DALLAS - January 28, 2019 - Merriman Anderson/Architects (MAA) has been honored with the 2018 Award for Excellence in Historic Architecture by the Texas Historical Commission. The Texas Historical Commission Awards recognizes worthy accomplishments and exemplary leadership in the preservation of Texas’ heritage.

“Restoring historic buildings not only reduces construction waste and energy but pays tribute to the state and city’s history and culture,” said Merriman Anderson/Architects Founder and President Jerry Merriman, AIA. “We are proud to play a role in preserving Texas’ heritage and bringing life back to historic buildings and their architecture.”  

The banquet was held on January 17 at the Capitol Ballroom in Austin. Gene Kranz, the leader of the “Tiger Team” of flight directors for Apollo 13, was the keynote speaker for the event, celebrating the 50th anniversary of landing on the moon.

MAA is responsible for the restoration of 22 historic buildings in downtown Dallas and Fort Worth, including The Statler, 1401 Elm, Old Dallas High School, Tower Petroleum Building, Butler Brothers Building and the Sinclair Building, among several others.

The Statler opened in 1956 as the largest hotel in the Southwest with 1,001 rooms and was an icon of mid-20th century design with its innovative architecture features. In 1965, the 1401 Elm building was constructed for the former First National Bank in downtown Dallas. It was once touted as the tallest building west of the Mississippi with 52 floors. Old Dallas High School dates back to 1907 and reopened as offices in 2017.

Tower Petroleum Building was built in 1931 as a 23-story art deco building that was once one of the buildings of Theater Row, the vibrant entertainment district on Elm Street in downtown Dallas and housed the Tower Theater on the ground floor. It was redeveloped into a 177-room hotel and brought back its entertainment history by utilizing its basement for musical rehearsals to prepare for performances at The Majestic theater down the street. In Fort Worth, the Sinclair Building is an iconic example of art deco architecture and was built in 1929; it is currently being redeveloped as a Marriott Autograph hotel.

MAA’s designs for these historic renovations pay homage to the buildings’ history while implementing modern design and technology. By restoring these buildings, new life is developed into these once abandoned buildings, leading to transformation of the surrounding areas.

Sustainability is developed through historic renovations by repurposing buildings and conserving resources. MAA designs these renovations with sustainable features to improve the built environment without compromising the building’s character.

MAA is an industry leader in historic renovation space in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and across the country with a reputation for design excellence, creative vision and technical expertise.

About Merriman Anderson/Architects, Inc. (MAA)

A Dallas based architecture and planning firm offering programming, urban planning, architectural design, space planning, interior architecture/design, graphic design, construction document production, construction observation, 3-D visualization and facilities move coordination. With offices in Dallas, Texas; Austin, Texas and Charlotte, North Carolina, MAA provides services to clients on a national and international basis, emphasizing repeat clients as the heart of their practice. Each MAA professional listens to the needs of the firm’s clients and works to meet their individual and specific schedule, budget and scope requirements. For more information, visit http://merriman-maa.com/, follow on Twitter @MerrimanArch Facebook @MerrimanAnderson or on Instagram @maa_dallas.

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