KTGY, an award-winning design firm focused on architecture, interior design, branded environments and urban design, announced that it has acquired GDA Architects, a Dallas-based architectural firm specializing in high rise residential, hospitality and industrial design. The unification of the firms will bolster KTGY's presence in Texas and expand the firms' high rise portfolio, while giving GDA access to a national network of design experts. This acquisition continues the momentum of KTGY's growth trajectory.
"The acquisition of GDA was a natural fit and reinforces our promise of being - where design lives - from single family to high rise," said Tricia Esser, CEO, KTGY. "GDA's commitment to listening and partnering with their clients to deliver groundbreaking design is what first drew us to them. We were looking for a firm in Texas that shared our values and passion for design, we found that with GDA."
For over four decades, GDA has shaped the Texas skyline and transformed people's experiences. Founded in 1984 by Charles Gromatzky, the firm has built a reputation as a trusted partner, respected for their passion for exploration as well as their attention to aesthetics and environmental impact. Their impressive portfolio includes Museum Tower in Dallas, Confluence in Denver and Alexan Waterloo in Austin.
"We are thrilled to unite with KTGY," said Charles Gromatzky, Founder and Managing Partner at GDA. "Our combined high rise expertise, along with KTGY's interior designers and branding professionals, will create new opportunities to offer fully integrated work for our clients in Texas and beyond."
Since opening their doors three decades ago, KTGY has been committed to innovative, design-driven solutions that elevate the role of built spaces in people's lives. What started as a California-based residential architecture practice, today has grown into a multidisciplinary firm representing a collective of architects, designers, branding professionals and planners - all guided by a mission to bring innovative design to all people and places. From single family communities to luxury hotels, KTGY's experts iterate with each design, bringing excitement and a fresh perspective to every opportunity, seeking insights that have helped them hone their process and create thriving environments.
The new Dallas Studio will be led by Principals, Glen Morgenweck and Ray Tse and Associate Principal Marc Sullivan. Glen, Ray and Marc will be supported by Charles Gromatzky, Principal, who will assist with the integration of the studio. Additionally, Charles will continue his business development efforts and begin to introduce GDA's clients to the KTGY team. Together, the leaders are committed to continue to partner with their clients and to discover the new possibilities ahead.
With this acquisition, KTGY will now have seven office locations coast to coast (Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Irvine, Los Angeles, Oakland and Washington, D.C.) and 400 team members.
"We are committed to supporting Glen, Ray and Marc during the integration process to ensure success," said Esser, "and are excited about the opportunities ahead for not only our Dallas office but all offices to collaborate. By leveraging our diverse specialties, we elevate how we envision spaces for our clients and truly transform people's experiences."
Related Stories
| Jan 25, 2011
Bloomberg launches NYC Urban Tech Innovation Center
To promote the development and commercialization of green building technologies in New York City, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has launched the NYC Urban Technology Innovation Center. This initiative will connect academic institutions conducting underlying research, companies creating the associated products, and building owners who will use those technologies.
| Jan 25, 2011
Top 10 rules of green project finance
Since the bottom fell out of the economy, finding investors and financial institutions willing to fund building projects—sustainable or otherwise—has been close to impossible. Real estate finance prognosticators, however, indicate that 2011 will be a year to buy back into the real estate market.
| Jan 25, 2011
Chicago invented the skyscraper; can it pioneer sustainable-energy strategies as well?
Chicago’s skyline has always been a source of pride. And while few new buildings are currently going up, building owners have developed a plan to capitalize on the latest advances: Smart-grid technologies that will convert the city’s iconic skyline into what backers call a “virtual green generator” by retrofitting high-rise buildings and the existing electrical grid to a new hyper-connected intelligent-communications backbone.
| Jan 25, 2011
AIA reports: Hotels, retail to lead U.S. construction recovery
U.S. nonresidential construction activity will decline this year but recover in 2012, led by hotel and retail sectors, according to a twice-yearly forecast by the American Institute of Architects. Overall nonresidential construction spending is expected to fall by 2% this year before rising by 5% in 2012, adjusted for inflation. The projected decline marks a deteriorating outlook compared to the prior survey in July 2010, when a 2011 recovery was expected.
| Jan 25, 2011
Jester Jones Schifer Architects, Ltd. Joins GPD Group
GPD Group is excited to announce that Jester Jones Schifer Architects, a Marion-based architectural firm, has joined our firm, now enabling GPD Group to provide architectural services to the Central-Ohio market.
| Jan 21, 2011
Combination credit union and USO center earns LEED Silver
After the Army announced plans to expand Fort Bliss, in Texas, by up to 30,000 troops, FirstLight Federal Credit Union contracted NewGround (as CM) to build a new 16,000-sf facility, allocating 6,000 sf for a USO center with an Internet café, gaming stations, and theater.
| Jan 21, 2011
Manufacturing plant transformed into LEED Platinum Clif Bar headquarters
Clif Bar & Co.’s new 115,000-sf headquarters in Emeryville, Calif., is one of the first buildings in the state to meet the 2008 California Building Energy Efficiency Standards. The structure has the largest smart solar array in North America, which will provide nearly all of its electrical energy needs.
| Jan 21, 2011
Primate research facility at Duke improves life for lemurs
Dozens of lemurs have new homes in two new facilities at the Duke Lemur Center in Raleigh, N.C. The Releasable Building connects to a 69-acre fenced forest for free-ranging lemurs, while the Semi-Releasable Building is for lemurs with limited-range privileges.
| Jan 21, 2011
Harlem facility combines social services with retail, office space
Harlem is one of the first neighborhoods in New York City to combine retail with assisted living. The six-story, 50,000-sf building provides assisted living for residents with disabilities and a nonprofit group offering services to minority groups, plus retail and office space.
| Jan 21, 2011
Nothing dinky about these residences for Golden Gophers
The Sydney Hall Student Apartments combines 125 student residences with 15,000 sf of retail space in the University of Minnesota’s historic Dinkytown neighborhood, in Minneapolis.
