The Oklahoma City University School of Law in Oklahoma City. COUTRESY PHOTO
The award will be presented to the law school and its contractor, the Frankfurt Short Bruza architecture and engineering firm, during the annual Statewide Preservation Conference on June 2 in Enid.
The university purchased the former Central High School building at 800 N. Harvey Ave. in 2012 and renovated the structure in time for classes to begin in fall 2014. The building was designed by architect Solomon Andrew Layton, who also designed the Oklahoma state Capitol and the Skirvin Hilton Hotel.
The historic Gothic-style building was constructed in 1910 and is on the National Register of Historic Buildings. It has 177,000 square feet.
The Citation of Merit is awarded annually to individuals, organizations, agencies and firms that have made important contributions to the preservation of Oklahoma’s heritage.
Oklahoma City University selected Anderson & House Inc. as the commercial contractor for the renovation. The project preserved a small museum in the building’s original lobby that includes photographs and artifacts from its time as the city’s first high school. The museum also features two large murals by Oklahoma artist Olinka Hrdy, which were restored and returned to their original location.
Frankfurt Short Bruza, an Oklahoma City architectural and engineering firm, recently received the highest rating available, Exceptional, for three completed federal projects across the country.
The ratings are recorded in the Architecture-Engineer Contract Administration Support System (ACASS). The scoring system is used by nearly all federal agencies for evaluating the performance of firms on federal projects.
“An CPARS Exceptional rating reflects the pride we take in providing outstanding work on projects everywhere,” said Rick Johnson, principal at Frankfurt Short Bruza. “In our firm’s 67 year history, we have always been committed to delivering the highest quality architectural design and engineering services.”
The projects reviewed for the ACASS rating include:
• North Island Naval Air Station Helicopter Hangar, San Diego, Cali.
• North and South Gate Entrances, Malmstrom Air Force Base, Cascade County, Mont.
• Drug Enforcement Agency – Alliance BCA/BER Report, Fort Worth, Texas
Oklahoma City University has selected Frankfurt Short Bruza (FSB), an Oklahoma City-based architecture and engineering firm, to redevelop the former Oklahoma High School into a usable educational facility for its School of Law.
“Oklahoma City University is committed to providing premier facilities for its students – both in design and functionality,” said Fred Schmidt, principal at FSB. “Our team will collaborate with university officials to ensure generations of future Oklahoma City University law students experience a first-class educational environment.”
Built in 1910, the former high school was purchased by Southwestern Bell in the 1980s and converted to office space. FSB is charged with returning the building to its educational purpose while keeping true to the building’s original design.
“Oklahoma High School was originally designed by Solomon Andrew Layton, who also designed the Oklahoma State Capitol,” said Jason Holuby, project manager at FSB. “We want to make the renovations necessary to provide Oklahoma City University with a top-notch law school while preserving the overall design of the current building. The function, layout and technology will change, but the look will stay consistent with the current style.”
Renovation plans include converting office space to classroom space and adding a courtroom, faculty, staff and administrative offices, space for Admissions, Student Services, Academic Achievement, Career Services, Law Centers, Law Clinics, Law Review, International Programs and Student Bar Association, a venue for meetings and events and a two-story library with café and collaboration rooms.
Oklahoma City University’s School of Law currently occupies 110,000 square feet in four buildings on the university’s campus. Moving the school downtown will increase space to more than 140,000 square feet. The move puts students and faculty within walking distance of a large legal community, including the Oklahoma County Courthouse, the Oklahoma City U.S. Federal Building and Courthouse and several law firms.
“FSB is highly professional and a pleasure to work with,” said Eric Laity, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Law at Oklahoma City University. “The firm’s wide range of engineering services is a plus. FSB is very committed to long-term relationships with their clients…and Oklahoma City University has been working with FSB for more than ten years.”
Brian Sauer’s day job involves leading the award-winning mechanical engineering team at Oklahoma City’s Frankfurt-Short-Bruza Associates. It’s a demanding position, and one that wouldn’t leave most individuals a lot of time to mentor the next generation.
Sauer, however, is dedicated to encouraging today’s youth to pursue careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math – known as STEM. He spends a considerable amount of time volunteering as a board member, coach, judge, fundraiser, mentor and educator to students across the Oklahoma City metro area.
“The educational and economical importance of (STEM) to Oklahoma’s economy is immeasurable. I see that need reflected in my professional life every day,” Sauer said. “My goal is to pay it forward to the next generation while developing the talent pool that is necessary for the future of my profession.”
Sauer’s community involvement extends past the classroom. He serves on the board of governors for the Oklahoma chapter of American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, through which he spearheads volunteer initiatives like Rebuilding Together.
Sauer earned his degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Oklahoma in 2003. He worked a couple of years as an engineer in training for the Department of Veterans Affairs before joining the staff at FSB. He was promoted to his current position in 2012. While his work takes him all over the country, it’s a landmark project close to home that brings him the most sense of pride – the Oklahoma state Capitol building.
“I am leading the engineering efforts on the interior rehabilitation,” he said. “We are upgrading the aging infrastructure of the engineering systems to essentially reset the clock on their life span and improve energy efficiencies and maintenance. When our team is finished, the state Capitol building will once again be one of the state’s top tourist attractions and be the people’s house that our children can enjoy. I look forward to telling my grandchildren about it one day.”
“Brian Sauer is one of the top young engineers in Oklahoma,” said FSB President and CEO Gary James. “His outstanding engineering capabilities have taken him to China, Singapore, Indonesia, Brazil and Spain, and most recently to an interview for a high-profile project for the president of the United States.”
Sauer is married to OU attorney Heather Hendricks. The couple has two children, Ian, 4, and Leo, 2.
OKLAHOMA CITY – Will Rogers was not the only exceedingly talented and widely popular writer in Oklahoma. Ralph Waldo Ellison also made a giant mark on literary history. And for doing so, the Ralph Ellison Library, at 2000 NE 23rd St. in Oklahoma City, was constructed in the mid-1970s in his honor.
Frankfurt Short Bruza completed a library renovation project. COURTESY FSB
Ellison was born in Oklahoma City on March 1, 1914. He attended Lowell School, later named Douglass High School, at 900 N. Martin Luther King Ave., a street that also certainly had a different name back in the days when Ellison attended and Lowell was segregated.
Ellison is best known for his novel Invisible Man, a National Book Award winner that was published in 1952. In 1936, he moved away, became a writer and never returned to live in Oklahoma City.
Widely reported literary encouragement came from the likes of Langston Hughes and Richard Wright. In addition to his famous novel, he was also a noted scholar, literary and social critic who gained international fame for his artistic and intellectual prowess.
It is no surprise that Oklahoma City chose to honor Ellison with a memorial library, and in doing so, the city is able keep the memory of this great thinker alive while also claiming Ellison as a true local intellectual inspiration.
“It was a vintage ’70s building that we added onto with new color and forms,” said Allen Brown, principal at Frankfurt Short Bruza, of the three-decade-later renovation of the library. “A lot of the addition was in public space.”
The original building, designed by architecture firm Howard Samis Porch, was dedicated in 1975. Primarily made a brick masonry with a steel roof structure, large expanses of glass are also utilized on the northeast face and upper clerestory over the reading and stacks area.
“We utilized brick masonry for our addition; however, we added to the palette of exterior materials,” said FSB Director of Architecture Jack Morgan. “Our goal was to create a design solution that was respectful to the original design … while also satisfying the current needs of the MLS and the community and providing a solution that was honest about being an addition to the facility.”
He said the original building form was very dynamic and appeared to spring upward from the building’s entrance.
Morgan explained that a large portion of the renovated and new space is “on top of” the original building’s footprint. The original library was about 13,800 square feet. The renovated library is now about 16,600 square feet.
“The key feature of this addition is a new 2,350-square-foot community meeting room that can be divided into two separate rooms,” said Morgan.
He added that as they studied the original construction documents, they noted underlying site geometries that ultimately served as the spring points for the new design. This analysis led to the rounded form for the meeting room addition and main library entrance.
“Since we were not able to acquire the exact same masonry that was used in the original building, Morgan said, “we utilized other masonry colors and materials to further enhance the delineation between the existing library and the new addition.”
Started in July 2007, the finished renovation reopened in December 2009.
“Our approach was to be sensitive to the building, its site and the patrons’ memories associated with the library and to not create a solution that would detract from those recollections,” Morgan said.
2008 Marks the Third Time Oklahoma-Based FSB Receives National Award
OKLAHOMA CITY (November 2008) – The U.S. Air Force bestowed its top Honor Award to Frankfurt Short Bruza Associates (FSB) for its design of the Aircraft Maintenance Operations Center at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas.
With 2008 being the most recent year, FSB was awarded a third national top Honor Award from the U.S. Air Force in recognition of superior facility design for USAF installations throughout the United States and abroad.
According to FSB’s Chief Executive Office, Bill Frankfurt, this is a remarkable achievement for the firm.
“To be recognized once is outstanding, but three times over the last few years is exceptional and a tremendous accomplishment in our profession,” said Frankfurt. “We work hard to provide our clients with creative design and sustainable facilities.”
The $8 million Aircraft Maintenance Operations Center is a new two-story facility that brings together wing-flying operations support, aircraft maintenance operations, supervision and training for all flying squadrons at Laughlin Air Force Base in one facility. The distinctive character of the exterior architecture and the functionality of the interior spaces is indicative of FSB’s commitment to achieving customer satisfaction.
“FSB did a fantastic job of addressing our wants and needs on the design. Their thorough investigation resulted in a design that not only replaces the three buildings being demolished, it surpasses them,” said USAF Project Manager, Ben Graf. “It fits into the base’s architecture scheme while managing to stand out as a future focal point along the flight line. The windowed cab revolutionizes maintenance operations, giving controllers a view of the aircraft and crews they are directing for the first time.”
New 30,000-Square-Foot Building Now Open For Students
LAWTON, Okla. (Sept. 25, 2009) – Cameron University’s School of Business has now completed the brand new 30,000-square-foot business building, costing $7 million, available for students this fall semester. The Oklahoma City based architectural and engineering firm, Frankfurt Short Bruza (FSB), accounted for the campus’s overall architectural layout when designing the School of Business building.
“Designing a new building on a campus rich with history is always a special challenge. FSB was charged with developing a new, fresh architectural style for Cameron while complimenting the existing fabric of the campus,” said Fred Schmidt principal at FSB. “We used the current palette of materials on campus and creatively molded them into an exciting architectural statement reflecting Cameron’s bold commitment to the future.”
The facility is designed provide a highly integrated environment that encourages interaction between students and faculty. The two story entry atrium creates a living room for the school with soft seating pockets for either informal gatherings or formal reception events. The building will include a tiered 117-seat auditorium with an acoustically appointed multimedia system, high-tech multimedia classrooms, team seminar rooms, faculty offices around open lounge space that is inviting to students, a streaming ticker board on the lobby and classrooms and career success center among other student-friendly additions.
Opening its doors for the first time in 1909, Cameron University held its first classes in the basement of a bank building and has now developed into a university seeing an average of 6,000 students for enrollment.
LAWTON, Okla. (October 1, 2012) – A crowd of faculty, staff, students and donors recently gathered on the campus of Cameron University for the unveiling of the new Academic Commons. The $4 million renovation took about a year to complete and is a transformation of the former student union.
Previously known by students as “the ugliest building on campus,” the newly remodeled structure houses the Communication Department’s convergence journalism program, Sarkeys Foundation Student Computer Laboratory, an IT help desk, a multidisciplinary tutoring center, and modern classroom space.
“Cameron University is focused on providing a 21st century higher education environment for its students,” said Fred Schmidt, project principal over the Frankfurt Short Bruza architecture and engineering team. “Our team designed the renovation to support that effort in every way possible. From advanced electronics for the television studio down to soft seating areas that provide an interactive environment for the students, this project continues FSB’s work to build a stronger Cameron.”
Before unveiling the building, the crowd watched a short video documenting the construction called “Extreme Makeover – Cameron Edition.” At the conclusion of the video, the large bus blocking the view of the building pulled away to loud cheers of “move that bus.”
The colorful, windowless metal registry building mirrors the dynamic nature of both federal government work and the high-tech aeronautical industry that the FAA represents. Greg Hursley, Inc.
By: Anthony DeMarco, Associate Editor
The Federal Aviation Administration’s Airmen and Aircraft Registry Building, Oklahoma City, is bringing new meaning to the term “good enough for government.”
In both appearance and function, the 109,000 sq.ft. facility, designed by Frankfurt Short Bruza, Oklahoma City, mirrors the dynamic nature of both federal government work and the high-tech aeronautical industry that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) represents. The colorful, windowless metal building stands out among the approximate 37 concrete buildings (only one other building has a similar design) that occupy the FAA’s Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center campus. “The government changes on a daily basis,” says David C. Gann, FAA senior architect. “We’re downsizing, we’re relocating, and we’re constantly replacing technology. So there are a lot of changes happening on campus.”
Gann, registry building project coordinator, says that unlike most government buildings, the “proactive” design of this two-story structure meets the registry’s future expansion and technological needs, offers enough flexibility to manage the changing requirements of government work, and provides a healthy work environment.
“People think that because we’re civil servants, we’re not supposed to have a nice place to work, but I contest that with everybody I meet,” says Gann. “We are architects. And whether in government or not, you can design a facility within a budget that meets all requirements and is still an outstanding place to work. And this facility is a perfect example.”
Fighting the ‘War on Drugs’
The purpose of the FAA Civil Aviation Registry, is to register and maintain the records of all civil (non-military) aircraft and to certify and register all civil pilots. These records are currently kept on microfilm and microfiche.
Construction of the $8.5 million building was included in the 1988 Anti-Drug Abuse Act so the agency could update record-keeping and retrieval systems to aid in the federal government’s “War on Drugs.” If, for example, a plane of a suspicious nature flies into United States air space, federal officials are able to contact the registry building for immediate access to the aircraft maintenance records to see if the plane has been modified in a way that could be used to conceal drugs.
“This building’s purpose is to house the technology for an Optical Storage & Retrieval System (OSRS) and the additional employees who will be needed to convert the information from the microfilm and microfiche system to the OSRS,” says Gann. “And to consolidate registry employees from different facilities into one.”
The OSRS, still in procurement, uses laser technology to store up to 50,000 pages of documents on a 12-in. disc. The storage and retrieval system is known as a “jukebox” because it is about the same size, and it uses a robotic device to retrieve discs in a similar fashion. Each box stores 280 discs, taking the place of about 30 or 40 file cabinets. Information can be retrieved instantly via computer terminal.
Shielded from Radar
The registry building shares the campus with FAA Academy – the school for future air traffic controllers. In training the traffic controllers, the Academy performs radar sweeps of the sky.
Protecting the registry building’s high-tech OSRS equipment from the radar’s electromagnetic fields (EMF) was a significant challenge for both the FAA and Frankfurt Short Bruza.
The current solution to the radar problem is to use a method called “blanking,” where the radars shut off as they sweep across the campus. But whenever there is new construction, FAA architects look at other ways to offset EMF. One method is to build a facility that acts as an EMF shield. For the registry building, architects used the metal skin and windowless design to create the shield.
The facility uses metal to reflect EMF and to serve as a conduit to transmit and ground unwanted electrical energy. Gaps the size of pin holes would damage the building’s integrity. So Haven Mankin, Frankfurt Short Bruza architect, paid special attention to small details in the design and construction of the building.
“In order to have a cost-effective building that stayed within budget, we used standard components but incorporated the proper details in the joinery of the materials to make it work electronically,” Mankin says.
Gaskets with metal braiding sealed metal panels without breaking the conduit. Where gaskets couldn’t be used, conductive tape sealed joints. Brass was used for weather stripping on entrance doors. Two sets of main entrance doors in the vestibule are spread far enough apart so that in most cases one set of doors would be closed when entering or leaving the building. Since it’s impossible to constantly shield the entrance, absorptive materials were used for the vestibule’s walls.
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For most of the 20th century Oklahoma’s state capitol remained “unfinished,” the majestic cast-in-place concrete dome its designers envisioned never built. But as Oklahoma approached its centennial – to be celebrated in 2007 – a new spotlight was trained on the incomplete structure, and efforts to construct the dome finally gained momentum. At long last Oklahomans would complete their state capitol – with one important distinction: the dome they would build in the 21st century would be constructed with a steel superstructure.
Oklahoma became a state in 1907, and by means of a special session of the Oklahoma legislature and a statewide election on December 16, 1910, legislators and voters overwhelmingly chose to make Oklahoma City rather than Guthrie the capital. The Capitol Commission was formed to oversee the construction of the state capitol there. The noted architecture firm Solomon Layton and S. Wemyss Smith was selected to design the structure, and 8 acres (3.2 ha) of farmland several miles northeast of the downtown area were donated as the site of Oklahoma’s new government seat.
The plans developed by the architects in 1914 favored a neoclassical design and called for the reinforced-concrete structure to be crowned with a 140 ft (42.7 m) cast-in-place concrete dome. Unfortunately, World War I had begun, and the money, labor, and materials needed to fully complete the structure were diverted to the war effort. As a stopgap solution, a saucer dome – a cast-in-place concrete dome that, viewed from the interior of the building, gave the appearance of a shallow dome – was put in place. Commission meeting minutes reveal, however, that commissioners considered the idea of construction the saucer dome from steel to facilitate later demolition. Ground was broken on July 14, 1914, and the state took occupancy of the building on June 30, 1917. The cost of construction had totaled just over $2 million.
In July 2000, the state’s governor, Frank Keating, announced the success of fund-raising efforts to pay for the construction of a new $21-million dome as part of the state’s centennial celebration efforts. For the better part of a century, Oklahoma’s capitol had remained “unfinished,” the only state capitol in the United States originally designed with a dome not to have one. At a ceremony on June 20, 2001, at which he gave the order to raise the dome’s first structural column, Keating observed that “the dome is a symbol of the new Oklahoma, the prosperous Oklahoma – a symbol that Oklahoma can complete what it starts.”
Backed by private donations, the Oklahoma Department of Central Services began to develop the project, the state’s first major design/build contract. The new dome was designed and engineered by Frankfurt-Short-Bruza Associates, P.C., an architecture, engineering, and planning firm located in Oklahoma City. The new dome was constructed by Capitol Dome Builders, a joint venture of Manhattan Construction Company and Flintco, Inc., both of Oklahoma City. Statehood Day – November 16, 2002 – was seen as a fitting date for the dedication ceremonies. The construction team determined that 19 months would be required for construction, which meant that construction had to begin by April 2001. Such a schedule allowed only six months for site investigation, architectural design, and engineering.
The initial efforts of the design/build team were directed toward verifying the findings of the feasibility studies carried out before the fund-raising efforts. Thanks primarily to the Oklahoma Historical Society’s meticulous preservation of the original ink-on-linen construction drawings, project specifications, construction photographs, and Capitol Commission meeting minutes, this verification process was not as complicated as it might have been. Although the construction documents would be considered incomplete by today’s standards, they proved to be an invaluable resource during both the investigative phase and the design process. The original documents included just 1 structural drawing and 5 architectural drawings for the dome; by contrast, 71 drawings were required to fully develop and construct the dome.
Before unveiling the building, the crowd watched a short video documenting the construction called “Extreme Makeover – Cameron Edition.” At the conclusion of the video, the large bus blocking the view of the building pulled away to loud cheers of “move that bus.”
