flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Two Mid-Atlantic design firms join forces

Architects

Two Mid-Atlantic design firms join forces

Quinn Evans Architects and Cho Benn Holback + Associates have similar portfolios with an emphasis on civic work. 


By John Caulfield, Senior Editor | April 25, 2017

Larry Barr (second from left), AIA, President of Quinn Evans Architects, standing with the management and principals of Cho Benn Holback + Associates, which Quinn Evans acquires effective May 1. Pictured with Barr are (from left): Brandon Schultz, LEED AP; Diane Cho, AIA, and George Holback, Cho Benn Holback's cofounders; Brian Oster, AIA, LEED AP BD+C; Mark Nook, AIA; and Anath Ranon, AIA, LEED AP BD+C. Image credit: E. Brady Robinson

The Washington, D.C. architectural and planning practice Quinn Evans Architects will expand to five office locations on May 1 when its acquisition of Baltimore-based Cho Benn Holback + Associates becomes effective.

Quinn Evans, founded in 1984, also operates from offices in Detroit and Ann Arbor, Mich.; and Madison, Wis. The new addition brings Quinn Evans’ employee count to more than 140.

The 30-person Cho Benn Holback, which was established in 1979, will remain at its current location, and operate under its name with the addition “a Quinn Evans Company.” No changes to its management or staffing are anticipated.

The two firms have portfolios in cultural, educational, civic, and urban infill projects, with an expertise in historic preservation and adaptive reuse. Cho Benn Holback + Associates has been recognized with more than 200 design awards, and is regarded for its design and revitalization work in Baltimore.

“Quinn Evans Architects is well known for its resourcefulness in urban planning and design, and that focus is what has inspired our own work through the years as well,” says Diane Cho, AIA, one of the firm’s founding partners. “We are looking to help rebuild and reinvigorate communities. Working together, we’ll have an opportunity to take our experience to other cities, and bring Quinn Evans’ perspective to our work here in Baltimore as well.”

Larry Barr, AIA, President of Quinn Evans Architects, views Cho Benn Holback + Associates as an ideal fit for Quinn Evans Architects in terms of staff, expertise, and portfolio. “I have long admired the thoughtful and creative approach reflected in their work—the caliber of design is consistently visionary and transformative. Projects like the Lillian Jones Apartments; the National Postal Museum; and Open Works, the state-of-the-art new maker space in Baltimore, are standouts.”

Both firms have completed a number of theater projects: Quinn Evans is currently designing the modernization of the 500-seat, 36-year-old Terrace Theatre at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in D.C., and Cho Benn Holback recently completed the $28 million renovation of Center Stage in Baltimore. (Whiting-Turner Construction was the GC on that project.)

 

Tags

Related Stories

Building Technology | Jun 9, 2022

GSA Green Proving Ground program selects six innovative building technologies for evaluation

The U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) Green Proving Ground program, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, has selected six innovative building technologies for evaluation in GSA’s inventory.

University Buildings | Jun 9, 2022

IDEA Factory at U. of Maryland defies gravity

The E.A. Fernandez IDEA Factory at the University of Maryland’s A. James Clark School of Engineering has a gravity-defying form: The seven-story building’s solid upper floors emerge above the lighter, mostly glass base.

Multifamily Housing | Jun 9, 2022

Cityview's Adam Perry on multifamily housing innovation in the Western U.S.

Adam Perry, SVP of Development and Construction Management with developer Cityview, chats with Multifamily Design+Construction Editor Rob Cassidy about the latest design and construction innovations for multifamily housing in the West. 

Libraries | Jun 8, 2022

Welcome to the hybrid library

Libraries have grown to become the intellectual and social hubs of campus, where, prior to March 2020, students, researchers, and faculty gathered to collaborate and connect.

Building Team | Jun 8, 2022

Alastair MacGregor to lead WSP USA Property and Buildings Business

Alastair (Aly) MacGregor has been named the executive business line leader for Property and Buildings at WSP USA, one of the nation’s largest engineering and professional services consultancies.

Codes and Standards | Jun 8, 2022

Florida Legislature passes bill requiring stricter condominium inspection

The Florida Legislature recently passed a bill to beef up building inspection requirements for many of the state’s condominiums.

Office Buildings | Jun 8, 2022

Former L.A. Times newsroom/printing plant remade into office campus

Phase 1 of The Press, an adaptive reuse project that is converting an old Los Angeles Times facility into a modern office campus, was recently completed in Costa Mesa, Calif.

Codes and Standards | Jun 7, 2022

FEMA launches National Initiative to Advance Building Codes

The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has launched a new government-wide effort to boost national resiliency and reduce energy costs.

Plumbing | Jun 7, 2022

Sloan launches ‘Sinks Beyond the Restroom’ innovation

Sloan, the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial plumbing systems, has launched its ‘Sinks Beyond the Restroom’ concept.

Building Team | Jun 7, 2022

Announcing construction inclusion week 2022: October 17-21, 2022

Save the date for Construction Inclusion Week 2022: October 17-21, 2022.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Urban Planning

Bridging the gap: How early architect involvement can revolutionize a city’s capital improvement plans

Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) typically span three to five years and outline future city projects and their costs. While they set the stage, the design and construction of these projects often extend beyond the CIP window, leading to a disconnect between the initial budget and evolving project scope. This can result in financial shortfalls, forcing cities to cut back on critical project features.



Libraries

Reasons to reinvent the Midcentury academic library

DLR Group's Interior Design Leader Gretchen Holy, Assoc. IIDA, shares the idea that a designer's responsibility to embrace a library’s history, respect its past, and create an environment that will serve student populations for the next 100 years.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021