Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

VLK Architects Welcomes New Principal in San Antonio

  • By Matt Jones
  • 05/15/23

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

  • Rethinking K-12 Schools as a Continuous Learning Experience

    Most students move through three or more separate facilities during their K-12 journey, yet the built environments they encounter at each stage have traditionally been designed in isolation, with little continuity in spatial language, learning philosophy, or physical resources. Each new school is a reset with different layouts, learning models, expectations, and ways of moving through a building. The next generation of school design is making the case that the first day of kindergarten and the last day of high school can and should feel connected through common support systems and infrastructure in the physical environment.

  • Planning with Clarity: Using AI to Make Better Campus Decisions, Not Just Better Designs

    Higher education leaders are being asked to make increasingly high-stakes decisions about campus facilities amid greater uncertainty than ever before. Social and economic pressures, shifting enrollment, and evolving learning models compete with growing deferred maintenance needs to strain even the most robust infrastructure budgets.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.

  • Children walking along bright school corridor with motion blur

    How Next-Gen Design Is Reshaping the Student Experience

    The environments where students learn play a crucial role in shaping their growth in and out of the classroom. By centering design on well-being, flexibility, and purpose, districts can ensure their facilities remain vibrant community assets for many years to come.