to design and construction. Regulations set forth by the 1991 ADA Standards for Accessible Design were revised…
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People associate certain talents and characteristics with an aptitude for architecture – math and drawing being chief among them. While a passing familiarity with calculus helps in the engineering-based classes and exams and you do have to pick up technical drawing skills along the way (at least computer-aided ones these days), a more critical litmus test…
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After many years sitting dormant, the 1982 Westinghouse Electronics Assembly Plant in College Station was purchased in 2008 by Lynntech, an early-stage scientific research and technology development company. The company engaged The Arkitex Studio to plan the renovation. The project included lab spaces for electrochemical plating, analytical chemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, tissue culture and optics…
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A Program Defined Creating a program is the beginning of the design process though it is not actual design. All types of projects have a program component, but those for residential or small projects are not as involved as those for larger institutional and commercial projects. There are different approaches to program development such as…
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Regional vernacular architecture has always been a personal interest, but specifically the forms rooted in Texas history. There is so much unique vernacular architecture in the various areas of the United States, but Texas itself has many unique regions. Perhaps the most interesting and applicable in current residential design are Central Texas and the Hill…
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Our principal, Eva Read-Warden, AIA, is featured on the Texas Society of Architects/AIA blog as she begins her term as TxA President-Elect this January. Eva came to Bryan/College Station in 1994 after gaining much experience working for architectural firms in Pennsylvania and New Mexico. The article takes a closer look into her background, interests and…
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One of the earliest considerations in the overall design of any project is the site. The site “speaks” to the vision and design response of a building to its setting. Historically, structures in Texas have always responded to the climate factors unique to our area, just as other parts of the country have their own…
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What do people mean by “vision”? At its essence the word means to see, but more specifically it relates to planning the future with imagination and wisdom. From our present vantage point, we look back on where we’ve come from to help us both understand who and where we are today as well as find…
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Santiago Calatrava was born in July 28, 1951 in Benimamet, a municipality now integrated as an urban part of Valencia, Spain. Calatrava is a world renown Spanish architect who opened his first architectural and engineering firm in Zurich, Switzerland and later opened offices in Paris, Valencia, and New York. Calatrava’s inspiring architecture is derived from…
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We asked our few members of our staff to discuss those architects that inspired them throughout their professional life. Let’s take a look at how their design inspiration evolved from college to career. Eva Read-Warden, AIA: What architects did you study or familiarize yourself with before going to school? When I was a new student…
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I’ve had conversations with many architects over the years, and their experiences vary as to when and why they knew they wanted to become architects. From as far back as I can remember (certainly by age 10) I knew I wanted to be an architect, but I am really not sure how I knew that…
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With the recent attention to race relations in our country, I am reminded of my visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C. last year. The building had been receiving a lot of accolades from all the design magazines on its striking design and diversion of style from the rest of D.C. architecture, so it was high on my list of places to visit.
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With the uncertainty of knowing when the COVID-19 pandemic will end, it can be difficult to imagine what version of normal we have waiting for us. One thing we know for sure is that the world we knew before is a thing of the past. The longer we must deal with the coronavirus, the more challenging…
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Every so often the world falls apart. These cycles hit architects hard and you will experience many over your career. While our profession always comes back, graduating into a low point is especially disheartening. You are not the first to face it, though. If those of us who emerged into the 2008 recession can offer…
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Making the transition from the office to working remotely from home during the Shelter in Place can present challenges, but nothing our wonderful office couldn’t handle! Like most businesses, quick planning and implementation was the theme in our office mid-March. Our staff quickly shifted gears to move forward, and the culture of our office has…
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It all started with a deal we could not refuse: Build a cabin and the land is yours. The property had been in Uncle Dave’s hands for over 50 years with the vision to build a log cabin, but it was never realized. It was easy for us to find THE spot for the cabin…
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Arkitex Studio was proud to support Habitat for Humanity during their Playbuild Event on Leap Day 2020. This event brings youth together to build playhouses for the community. Over half of our studio participated in this event and worked alongside kids in the community to build & paint houses. Check out this article from the…
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I just graduated with my masters, and am currently working on becoming a licensed architect, and I think a lot of my motives to become an architect stemmed from my upbringing. Growing up in a low-income area with a single mom, I developed a passion for helping those in need. I saw my idol, my…
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Hopefully today, when one thinks about the role of women in any profession, one does not give a second thought about gender and a person’s ability to perform in their job. Haven’t we been at this long enough to be past that issue? After all, the ‘Women’s Movement’ as it is officially documented in the…
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Written by Eva Read-Warden, Principal What is Christmas without classic holiday films? Not only is the nostalgia something that we enjoy, but also the time spent sharing such moments with friends and family. Imagine what it must have been like to share a holiday film in the era when film was seen only on the…
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Written by Janet Divin, Office Manager As Thanksgiving approaches, we can’t help but be thankful and introduce our new student interns of Arkitex Studio to all of you! Meet our two new additions to the team; Alanna Burnett and Brynne Adamson. Meet Alanna Burnett “My name is Alanna Burnett and I’m a junior Architecture major…
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Written by Charlie Burris, AIA We recently conducted a research project with the objective of identifying the top challenges facing Facilities Directors when it comes to planning and building higher education facilities. Architects are natural problem-solvers, and we spend a lot of time educating our clients. Contacting a number of Directors from different colleges and…
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How do you replace an existing building within a constrained and historic campus? From a strict preservation standpoint, the answer is simple: don’t. Sometimes, though, that is not an option and the answer is much longer. At First United Methodist Church (FUMC) – a church campus located off the courthouse square in Huntsville,…
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The Arkitex Studio Inc. is excited to announce the recent professional licensure of Pamela da Graca, now a registered architect in the state of Texas. We are very happy for Pamela and proud of this accomplishment! Pamela graduated with a Masters of Architecture from Texas A&M University in 2009 and joined The Arkitex Studio in…
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Article by: Pamela da Graca, Associate AIA Choosing exterior materials for a building sounds straightforward. Most people have aesthetic preferences and you only have about a half dozen broad categories between which to choose. But, like any skin, a building’s envelope both separates it from and connects it to the rest of the world. …
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Soaring with Astin Aviation The Arkitex Studio, Inc. is soaring through their latest project. Now a year into the expansion of Easterwood Airport, principal architect Mike Record is pleased with how the project is going. “When this building project is over, the general aviation terminal will be open to the public. I hope they will…
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Maybe your organization or company is getting ready to build a space that will let you achieve all your goals. Or perhaps you’re getting closer to your dream of a new home, built exactly as you’ve always wanted it. What do you need to know first? Based on their years of experience working with clients…
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What About the Finish? While you may think of architects as being responsible solely for planning the layout and structure of a building, many interior design elements are also influenced and chosen by the architecture firm working on your project. “People put us in little boxes — architects do the building and interior designers…
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www.arkitex.com We know in this quickly changing world technology is so important. So we took the necessary steps to refresh our website! We’ve added new team members and stay tuned for new blogs. Click on the link and tell us what you think.
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The Arkitex Process: What You Need to Know What should you expect the architectural design process to be like? Working with The Arkitex Studio is an exciting, challenging, and ultimately rewarding “journey.”. Understanding the process can help you become a true partner in the creation of your building. The Arkitex team has developed a…
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We at The Arkitex Studio, located in Bryan, Texas, just finished a unique project, a diamond in the rough if you will. In this case, the rough was property out in the country, and the diamond was a 550 square foot wine cellar! Here’s a picture, A treasured repeat client of ours asked for our…
Read MoreOn Friday, November 11, 2014 Bryan-College Station architects The Arkitex Studio volunteered for Habitat for Humanity. Work included hanging insulation board, installing house wrap, and attaching
Read MoreThe term minimalism is also used to describe a trend in design and architecture where in the subject is reduced to its necessary elements. Minimalist design
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