Engineering Firm Acquisitions, Awards Abound; Austin Breaks Ground on Block 21 Project

HDR acquires PHAROS, Jacobs Engineering snags Fort Worth’s Carter & Burgess, and Isbell Engineering Group, also of Fort Worth, becomes part of Clough Harbour & Associates LLP

HDR Acquires PHAROS Corp.

HDR Inc., the leading architecture-engineering- consulting firm headquartered in Omaha, Neb., has acquired PHAROS Corp., a real estate and right-of-way consulting firm based in Edmonds, Wash. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Going forward, PHAROS will conduct business as HDR/PHAROS.

PHAROS provides real estate and right-of-way services for highways, transit, railroad, airport, and utility projects nationwide with offices in Texas and Oklahoma, and Washington. Clients include BNSF Railway Co, various state DOTs, Port of Seattle, Sound Transit, and Puget Sound Energy.

Founded in 1989, PHAROS Corp., currently employs 70 professionals.

Jacobs Signs Agreement to Acquire Carter & Burgess

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., based in Pasadena, Calif., recently completed its acquisition of Carter & Burgess, a 3,200-person firm headquartered in Fort Worth. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Founded in 1939, Carter & Burgess is a nationally recognized architecture, engineering, design, and planning firm serving public and private clients in transportation, water infrastructure programs, building programs, land development and planning.

Jacobs, with more than 49,000 employees and annual revenues exceeding $8 billion, provides technical, professional, and construction services globally.

Isbell Engineering Acquired by CHA

Isbell Engineering Group of Fort Worth and Clough Harbour & Associates LLP, a full service engineering firm with 26 offices nationwide, recently announced the signing of a definitive agreement under which CHA acquired IEG.

The combined company’s services will include civil, structural, geotechnical, mechanical, electrical, transportation and environmental engineering; survey; landscape architecture; technology solutions; planning; and construction services.

Block 21 Forms Team, Breaks Ground on 35-Story Austin Tower

Dignitaries including (left to right) Earvin Magic Johnson, Beau Armstrong and Austin Mayor Will Wynn attend the groundbreaking in Austin for Block 21. The project, seeking LEED certification, will include a W Hotel, and new homes for the Austin Children’s Museum and public station KLRU’s popular “Austin City Limits” television program.

Construction started in late fall on the $260-million mixed-use Block 21 in the core of downtown Austin. Bounded by 2nd Street, 3rd Street, Guadalupe and Lavaca, the project is just one block north of Town Lake.

Austin-based Stratus Properties and the Los Angeles-based Canyon-Johnson Urban Fund are leading the project, which includes the W Austin Hotel & Residences, a key component of the 35-story development. Occupying a former vacant lot, the project is striving for Platinum LEED Certification.

The project was announced in May and is targeted for a 2010 completion. Dallas-based Austin Commercial was chosen to be the general contractor on the project, which  will incorporate 196 luxury condominium residences, 250 hotel guestrooms, spa, signature restaurant, approximately 47,000 sq ft of ground- and second-floor retail as well as public spaces. A 2,200-seat theater and music venue will also serve as the new home of public television KLRU-TV’s Austin City Limits, the Austin-based televised concert series.

Team members include design architects Andersson-Wise Architects of Austin; interiors consultant Holden & Dupuy of New Orleans; Seattle’s Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen for public space and interior design; venue designers Rios Clementi Hale Studios of Los Angeles; Dallas-based BOKA Powell for project coordination and plan production; and Austin-based Gardens for landscape architecture.

Texas Wins ARTBA Globe Awards for Transportation Construction

The Texas Department of Transportation in partnership with the city of Dallas as well as Los Angeles-based Parsons Transportation Group, Omaha-based Kiewit Western, Fort Worth-based Carter & Burgess Inc., Regional Transportation District and the Colorado Department of Transportation were among the award winners from nine states at the American Road & Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation’s eighth annual “Globe Awards” breakfast, held recently in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Highway and bridge improvement projects were recognized for their contributions to environmental protection and mitigation. Established by the ARTBA board of directors in 1998, the “Globe Awards” recognize private-sector firms and public-sector transportation agencies that do an outstanding job in protecting and/or enhancing the natural environment in the planning, design and construction of U.S. transportation infrastructure projects; and transportation construction-related product manufacturers and material suppliers that utilize exemplary environmental processes to protect and enhance the natural environment.

An independent panel of federal agency environmental specialists reviewed all of the nominations and selected the winners.

TxDOT and city of Dallas tied for third place in the bridge category for the “Interstate-75 Underpass at Churchill Way Project.”

The I-75 Underpass at Churchill Way presented a prime opportunity for TxDOT and the city of Dallas to employ context-sensitive design principles.  The Churchill Way project was built without excessive right of way acquisitions, or impacts to nearby environmentally sensitive floodplains or the adjacent Cottonwood Creek floodway. Aesthetically-designed retaining walls were used to enhance the area’s image and apply architectural finishes that integrate with the surrounding area.  The project created a vital link to a major transportation artery, and also improved environmental quality and mitigation along the corridor.

Fort Worth-based Carter & Burgess Inc., along with Los Angeles-based Parsons Transportation Group, Omaha-based Kiewit Western, and the Colorado Department of Transportation took first place in the transit category for the Denver “T-Rex Project.”

The I-75 Underpass at Churchill Way presented a prime opportunity for TxDOT and the city of Dallas to employ context-sensitive design principles.  The Churchill Way project was built without excessive right of way acquisitions, or impacts to nearby environmentally sensitive floodplains or the adjacent Cottonwood Creek floodway. Aesthetically-designed retaining walls were used to enhance the area’s image and apply architectural finishes that integrate with the surrounding area.  The project created a vital link to a major transportation artery, and also improved environmental quality and mitigation along the corridor.

Fort Worth-based Carter & Burgess Inc., along with Los Angeles-based Parsons Transportation Group, Omaha-based Kiewit Western, and the Colorado Department of Transportation took first place in the transit category for the Denver “T-Rex Project.”

Corgan Receives Awards from Dallas Chamber and Dallas AIA

Dallas-based Corgan Associates Inc., one of the largest U.S.-based architectural firms, was recently presented the national employment growth award at the 2007 Greater Dallas Chamber Momentum Awards reception. Corgan was one of nine area companies honored at the reception hosted by Dallas Cowboys Hall of Famer and Heisman Trophy winner Roger Staubach.

The firm also received Firm of the Year from the Dallas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects at the Celebrate Architecture 2007 Gala. The Dallas committee selected Corgan for the distinguished award.

The 2007 Momentum Awards recognizes companies that have experienced significant job growth and fostered positive momentum in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. Judges presented awards in four categories including employment growth (local and national), corporate relocation, community investor and community catalyst.

 Corgan received the national employment due to its rapid economic development including the recently completed construction of its new corporate headquarters in Dallas’ historic West End district. Corgan’s national employee base also grew 23 percent.

For the AIA award, Corgan was selected from among all of the participating firms of the Dallas Chapter.

Structural Engineering Associates Inc. Receives PCI Design Award

San Antonio engineering firm Structural Engineering Associates Inc. received a National Design Award from the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute for the design of the Loop 340 Overpass in Waco. SEA shares the award with TxDOT, the owner and co-engineer for the project.

SEA was responsible for the design of the bridge superstructures and TxDOT designed the bridge substructures. The bridge superstructures consist of a new bridge beam, called the Pre-Topped U-Beam, which was invented and developed by Jesse S. Covarrubias and David T. Covarrubias, both engineers at SEA. The Pre-Topped U-Beam was developed as a part of TxDOT’s Rapid Bridge Replacement Program in order to speed up on-site construction time.

Houston Engineer, D. Wayne, Klotz, Named President-Elect of ASCE

D. Wayne Klotz, president of Klotz Associates Inc. in Houston-an engineering firm specializing in land development, transportation, traffic, water and sewer, aviation and drainage was recently named president-elect of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Klotz was installed as president-elect on Nov. 3 during the business meeting at ASCE’s Annual Civil Engineering Conference in Orlando, Fla.

Klotz has served as president of Klotz Associates Inc. since 1985. Starting off as a small, Houston-based practice with a staff of 12, the firm currently employs more than 120 professionals in offices in San Antonio, Austin, Houston and Lufkin.

Metroplex Engineer Wins ASCE History and Heritage Award

North Texas civil engineer and land surveyor John P. Wier was recently presented the Texas Section “History & Heritage Award” at the fall 2007 meeting of the Texas Section ASCE in Fort Worth.

Wier was presented the award for his “special contributions made to recording and/or recognizing the history and heritage of civil engineering in Texas.”

Wier co-founded and is president of Wier & Associates Inc. with offices in Arlington, Frisco and Mansfield.

Wier served as president of the Fort Worth Branch ASCE from 2005 to 2006, serves on the Texas Section ASCE History and Heritage Committee and as branch history and heritage chair for the Fort Worth Branch ASCE.

Adolfson & Peterson Construction Awarded Safety Star Award

Dallas-based Adolfson & Peterson Construction was recognized for its consistent safety programs at the Associated Builders and Contractors North Texas’ Excellence in Construction awards dinner. The award is presented to only one general contractor and one subcontractor each year in the North Texas region.

In 2006, A&P surpassed the 2 million consecutive man-hours worked with no lost-time accidents.

Current and recent projects include Garland ISD school renovations, ground-up Granite 190 Office Complex, Dallas ISD projects, and hospitality renovations including Hilton Anatole Mezzanine, Hyatt DFW airport and Hyatt Regency in Dallas.

Houston-Area High School Wins International Award

The Carl Wunsche Sr. High School in Spring has won the international James D. MacConnell Award, the most prestigious award from the Council of Educational Facilities Planners International. The award honors an outstanding, comprehensive school planning process, which results in a healthy, high-performing learning environment that enhances student achievement. Previous winners include schools across the United States and as far away as Australia.

The school, designed by Plano-based SHW Group, is the result of a four-month visioning process that included school board members, district administrators, teachers, parents and students. Before the school’s design was conceptualized, education experts at SHW Group helped the district envision a place where students could learn in an unprecedented way.

SHW Group’s architects designed a unique career academy that integrates instruction in core subjects (English, math, science and social studies) with studies in career fields to provide students with a relevant, real-world context for 21st century learning.  The design empowers educators to teach in a new way.  The school design previously won the 2007 Caudill Award – a joint award from the Texas Society of Architects, the Texas Association of School Boards and the Texas Association of School Administrators.