News

Gingerbread Build-Off

Gingerbread Build-Off

The Arkitex Studio was a proud sponsor of the AIA Brazos Gingerbread Build-Off that took place in Century Square on December 12. There were 8 total entries of various structures. The Arkitex entry was the Empire State Building, featuring a certain grumpy Christmas fellow. Our gingerbread rendition of this New York icon stood tall among…

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1 January
61
Old Main Winter

Old Main Winter

Designed by architect C.H. Page & Brother and erected in 1906, the Old Main Building of Blinn College in Brenham, TX, has undergone a number of interior renovations over its 115 years of service to the campus.  Users have benefitted from restroom expansions and additions, modernized electrical and telecommunication features, an elevator, and a fire suppression…

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5 November
60
The AIA 2030 Commitment: Time to Step Up

The AIA 2030 Commitment: Time to Step Up

The mission of the AIA 2030 Commitment is to support the 2030 Challenge and transform the practice of architecture in a way that is holistic, firm-wide, project based, and data driven. By prioritizing energy performance, participating firms can more easily work toward carbon neutral buildings, developments, and major renovations by 2030. Small firms have the…

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28 October
60
ARKITEX ABROAD | Studying in Barcelona

ARKITEX ABROAD | Studying in Barcelona

I’ve been part of the Arkitex Studio family as an architectural intern since the Fall of 2020.  When not in the office, though, I am a senior environmental design major at Texas A&M University and, in the Spring of 2021, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Barcelona, Spain – the city of architects.  With Barcelona being the densest…

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8 September
61
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT | Brazos County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT | Brazos County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office

According to national census data, Brazos County’s population has grown roughly 20% since 2010.  We see the effects of this in the ever-widening roads and endless new housing developments.  Sometimes less visible, though, is the need for expanded public programs to serve a growing community and, consequently, the enlarged facilities required to administer and host these programs….

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30 August
61
The Human Factor

The Human Factor

As part of our 25th anniversary celebrations last year, we took stock of who we’ve become in those years and what we’ve learned about architecture and being architects.  I started to touch on some of what we discussed in the piece about leadership and listening, but wanted to expand on a second aspect of that same idea: that,…

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23 August
61
Accessible Design

Accessible Design

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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30 July
59
Listen Before You Lead

Listen Before You Lead

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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30 June
60
Defining the Problem Leads to the Solution

Defining the Problem Leads to the Solution

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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23 March
59
A Place In History

A Place In History

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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12 February
0
“Meet TxA President-Elect Eva Read-Warden, AIA” -Texas Architect

“Meet TxA President-Elect Eva Read-Warden, AIA” -Texas Architect

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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20 January
60
Impact of the Site on a Design

Impact of the Site on a Design

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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8 December
60
Our Vision Forward – Now That We’re Here, What Next?

Our Vision Forward – Now That We’re Here, What Next?

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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30 October
59
Santiago Calatrava

Santiago Calatrava

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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30 September
59
What architects have inspired you?

What architects have inspired you?

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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29 September
61
An Early Calling

An Early Calling

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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20 August
61
Journey to a Museum

Journey to a Museum

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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9 July
60
Transitioning Back to the Workplace

Transitioning Back to the Workplace

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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25 June
59
Graduating into a Crisis

Graduating into a Crisis

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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21 May
59
Working Remotely

Working Remotely

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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15 April
63
Cabin in the Mountains

Cabin in the Mountains

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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17 March
59
Habitat for Humanity- Playbuild Playhouses

Habitat for Humanity- Playbuild Playhouses

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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10 March
60
Why did you want to become an architect?

Why did you want to become an architect?

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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22 February
58
Women in Architecture: Where do things stand?

Women in Architecture: Where do things stand?

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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28 January
64
White Christmas at the QUEEN

White Christmas at the QUEEN

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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14 December
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The Arkitex Studio Inc.  introduces Alanna Burnett & Brynne Adamson

The Arkitex Studio Inc. introduces Alanna Burnett & Brynne Adamson

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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6 November
55
Higher Ed Facilities Directors Talk about their Greatest Challenges

Higher Ed Facilities Directors Talk about their Greatest Challenges

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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7 March
52
CASE STUDY: Replacing an Existing Building Within a Historic Church Campus

CASE STUDY: Replacing an Existing Building Within a Historic Church Campus

  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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7 December
77
Exterior Materials – More Than Just a Casual Decision

Exterior Materials – More Than Just a Casual Decision

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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9 May
97
Soaring with Astin Aviation

Soaring with Astin Aviation

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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2 February
121
Cost, Scope, Quality: 3 Key Factors to Project Success

Cost, Scope, Quality: 3 Key Factors to Project Success

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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7 November
130
Check Out Our Updated Website!

Check Out Our Updated Website!

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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7 June
167
The Arkitex Process: What You Need to Know

The Arkitex Process: What You Need to Know

  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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1 June
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