Fentress Architects
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| Fentress Architects | |
| Practice Information | |
|---|---|
| Name | Fentress Architects |
| Key architects | Curtis W. Fentress, FAIA |
| Principal office in | Denver, Colorado |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Work | |
| Significant Buildings | Denver International Airport, Colorado Convention Center, Incheon International Airport, National Museum of the Marine Corps |
| Awards and Prizes | Over 240 for design excellence |
Fentress Architects, founded in 1980 by Curtis W. Fentress, FAIA, RIBA, is an architecture firm based in Denver, Colorado, with offices in Washington, D.C. and San Jose, CA. The firm is well-known for its excellence in civic, airport and museum design.[1]
Fentress Architects established its reputation in the early 1990s for its design of the Denver International Airport. The firm received international recognition in 2001 with its design of the Incheon International Airport in Seoul, Korea, voted “Best Airport Worldwide” three consecutive years by Airport Council International’s Airport Quality Survey program [2] and “Best Airport in the World” in 2007 by passengers surveyed for the Official Airlines Guide. [3] The expansion of the Colorado Convention Center in 2004 further exhibited the firm’s talent for creating inspiring civic architecture while enhancing Denver’s skyline.
Rather than promoting a “signature style,” Fentress' architecture is well known for articulating a client’s unique culture and vision, as well as honoring the unique context of each project. Fentress Architects has received more than 240 honors, awards and citations for design excellence.
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[edit] History
Lured to the majestic Rocky Mountains by natural beauty and a wealth of opportunity, Curt Fentress founded Fentress Architects in 1980 with a mission to create Inspired Design for People. The ability to rise to any challenge propelled the firm through the early 1980s, and continues to contribute to the firm’s success today. Fentress has gained a reputation for enthusiasm and creativity in design, in addition to effective collaboration with clients, developers, contractors and engineers.
Curt Fentress graduated with honors in 1972 from North Carolina State University’s College of Design, School of Architecture where he received a Bachelor of Architecture degree. Following graduation, he joined the firm of I.M. Pei and Partners in New York. As a Senior Designer, he participated in the design of numerous architectural projects, as well as master planning for major site development plans. In 1978, he became a project designer with the New York architectural firm of Kohn Pedersen Fox. During this time, he came to Denver as Project Designer for the Rocky Mountain Headquarters of Amoco in downtown Denver.
Early on, Fentress’ pioneering spirit and ambition for established goals attracted a team of talented and dedicated architects. In January of 1980, Fentress formed C.W. Fentress and Associates, with James Henry Bradburn, and the team grew to what has become one of the largest and most renowned firms in the Western Mountain Region. The firm maintains offices in Denver, CO, Washington, D.C. and San Jose, CA, with a staff of more than 100. The firm has established a reputation for quality building design, expertise in construction technology and excellence in project management. In 2004, Bradburn retired and, in 2007, the firm’s name was abbreviated from Fentress Bradburn Architects to Fentress Architects.
[edit] Architectural philosophy
The firm’s architectural philosophy is that of “contextual regionalism,” wherein a building’s natural and cultural context are carefully considered and articulated in the architecture. As a result, the firm’s portfolio is replete with enduring buildings, each with a strong sense of place. Over 225 million people visit Fentress Architects’ projects each year.
[edit] Rankings
The following are national architectural firm rankings for Fentress Architects in 2006:
- Architectural Record’s “Top 150 Architecture Firms” – Fentress Architects ranked #24 among architecture-only firms [4]
- Building Design & Construction’s “Giants 300,” Top Architects – Fentress Architects ranked #18 among architecture-only firms [5]
- Engineering News Record’s “Top 500 Design Firms” – Fentress Architects ranked #29 among architecture-only firms [6]
- Engineering News Record’s “Top Airport Design Firms” – Fentress Architects ranked in top 25 firms
In 2003, Colorado Construction ranked Fentress Architects as the Top Architectural Firm in Colorado. [7] Fentress ranked #14 in California Construction’s “Top Design Firms” in 2005. [8]
[edit] Sustainable Design
As an industry leader in environmentally responsible and technologically advanced architecture, Fentress Architects implements a solution-driven approach to unique and challenging design opportunities. The firm’s early commitment to sustainable design was acknowledged in 1993 with the Architecture and Energy Award for the Natural Resources Building in Olympia, Washington. Since then, 43 of Fentress’ more than 240 design awards have been for projects that exhibit excellence in green architecture, including the 2003 LEED Gold 2.0 award for California’s Department of Education Headquarters Building, which received Platinum certification in 2006 by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. The firm is currently working on four more projects built for LEED Gold and Silver certifications. The majority of the firm’s licensed architects are LEED accredited.
[edit] Portfolio
The diversity of the firm’s work is one of its greatest assets, with a full-service practice including architecture, facilities programming, master planning, interior design, zoning and environmental approvals and development consulting services. The firm’s projects range in construction value from $8 million to over $1 billion. In its 28-year history, the firm has been responsible for $15 billion worth of constructed work, including the design of over 105 public sector projects, 71 office buildings, 32 museums, 14 convention and conference centers, 12 international airport terminals, and 57 mixed-use and urban facilities. The firm is well-experienced with over 41 design-build projects equaling over 11 million square feet and $1.7 billion.
The 28 national and international design competitions that the firm has won since 1986 stand out as the major catalysts in a quantum leap that introduced Fentress Architects to the national and international markets. Ten or more Fentress projects are iconic regional landmarks and appear as such in television, print advertisements and postcards that capture the essence of place, culture and people.
Fentress Architects has extensive design experience in the public sector, having produced more than 105 civic projects, totaling over 50 million s.f. and $10 billion. The firm’s portfolio and current work includes:
Transportation
- Denver International Airport Main Passenger Terminal, Denver, Colorado, USA
- Incheon International Airport Passenger Terminal, Seoul, Korea
- Raleigh-Durham International Airport Terminal 2 Redevelopment, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Central Terminal Expansion Seattle, Washington, USA
- Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport, San Jose, California, USA
- Sacramento International Airport, Sacramento, California, USA
- Doha International Airport (Tower), Doha, Qatar
Civic
- California Department of Education Headquarters, Sacramento, California, USA
- City of Oakland Administration Buildings, Oakland, California, USA
- Clark County Government Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
- Colorado State Capitol Renovations, Denver, Colorado, USA
- Jefferson County Government Center, Golden, Colorado, USA
- Regional Transportation Center and Flood Control District Headquarters, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
- Sacramento City Hall, Sacramento, California, USA
- San Joaquin County Administration Building, Stockton, California, USA
Commercial Office & Mixed-Use
- Arraya Class A Office Tower, Kuwait City, Kuwait
- Baitek, Kuwait City, Kuwait
- Dubai Mixed-Use Towers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Kuwait Business Town, Al Sharq, Kuwait
- 1999 Broadway, Denver, Colorado, USA
- 421 Broadway, Denver, Colorado, USA
- Gulf Canada Resources Limited, Denver, Colorado, USA
- JD Edwards & Co Corporate Campus, Denver, Colorado, USA
- Norwest Bank Tower, Tucson, Arizona, USA
- Palazzo Verdi Mixed-Use, Greenwood Village, Colorado, USA
Cultural
- Army Visitor & Education Center, Carlisle, Pennsylvania USA
- Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming, USA
- Draper National History Museum and Whitney Gallery, Cody, Wyoming, USA
- Museum of Science, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Museum of Western Art, The Navarre, Denver, Colorado, USA
- National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum Expansion and Renovation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
- National Museum of the Marine Corps, Quantico, Virginia, USA
- National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson, Wyoming, USA
Laboratory
- David E. Skaggs Research Center, Boulder, Colorado, USA
- Natural Resources Building, Olympia, Washington, USA
- University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center (UCDHSC), Anschutz Medical Campus, Research Complex I, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- UCDHSC, Anschutz Medical Campus, Research Complex II, Aurora, Colorado, USA
Public Assembly
- Arvada Center Expansion, Arvada, Colorado, USA
- Colorado Convention Center and Phase II Expansion, Denver, Colorado, USA
- Eccles Conference Center and Peery’s Egyptian Theatre, Ogden, Utah, USA
- INVESCO Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado, USA
- Palm Springs Convention Center Expansion, Palm Springs, California, USA
- Pasadena Conference Center Expansion, Pasadena, California USA
- Santa Fe Conference Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
Education
- Tennyson Center for Children, Denver, Colorado, USA
- Denver Academy High School, Denver, Colorado, USA
- Mathematics Building & Gemmill Engineering Library, University of Colorado at Boulder, Colorado, USA
- Humanities Gateway, University of California, Irvine; Irvine, California, USA
Hotel & Residential
- One Polo Creek, Denver, Colorado, USA
- One Wynkoop Plaza, Denver, Colorado, USA
- Palmetto Bay Plantation, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras
- Tritch Building Renovation into Courtyard by Marriott, Denver, Colorado, USA
- Watermark Luxury Residences, Denver, Colorado, USA
[edit] Further Reading
Editors, writers, and publishers have recognized Fentress Architects’ growing influence on architecture in over 1,000 articles and ten publications, including:
- The Master Architect Series III, Fentress Bradburn Selected and Current Works (Australia, The Images Publishing Group Pty Ltd., 1998)
- Curtis Worth Fentress (Milano, Italy: L’Arca Edizioni spa, 1996)
- Fentress Bradburn Architects (Washington, D.C.: Studio Press, 1996)
- Gateway to the West (Australia, The Images Publishing Group Pty Ltd., 2000)
- Millennium, Fentress Bradburn Selected and Current Works, Images Publishing, 2001
- Architecture in the Public Interest, Edizioni, 2001
- Civic Builders, Wiley-Academy, Great Britain, 2002.
- National Museum of the Marine Corps, North Carolina State University College of Design Publication, 2006
- 10 Airports — Fentress Bradburn Architects, Edizioni Press, 2006.
- Portal to the Corps, Images Publishing, 2008
Newspaper/Magazine articles
- "Fentress Architects' DIA work opened global doors," Denver Business Journal, December 2007
- "Fentress has designs on Denver,” Denver Post, July 8, 2006
- "Civic Minded Centers,” Facility Manager, August/September 2006
- "The Seoul Experience: Incheon International Airport,” Airport World, summer 2006
- "Airport Architecture Taking Flight,” International Airport Review, July 2001
- "Humanistic Architecture Yields Economic Benefits,” Passenger Terminal World, June 2004
- "Airport Architecture: a blueprint for success,” Passenger Terminal World, May 2004
