Cathedral Square had been a centerpiece of downtown and the Cathedral of St. Augustine one of the most frequented sites by visitors, and became an underutilized city block with deteriorating iconic historic structures. It was the desire of Bishop Gerald Kicanas to revitalize and beatify the Square so it can once again take its rightful place inthe renewal of downtown Tucson.

Through a series of programming meetings, Diocese Board reviews, City of Tucson presentations to the historic commission, design review board and Mayor and Council, The Architecture Company obtained approval to proceed with a master plan and design concepts for the campus, buildings and City street modifications. This redevelopment of the Cathedral Square campus will allow the Church to reestablish itself as the guardian of cultural heritage, contribute to the revitalization of downtown and accommodate the growth of the Diocese.

Restoration of Our Lady’s Chapel, winner of the 2017 Governor’s Historic Preservation Award, now provides an intimate space for respite in the downtown area. The Diocesan Pastoral and Education Center Cathedral Offices, is a new 4-story center will house offices, a banquet and conference center with flexible meeting spaces, commercial kitchen, gallery, gift shop, and retail with indoor/ outdoor seating. The physical triangulation between St. Augustine Cathedral, Monsignor Carrillo Placita and the new Diocesan center will strengthen the intangible Catholic and Hispanic cultural heritages. New courtyards, redefined pathways from the Tucson Convention Center and improved ADA accessibility will create safety and new linkages between neighborhoods. Ochoa Street as the northern boundary is redesigned from a 2 way street with parking, to a pedestrian friendly path with landscaping, shade and hardscape as linkage to Scott Avenue.

This project will add vibrancy to Tucson’s downtown, foster cultural heritage and benefit the economic well-being of the area.

Photographs by Bradley Wheeler.

Originally constructed in 1916 the Chapel’s architectural style reflects influences from French Neoclassical architecture complete with plaster columns and capitals adorning the interior and exterior of the building. Through the years, the functional uses of the Chapel changed many times and was no longer used as a place of worship. Rather than sit vacant, the building was converted for meetings, recreational activities and most recently to offices and storage. Under this current restoration, the office addition was removed and apse restored. Interior restoration involved removal of all elements added for the office use to get back to the original walls and layout of the Chapel. This included removal of all office/modern lighting and surface mounted electrical lines, piping duct work, any interior walls and stairs that were built and flooring that was added throughout the building. A new spiral staircase was built using a combination of ornate wood and metalwork in a traditional design that would have been consistent with the original stairs based on historic photos. The completion of the Chapel is the first of this current phase of restoration for Cathedral Square. By revitalizing this iconic place of worship, other cultural traditions of the Catholic Church and the Hispanic cultural heritage will be strengthened and contribute to the revitalization of downtown Tucson.

Awards: James Garrison Heritage Award/ Governor’s Heritage Award, 2016; Tucson-Pima County Historic Commission Award 2016

Photographs by Bradley Wheeler

The Humane Society of Southern Arizona has a 75 year history of animal advocacy with strong community education and outreach programs and a contributor to community pride. The new facility provides veterinary services including surgery, pre and post operative care, treatment, examination and vaccination clinics for primarily cats and dogs. The new facility incorporates a retail sales outlet and small cafe in the main lobby across from the outdoor courtyards. Creating practical, colorful, appealing and fun design concepts that address operational effi ciency, the desert environment, potential sound concerns from nearby neighbors, and allows visitors, staff and animals a sense of safety, security and community was the challenge in addition to a tight narrow site. Flexible space planning was an important features as the client wanted to maximize multifunctional spaces. An example of such is the large conference room and lobby equipped with operable garage doors. This allows the these rooms to be serve as fund raising/ education spaces along with being operational on a day to day basis.

We provided architectural design and documentation for the stabilization and remodel of an 1880’s unstablized adobe structure that was formerly a series of row houses in the Barrio Viejo neighborhood.

The Owner wanted to reconfigure the units to allow for a single family residence with one rental unit for a total of 4,570 SF. The single family residence has 2 bedrooms, 3 baths, 1 laundry room, kitchen, dining area/living room and home offices/ studios.

Presentations to the Barrio Viejo Historic Neighborhood Association, City of Tucson/ Pima County Historic Commission and meetings with the City of Tucson assured the approval of these various agencies and special interest groups.

The restoration process has been documented through Owner’s blog at housemadeofmud.com and featured on houzz.com

Photography by G Vargas Photography.

Working with the owners of Teresa’s Mosaic Café, we created an exuberant architectural gesture and playful design that welcomes Tucsonans to the more than 25 year old local family business. The design incorporates cultural elements from the owner’s hometown; Oaxaca, Mexico.  The two rebar trees are sculptural representations of the sacred tree; Árbol del Tule, the Tree of Tule, a cultural symbol of life and longevity. As one enters this single story Café the Tree of Tule continues to be visible. The new waiting area is separated from the dining area with screens inspired by the colorful birds found in Oaxaca and portray a playful movement within the tessellated pattern. The dining area and bar are filled with vibrant colors typically found throughout Mexico. The project, which expanded the existing Mosaic Café by 750 sq. ft and a construction cost of $450,000.00, allowed for a new bar, larger dinning area, more restaurant storage, a larger cold room and the enclosure of the east outdoor dining space with operable windows that overlook the heart of Tucson.  

Working with the owners of Teresa’s Mosaic Café, we created an exuberant architectural gesture and playful design that welcomes Tucsonans to the more than 25 year old local family business. The design incorporates cultural elements from the owner’s hometown; Oaxaca, Mexico.  The two rebar trees are sculptural representations of the sacred tree; Árbol del Tule, the Tree of Tule, a cultural symbol of life and longevity. As one enters this single story Café the Tree of Tule continues to be visible. The new waiting area is separated from the dining area with screens inspired by the colorful birds found in Oaxaca and portray a playful movement within the tessellated pattern. The dining area and bar are filled with vibrant colors typically found throughout Mexico. The project, which expanded the existing Mosaic Café by 750 sq. ft and a construction cost of $450,000.00, allowed for a new bar, larger dinning area, more restaurant storage, a larger cold room and the enclosure of the east outdoor dining space with operable windows that overlook the heart of Tucson.  

We have provided architectural services for Legoland Discovery Centers (LDC) and Sea Life Centers (SLC) for Merlin Entertainment in Tempe, Arizona and San Antonio, Texas.

These entertainments centers are located in existing malls and ranged from 26,000 sf to 45,000 sf. We were responsible for construction documents, coordination between disciplines and construction administration.  Disciplines included an international theming team, an aquatics expert team, a lighting specialty team, amusement ride vendors, 4-d cinema vendors, graphics and mechanical, electrical, plumbing, structural, and civil engineers. 

The campus consists of four separate buildings totaling 137,000 sq. ft. on a 15 acre campus.  The buildings house their Operations, Training, Fleet, Support, and Administration. Functions of these building include, ambulance and fire truck maintenance, housing vehicle parts and medical supplies, radio shop and facilities maintenance.  All of the buildings on campus use a pre-engineered metal system that allows for large, clear spans, maximum open space and flexibility at a minimal cost. The site was designed to create secure and controlled access points for its 24 hour use. The curved gabion wall at the main entrance provides a secure entrance for staff, community and outside agency training.  Plans include future expansion of approximately 5,000 to 10,000 sq. ft. of office related functions and 5,000 sq. ft. of warehouse related functions.  This was the 2nd facility we have completed for Southwest Ambulance. 

We worked with the Tucson Chinese Association, a non-profit organization, from inception to completion of this project.   The center is a 15,600 square foot building surrounded by a meditation garden, a covered basketball/volleyball court, an outdoor patio, playgrounds and gardening areas. The primary building offers amenities such as: lobby/recreation area, multi-purpose room, library/conference room, flexible classrooms, meeting rooms, offices, and commercial Chinese kitchen for catering and cooking classes. 

The main entry feature, a 27-foot high tower with a zinc finish, represents the bow of the ship.  This “ship” landing in the desert, symbolizes the migration, challenges, commitment, opportunities and successes of a community that worked hard to create success for future generations. The facade also contains a brick wall with large circular windows, making a reference to the ship and to moon gates, which are traditional entrances to Chinese architecture.

If you would like additional information about the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center, please visit their website at www.tucsonchinese.org

The Nature Conservancy’s prime objective for the program requirements of this 12,500 square foot, two-story facility was the expression of the preservation of the natural environment through creative and pragmatic means.   The building plays a major role in the campus that includes a dance studio designed by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, a small adobe residence, a large circular garden and areas of undisturbed desert.   The building was designed to harmonize with its natural surroundings as well as the existing building on the site. 

An open courtyard built around two large existing mesquite trees serves as the heart of the building.  Other elements of the building include a triangular reception/conference center, a two-story gallery/circulation spine and office suites for six departments.  The client will realize energy savings through day lighting, operable windows and 15 separate air conditioning zones.  A permeable, natural rock paving system was proposed and approved as an alternative to asphalt by the City.

We worked with the International Sonoran Desert Alliance (ISDA), a non-profit organization whose vision is to preserve and enrich the environment, culture and economy of the Sonoran Desert. This project was the adaptive reuse of Ajo’s historic school campus into affordable live/work units for artists. The main building is a Spanish Colonial Revival structure built in 1919 and added onto in 1926-28.  The three story building includes a 40,000 square foot exposed basement.  The classrooms were converted into 20 live/work rental units ranging in size from studios to three-bedroom units.  The public areas of the building including a lobby, offices, auditorium and library, were restored and are now used by the residents and the surrounding community.

The second building, built in 1937, is a 10,000 square foot one-story wood frame structure.  This was converted to 10 live/work rental units. Additional aspects of the project includes re-designing the landscaping, off-street parking and recreational areas to improve the site and accessibility for the residents.  Special challenges of the project include the refurbishing of many original wood doors and windows, compliance with Arizona Department of Housing standards, historic standards of the U.S. Department of the Interior and oversight by the State Historic Preservation Office.

If you would like more information about ISDA and the Curley School Artisan Lofts, please visit www.isdanet.org and www.curleyshool.com

Awards: Southwest Contractors Best of 07’, Tucson-Pima County Historical Commission & Economic Development Awards; Sonoran Institute, Building From the Best ‘07 - Rehabilitation; Arizona Governor’s Historic Preservation Award in 2008 and winner of the 2008 National Historic Preservation Award.

We worked with the Hualapai Indian Nation to create a design that respected their culture and the environment.  The site is situated 25 feet from the edge of a peninsula overlooking the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon.  Although the location is remote, the center accommodates nearly 200-visitors per hour.  The center includes a food service area, dining area, restrooms, water tanks, waste water tanks and photo voltaic (PV) panels accompanied by a battery room.

The desire to promote sustainable technologies led to the objective of providing all utilities on site.  Sustainable design includes: photovoltaics, wind-powered generator, low energy use kitchen equipment, gravity-fed potable water & wastewater system, minimal site impact, and passive solar design. Water is trucked in daily from a nearby spring and waste materials are trucked off site weekly.

According to Hualapai legend, the big horn sheep is the guardian of the Grand Canyon. In this spirit, a tensile structure, which hovers over the dining area, was designed to create the abstraction of a big horn sheep.  This structure has a south oriented upward curve, permitting the low summer sun and cool summer breezes to enter the dining area while the downward curve on the opposing end protects from the high summer sun.  Bolts driven 15 feet into the surrounding rocks anchor the entire tensile structure and building.  The use of indigenous Hualapai flagstone in a dry stack wall blend the natural environment with the building. 

El Presidio de Tucson, located in the heart of downtown Tucson, is the City of Tucson’s first Rio Nuevo project.  We created a “living history” complex on the site of the northeast bastion of Tucson’s historic Presidio, a fort constructed by the Spanish in 1776. The corner bastion was reconstructed using 44-inch wide adobe, matching the adobe found during archaeological excavations. A 3-room territorial residence was remodeled and is now the museum and gift shop for the complex.  A pre-agricultural Native American pit house unearthed on the site has been left on display to provide visitors with an understanding of the “layers of history” evident on this site. We used materials indigenous to the region including adobe, saguaro ribs (incorporated into ceilings and ramada), mesquite wood structures, and natural earthen plasters.

A Historical Architecture Inventory and National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) Eligibility Assessment for the Apache Nitrogen Products, Inc., Facility near Saint David, Cochise County, Arizona. Construction of the plant began in 1920 to serve Arizona and surrounding states with large amounts of explosives for the mining industry. The plant was originally composed of the 1) “Safety Area” that housed administrative functions, laboratories, and maintenance facilities and 2) the explosives production area or “powder line.” Apache Nitrogen Inc., the operators of the Apache Powder Plant, needed to remove unused buildings on the plant that pose a health and safety hazard due to the presence of lead paint, asbestos, and nitrate contamination. Because the plant, as a superfund site, is under the oversight of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the planned project must comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (as amended). The EPA has defined the Area of Potential Effect (APE) for the Phase 2 project as a 17.9-acre section of the property that consists of 146 buildings within the footprint of the original Apache Powder Plant. Apache Nitrogen Inc. contracted with WestLand Resources, Inc. and its subcontractor, The Architecture Company, to conduct a 3 phase cultural resources survey, totaling 176 structures. With the largest phase at over 130 structures. Each building, individually, and the historical explosives plant, as a whole, were evaluated for their eligibility for inclusion in the NRHP. The criteria for determining the significance of cultural resources in Arizona state history are identical to the national criteria with the exception that it is the “quality of significance in Arizona history”

The Architecture Company worked with GSA to provide bridging documentation for border patrol housing in Ajo, Arizona.
We modified the design of an existing modular housing design to fit with the local vernacular.  Changes to the design included: adding parapets and changing the heights between the garage and the home to give more variation to the building on the site, adding brighter colors, and providing front and back porches. We also modified the documents to allow a contractor to building the homes with modular construction or typical frame construction. We located and identified the construction phases for 46 two and three bedroom modular homes and a common park area on approximately 12 acres of land.  The site design included the design of all grading, drainage, underground utilities, above ground utilities, streets and sidewalks for the 46 modular houses.  The site’s complex topography and the dense housing required multiple locations for retaining walls and grouted rip-rap.  The project received LEED for Homes Platinum.

The mission of the Humane Society of Sedona, a non-profit organization, is to compassionately and actively assist homeless animals and to cultivate this same commitment in others. With this in mind, The Architecture Company designed a facility that is open and welcoming to the public. We added 35 individual dog kennels, each with outdoor runs, separated by a low wall that surrounds a courtyard with a water feature.  The public entry is adjacent to a retail area that has a view of the mountains in Sedona.  We added offices, a large conference/education room and new veterinary clinics and cat and dog isolation areas. As the new portion of the facility was under construction, the existing facility remained open and accessible. Once the new building was ready for occupancy major work started on the existing building. This allowed the humane society to operate throughout the construction of the building.  If you would like more information about the Humane Society of Sedona, please visit www.humanesocietyofsedona.com

This project received the Keep Sedona Beautiful Award for Architecture in 2008.

The Architecture Company worked closely with the Arizona Sonora Western Heritage Foundation, a non-profit organization to manage and develop Old Tucson into a living history museum. TAC developed a master plan along with several brochures to be presented to the Pima County Bond Committee for the 2015 Pima County Bond elections. A majority of the existing historic structures were retained, while some of the more recently added newer structures will be reconfigured and repurposed to allow for more educational and participatory events. The new Old Tucson will provide more interpretive programs to offer visitors’ experiences that help them understand the bravery, inventiveness and complexity of life in the Old West and its new beginnings, focusing on these courageous borderland people from 1850 -1890. TAC provided programming, creating image sketches for fund-raising and a conceptual master plan to help move the vision forward of turning Old Tucson into a Multi-Cultural Living History Museum. Additionally a hotel, restaurant and gift shop are master planned for future expansion.

The spirit and heritage of the southwest is an important element for the Western National Parks Association (WNPA) as they promote educational and scientific activities on behalf of the National Parks Service. They also produce park-related publications.

The design concept revolves around the kiva, a reminder of the ancient structures found in several of the parks served by WNPA. The resulting 15,000 square foot complex includes administrative offices, a warehouse, the kiva training/conference center and a retail store, which can also be used as another training element.

In 2012 an updated master plan includes the design of additional 16,027 SF to allow for flexible gallery spaces, classrooms, auditorium, offices, parking, landscape, and courtyards.

In 2017, The Architecture Company completed a Tenant Improvement of the existing building. Work included reconfiguration and upgrades to the office space and warehouse.

Examples of some of the renderings and videos we have provided our clients. Since all of our work has been created in Revit, we are able to provide renderings, 3d panoramics and and videos to help clients with fundraising or funding.