Long before the College of Communication announced its plan for a new landmark building, we were already dreaming big dreams about what a premiere center for new media should be. We wanted much more than just a building – we wanted to create a center of learning and exploration – a place that by its very nature would both inspire and define communication education for the next century.

So who have we entrusted with making our dreams a reality? Meet the architects of the Lawrence Group Austin, led by Earl Swisher, AIA, founding partner of the Austin office of the Lawrence Group. Swisher will serve as the Belo Center’s Managing and Design Principal-in-Charge. His partner Thomas C. Lekometros, AIA, of the New York office will serve as broadcast design principal.

The process of choosing an architect for a major building on the UT campus began last year when the University invited 15 major architectural firms to submit proposals to the University for the Belo Center for New Media. The Lawrence Group was chosen from a group of five finalists who were invited to campus to make a formal presentation. Swisher, who presented for the Lawrence Group, brought photos that showed a 360-degree view of a model of the building that they had created over a four-day period in NYC. And while that picture was only a starting point to show the type of ideas and design vision that they would bring to the process, it won over the selection committee.

“It wasn’t really the picture, it’s the level of thought that went into this about how the new building would relate to the current complex so that we would continue to have a real community in the College,” said Dean Hart. “If I were allowed to make the decision myself, it would have been an easy one. It turned out everyone agreed with me that Earl and his team were the right choice.”

Both the College and the University have set a goal of creating a building that will serve as a “gateway” to the north side of campus.

“One reason that the Lawrence Group rose to the top is that they have a strong background in design,” said David Rea, Director of the Office of Campus Planning. “This is an opportunity to bring some design to a very visible location, a gateway site on the campus.”

Swisher, who founded Lawrence Group’s Austin office ten years ago, brings an impressive design pedigree to the Belo Center project. After graduating from Clemson with a master’s in architecture, Swisher wanted to work for some of the prominent architects of the day – so he headed for New York where he joined Gwathmey Siegal & Associates, which would be his home for the next 18 years. While at Gwathmey Siegal, some of Swisher’s projects included: the $60 million restoration and expansion of the Guggenheim Museum; the $50 million Science, Industry and Business Library (part of the NYC Public Library System) which involved the conversion of the historic B. Altman building on 31st and Madison Avenue in NYC; the Maria de Hostos Community College (CUNY) in the Bronx; and the Mildred Brow Senior Thesis Building at the Ross School in East Hampton.

Since founding Lawrence Group’s Austin office, notable Austin projects have included the Time-Warner Broadcasting/News 8 building, the new mixed-use development at 6th and Brushy; and the expansions and renovations at Terrazas Library, Manchaca Library and Carver Library.

“Our firm practices modernism,” Swisher says, “but you don’t build a building in a vacuum – you build with a context and with the history and the current technologies of today. We are striving for a great building, but within the confines of the master plan. We would like to create a scheme that makes our building read as a complex, and that strengthens the existing facilities (CMA, CMB) to the south.”

The new Belo Center will not only house state-of-the-art facilities for the College, it will also house KUT. Tom Lekometros’ team will bring valuable expertise from their architecture practice in digital media, radio and television broadcast. The current, real life solutions that they have designed for professional facilities will be brought into the Belo Center, helping the College cross the boundaries of teaching, learning, and practice. Lekometros’ past projects have included the New York studios for Martha Stewart, studios for Penn State, the Time Warner/News 8 building, the Science Industry and Business Library in NYC, and the Maria De Hostas Community College (co-project managed with Earl Swisher).

Since landing the project, Swisher’s team has completed the programming phase of the project, which included interactive workshops to determine classroom requirements, public spaces, and technology requirements for the building. Representatives from all academic departments, as well as students, staff and faculty participated. With the size and scope of the project determined, Swisher is currently involved in the design and drawing phase.

One revelation from the programming phase, Swisher says, is that the Belo Center needs to be a “gateway” from the city side (facing Guadalupe Street) as well as being a significant terminus from the campus side and from the long vista down Dean Keeton. One way to accomplish that is to create a public space and performance venue in front of the building, one that embraces and is easily accessible from the campus side. Mainly, Swisher and his team plan to bring the same creativity to the design phase that they brought to their original presentation. “We plan to have fun and dream with you of unique ideas that speak of Austin,” Swisher says.

Design work is expected to be completed and approved by the University and the Board of Regents in early spring. Groundbreaking is planned for mid-2009 with a final wrap up of construction in 2012.

For more information on the Lawrence Group, please visit www.thelawrencegroup.com.