BOKA Powell LLC, a Dallas-based architecture and design firm, has won the Rehabilitation/Re-use Deal of the Year from the Dallas Business Journal for its five-year, $6 million transformation of One McKinney Plaza, a 263,921-sf Class A office building located in Dallas’ Uptown neighborhood.
The redesign and renovation process modernized the core, shell, and interior of the 15-story building, which initially had a small lobby and a dark, dated exterior set away from the street. BOKA Powell developed a new façade and gutted the interior to create a new two-story lobby set close to the street to create an urban, inviting feel.
“The stunning new lobby has frameless glass walls which open it up and bring the outside in, and at night the building’s lights have become a beacon for the neighborhood,” said Don Powell, principal of BOKA Powell. “Our client, the Gaedeke Group, has seen a rise in occupancy levels, as well as rents, due to our modern design and increased foot traffic.”
Two new restaurants on the ground floor, Private Social and Del Frisco’s Grille, add to the building’s lively atmosphere.
The Rehabilitation/Re-use Deal of the Year is given by the Dallas Business Journal each year. One McKinney Plaza came in first among finalists that included Fossil Central Station and Glen Lakes Center.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
Top of the rock—Observation deck at Rockefeller Center
Opened in 1933, the observation deck at Rockefeller Center was designed to evoke the elegant promenades found on the period's luxury transatlantic liners—only with views of the city's skyline instead of the ocean. In 1986 this cultural landmark was closed to the public and sat unused for almost two decades.
| Aug 11, 2010
200 Fillmore
Built in 1963, the 32,000-sf 200 Fillmore building in Denver housed office and retail in a drab, outdated, and energy-splurging shell—a “style” made doubly disastrous by 200 Fillmore's function as the backdrop for a popular public plaza and outdoor café called “The Beach.
| Aug 11, 2010
Integrated Project Delivery builds a brave, new BIM world
Three-dimensional information, such as that provided by building information modeling, allows all members of the Building Team to visualize the many components of a project and how they work together. BIM and other 3D tools convey the idea and intent of the designer to the entire Building Team and lay the groundwork for integrated project delivery.
| Aug 11, 2010
Inspiring Offices: Office Design That Drives Creativity
Office design has always been linked to productivity—how many workers can be reasonably squeezed into a given space—but why isn’t it more frequently linked to creativity? “In general, I don’t think enough people link the design of space to business outcome,” says Janice Linster, partner with the Minneapolis design firm Studio Hive.
| Aug 11, 2010
Great Solutions: Products
14. Mod Pod A Nod to Flex Biz Designed by the British firm Tate + Hindle, the OfficePOD is a flexible office space that can be installed, well, just about anywhere, indoors or out. The self-contained modular units measure about seven feet square and are designed to serve as dedicated space for employees who work from home or other remote locations.
