This month, the Embassy Suites Hotel & Convention Center in Denton, TX took home a UMCA Golden Trowel Award by the United Masonry Contractors Association. The hotel received an honorable mention in the Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU) category.
The eleven-story, 318 suite Embassy amenities include an attached Houlihan’s restaurant, a large resort-style outdoor pool and event lawn, a splash pad, a second indoor pool, the latest in-room technology, Starbucks, a business center and has 1,000 solar panels on its roof. The 70,000 sq. ft. convention center hosts three ballroom spaces each with a Denton theme. If approved, this would be the first Embassy Suites to achieve LEED Gold Certification. It is one of two Embassy Suites hotels designed by BR&P to be submitted for LEED Certification.
A strong design theme throughout the hotel is combining natural materials with a modern elegance. One aspect where this really stands out is in the masonry and EIFS pattern. Those natural patterns within the masonry and EIFS were one of Gerri Kielhofner’s, BR&P Partner in Charge, favorite features about the design of the hotel. “They mimic organic qualities in nature. As does another favorite, the grand stair railings, all of which are signature pieces in the hotel.”
One of the design challenges was creating a visually interesting and modern tower that felt like it belonged in the surrounding grasslands. “The patterns in the masonry and the EIFS helped to achieve that,” says Laura Daugherty, BR&P Architect. “The views from this hotel are very dramatic since it towers over everything in the area.”
Gerri Kielhofner, BR&P Architect and Partner, with the Golden Trowel Award
The United Masonry Contractors Association (UMCA) was founded in June of 1975 to provide both a forum and a resource for information on issues relating to the commercial masonry business. Membership consists of individuals and businesses involved in the masonry business in Dallas-Fort Worth and the surrounding communities.
Project Team:
Architect: Butler, Rosenbury & Partners dba Geoffrey H. Butler
Masonry Contractor: DMG Masonry, Ltd
Contractor: Clark Contractors, LLC
MEP Engineer: Malone Finkle Eckhardt & Collins, Inc a division of RTM Engineering Consultants
Structural Engineer: PK Associates, LLC
Civil Engineer: Brockette/Davis/Drake, In
Landscape Architect: smr landscape architect, Inc.
LEED Consultants: Facilities Performance Associates
Interior Design: MatchLine Design Group
Also in the June Newsletter: BR&P Time Capsule: A Blast from the Past Jonesboro Embassy Suites Celebrates Groundbreaking