Each year, the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) hosts a fashion show for its members to participate in a design challenge. This year’s fashion show was inspired by a variety of music genres. The PBK team received the challenge to design a look inspired by Electronic Dance Music (EDM).

In a crowd of thousands, it’s important to stand out in eye-catching ways. The EDM inspired design combined the practical needs of dancing for long hours along with theatrical aspects of self-expression. The majority of the garment, including the train, was composed of carpet yarn knit together, specifically selected for the vibrancy and depth of color. The white holographic looking tile was used along the bodice of the garment. The tile was selected to reflect and refract the stage like for a rave like effect and to overload the senses.

The team put in work after hours and on the weekends to create the spectacular runway ready garment. The garment couldn’t have been made possible without J&J Flooring supplying the carpet yarn and Concept Surfaces supplying the tile.

Congratulations to the team on receiving Most Philanthropic! PBK is proud to participate and sponsor this one-of-a-kind event.

https://vimeo.com/706153915

PBK celebrates Women in Construction Week with a goal to emphasize the growing role of women in the industry. PBK is proud of its forward-thinking women in construction. This year, we are highlighting some of the women who play a vital role in creating environments that maximize opportunities to elevate the human experience.   

Hannah Hayes joined PBK in 2014 and is currently Director of Construction Services. In her role, she oversees and manages the firm’s specialized on-site quality control team. Hannah brings more than 13 years of construction experience and holds a state of Florida general contractor license. She is passionate about construction compliance and documentation, and her favorite projects are constructing elementary schools.  

What does a day at work look like for the Director of Construction Services?  

There are two sides to being the Director of Construction Services – one where I check-in with clients and help my teamwork through any issues on their job sites. And the other, where I wake up at 2 a.m. for a concrete pour and my phone rings so many times during the day I can’t remember who I am supposed to call back. It’s a lot of putting out fires and solving problems, which is fun as long as the problems are solvable! 

What makes you excited about going to work?  

Definitely concrete pours. I enjoy the process and all the excitement leading up to the first pour. It’s the first event on-site that will be visible and remain part of the building forever.  

 What interested you in construction? Has it always been an interest?  

My dad renovated houses when I was growing up and I often tagged along with him to the work sites offering unsolicited opinions on all the missing potential. I was very opinionated from a young age.  

In high school, I was an accounting intern for a construction company which only furthered my interest in the industry. Even though I’d spend a lot of my time around the industry, I’d never physically built anything with a hammer and nail like the stereotypical construction worker.  

 What do you love about working at PBK?  

PBK provides me with a wide variety of opportunities in the field. I work on large-scale projects with varying circumstances and unique finishes that most people in construction do not have the opportunity to work on projects of that size and magnitude.  

What advice do you have for any young women thinking about pursuing a career in construction? What is something you wish you knew right out of college?  

Don’t be afraid of the industry. After I graduated college, I was overwhelmed and wasn’t sure that I knew enough about construction because I didn’t have the experience of physically building something myself. I took a position where I knew my strong organizational skills would be valued. I learned more about the industry and how to handle situations in the field, which is where I ultimately wanted to be, so I worked my way up the ladder. Women shouldn't be afraid to do the same – getting into a company and working your way up is an excellent way to learn and advance when you’re ready, know your trade and feeling confident.  

While construction is stereotypically a male dominated industry, Hannah is not the only woman on her team. Grecia Jimenez joined PBK Construction Services in 2017 as a Field Team Admin and Project Coordinator. Currently, she serves as a Construction Services Manager where she works on-site full time as a liaison between the client and contractors. Grecia’s favorite projects to work on are also elementary schools, because of the thoughtful learning spaces and the excitement of the young students. 

What does a day at work look like working in construction?  

Every day is full of surprises! I can have a set schedule where I’m visiting different job sites, checking work progress and making sure work is being done, as it should. Other days, I have a plan for the day, which completely changes, and I end up in an entirely different direction than when I started. The construction industry is a different animal.   

What makes you excited about going to work?   

Concrete pours. I dread the early mornings and long days, but at the same time it’s such a rush. There are so many people on- site for concrete pours even though they take place so early in the morning.  

What interested you in construction? Has it always been an interest?  

I was always interested in architecture. I received my degree in architecture from the University of Texas at San Antonio and my first job was as an admin for a general contractor. A superintendent took me under his wing and showed me how much fun working in the field can be, which pushed me towards construction. Most men would probably think “this isn’t for you,” but that superintendent saw my interest in construction and knew I could handle it. Being a woman working in a male dominated industry is empowering. 

What do you love about working at PBK?  

I love seeing my coworkers' designs come to life. It’s really rewarding to help their designs go from paper to real life. The teamwork at PBK is incredible. We have a great community.  

What advice do you have for any young women thinking about pursuing a career in construction? What is something you wish you knew right out of college?  

There’s so much I wish I knew after college, but I’m happy with the path I chose that landed me where I am today. I started in architecture and ended up in construction. You can really do anything you want, and don’t let anyone tell you differently.   

PBK is proud to celebrate Hayes and Jimenez as women in construction. They represent role models within our firm and strive to share their own experiences with the younger talent. The firm supports our employees as they flourish and encourages each one to take an entrepreneurial attitude when molding their unique talents with their futures.

Building Design Magazine recently released it's 2022 World Architecture 100 results with PBK ranking as the #1 architect in the Education sector. Additionally, PBK jumped to the #5 ranking in the Sports sector and #47 on the WA100 overall list. The WA100 market sector rankings are based on fee income from 2021 while the overall list is based on firm size. WA100 is Building Design’s annual survey of the world’s largest architectural practices. Congratulations to the entire PBK team for all of your hard work and dedication that made this achievement possible!

For the full Education market sector rankings, follow this link.

For the full Sports market sector rankings, follow this link.

For the full WA100 rankings, follow this link.   

The Austin ISD’s new Govalle Elementary School achieved the LEED Silver certification and was awarded a 4-star rating from Austin Energy Green Building. AEGB developed the first rating system in the U.S. for evaluating the sustainability of buildings and inspiring many cities to follow.

Located on the east side of Austin and surrounded by single-story homes, the new 80,800 square-foot elementary school is the result of a transparent community-based planning effort spanning two years with the Austin ISD and Govalle community. The result is a community driven school serving 522 students and one that represents its neighborhood, engages its community, and embraces its history and diverse population of learners. The new school was built as replacement for the existing building that did not meet the basic needs of the district’s educational requirements. Sustainability, collaboration, creativity, cultural proficiency, community, and outdoor connections were the driving factors in the design.

Govalle Elementary School has served students since 1931, building on a strong tradition of community engagement to offer a world of opportunities from rich fine arts experiences, engineering, robotics, robust science, technology, math, and sustainability programs. Sustainability is the driving force behind Govalle Elementary School’s mission to provide a high quality and comprehensive education experience that challenges and inspires students to make a positive contribution to the world.

The sustainable features of the school include a water collection system, vegetable and butterfly gardens, rain gardens throughout the site, and other energy saving features. These features serve as a teaching tool for the students and celebrate the community’s long history of respecting the environment. Through careful planning with the school and community, innovative graphics representing specific values of the community were created throughout the school providing an inspiring learning environment for the students. The existing trees were an important and unique feature celebrating the site, which required careful planning and an innovative approach to the site and building configuration. As a result, many of the trees on site were saved providing shade throughout the campus and opportunities for children to learn outside.

• The school’s annual source energy use per square foot falls within the lowest 5% of K-12 schools in the US (data collected by the EPA’s Energy Star Program)
• The school sheds 10% estimated peak electricity
• 40% reduction in parking
• 25.1% improvement in building performance
• 15,000-gallon water storage capacity cistern
• 37.3% reduced water use from baseline
• 95.56% of construction waste diverted from landfill

The school offers limitless opportunities for collaboration, flexibility and hands-on learning. The site and building set an example of conversation and stewardship. The moveable walls, flexible-collaborative furniture and multi-use spaces allows the school to transform collaboration areas for many uses over the years to come.  

The design mirrors the modern and flexible environment we live in today, where both collaborative and individual opportunity spaces are the key to success. The school is a tool that can be customized to accommodate different teaching approaches and induvial learners’ preferences.

“When I walked into the building of the school, I saw the excitement on the student’s faces, and they were so eager. They wanted to experience the entire school from the library, to the classrooms, to the cafeteria, and to their outdoor learning spaces. It is wonderful to see their smiling faces because they know this is for them and that’s what matters.” – Stephanie E. Elizalde, AISD Superintendent

Since opening in Spring 2020, the school has become a source of civic pride and a valued community resource. Parents, students, teachers, and administrators have expressed their delight in being part of the design process and their ability to live and learn in the new school.

PBK was listed in Houston Business Journal as the largest architecture firm in Houston for 2021. Over the last five consecutive years, the firm has held its spot near the top of The List and was listed as #1 in 2018. The Houston Business Journal ranked firms based off local billings with PBK securing the top spot with total local billings of $97 million.

“We are honored to be listed as the largest architecture firm in Houston and could not have done it without our dedicated employees,” said Dan Boggio, Executive Chairman. “We celebrate this achievement with clients, who remain at the core of our ideologies and culture.”

PBK is committed to creating facilities that positively affect human achievement and as the firm grows, it allows PBK to deepen the impact on the human experience through build environments. PBK is proud to be #1!

Read the Houston Business Journal’s List of largest architecture firms here.

Building Design + Construction Magazine names PBK the nation’s largest K-12 school architecture firm in it’s 2021 Giants 400 report. This is the fourth consecutive year that PBK was ranked and the second consecutive year to receive the #1 ranking out of 150 firms across the U.S. We are proud to celebrate this recognition with our entire team for their hard work in providing clients with obsessive client service.

In the Architecture/Engineering Firm Category, not specific to any sector, PBK came in at #12, jumping three spots from 2020 when we ranked #15. We also improved by four spots in the University A/E Firm category ranking #39 in 2021, up from #43 in 2020. The report ranks Architecture, Engineering and Construction firms by discipline and across more than 30 building sectors and specialty services. Data for the report is based on 2020 information provided by respective firms.

This accomplishment is a result of more than 40 years of excellence, not only in educational facilities design, but most importantly in client service. We couldn't have done this without the hard work and dedication of our employees to their projects and clients! 

View the full BD+C rankings here.