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Arturo Chavez, AIA, LEED AP
In 1995, just five years after getting his architecture degree, Art was asked to join the Houston office of PageSoutherlandPage as Director of Design. It was under his design leadership that the Houston office successfully moved into new markets, and the quality of design was elevated significantly through his meticulous recruiting of talented designers from the leading architecture schools. Through his embrace of Houston’s global community and his dedication to recruiting architects who reflect the cultural diversity of the city, Art has developed a design studio composed of designers and architects from around the world. Art helped enhance the reputation of the office in Houston –while continuing to diversify his portfolio and skills – with the renovation and restoration of the historic Rice Hotel. This prominent project helped lead the revitalization of downtown Houston and served as the genesis of his expertise in the documentation and renovation of historic buildings. The Rice was the first of many projects in downtown Houston led by Art, including the renovation of the former Jessie Jones office building now called Commerce Towers, the Downtown Houston Master Plan and the PageSoutherlandPage office. Art has provided design leadership on other prominent Houston area projects such as the Exxon Mobil Upstream Research Training Center, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Pickens Academic Tower and Methodist West Houston Hospital. He has led design teams for PageSoutherlandPage projects in Mexico, the United Kingdom, Africa, the Middle East and the Far East, including the Millennium Tower in Dakar, Senegal, the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel in Accra, Ghana and the Presidential Library for the President of Equatorial Guinea. Art has been recognized for his ability to lead design teams on projects of virtually every building type and of varying levels of complexity, and in locations throughout the world – from small office environments and museums to training centers and schools to high-rise buildings, large hospitals and R&D facilities. He was named Associate Principal in 2008. A native Houstonian, Art has been very involved in his community, providing design services for community groups and organizations. He is a graduate of the University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture, where he has taught design studios and was named to the Architecture Alumni Hall of Fame in 2000. |
Art Chavez is one of the youngest professionals to be elevated to the position of principal of PageSoutherlandPage. He began working for Hoover & Furr (a 3DI subsidiary) immediately following his graduation from the University of Houston, and later joined CRSS. It was at both firms that he was first given exposure to and opportunities to work on a wide variety of building types for both domestic and international clients. From complex health, science and research facilities, to historic restoration, as well as such unique opportunities as being the senior designer on The George H.W. Bush Library at Texas A & M, Art brought outstanding creativity and innovation to each project. This diversity of project types has continued to be the hallmark of his work throughout his 20-year career.