Month: June 2022

GH2 Equine Architects is a dedicated specialty practice of GH2 Architects, LLC, an award-winning, international architecture and planning firm, creating transformative design since 1973. Headquartered in Oklahoma, they have architects located across the country and have completed hundreds of projects in its nearly 50 years of operation.

Passionate about horses and animal care facilities, their team has master planned and designed many of the finest equine amenities across five continents. They have raised the sophistication, functionality, safety, and efficiency of equine and livestock facility master planning and design worldwide.

Something that sets GH2 Equine apart from other firms is that they are not only architects but also active equestrians and facility users. Their passion for horses facilitates further interaction and feedback from fellow users and industry leaders. They then pass those insights and knowledge on to their clients. 

Kala Ade, AIA, Associate Principal, is the equine specialty practice director. She owns and shows Belgian draft horses across the Midwest with her family. Jamie Prashaw, AIA, EDAC, LEED AP BP+C, Senior Architect, comes from a family that owned and operated a boarding facility. She is well versed in multiple areas of competition, from gymkhanas to AQHA to hunter/jumper. Martha Mitchell, AIA, Senior Architect, has been an equestrian her entire life, having competed with Arabians and hunter/jumpers, and currently competing in three-day eventing with her OTTB. Rounding out the team’s unique hands-on expertise is Olivia Hupy, RA, Architect. She showed in the 3’-6” equitation across the east coast as a junior, rode collegiately, and currently rides and shows in the hunter/jumpers.

GH2 Equine’s portfolio includes projects of all types, from private farms, breeding and training farms, therapeutic riding centers, equine veterinary, therapy, and rehabilitation facilities, show and event venues, polo and equestrian clubs, and equestrian lifestyle communities, and university equine facilities. They like to say that no project is too small and every project is worthy of great design; from a property with one horse to a facility with 50 stalls, or an expo facility that houses hundreds of horses at a time, they excel at designing unique solutions to meet their clients’ needs.

The team considers master planning critical to equine facilities. The properties where people keep their horses are so much more than a stall barn — they include roadways, pathways, turnouts, pastures, arenas, storage buildings, manure handling, fire and life safety, consideration of topography and weather patterns — the list goes on and on. Planning an entire site in advance will facilitate ease-of use, enhance safety, quality of life for the horses, and reduce costs in the long term. Examples of planning strategies used by GH2 include careful placement of buildings, arenas, and pastures in locations that will naturally drain better than other areas and efficiently planning a site to reduce the number of roads and paths required.

Throughout the entire process, GH2 Equine Architects work with their clients to achieve their goals, lend their expertise related to life safety design, provide recommendations based on the clients’ specific budgets, provide drawings and technical specifications, and work with the construction professionals who construct the facilities. Seeing the completed facilities that the team and their clients have worked on together is a special joy as architects and as equestrians.

(Tulsa, Okla.) September 17, 2023 – To see the mark of a Tulsa design firm, only a short drive, or even a walk, is all that’s required.

“It’s amazing. To drive down the street and be bale to look, left and right, and everywhere you go and think ‘We designed that,” said GH2 Architects Principal Steve Jaggers.

“But not only did we design that, it’s exactly what the client wanted. It met their budget, it met their goals. The vernacular matches what they really perceived as a very great project.” 

GH2 recently marked its 50^th anniversary, with more than 20 years headquartered at 320 S. Boston Ave. in downtown Tulsa. 

The firm, which began in Oklahoma City in 1973, now has 100 employees. It has designed more than 3,500 new projects and renovations in 48 states and 13 countries. 

They include everything from government buildings, hotels, event centers, schools, and churches to mixed-use commercial and residential structures.

Among its clients are the State of Oklahoma (state Capitol complex renovations), municipalities, many state and out-of-state universities, school districts, commercial entities, and nonprofits. 

But designing a new or refurbishing an existing structure is anything but standard, several GH2 principals said during a recent interview with the Tulsa World. 

Some projects – such as federal or city structures – are very specific with mandated specifications and other factors, while others are much more fluid, they said, depending on the client and purpose. 

And even if the purpose of a structure is clear for a client, there may be different versions of what it should look like. 

“Some of our clients are essentially boards of directors,” said Principal Cara Hall. “And you do get a lot of different opinions about how to get to achieving their goal. We work through that process with them to create consensus and help them understand what options are available and (help them) come to an agreement on what they want,” she said. 

“at the same time, we do have clients who come in and say ‘I want this, but I don’t really know what it looks like or how big it is’ or anything like that, and we help define that with them,” Hall said. 

Technology also helps with allowing clients to see a project beforehand and more easily make changes at the design level.

“To some degree, the technology really is there, where clients can experience that beforehand,” said Principal Reid Burton. 

“Having that technology available, where they can experience the space and feel the textures and raw materials at the time, really cuts down on all the changes,” Burton said. 

Principal Chris Seat added: “One of the things we do, too, is bring different options.”

“We don’t just go away and bring just one option back to them. We bring multiple options…sometimes it’s a mesh of several different options to create their project,” Seat said. 

GH2 also has a strategic plan, something many would not necessarily associate with an architecture firm. 

“To be successful, we have to take care of our clients, do a great job on their project, and take care of our team,” said Principal Michael Hall. 

“The strategic planning just sort of lets us formalize all the day-to-day things that we have to do to continue doing a great job for our clients, who demand the very best service and high level of design. And we want to hire and retain the very best people in our industry, and this sort of pulls all from those things together for us, with actionable steps,” he said. 

In addition to Tulsa, GH2 has offices in Oklahoma City and Mesa, Arizona (phoenix metro).

It began as Gralla Architects after being established by Stan Gralla. It later changed names to GH2. It has won multiple awards over the years, including American Institute of Architects Eastern Oklahoma Firm of they Year in 2021,2017, and 1992. 

it was listed in the Top 5000 fastest growing firms by Inc. Magazine in 2010. 

“I think one of the things that sets us aside as a firm – different than other firms in the area – is our culture and our people. We have a staff that has been here for a very long time,” Jaggers said. The tenure is pretty phenomenal as you look across the board,” he said. 

“As we grow, we continue to have new people join, but our principal level – our associate principal level – many of them started right out of school or very early in their career and have planted seeds here and continue decades later to work for GH2, “ Jaggers said. 

“So I think that not only speaks to our culture and our work and lifestyle – very family-oriented – which is easy to say, and you hear that a lot, but it really is true here,” he said. 

“There’s no good data out there that sort of charts the lifespan of the average architectural firm,” Michaele Hall said. “But 50 years, especially 50 years with consistent, internal ownership transition, without a large, national firm coming in and purchasing us, is really a special thing in our industry and we’re really, really proud of that.” 

(Tulsa, Okla.) September 24, 2021 – BOK Center held a ceremonial ribbon cutting today to officially open a new entrance and event space within the arena. The $4.7 million renovation of 5,800 sq ft of preexi. ”The new Northeast entrance is an additional entrance to BOK Center and will assist with funneling guests into the arena quicker. The River Spirit Casino Resort Lounge will open early prior to major events and is open to the general public on show dates, but requires an event ticket to enter.

“Together, our brands are known for providing world-class entertainment as the two top destination locations in the Tulsa region for visitors,” said River Spirit Casino Resort CEO Pat Crofts. “BOK Center joins us as a key economic driver in the tourism industry and their success is our success. Our long-term partnership provides River Spirit an opportunity to play a prominent role in enhancing the entertainment experience of thousands of BOK Center patrons each year.”

The long-term partnership with River Spirit Casino Resort made it possible to invest in a capital project and create a new and exciting space for our visitors.”Additionally, the River Spirit Casino Resort Lounge provides another choice for Tulsans seeking unique locations to host a special event. Private groups may contract directly with BOK Center to reserve the River Spirit Casino Resort Lounge which features a bar, catering kitchen, sound system and a digital video board for presentations or advertising.”Year after year, the City of Tulsa’s BOK Center is ranked as one of the world’s busiest and best concert destinations,” Mayor G.T. Bynum said.

“As the entertainment, tourism and hospitality industry continues to emerge from the pandemic, capital investments in BOK Center are important to maintain those critical measurements as one of the top arena venues in the United States. Congratulations to our BOK Center team for developing strategic corporate partnerships like the one with River Spirit Casino Resort to help support these type of investments.”

“Since 2008, BOK Center has provided countless memories for fans attending concerts, shows and major sporting events,” Falat said. “Now, with River Spirit Casino Resort Lounge, BOK Center will be even more accessible to the general public so they may enjoy planning and hosting their own event at the premier location in downtown Tulsa.”GH2 Architects served as the architectural firm on the renovation project, and Tulsa Vision Builders as the construction manager.

The new, self-enclosed entertainment space is named River Spirit Casino Resort Lounge through a 10-year partnership with BOK Center which includes the naming rights for the event space, additional signage inside BOK Center and designation as the exclusive casino and resort destination for the arena.