News and Media

URBAN LAND

Ten community/recreation centers model design strategies and partnerships for strengthening communities.

These days, recreation centers go far beyond simply offering fitness classes and equipment, swimming pools, and basketball courts. Contemporary facilities often serve as a social hub, incorporating educational programs and health care services and hosting community meetings and performances. Because they tend to bring

PSYCHIATRIC NEWS

The architecture of the new Menninger Clinic in Houston reflects and enhances the clinic’s philosophy about patient care. The Menninger Clinic, long at the center of American psychiatry—geographically and otherwise—completed its shift from Topeka, Kan., with the opening of a new 120-bed campus in Houston.

RealEstate BISNOW (HOU)

How bittersweet. Construction costs troughed over the past year and are on the rise, according to a recent study by Kirksey. Here’s Kirksey’s Scott Wilkinson, Randy Thomas, and Jim Dietzmann, who lead the commercial team and contributed to the report. The firm is seeing increased development activity, especially in the office sector

Houston Business Journal

A number of energy-related companies are expected to move forward with building projects in the near future, according to an annual survey of leading general contractors conducted by Kirksey. In addition, the cost of constructing commercial buildings in Houston is higher than it was a year ago, based on results in Construction Cost Update 2012, which was released last week ...

Texas Architect

Kirksey's Clean Line Energy Partners project was featured in the Interiors Portfolio of the  May/June 2012 issue of Texas Architect, page 72.

Real Estate BISNOW (HOU)

St. Vincent de Paul, the church and school, is about to launch renovations and expansion. The main focus: Make room for more students to the tune of one class per grade for several years. (That's a lot of future altar servers.) St. Vincent’s originally had a large comprehensive plan for the church and school, but lack of funding made it break into various phases.

ENR Texas & Louisiana

Good talent breeds talent. For the 2012 edition of ENR Texas & Louisiana's annual Top 20 Under 40 list, we feature young professionals who represent a broad spectrum of the industry. Brian Richard turned his long-time interest in science into an architectural career, designing high-performance laboratories and mission critical spaces. At Kirksey, he gained expertise in carrying out projects in which integration of technology and applied science and coordination across disciplines were vital to success. "I find it fortunate I practice architecture on a daily basis that has something to do with that area of the world I am most interested in—science," he says. Richard aims to be a good steward of the environment and holds a U.S. Dept. of Energy-ASHRAE Data Center Energy Use certification. He graduated from the Harvard School of Public Health with training in lab design and has become an expert laboratory planner. Richard also is a valued resource at the firm for projects in the petrochemical, oil and gas, industrial and light manufacturing sectors. He stays active in the community and mentors young people in his profession, instilling in them a passion for knowledge and leadership.

Houston Business Journal

Noble Energy Inc. signed a lease for a 497,000-square-foot, former Hewlett Packard Co. building, with plans to consolidate employees from several locations into the new headquarters in northwest Houston...Kirksey Architecture is redesigning the interior of the building with modern layouts.

Athletic Business

The 2011 Athletic Business® Facility of Merit™ awards were recently selected by a panel of sports and recreation facility architects during two days of judging in Chicago. The Tellepsen Family Downtown YMCA is a recipient. The awards were presented to the facility owners and architects at the Athletic Business Conference & Expo in Orlando, Fla., on Friday, Dec. 2.
 

CultureMap Houston

Green views of the Waterwall: Skanska's new Galleria office tower is designed to eco wow...As plans continue for light rail service along Post Oak, lead architects Julie Hendricks and Bob Inaba of Kirksey Architecture concentrated on creating pedestrian-friendly space at street level. Instead of placing the garage next to the building, the designers placed the office spaces on top of eight stories of parking — a plan that allowed for a green plaza at the front entrance as well as better views of the city and the Waterwall Park across the street.

Houston Chronicle

After almost two years of planning, construction on a 20-story office building in the Galleria area will begin within a few weeks, a developer said Monday...The building, designed by architecture firm Kirksey, will contain 12 stories of offices atop an eight-story garage. Skanska said the tower is being built for a Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.

Houston Chronicle

As the saying goes, Kristen Johnson isn't from Texas, but she got here as fast as she could. The Canadian juggled dual citizenship for a few years and had a fling with Alaska, but after moving to Houston in 1984, Johnson has settled down. An associate interior designer at Kirksey Architecture, Johnson says she always knew she wanted a career in a creative field.

NEWH Magazine | The Hospitality Industry Network

As one of only four salons in the U.S. that carries the Shu Uemura products and name, the owners of Houston's Azur West salon wanted a "very European-contemporary salon that you would not think belonged in Texas," explains Kevin Hamby, RID and project designer at local firm Kirksey Architecture.

Downtown Houston Magazine

With downtown residential space growing in appeal, a renovation of Houston House comes just in time...Smash-cut to 2010, when Houston House began a comprehensive and posh renovation by Houston-based Kirksey Architects. The renovation reflects the building's authentic mid-century roots and has been elevated to appeal to a modern style of social living...

Athletic Business

...When the YMCA of Greater Houston made a commitment to both renovate existing facilities and build new ones, all with prominent new chapels, Kirksey Architecture was hired to oversee the transition...

HOUSTON Magazine

Extreme Makeover | As the Houston House high-rise debuts its new look, four young designers flaunt fab pads (including Kirksey's very own Kristen Johnson). Dowtown's 31-story midcentury mod Houston House reveals its head-to-toe, $10 million renovation this month.

Houston Business Journal

Face to Face with John Kirksey

Sit down with John Kirksey for a few minutes, and it quickly becomes evident why his Houston-based architectural firm has a strong focus on environmental design.

Student Housing Business

Traditional residence halls are anything but traditional today. Colleges and universities are getting away from building dormitories with long, uninterrupted hallways filled with door after door and one lounge per floor. They are calling on architects and designers to create spaces that enhance student living and build a life experience around the academic and social nature of college.

Houston Chronicle

...Responding to customer demands, new supermarkets in general are being designed to operate more efficiently and older ones are being renovated with environmental extras, said Brian Malarkey, who leads the EcoServices group at Houston architecture firm Kirksey. He points to research that has been done on skylights and their effect on the retail environment. "They found stores with skylights did better," he said.

Houston Business Journal

Long before “LEED” became a buzzword in the construction world, a number of industry professionals envisioned a more sustainable world. Simply put, they were green when green wasn’t cool. Brian Malarkey of Kirksey was interviewed as a forward-thinker on today's sustainable efforts.