R. Scott Ziegler, Senior Principal of Urban Residential Studio, is a graduate of Rice University with a master’s degree in architecture and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Trinity University, Founding Principal, Scott Ziegler, is a thought leader on the subject of urbanism, as well as a frequent guest speaker at Rice University, Urban Land Institute, Texas Society of Architects and Multifamily Executive Conferences.

As Principal-in-Charge of the Urban Residential Studio, Scott plays an active role in in shaping the urban landscape through his published writings in professional journals on the subjects of Sustainable Urban Growth Strategies and High Density Mixed Use Developments. Scott’s Urban Residential experience is tempered by industry leaders including Hines, Gables Residential Trust, General Investment and Development, The Hanover Companies, Camden REIT, Trammell Crow Residential, Dinerstein Companies and Forest City for the design of low-rise, mid-rise and high-rise developments.

With projects totaling over 18 million s.f. and $2.5  billion in construction value, Scott is adept in providing design direction to his clients in the form of density studies, developing appropriate unit mix, unit design, lifestyle demographics, amenity packages, interior design and insight into future design trends. Scott’s insight and comprehensive knowledge of the profession have led his firm to design numerous award winning projects that have garnered regional and national recognition. Scott’s design experience reflects his belief that beautiful architecture enriches people’s lives and expresses the spirit of our time through art, craft and technology.

The Office

Founded in 1977, Ziegler Cooper Architects designs buildings that are inspirational, highly functional and sustainable, resulting in extremely valuable assets for their owners.

Design solutions reflect a fresh approach that respects the context, reinterprets historical tradition and transcends immediate circumstances to connect with the client’s vision. Ziegler Cooper pursue innovation with an entrepreneurial spirit, exploring the influences of a building — the uniqueness of the site, its setting and current/future occupants, visitors and patrons.

A true expression of the firm’s creativity, the space  is an open and collaborative studio environment that inspires creativity and collaboration. We believe inspirational architecture has the power to uplift the human spirit and provides a constant vision of excellence.

See also: Top Interior Designers | Iria Degen

Urban Residential Projects

2727 Kirby

Houston, Texas

2727 Kirby is a sleek, 21st century building that establishes itself as a visual focal point and signature building in the prestigious Upper Kirby/River Oaks neighborhood. At 30 stories, the tower engages in dialogue with Kirby Drive, by leaning into the street. This work of art´s interior spaces are as luxurious as its exterior is stunning. The lobby features warm, wood-paneled walls and suspended from the ceiling is a magnificent contemporary glass sculpture. Twenty-four hour valet is available, in addition to, private parking in a 6-level garage, where atop sits the Aqua Level — an extension of the resident´s living room, providing 30,000 square feet of comprehensive entertainment, fitness, pool and spa facilities for family and guests to enjoy. 2727 Kirby offers residents extraordinary services and amenities that set the standard for luxury and sophistication in Houston.

The Austonian

Austin, Texas

The Austonian sets a new standard of living for luxury condominiums. The tallest residential building in Austin and the Western United States, The Austonian offers unprecedented views of the city and surrounding Hill Country along with an elegant lifestyle in one of America’s greatest cities. The building occupies just one-third of a city block, providing luxury homes for 178 families on less than three-quarters of an acre.

One of the primary design objectives was to create a space that supports energy and natural resource conservation. The Austonian’s sleek and environmentally-conscious design offers a luxurious green lifestyle — deluxe amenities, top tier services and dozens of premier shops, restaurants and music venues within a five minute walk. The project achieved a four-star rating from Austin Energy Green Building Council, which is comparable to a U.S. Green Building Council LEED Gold Rating.

Highland Tower

Houston, Texas

Located in the fashionable Highland Village district of Houston, the recently completed, 16-story, Highland Tower is designed to appeal to the young professional. Clad in a crisp combination of aluminum panels, glass, and brick, the building blends materials from surrounding urban residential and commercial buildings in the neighborhood, representing Houston´s past and present.

Amenities include a landscaped roof terrace with an infinity edge pool, outdoor living room, putting green, indoor fitness center, private massage therapy room, club room, private dining in a wine room with a catering kitchen, and tranquil green space with fountains and paved courtyards. Highland Tower provides a lifestyle that redefines how residents live.

The Most Iconic Project

Azorim Tower

Ramat Gan (Tel Aviv), Israel

Ziegler Cooper is currently working with Azorim Investment, Development and Construction Ltd. on a design for a new residential tower to be located on the site of the old Elite factory by the Diamond Exchange in Ramat Gan. The 80-story tower will soon begin construction and when completed will become Israel’s tallest building and will be the tallest residential building in the Middle East, located at the nexus of three cities – Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, and Givatayim. The tower will include apartments with a majority being two and three bedroom.

Azorim and a group of diamond merchants bought the 11-dunam (3.75-acre) lot in 2007 for $80 million from a US company, Crescent Heights. After many planning changes, the lot was divided into residential and office use. Ramat Gan city engineer Haim Cohen told “Globes” that the plan was critical for the city, because it will increase the housing supply in a high-demand area with good transportation access, including the future Tel Aviv Metropolitan Light Railway. Azorim will build the residential tower and the diamond merchants will build an office building, under a separate plan.

Ziegler Cooper Team

Kurt Hull ,AIA, LEED AP

Senior Principal: Commercial Office Studio

Kurt started his career at Ziegler Cooper as an intern over 33 years ago. A graduate of the University of Houston with a bachelor’s degree in architecture, Kurt serves as the Principal-in-Charge of the Commercial Office Studio, dedicated to commercial architecture, corporate facility design, mixed-use and commercial redevelopment projects.

Mark Nolen , AIA, LEED AP

Senior Principal: Corporate Interiors Studio

Mark Nolen serves as Principal-in-Charge of the Corporate Interiors studio, dedicated to workplace design for clients in the Accounting, Consulting, Energy, Engineering, Finance, Insurance and Law sectors. Mark has over 30 years of project management and design experience with commercial architecture, corporate interiors and landlord services projects.  His clientele includes major corporations, real estate brokers, institutional owners, real estate developers, building leasing agents and property managers.

Stephen Lucchesi ,AIA

Principal: Worship, Education & Community Studio

Stephen Lucchesi serves as Principal-in-Charge of the Worship, Education & Community studio. Stephen has more than 27 years of experience in design, construction documentation and construction administration.  His clientele includes religious institutions, educational establishments and civic and municipal enterprises.

Jim Zemski ,AIA

Principal: Urban Residential Studio

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee with a bachelor’s degree in architecture, Jim Zemski serves Ziegler Cooper in the role of Senior Project Manager for the Urban Residential studio.

Jim brings significant project and financial management skills, as well as technical expertise, programming and design experience. He is responsible for the implementation, presentation and management of the project through all phases from conceptual design through construction administration. He serves as the central point of contact for the client, consultant and project team.

Paul Wilkinson ,IIDA, LEED AP

Principal: Corporate Interiors Studio

Paul Wilkinson joined Ziegler Cooper in 1997 after more than 15 years of working in the hospitality design industry. Paul brings his in-depth knowledge of various project types to the Corporate Interiors studio and enjoys working with clients in the Financial, Accounting, Energy and Hospitality sectors.

Karen Bischof ,TAID, LEED AP

Principal: Landlord Services Studio

With over 34 years of experience, Karen Bischof is the Principal-in-Charge of the Landlord Services studio. Karen is dedicated to assisting building owners, property managers and leasing agents with space planning and design services for new and existing tenants, which includes remodeling and capital improvements in the building she serves.

Chris Petrash, AIA

Design Principal: Urban Residential Studio

A graduate of the University of Houston with a bachelor’s degree in architecture, Chris Petrash serves in the role of Design Principal for Ziegler Cooper’s Architecture studios, with over 32 years of design expertise on diverse and complex project types including commercial office, high-rise, mixed use, and high density, urban residential developments. His high level of design contribution in architecture has been recognized by the receipt of numerous awards.

Jim Hanlin ,IIDA

Design Principal: Corporate Interiors Studio

As Design Principal of the Corporate Interiors studio, Jim Hanlin brings his experience in workplace design and planning expertise to a diverse client base which includes Accounting, Consulting, Financial, Energy, and Law firm projects. He designs beautiful, high-performance work environments that are custom tailored to each client.

Janet Rogers ,TAID, IFMA

Principal: Corporate Interiors Studio

Janet Rogers is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a bachelor’s degree in interior design and began working with Ziegler Cooper in 1991. She brings more than 30 years of corporate design expertise to clients in Finance, Insurance, Energy, Engineering and Law. Janet is responsible for all aspects of the design process with a focus on workplace strategies. She believes that a thoughtfully designed workplace has a crucial impact on the bottom line. She strives to create corporate environments which support the culture of the company and align with unique business strategies.

Warren Johnson ,AIA, LEED AP

Principal: Commercial Office Studio

A graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology with a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture, Cum Laude, Warren brings over 35 years of architectural and interior design expertise.

Warren serves as Principal and Senior Project Designer, playing a key lead design role to the Commercial Architecture studio; though  his diverse portfolio will allow him to play an active design role in multiple architecture studios firm wide.

Rafael Feinstein

Principal: Urban Residential Studio

Rafael Feinstein is a Principal with Ziegler Cooper and has worked with the firm since 1989.  He has been Senior Project Architect on some of the firm’s most technically complex projects, such as The Austonian, The Broadway, The Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart and 2727 Kirby.  His 45 years of technical expertise translates into project quality control.

See also: Top Interior Designers | Piet Boon

Other Projects

GE Turtle Creek – Commercial Office

Dallas, Texas

Saudi Consulate – Corporate Facilities

Houston, Texas

The Royal Saudi Arabian Consulate conceptual design proposes a two-building complex that consists of a four-story rectangular building for the Consulate offices and a four-story structure for the diplomatic quarters. The Consulate building façade is made up of a dressed limestone, clear glass and an intricately patterned glass curtain wall. The clear glass wall on the lower portion of the building creates the sense that the building hovers above the ground, while revealing a portion of the interior. The main entrance to the Consulate building faces a uniquely designed courtyard with water features throughout and a vehicular drop-off entry. The ZC+O team has integrated multiple sustainability strategies into the Saudi Arabian Consulate design to achieve a LEED Gold design.

Park Laureate, Commercial Redevelopment

Houston, Texas

Ziegler Cooper  was commissioned to update the classic design of the Park Laureate office building at 10000 Memorial Drive.  Since inception, the building has enjoyed a reputation as the premier Tanglewood/Memorial Villages/Memorial Drive boutique office building.  What came together back in 1986 was a perfectly beautiful, tree-filled, bayou front site with a beautifully designed and executed iconic Class A building with structured parking reflecting the recognition that the surrounding neighborhood was filled with prospective tenants who were longing for a business home near their family homes in the same area.  As Houston has grown and traffic patterns have intensified, the Park Laureate is ever more convenient not only to the surrounding neighborhoods but also to the Energy Corridor and Westchase, the Galleria, the Woodlands, Memorial Park and River Oaks.

Gables Park Plaza – Mixed-Use / Hospitality

Austin, Texas

Gables Park Plaza, a mixed-use development, stands to contribute to the revitalization of Austin’s core. An arrival plaza incorporates residential, restaurant and retail which enhance the district as a walkable destination. To further activate the ground plane, restaurants spill out onto the public plaza with outdoor dining and dramatic views overlooking the park and Town Lake beyond.

With a subtle, calculated curve on the southeast façade, the principle views of the lake fronted park and the Capitol are preserved. A third floor amenity deck over looks an urban plaza, Lady Bird Lake and the hike and bike trail. Integrated with the deck are stellar amenities including an infinity edge pool, lush native landscaping, wine bar, club room, sun deck and theatre becoming a true treasure for the project. Gables Park Plaza is currently seeking LEED Silver as well as Austin Green.

Dress For Success – Corporate Interiors

Houston, Texas

When Dress for Success Houston (DFSH), a not-for-profit organization promoting the economic independence of disadvantaged women, grew out of their facilities, Ziegler Cooper provided design services for a new 16,600 square foot office, warehouse and clothing store, addressing the organization’s future needs. A portion of the design services were provided pro-bono.

The design concept blends elements of sustainable design with DFSH´s desire for a corporate setting. Abundant natural light, low water usage, high efficient mechanical systems and a green roof. The corporate setting is achieved through the use of large expanses of glass with horizontal sun shading devices, a two-story entrance lobby and flexible work spaces. The project is currently seeking LEED Certification.

Crown Castle – Landlord Services

Houston, Texas

Crown Castle International (CCI), a leading independent owner and operator of shared wireless communications and broadcast infrastructures, contracted Ziegler Cooper to provide design services for the renovation and expansion of a 4-floor, 63,710 square foot, corporate headquarters.

The expansion at 1220 Augusta, in Houston’s Galleria area, includes a new 4,088 square foot fitness center on level one. Accessed by an employee card reader, the fitness center features both a gym equipment area and separate Pilates room. Locker rooms for both men and women feature changing areas, lockers, restrooms and shower facilities, all of which is cleaned and restocked twice a day. Pay as you go food is provided on an honor system and fitness classes are offered throughout the week.

The executive suite on level 6 features state-of-the-art conference and training facilities where department division conferences will be held.  A large, dividable multi-purpose room accommodates multi-sized groups up to 150 people. Open seating areas and a centralized coffee bar create the opportunity for impromptu meetings. A panoramic view of Houston was preserved through the use of clerestory and full-height glass in addition to raising the ceiling height to 10’6”.

Co-Cathedral – Worship Facilities

Houston, Texas

On All Saints Day in October of 2000, the design team was selected to begin the architectural design for the new co-cathedral that would become the ecclesiastic center of the Diocese. Working with Archbishop Jospeh Fiorenza, then Bishop of Galveston-Houston, a model was constructed and taken to the Vatican where he obtained approval by then-Pope John Paul II.

There was a shared belief that the architecture should reflect the values of Houston, a modern, vibrant, 21st century city. The exterior is a contrast of large volumes built with over 73,000-square-feet of limestone.  The copper dome crowning the Cathedral supports a 17-foot-high, gold leaf cross, one of three adorning the Cathedral and bell tower. The Resurrection window adorning the front facade depicts Christ rising over Houston as the Victor over sin and death. The interior grand dome rises 125-feet above the alter and is encircled by twelve windows of stained glass bearing the twelve apostles. Clerestory windows encircle the perimeter washing the space with clear and colored light. At the center of the interior dome is an eight-foot oculus of the Holy Spirit in stained glass. A twelve-foot crucifix presides over the sanctuary. Two major shrines devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Conception grace the transepts.

Serving as a spiritual home for all people of all faiths and inspiring community throughout the city of Houston; the beauty of the architecture and craftsmanship of the Co-Cathedral has touched visitors, even bringing some to tears.

St. Rose of Lima Catholic Community – Education

Houston, Texas

St. Rose of Lima Catholic Community, a well-established neighborhood church in the Garden Oaks subdivision of Houston, Texas, has provided a consistent ministry for the area since 1946. Their recent campus expansion includes much needed additions to their early child care center, a new pre-school building and a parish hall.

The three additional buildings maintain the original architectural character of the campus while preserving the community centered concept. The buildings are sited for future growth, creating a series of small gardens and courtyard for visitors, staff and children to enjoy and as their school grows, a new K-8 facility.

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