In a July 2021 report, Reuters confirmed that the COVID-19 recession was the worst ever, when the U.S. economy contracted at an annualized rate of 19.2% from the fourth quarter 2019 peak through 2Q of 2020. The pandemic downturn was the deepest since 1947. Every business sector has been impacted. During the initial phase of the pandemic, PRISM too was directly impacted due to many clients that had to temporarily reduce or suspend outsourced services. Like other businesses we had to pivot in our operations. We have since turned the corner and have experienced increased sales as many of our clients are busy again with exciting projects. 2021 has been a year of recovery and relaunch for us. Through it all, the PRISM team has been working on our collective mindfulness, being present in the moment. This hyper focus on current feelings has helped each of us actively look for the positives in everyday life, both big and small. This shift in outlook made it much easier to list the many things for which we are grateful. And this attitude of gratitude was and is a key to our business health. We can’t say it enough – we are grateful for every email, call, text, letter, and conversation with clients. Thank you for the opportunity to work with each of you, your trust in us, and looking to us as a trusted partner. We are grateful for you!
AIA Houston recently announced the winners of their 2021 Design Awards. In the architecture less than 50,000 s.f. the winner is the Lyric Center Garage. PRISM worked with firms Kirkey and Munoz + Albin to develop several rounds of renderings for this significant new addition to Houston’s Theatre District. Not your typical garage, this project features projected masses on each façade to break up the horizontal planes of the standard parking structure. The glass exterior features customizable LED panels that illuminate the entire façade. The ground level has an articulated façade and is occupied by a 31,000 s.f. dining hall with covered outdoor patios. The facility also has full license plate recognition technology at every space, allowing contract parkers access without manual badging. The technology can also provide a digital map to help parkers locate their car. The owner calls this ‘Parking Perfection’ on their webpage and refers to the Lyric Center Garage as a work of art. We agree! Congratulations to Kirksey, Munoz + Albin, and all the award winners this year!
Located immediately off I-25, Colorado’s main north/south highway, the new Elevation25 development is bringing more industrial to the busy Denver market. The 73-acre site in Mead, Colorado is planned for 10 buildings of Class A warehouse space. The first two buildings have 93,600 s.f. and 104,00 s.f. respectively; Building 1 is 41% preleased with opening expected in the third quarter of 2022. The location is what makes Elevation25 such a prime spot. It is within a 35-minute drive of Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, and Denver International Airport and has premier visibility from I-25. Intergroup Architects hired PRISM to produce the marketing animation for preleasing efforts on behalf of Silver Point Development. In addition to fly-through and aerial views of the development once completed, it also incorporates additional graphics like trucking routes and satellite maps that illustrate the easy transportation access and nearby manufacturers.
Our team recently celebrated our 16th anniversary--what a difference one year has made! We were in total survival mode last year, and my primary focus was finding ways to protect everyone's job. Fast forward twelve months, I'm working on our most ambitious business growth plan with the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. If there were any doubts in my mind about our future growth plan, they were eradicated during my second visit with my hero, the First Lady of Aerobatics, Debby Rihn-Harvey, at the Wings Over Houston Air Show this month. Debby is the most courageous, intelligent, competitive, and energetic woman I've ever met. She's been the women's national champion nine times and is the longest-flying U.S. Unlimited Aerobatic Team member, representing the United States in 13 World Championships. She is truly a national treasure! Debby's passion for aerobatics is contagious. At 70 years young, she did a radio interview about performing tricks while flipping and twisting the plane around in the sky in front of everyone! I could tell from her voice that she was having so much fun doing what she loves to do! That level of passion inspires and drives me to be curious and action-oriented in all that I do!
It’s our Sweet 16! PRISM is celebrating our anniversary this month. As we do every year at this time, we reflect on where this journey has taken us. The past year was especially challenging, but it proved the tenacity and grit of our whole team. Since starting and doing a dozen projects a year, we’re on track to complete over 200 this year! Thank you to our families, clients, partners, and friends – we couldn’t do it without you.
Last month Jing had a chance to “meet” some of the brightest up-and-coming AEC professionals when she judged the ENR TX/LA 2022 Top Young Professionals submissions. Entrants were judged on industry experience and education; career and industry leadership; and community service and involvement. Congratulations to all the honorees.
ICSC is back in person! The premiere conference for retail real estate pros will be held in Las Vegas from Dec. 5-7. PRISM can help exhibitors shine with photo-realistic project renderings and vibrant fly-through animations. We work with many developers, brokers, owners, and management companies, and understand the drivers behind successful project marketing.
Germany's Oktoberfest, the world's largest beer festival held every year in Munich, will not take place in 2021 due to the coronavirus crisis. The pandemic has forced the cancellation of the hugely popular festival for the second consecutive year, but the revelry of the annual celebration can still be shared in smaller venues here stateside. This past weekend, the Kirby Ice House Beer Fest was a Who's Who among local and Texas breweries and an inspired tribute to the great Oktoberfest held in Munich.
Landscape Architect
Work with real estate developers, architects, civil engineers, and etc. to understand their requirements and produce site plans, specifications, and cost estimates for landscape projects. Analyze data on conditions of site location, drainage, or structure location for landscaping plans. Prepare graphic representations and drawings of the proposed designs/plans. Present the plans to clients and coordinate the execution of the landscaping projects. Tools used include: 3Ds Max, SketchUp, Autodesk CAD, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Office.
= The Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) is planning an ambitious new operations and maintenance center. PRISM played a small part in making it a reality. The OUC commissioned Jacobs to design a massive new joint use facility to serve both Orange and Osceola counties; it will be built in St. Cloud, Florida. PRISM developed several exterior renderings, which were used to obtain final project approval from the OUC Board of Directors. The operations and maintenance center is planned in two phases. Phase 1 will total almost 153,000 s.f. and have dedicated space for the warehouse, fleet maintenance, a fuel station, and a vehicle wash. Phase 2 will add another 150,000 s.f. and will include offices, covered storage, and a parking deck. Jacobs is hoping to achieve net zero carbon emissions with the new center. It is part of OUC’s 2030 commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 50% versus 2005 levels, and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Ajax Building is the project’s general contractor.
