VLK Architects Welcomes New Principal in San Antonio

VLK Architects recently announced the addition of a new Principal to its staff in the San Antonio, Texas, office. A news release reports that Michael Martinez has almost 40 years of architecture experience and 23 years of K–12 architecture experience, and he has contributed to more than $1.6 billion and six million square feet of projects.

“We are excited to have Michael join the firm,” said Sloan Harris, CEO and Partner at VLK Architects. “His experience and passion in public education design and planning is a wonderful addition to VLK and will be instrumental in servicing our clients in the San Antonio region. I am looking forward to the leadership Michael will bring to our staff and clients there.”

The news release reports that at VLK, Martinez will lead projects and oversee the design, construction documentation, and project delivery process. He’ll serve as the point of contact with clients to make sure that quality projects are delivered on deadline and within the expected budget.

In previous roles, Martinez has worked as a Principal, a Senior Project Manager, and an Office lead. He as a long career of experience with maintaining client relationships and building project teams, as well as mentoring young architects in creating learning environments that support students and faculty both.

“I feel so very fortunate to have the opportunity to become part of the VLK team,” said Martinez. “VLK’s reputation with clients, consultants, and contractors as a trusted partner in educational design is exceptional. Sloan and Todd’s vision regarding advancements in educational design, the profession of architecture, and the growth of the firm are what excite me about becoming a VLKer.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Porter Family Center

    Porter Family Center for Innovation and Academics

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The Porter Family Center for Innovation and Academics has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • Designing for Every Mind

    Learning environments have the power to shape not just what students know, but who they become. When a school is designed with genuine empathy—for the full range of ways students think, sense, and engage with the world—it becomes more than a building. It becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence, and belonging. That is the animating idea behind neurodiverse design, and it is one that is transforming how more architects and designers are thinking about school design.

  • Indiana University Launches Capital Campus in D.C.

    Indiana University recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new IU Capital Campus in Washington, D.C., according to university news. The eight-story facility will provide a central hub for the university’s existing programs and business operations based in D.C., uniting them under one roof and providing the opportunity to expand.

  • Cleveland High School Breaks Ground on Modernization

    Portland Public Schools in Portland, Ore., recently announced that construction has begun on a modernization project for Cleveland High School, according to a news release. The existing building will be replaced with a new, 300,000-square-foot facility at the same site.