Tovrea’s hire underscores Gould Evans’ long-term commitment to New Orleans, its built environment and the Gulf South region as a whole. He will actively support Principal Robert Riccardi in business development and marketing, client and project management, and future growth of the New Orleans studio. Tovrea re-joins Gould Evans after working locally for five years with Blitch Knevel Architects and practicing for seven years prior to that in the Gould Evans Phoenix studio. His experience with the firm includes:

• Herberger Theater Center Renovation

• Maricopa Skill Center Renovation and Expansion

• Arizona Western College Science + Agriculture Building and College Community Center

• Glendale Community College Life Science Teaching Lab

• Concept design for the Salt River Maricopa Pima Indian Community Wellness Center

“We’re delighted to have Martin back with the firm,” said Robert Riccardi, Managing Principal of the Gould Evans New Orleans Studio. “His body of knowledge and experience is the perfect complement to our team as we continue to grow.”

Tovrea is a graduate of Louisiana State University and has more than 23 years of experience in the design and process management of large-scale, complex projects. He has developed expert technical competence, including a specific focus on Quality Assurance and Quality Control. He brings both Louisiana-specific expertise and national perspective to his new role, having practiced across the country in locations as far reaching as Alaska. He is NCARB-certified and a member of the American Institute of Architects.

“I’ve lived and worked in several very different geographic regions, but it’s especially meaningful to be practicing architecture in my hometown with the company that helped me develop my process. Everything has come full-circle,” said Tovrea. “In my new role with Gould Evans, I’ll continually strive to transform client vision and goals into beautifully-constructed buildings that respect and enhance this special and unique place.”

Gould Evans has been working in New Orleans for the past decade on a variety of projects, large and small, including five New Orleans Public Libraries, Tulane University’s Yulman Stadium and Hertz Center, the Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Chambers Renovation, the Odyssey House Louisiana Tonti Campus Planning and Historic Renovation, and the Family Justice Center Housing Complex.

The firm’s ever-growing New Orleans studio, which was established in 2012, is rooted in the heart of Uptown on the second floor of a classic New Orleans masonry building on Magazine Street. The vibrancy and variety of this corridor is symbiotic with the way the studio works, establishing an environment that naturally sets the tone for innovative, creative designs.

About Gould Evans
Gould Evans’ award-winning designs are recognized for their specificity to people and place. Our diverse portfolio of architecture stems from a design process that starts with the client’s goals. We share a passion for regional architecture and design that positively impacts our communities. To learn more, visit www.gouldevans.com.

Gould Evans Media Contact
Megan Krtek
(816)701-5422
megan.krtek@gouldevans.com

The studio offers an ideal setting for the competition, as it was designed to cater to students who face similarly intense challenges in bringing their creative projects to life throughout the school year. The versatile space will provide the Make 48 teams with an open, flexible, technology-rich working environment to support the rapid development, prototyping and pitching of innovative ideas.

“Our goal in the design process was to create a clean, blank slate with abundant light that would be flexible, both as a daily work space and over time as educational programming and technology evolves,” said Mark Wise, Project Designer with Gould Evans. “The space needed to provide an efficient, comfortable space for students to work, as well as a home for the cutting-edge technology KCAI offers, so we designed the studio to be scalable, offering ample space around the equipment for students to move and gather in.”

The studio is a central resource shared by all of the Art Institute’s 13 majors, ranging from ceramics and sculpture to fiber and filmmaking. In addition to a gallery and critique room, the new 5,000 square-foot addition to the Sculpture Department’s Volker Building features a fabrication lab equipped with state- of-the art technology. The teams will have full access to an array of digital fabrication tools including:

• Interactive touch screens for digital collaboration

• Laser cutters and engravers

• Eight different types of 3D printers

• Computer numerical control (CNC) routers

• Cameras and scanners

• A digital loom

Gould Evans’ design of the new studio responds to the Institute’s need to create a space that allows students to gain experience and become skilled in using the technology that will continue to be present in the work place for years to come.

“Building a printing and prototyping studio that specializes in digital input and output means that KCAI is preparing tomorrow’s workforce,” said Tony Jones, President of the Kansas City Art Institute. “We’re teaching advanced skills, while providing a valuable asset to our local community.”

The Kansas City Art Institute features a traditional, yet also eclectic, collegiate setting with campus buildings surrounding an historic estate and its original mansion, Vanderslice Hall, now the administrative center for the Institute. The new David T. Beals III Studio is designed as a counterpoint to the 1896 Vanderslice building, expressing KCAI’s currency and tradition, while also celebrating the past, future and present of art. The facade, which is made of black matte metal paneling, and simple shed form of the building contrast gently with the historic building, contributing to the richness of the campus.

Make 48 is a semi-annual, national competition that began in April of 2015. Eight half hour episodes capturing the highs and lows of the competition, from product inception to final design, will air early next year on local PBS stations.

About Gould Evans

Gould Evans’ award-winning designs are recognized for their specificity to people and place. Our diverse portfolio of architecture stems from a design process that starts with the client’s goals. We share a passion for regional architecture and design that positively impacts our communities. To learn more, visit www.gouldevans.com

About the Kansas City Art Institute

Located in Kansas City, Mo. at 4415 Warwick, KCAI is a private, independent four-year college of art and design awarding the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with 13 studio majors. KCAI also offers a post-baccalaureate program in art education, certificate programs and continuing education courses. Founded in 1885, KCAI is Kansas City’s oldest arts organization. For more information, visit www.kcai.edu.

Gould Evans Media Contact

Megan Krtek

(816)701-5422

megan.krtek@gouldevans.com

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