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O.T. Marshall Architects has for two generations promoted a radical shift in the way cities are designed. Only through a deep understanding of site and surroundings do we promote smart, cost-effective growth.

Downtown Riverfront Urban Plan

As a result of a public planning process, the City of Memphis engaged O.T. Marshall Architects to prepare a plan with two primary objectives:

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•      to develop an overall urban design concept for the development of        the City's underutilized riverfront

•      design a pathway for public/private funding options for the sake of      meaningful implementation of design strategies 

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The concept plan identified multiple scenarios for additional qualified public use facilities (QPUF) and present to the State of Tennessee for approval.  One primary component to the design was establishing public connectivity from the riverfront, convention center, Bass Pro at the Pyramid, The Pinch District and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

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Minneapolis Public School provided a unique opportunity to delve further into the academic purpose of the school facility.  The district experiences disproportionate disparity in academic achievement generally congruent with the socio-economic status of its various neighborhoods. We began with extensive input sessions from the various academic directors to determine their input and recommendations for better schools.  Their input was revealing; district administrators detected a new vitality to their efforts once they felt empowered to facilitate change. We concurrently initiated the planning and initial study phase; information-gathering included general mapping, floor plans, and historical data.   During the on-site  inspection, team members  visually inspected all aspects of the building (if issues were  urgent, management was notified); inventoried existing deficiencies;  and gathered  data about  maintenance and life cycles from  sources that  included  internal maintenance department  work  orders  and  requests  for  work. In the final phase, team members determined the condition of each facility.

Minneapolis Public Schools now  has a detailed database of deficiencies, priorities, and projected costs, and with   this  comprehensive information,  there  is  a  system-wide   comparison of  conditions  of  various buildings  and systematic plan of attack to correct  deficiencies.   Equally important, the FCI allows school officials  to  have  a baseline  for  future evaluations  of  facilities,  and a beginning point  for  all building maintenance plans.

A school building’s life expectancy is a significant determinant in the FCI. This “life cycle” is the span of time that a facility and its individual elements will survive, serve its mission, and accommodate changing technology.  Life cycles are variable, depending on building materials (both exterior and interior), ADA requirements, HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems.
 

Minneapolis Public Schools Master Plan

Special Education Programs Redistribution Maps