LEPAA Announces Diamond Schmitt As Design Architect; First-Class Development Team Complete
(Lubbock-TX) The final piece in an impressive development team was announced today when LEPAA introduced Diamond Schmitt Architects as the design architect for The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences. Work sessions are underway for the design phase.
The Toronto-based firm brings global experience and glowing references to the table, boasting 21 performing arts facilities completed. Each finished performance center possesses a unique design reflective of its local context. They have extensive experience working as design architect with a local architect of record and are widely recognized for their proactive “cost budgeting” approach to design.
“We are thrilled to have been selected to design this significant performing arts facility,” said Jack Diamond, Principal with Diamond Schmitt Architects. “As a community-supported initiative, we look forward to working with representatives of the wide variety of performing arts to be accommodated in this ambitious endeavor. Clearly, the aim is not only to provide first-rate performance spaces, but also a complex that will become the heart and soul of the community and beyond.”
Diamond Schmitt joins an impressive team already assembled of local partners and development experts. In a collaborative display of community vision, Lubbock architecture firms Parkhill, Smith & Cooper, Inc. and MWM Architects, Inc. have come together to lead the design team in the role of architect of record.
“On any other day, MWM and PSC are major competitors – but today and for the next three years, MWM and PSC along with Diamond Schmitt are a band of brothers and sisters whose only goal is to design a magical place where the sights and sounds make marvelous memories again and again and again! It doesn’t get any better than that,” said Stephen Faulk of MWM Architects.
Mike Moss of Parkhill, Smith & Cooper echoed Faulk’s sentiment, “The opportunity to collaborate with local and international peers on such a wonderful vision that will soon become The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The ability to bring together the best regional talent and infuse it with the expertise of an international design firm with a very impressive portfolio of performing art centers will ensure this facility is enjoyed for many generations.”
Lubbock-based Lee Lewis Construction, Inc. will serve as the general contractor. As one of the nation’s top-ranked construction firms, Lee Lewis Construction has the experience and capabilities to bring the project vision to life.
Jack Hagler, principal of Schuler Shook, Inc., is serving as theater consultant in the design process. Their expertise will reinforce the architectural concepts and ensure that the building will support the work of the artists and patrons engaged at The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences.
Webb Management Services is acting as business planning and market consultant for the team. In that capacity, Webb will provide advice on theater operations, operator selection, theater activity and operating projections.
The project developer Garfield Public/Private, LLC has been on board since the feasibility stage of the project. Tasked with assembling and leading the best possible project team for The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences, the Garfield Public/Private team is thrilled to move forward with a team of this caliber.
“Good planning for performing arts venues demands the best combination of international performing arts expertise with local leadership and talent,” said Greg Garfield, President of Garfield Public/Private. “We are confident that the design partnership between PSC and MWM with Diamond Schmitt advances that goal. We look forward to working with this team in designing and delivering The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences – a world-class performance facility that is sure to be a unique expression of the community.”
Rounding out the team is Jaffe Holden advising the design process on the acoustical, audio/visual, and information technology needs that a performance center of this caliber will require.
The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences Key Partners
Garfield Public/Private, LLC
Garfield Public/Private is a national development services provider focusing exclusively on public and public/private developments, including performing arts centers. The company uses innovative and cost-effective financing solutions tailored to the requirements of its clients. Garfield employs a “turnkey” delivery method that minimizes client risk and administrative burden, maximizes transparency and accountability, and enables “fast track” delivery of high quality facilities months or even years ahead of when otherwise thought possible. Garfield Public/Private and its executives have developed more than 20 million square feet of all property types nationally and abroad, and have financed more than $7 billion in debt and equity.
Diamond Schmitt Architects
Established in 1975, Diamond Schmitt Architects Incorporated (DSAI) is ranked among the top 100 architecture practices in the world and is listed in the top10 in the cultural sector by the UK publication Building Design.
The Toronto-based company is recognized for the design of beautiful, sustainable buildings that are responsive to their environment and context. The bar is set high to exceed client expectations, a standard acknowledged by hundreds of awards, including six Governor General Medals for Architecture (Canada’s highest honor in architecture) and five times for Architectural Record’s Good Design is Good Business Award.
Parkhill, Smith & Cooper, Inc.
Parkhill, Smith & Cooper (PSC) is a full-service design firm that provides engineering and architectural design primarily in the public sector or with public entities, such as municipal facilities and infrastructure, K-12 and higher education, healthcare, and transportation. Established in 1945 in Lubbock, today PSC’s office locations include Abilene, Amarillo, El Paso, Las Cruces, Midland/Odessa and currently has a staff of over 300 professional, technical and support personnel. Over 170 employees are based in PSC’s Lubbock Headquarters.
PSC is consistently ranked among the Top 500 Design Firms in the United States (ENR.com). Additionally, PSC has been ranked in the Top 3 of the Best Multidiscipline A/E Services Firms To Work For by Stagnito Media / CE News. This also represents a top rating for Multidiscipline A/E Services firms headquartered in Texas and the Southwest region.
MWM Architects, Inc.
Established in 1978, MWM Architects, Inc. prides itself on its firm culture grounded in the belief that the client is the core of the firm’s success. MWM considers its professional staff expertise and experience to be instruments critical to the process of crystallizing the vision of their clients. Maintaining a heightened level of customer care is embodied in the practice of providing clear communication along with innovative design. To further this philosophy, a principal in the firm personally oversees every project, and every principal takes seriously the role of communication, availability and flexibility throughout the duration of the project.
Lee Lewis Construction, Inc.
There are few that can match the dependability, efficiency and personal service of Lee Lewis Construction when it comes to providing construction services such as the coordination and scheduling of manpower, materials, equipment, and subcontractors. Lee Lewis Construction’s estimators, project managers, superintendents, safety and quality assurance personnel are experienced at controlling budgets and maximizing production through coordination and scheduling efforts. They provide construction related services necessary to deliver projects on time and on budget. Whether the chosen delivery method is construction manager-at-risk, lump-sum bid, design/build, or negotiated, you can trust Lee Lewis Construction for any construction needs.
Schuler Shook, Inc.
Schuler Shook, Inc. excels at working collaboratively and creatively to achieve excellence in design. Schuler Shook strives to inform the design process in the most positive ways possible to reinforce the architectural concepts and to ensure that the building supports the work of the artists engaged there.
Schuler Shook’s projects include opera houses, professional theatres, concert halls, dance theatres, ballrooms, worship spaces, and performance venues for universities and high schools; they range from less than 100 seats to over 15,000 seats. Schuler Shook’s expertise includes the following areas of specialization: feasibility studies, architectural programming, theatre planning and building planning, theatre seating and seating conveying systems, stage rigging systems, stage curtains and tracks, stage and orchestra lifts, and platforming systems.
Jaffe Holden
Jaffe Holden is a full service acoustic, audio/video, and IT infrastructure consulting firm with a passion for exceeding client and audience expectations. Jaffe Holden has designed sound for Texas’ most loved halls including Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, the Long Center for Performing Arts in Austin, the Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center in Odessa, and the Globe News Performing Arts Center in Amarillo. Prestigious performing arts centers such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Hollywood Bowl have worked with Jaffe Holden to achieve excellent performance environments as well as new halls in Hong Kong, Mumbai, and Dubai. Jaffe Holden is based in the New York metro area with an office in Houston, Texas.
Webb Management Services, Inc.
Webb Management Services, Inc. was founded in March 1997 as a management consulting practice for the advancement of cultural organizations and the development and operation of cultural facilities. Webb Management Services works for developers, schools, arts organizations and government, providing facility development studies, facility and organization business plans, presenting and programming support, and organizational advancement plans. WMS has completed more than 325 projects, including work in forty-four States, Canada, South America, the Middle East and Asia.