Pelli Clarke Pelli to Design Weston Urban's Frost Bank Tower

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9/18/2015 Pelli, Clarke, Pelli to Design Weston Urban's Frost Bank Tower

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Pelli Clarke Pelli to Design Weston Urban’s Frost Bank Tower

ROBERT RIVARD on 16 September, 2015 at 14:07

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Mckinney Olive in uptown Dallas Texas. © Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects LATEST COMMENTS

Weston Urban and its development partner, KDC of Dallas have chosen Pelli Clarke Pelli of New Haven, CT to build the new JBM on 18 Sep Frost Bank Tower, the first new office tower on the San Antonio skyline in 25 years. The 85-member firm is internationally 9/18/2015 Pelli, Clarke, Pelli to Design Weston Urban's Frost Bank Tower THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY IN... respected and recognized with office towers in cities from New York to Hong Kong and more than 15 built projects in Texas. "He compared the 63% of Europeans who walk"He compared and use public the 63% transit of Europeans to the 13% who in Ground breaking is expected to begin in Fall 2016 with completion planed for 2018 or 2019. http://www.therivardreport.com/pelliclarkepellitodesignwestonurbansfrostbanktower/ the United States." This is one of my 2/8 favorite false […] “We are very selective in the projects we pursue, principally ones that are transformative and where we can make a real contribution,” said PCP Principal Bill Butler, 58, who was born in downtown San Antonio at the Nix Hospital and remembers as a boy accompanying his father on trips to the Frost Motor Bank. “We want to be game changers and obviously this project in RUBY CASTEEL on 18 Sep San Antonio is a game changer. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be part of this.” COMMENTARY: IF THE HDRC WON...

Good story, Alamo Architects will work with Pelli Clarke Pelli on the tower and surrounding streetscape, which Weston Urban CEO Randy Smith has repeatedly stressed is key to designing and building “the truly memorable building San Antonio deserves and that will help transform our downtown. FRAN on 17 Sep PELLI CLARKE PELLI TO DESIGN WE...

“People focus on the top 30 feet of a tower and what that looks like when it’s the bottom 30 feet, what people see from the Awesome! I really like what they did for street, that really matters,” Smith said. the Seay Building at UT Austin (http://pcparch.com/project/university- of-texas-at-austin-sarah-m-an). The Among a strong list of finalists, Pelli Clarke Pelli impressed the selection team the most, especially when the firms’ spanish tile on the roof and the […] representatives arrived in San Antonio with an oversized, hand-crafted paper model of downtown that showed every surrounding building right down to the roof air conditioning units. A collection of different shaped towers were used to show the selection team the range of choices that could form a starting point for decided what kind of tower best suited the The Rivard Report stakeholders and the city. 11,167 likes

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Contextual model of downtown San Antonio. Courtesy of Pelli Clark Pelli.

“It was a thorough process, and one that (Principal) Irby Hightower at Alamo Architects was instrumental in leading,” Smith said. “We were looking for a firm that was good cultural fit, a firm with people who shared our values, and a firm that would help us establish from the very start that this project would not be business as usual, that just okay is no longer okay in San Antonio. We found that firm.”

Hightower said the first task for Alamo Architects was to lead the development partners through the selection process.

“It was an intense process, but it was a pretty easy decision to select Pelli Clarke Pelli,” Hightower said. “All five firms were extremely qualified, all had great tower work, and most were international. There might have been debate over who was number two, but there was no disagreement over who was number one.” Irby Hightower. Courtesy photo. Hightower said his firm’s focus now will be working with the New Haven firm on the street level and “developing a community-wide design for downtown, where we activate the first floor of the building and the surrounding area.”

“Pelli Clarke Pelli draws inspiration from their surroundings to create iconic works of architecture, sometimes understated, sometimes bold, but always sensitive,” Hightower said. “This is the right firm to help San Antonio realize the first downtown office tower of the twenty-first century.”

Butler said the firm was equally interested in the design for San Pedro Creek and expects the new Frost Bank Tower serves as a centerpiece along its path through downtown.

“We very much want to be part of the conversation about San Pedro Creek,” Butler said. “We think this building will be a critical element there. This project will bring a major corporate headquarters right to the part of downtown that needs it. It’s a coup for San Antonio to retain such a historic business that has ben part of the city’s story for so long, and to do it in a way that solves so many problems for Frost Bank, for the City of San Antonio and for everyone eager to see this side of downtown come back to life.” http://www.therivardreport.com/pelliclarkepellitodesignwestonurbansfrostbanktower/ 3/8 9/18/2015 Pelli, Clarke, Pelli to Design Weston Urban's Frost Bank Tower "He compared the 63% of Europeans who walk and use public transit to the 13% in Ground breaking is expected to begin in Fall 2016 with completion planed for 2018 or 2019. the United States." This is one of my favorite false […] “We are very selective in the projects we pursue, principally ones that are transformative and where we can make a real contribution,” said PCP Principal Bill Butler, 58, who was born in downtown San Antonio at the Nix Hospital and remembers as a boy accompanying his father on trips to the Frost Motor Bank. “We want to be game changers and obviously this project in RUBY CASTEEL on 18 Sep San Antonio is a game changer. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be part of this.” COMMENTARY: IF THE HDRC WON...

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Contextual model of downtown San Antonio. Courtesy of Pelli Clark Pelli.

Hightower said the first task for Alamo Architects was to lead the development partners through the selection process.

Butler said the firm was equally interested in the design for San Pedro Creek and expects the new Frost Bank Tower serves as a 9/18c/2e0n1te5rpiece along its path through downtown. Pelli, Clarke, Pelli to Design Weston Urban's Frost Bank Tower life.” “We very much want to be part of the conversation about San Pedro Creek,” Butler said. “We think this building will be a critical eFlreomste Bnat nthke’sr lee. aTdheisrs phriopj ecxtp wreislls berdi negn tah musaijaosrm co forpr otrhaet fei rhmea’sd sqeuleacrtieorns. right to the part of downtown that needs it. It’s a coup for San Antonio to retain such a historic business that has ben part of the city’s story for so long, and to do it in a way that solves so 9/18m“/2Wa0ne1y 5a prer orbealellmy ss ufoprp Forrotisvte B oafn Wk, efostro tnh eU Crbitayn o’sf cShaoni cAen otof PnPieole lail lnCi,dl aC frolkare re kPvee,lr lPyi. oeTnlhleie tyeo a hDgaeevres t iaog ngs reWeea teth srietso psnuid tUea rtobiofa ndn,o 'aswn Fndtr iootw’s tne B xccaoinmtkine Tg b ofaowcrk eS traon Alifnet.”onio to have the first new office tower in more than 25 years be designed by a http://www.therivardreport.com/pelliclarkepellitodesignwestonurbansfrostbanktower/ 3/8 world-renowned architecture firm,” said Phillip D. Green, president of Cullen/Frost Frost Bank’s leadership expressed enthusiasm for the firm’s selection. Bankers. Green will succeed CEO Dick Evans in March, who is retiring after a 45- year career with Frost Bank. “It’s a wonderful step forward for the city as it moves “We are really supportive of Weston Urban’s choice of Pelli Clarke Pelli. They have a great reputation, and it’s exciting for San ahead in its downtown development.” Antonio to have the first new office tower in more than 25 years be designed by a Gwroereldn- rseanido Fwrnoesdt Baracnhki,t wechtiucrhe w fiirllm b,e” shaeidad Pqhuilalirpte Dre. Gd rine e2n5, 0p,r0e0s0id oefn tth oef nCeuwll etonw/Ferro’st 4B0an0k,0e0r0s. sGqr. efte.n, i sw cilol nsfuicdceenetd t hCeE WO eDsitcokn E Uvrabnasn in, P Melalir Cchla, rwkheo P ies lrlie atnirdin Agl afmteor a 45- Ayeracrh ictaercetes rt ewaimth wFrilol sptr oBdauncke. “ aIt s’st rau wctounrde ewrfourlt shtye opf f tohrew Farrods fto Br athnek cniatmy aes a int dmoves haheeriatdag ine. its downtown development.”

“GItr’ese Wn esastido nF rUorsbt aBna’sn kb,u wildhinchg, w thilel yb ea nhde aKdDqCua arrtee rtehde idne 2v5el0o,p0e0r0s ,o bf utht eju nset wby t tohweer’s n4a0t0u,0re0 o0f s tqh. ifst .d, eisa cl,o tnhfeidye hnatv teh bee Wene svteorny Ucorlblaabno, Praetlilvi eC lwaritkhe u Pse, lrlei caongdn Aizlainmgo the William E Butler. Courtesy of Pelli Clark Pelli. bArracnhditiencgt sc otemapmo nweinll tp froord tuhcee F ar ostsrtu Bcatunrke. Wwoer athrey voef rtyh eco Fmrofostr tBaabnlek annadm ceo annfiddent thheirsi twaiglle t.urn out wonderfully for everyone involved,” Green said.

T“Iht’es RWiveasrtdo nR Ueprobratn h’sa bs uaisldseinmgb, tlehde yim anagde KsD oCf o afrfeic teh teo dweevresl (ospeeer gsa, bllueyt jaubsot vbey) t dheesigned by Pelli Clarke Pelli that have been built inna Utu.Sre. c oitfi tehsi sa ndde aalb, trhoeayd .h Wavee i nbveietne vrearyd ecrosl ltaob poorasti cvoem wmithen utss, orenc aongyn itzoiwnge rths ethey find the most striking, or that they believe William E Butler. Courtesy of Pelli Clark Pelli. mbriagnhdt iinngfo cromm tphoen Fernots fto Br athnek FTroowset rB daenski.g Wn.e are very comfortable and confident this will turn out wonderfully for everyone involved,” Green said. Pelli Clarke Pelli has a considerable body of work already visible in Texas cities. OThnee R oifv tahred fRiremp’osr cto h-afos uanssdeemr abnledd a i mseangieosr opfr ionfcfiipcea lt, oFwreedr sC (lsaerek eg,a wlleilyl b aeb tohvee )le daedsigned by Pelli Clarke Pelli that have been built ipna Urt.nSe. cr iotine sth aen dp raobjerocta.d H. We wea ins vbiotern r eina dEel rCsa tmo po,s Tt ecxoamsm, gernadtsu oante adn fyr otomw tehres they find the most striking, or that they believe mUnigivhet rinsiftoyr omf tTheex aFsr,o asnt dB taanukg Thot wate trh dee Rsiigcne .University School of Architecture in Houston, where Butler was one of his students. Later, when Pelli Clarke Pelli was Pfoeullni dCeladr ikne 1 P9e7ll7i ,h Baust ale cro bnescidaemrea bolnee b ofd tyh oef e waorlryk h ailrreesa. dHye v liastiebrle t ainu gThetx ast tchiteie Ysa. le OScnheo ofl othf eA fricrhmit’se cotu-froeu fnodr e1r4 a yneda ars s.enior principal, Fred Clarke, will be the lead partner on the project. He was born in El Campo, Texas, graduated from the University of Texas, and taught at the Rice University School of Architecture in Houston, where Butler was one of his students. Later, when Pelli Clarke Pelli was Fred W Clarke. Courtesy photo. founded in 1977, Butler became one of the early hires. He later taught at the Yale School of Architecture for 14 years.

Fred W Clarke. Courtesy photo.

“We are thrilled and honored to be chosen as architects for the new Frost Tower. This transformative project will extend the commercial district of Houston Street to the vibrant redevelopment of San Pedro Creek,” Clarke said. “As a Texas native, and with my business partner Bill Butler, a San Antonio native, we hope to embrace the Texan spirit, respond to the uniqueness of San Antonio and create a symbol for the city’s tercentennial, as well as the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of Frost Bank.”

A“Wcceo ardrein tgh troill ae dp raensds hreolneoarseed i stsou beed cWhoesdenne asds aayr,c “hPiteellcit Cs lfaorrk teh Pee nllei wha Fsr boeste nT oaw leeard. Terh isn ternavnisrfoonrmeantitvaell py rsoujsetcati nwailbl leex dtensidg nth feor ocovmerm ae drecciaald dei.s Ttrhicet f oirfm H’so duestsoignn Sst irnecelut dtoe dth seu svtibairnaanbt lree sdtervateelogpiems envte onf b Seafno rPee tdhreo U C.rSe. eGkr,e” e Cnl aBrukield sinaigd C. “oAusn ac iTl exsatasb nlaisthiveed, iatnsd Lweitahd emrysh biups iinn Eesnse prgayrt annedr EBnilvl Biruotnlmere, na tSaal nD Aesnitgonn (iLoE nEaDti)v per, owger ahmop aen tdo i etsm wborarkc ein tchleu dTeesx tahne s cpoiruitn, trreys’sp ofinrsdt troe sthidee unntiiaqlu teonweesrs toof aScahni eAvnet oLnEiEoD a nPdla ctrineuatme, at hsey mprboogl rfaomr t’sh he icgihtye’sst t reartcineng.t eTnhnei failr,m as h wase ldl easi tghnee do naen dh udnedvreelodp feifdti teothw aenrsn aivcerrossasr tyh oef w Fororlsdt fBraonmk .t”he World Financial Center in New York to the Petronas Towers in Malaysia.” According to a press release issued Wednesday, “Pelli Clarke Pelli has been a leader in environmentally sustainable design for Bovuetlre ar dsaeicda hde .l iTvheed fiinr mSa’sn d Aensitgonnsi oin ucnlutidl ethde s ufisfthai gnraabdle swtrhaetne ghiiess f aemveilny bmeofovreed t thoe N Ue.Sw. GOrreleeann Bs,u biludti nhge Cmoaudnec rile egsutlaabrl visihsietds hitesre tLoe asdee rhsihsi fpa itnh eErn uenrgtyil ahnisd d Eenavthir o1n0m yeanrtsa la Dgoe,s higen s (aLiEdE. HDi)s p frirosgtr oaumti anngd a sit as wneowrkb ionrcnl,u hdee s atihde, wcoausn wtrityh’s h fiisr spta rreesnidtse tnot itahl eto Mweexri ctoan aMcahniehvaet tLaEnE rDe sPtlaautrinaunmt a, tt h1e1 0p rSooglreadmad’s Shti.ghest rating. The firm has designed and developed towers across the world from the World Financial Center in New York to the Petronas Towers in Malaysia.” “My father was an insurance broker, and he had his account at Frost Bank,” Butler said. “I still remember trips to the drive- Butler said he lived in San Antonio until the fifth grade when his family moved to New Orleans, but he made regular visits here through bank on Broadway. As a child I remember the Tower Life building being illuminated in different colors that told you to see his father until his death 10 years ago, he said. His first outing as a newborn, he said, was with his parents to the Mexican what the weather was going to be the next day.” Manhattan restaurant at 110 Soledad St.

Butler and others from the firm will spend several days a month in San Antonio, starting as soon as they begin their work. “My father was an insurance broker, and he had his account at Frost Bank,” Butler said. “I still remember trips to the drive-

t“Ih trhoiungkh r besaindke notni aBl rsooaudnwdas yli.k Aes t ah ec hbields tI wreamy etmo breirn tgh pee Toopwlee bra Lcikfe i nbtuoil tdhineg c ebnetinegr cililtuym, winhaitcehd i sin w dhifafte wreen ste ceo hloarpsp tehnaitn tgo aldll y oovuer wthhea wt tohreld w ine actithiesr ,w” Baus tgleorin sga itdo. b“Re etshied ennetxita dl alys.o” is what will bring San Pedro Creek back to life. San Antonio has an incredibly rich history and culture that no other Texas city can claim. That has to be the foundation to build on and attract people who Bwuatnlte rt oa nbde osuthrreorus nfrdoemd bthye t hfiarmt h wisitlol srpy eanndd sceuvlteurrael deavyesr ya dmaoyn.”th in San Antonio, starting as soon as they begin their work.

“I Ia tshkiendk Breustildeer ntoti atal slko uabnodus tli skoem thee o bf ethste w fiarmy t’so w broirnkg i pne Toepxlaes b. ack into the center city, which is what we see happening all over http:t//hwew wwor.tlhde inri vciatriedsr,e” pBourttl.ecro smai/dp.e “lRliecslidareknetiaple alllsiot ois dwehsaigt nwiwll besritnogn Suarnb Paendsrofr oCsrteebka nbkactko wtoe lrif/e. San Antonio has an incredibly 4/8 rich history and culture that no other Texas city can claim. That has to be the foundation to build on and attract people who want to be surrounded by that history and culture every day.”

I asked Butler to talk about some of the firm’s work in Texas. http://www.therivardreport.com/pelliclarkepellitodesignwestonurbansfrostbanktower/ 4/8 9/18/2015 Pelli, Clarke, Pelli to Design Weston Urban's Frost Bank Tower life.”

Frost Bank’s leadership expressed enthusiasm for the firm’s selection.

“We are really supportive of Weston Urban’s choice of Pelli Clarke Pelli. They have a great reputation, and it’s exciting for San Antonio to have the first new office tower in more than 25 years be designed by a world-renowned architecture firm,” said Phillip D. Green, president of Cullen/Frost Bankers. Green will succeed CEO Dick Evans in March, who is retiring after a 45- year career with Frost Bank. “It’s a wonderful step forward for the city as it moves ahead in its downtown development.”

Green said Frost Bank, which will be headquartered in 250,000 of the new tower’s 400,000 sq. ft., is confident the Weston Urban, Pelli Clarke Pelli and Alamo Architects team will produce a structure worthy of the Frost Bank name and heritage.

“It’s Weston Urban’s building, they and KDC are the developers, but just by the nature of this deal, they have been very collaborative with us, recognizing the William E Butler. Courtesy of Pelli Clark Pelli. branding component for the Frost Bank. We are very comfortable and confident this will turn out wonderfully for everyone involved,” Green said.

The Rivard Report has assembled images of office towers (see galley above) designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli that have been built in U.S. cities and abroad. We invite readers to post comments on any towers they find the most striking, or that they believe might inform the Frost Bank Tower design.

Pelli Clarke Pelli has a considerable body of work already visible in Texas cities. One of the firm’s co-founder and a senior principal, Fred Clarke, will be the lead partner on the project. He was born in El Campo, Texas, graduated from the University of Texas, and taught at the Rice University School of Architecture in Houston, where Butler was one of his students. Later, when Pelli Clarke Pelli was founded in 1977, Butler became one of the early hires. He later taught at the Yale School of Architecture for 14 years.

Fred W Clarke. Courtesy photo.

According to a press release issued Wednesday, “Pelli Clarke Pelli has been a leader in environmentally sustainable design for over a decade. The firm’s designs included sustainable strategies even before the U.S. Green Building Council established its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program and its work includes the country’s first residential tower to achieve LEED Platinum, the program’s highest rating. The firm has designed and developed towers across the world from the World Financial Center in New York to the Petronas Towers in Malaysia.”

Butler said he lived in San Antonio until the fifth grade when his family moved to New Orleans, but he made regular visits here to see his father until his death 10 years ago, he said. His first outing as a newborn, he said, was with his parents to the Mexican Manhattan restaurant at 110 Soledad St.

“My father was an insurance broker, and he had his account at Frost Bank,” Butler said. “I still remember trips to the drive-

through bank on Broadway. As a child I remember the Tower Life building being illuminated in different colors that told you what the weather was going to be the next day.”

Butler and others from the firm will spend several days a month in San Antonio, starting as soon as they begin their work.

“I think residential sounds like the best way to bring people back into the center city, which is what we see happening all over the world in cities,” Butler said. “Residential also is what will bring San Pedro Creek back to life. San Antonio has an incredibly rich history and culture that no other Texas city can claim. That has to be the foundation to build on and attract people who want to be surrounded by that history and culture every day.” 9/18/2015 Pelli, Clarke, Pelli to Design Weston Urban's Frost Bank Tower I asked Butler to talk about some of the firm’s work in Texas. I asked Butler to talk about some of the firm’s work in Texas. http:“//Wwew hwa.vthee ar nivuamrdbreerp oofr pt.rcoojmec/tpse ilnli Tcelxaarsk,e inpcelulldiintog tdhees Uignnivweressitoyn ofu Trebxaanss cfarmosptubs,a” nBkuttloewr seari/d. “Fred Clarke was my professor 4/8 at Rice. We did the UT Campus Master Plan, the Seay Psychology Building and the Melinda and Bill Gates Computer Complex. We also did the McKinney and Olive/Crescent Tower in Dallas. We have perhaps 18 built buildings in Texas, I even worked on the revamping of the UTSA campus with Boone Powell (principal and founder of Ford, Powell & Carson). I still get a handwritten Christmas card from him every year, and look forward to seeing him again. He’s walking history of San Antonio.”

KDC, Weston Urban’s development partner on the project and a leading developer of major tower projects throughout the state and beyond, will add considerable experience to the team, given San Antonio’s lack of tower construction for more than 25 years.

“KDC is very excited about the opportunity to work with Frost, Weston Urban and Pelli Clarke Pelli to develop a new headquarters that will not only symbolize the bank’s dominant place in the market but also be a proud landmark for San Antonio,” said KDC Executive Vice President Don Mills.

Butler said Pelli Clarke Pelli first learned of the Weston Urban project in the course of routine Internet searches for new projects.

“We poke around on the Internet and things pop up, and we found out about the Weston Urban project by reading the Rivard Report,” Butler said. “So thanks for that.”