MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The team of Lake|Flato Architects, Kell Muñoz and Ellerbe Becket are honored to announce our selection as architect for the new San Antonio U.S. Courthouse. The design team was selected from more than 80 firms that sought the contract, and was one of six firms interviewed by the U.S. General Service Administration in August.
The new $125 to $150 million courthouse will replace the John H. Wood Courthouse in Hemisfair Park and will be located on the site of the existing San Antonio Police Department headquarters. The courthouse will be a catalyst for the redevelopment of this new civic precinct and the restoration of San Pedro Creek. The team looks forward to crafting a welcoming landmark for justice in the heart of San Antonio’s civic center, rooted in South Texas heritage and a proud destination for all citizens of San Antonio to enjoy.
The Lake|Flato + Kell Muñoz + Ellerbe Becket team offers a proven track record of previous collaboration, nationally recognized design excellence, local cultural and historical knowledge and extensive Federal Courthouse experience. This team successfully collaborated on the AT&T Community Arena, home of the NBA San Antonio Spurs.
Ellerbe Becket will be responsible for overall project management, courts planning and design of all judicial areas including courtrooms, judges’ chambers and U.S. Marshall Service spaces, with Lake|Flato leading the building design and Kell Munoz serving as architect of record.
About Lake|Flato Architects
In 1984, David Lake, FAIA, co-founded Lake|Flato Architects with Ted Flato, FAIA, and has gained national and international recognition for excellence in regional design, creating architecture that is tactile and modern, environmentally responsible and artfully crafted. The American Institute of Architects selected Lake|Flato as the national Firm of the Year in 2004. Since 2006, four Lake|Flato projects have been selected as national Top Ten Green Projects by the AIA Committee on the Environment. In all, Lake|Flato’s work has been recognized with 43 national awards (including the AIA Honor Award in 1992, 1997, 1999 and 2007) and 50 state awards. For 25 years Lake|Flato has been engaged in improving the urban fabric of San Antonio, and was a recent recipient of the Award of Excellence by The Congress for the New Urbanism for the River North Expansion with Moule & Polyzoides Architects and Urbanists.
About Kell Muñoz
Kell Muñoz is uniquely qualified as a culturally-based design firm, with experience as Architect of Record for large public and complex projects. The firm is recognized for its participation in community and cultural issues and San Antonio’s urban development, and is particularly familiar with the downtown’s West Side. In 1989, Kell Muñoz completed the Bexar County Justice Center, two blocks from the Courthouse site, and is Architect of Record for the current expansion under construction. Projects such as the reactivation and restoration of the Alameda Theater and the Smithsonian Alameda National Center for Latino Art & Culture were initiated by Kell Muñoz, representing their commitment to the bi-cultural community unique to San Antonio.
About Ellerbe Becket
Founded in 1909, Ellerbe Becket is internationally recognized as a leader in the architecture, engineering and interior design industries. The firm has had a long history of award winning work for the Federal government, ranging from the landmark Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington D.C. – the nation’s second-largest federal building; and the new Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and the Charles Evans Whittaker U.S. Courthouse, both in Kansas City, Missouri. The firm’s first major civic building was the inspiring Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse, completed in 1931. Since then, the firm has continued to define the enduring qualities of significant public architecture, while engaging in consensus-based design processes that give the whole community a sense of ownership.
Contact: mryan@labreche.com
