Dallas Design Firm Huitt-Zollars Expands Public Works Capabilities in Phoenix with Gavan & Barker Acquisition

Gavan & Barker has provided civil engineering and landscape architecture services in the areas of site design, multiuse flood control works, roadway and drainage design, parks and recreation projects, urban street enhancements, and shared-use pathways to clients throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Dallas-based employee-owned, full-service design firm Huitt-Zollars, Inc. continued the expansion of its public works practice in Phoenix, Arizona, with the addition of Gavan & Barker, a Phoenix-based design group with expertise in civil engineering and landscape architecture.

“The addition of Gavan & Barker expands Huitt-Zollars’ footprint in the Phoenix area and increases our visibility in the public works market,” Huitt-Zollars President Robert McDermott said in a statement. “This directly aligns with our strategic plan for growth, and we are excited about our future in Arizona.”

No financial details of the acquisition were released.

Huitt-Zollars said that for more than 17 years, Gavan & Barker has provided civil engineering and landscape architecture services in the areas of site design, multiuse flood control works, roadway and drainage design, parks and recreation projects, urban street enhancements, and shared-use pathways to clients throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Joining Huitt-Zollars will expand the depth of expertise in its public works market, providing clients with access to new services and creating a more diverse portfolio.

Co-founders Mark Gavan and John Barker and their team will remain with the firm, joining Huitt-Zollars’ Phoenix office later this month, the company said.

“We are very excited to join Huitt-Zollars,” Mark Gavan, former co-owner of Gavan & Barker, now a Huitt-Zollars principal and vice president, said in a statement. “We look forward to expanding our expertise and ability to serve our clients.”

Huitt-Zollars is a full-service, national professional services firm that provides solutions for the built environment. The company has offices throughout the U.S. and is ranked among the nation’s top design firms by Architectural Record and Engineering News-Record.

Get on the list.
Dallas Innovates, every day.

R E A D N E X T

The Last Word: The DMA's Agustín Arteaga on the Six Finalists of the Museum's International Design Competition
In February, the Dallas Museum of Art launched a “Reimagining the Dallas Museum of Art International Design Competition" for a major expansion that will add flexible gallery spaces, reorganized entrances and circulation, and a reapportioned interior. The museum received 154 design submissions from all over the world. On Thursday, the DMA announced that it has selected six finalists.
The Last Word: Dallas Museum of Art's Agustín Arteaga on Getting 154 Design Submissions for the DMA's Expansion
The DMA said a refreshed and expanded campus will enable it to better serve the diverse city of Dallas and will create additional gallery space to accommodate an expanding collection and strengthen the museum's work with its communities.
Fort Worth's Aero Design Labs Aims to Help Delta Air Lines Save Fuel, Reduce Carbon Emissions with 'Drag Reduction Kits'
Using computational fluid dynamics modeling, Aero Design Labs creates a 'high-definition map" of Boeing 737 aircraft. Then it works with partners to develop a drag reduction kit that can save fuel costs and reduce carbon emissions. "Each part of the kit plays a part in capturing and redirecting the airflow, providing a holistic solution to reduce drag," ADL's Chief Commercial Officer Chris Jones told Dallas Innovates.
Innovative Spaces: AIA Dallas' 2022 Built Design Award Winners
A home nestled in—and open to—nature. A school that buzzes with literary inspiration. A hospital that seems to swoop through the sky. They're just three of the winners of the 2022 AIA Dallas Built Design Awards. Here's a look at the 10 award-winning projects, which all feature "thoughtful architecture that enliven the fabric of their communities," according to the awards committee chair.
Innovative Spaces: See Inside McLaren Automotive's New North American HQ
McLaren—the British maker of luxury, high-performance supercars—needed to accelerate the look of its new North American HQ in Coppell, just north of Dallas. So before they decamped from New York, they hired Dallas-based Merriman Anderson Architects to conceptualize and design their new campus. Here's a look inside the new 31,000-square-foot campus, which MAA project architect Derek Dizon says "reflects the luxury and innovative brand" of the high-tech supercar maker.