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ARCHITECTURE LEADERS TODAY

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EDI Architecture Design & Practicality Designing with purpose, EDI Architecture focuses on residential and commercial projects from coast to coast which have grown in scale since they opened their doors in 1976.

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the perfect combination of design & Practicality

by Joel Cornell

Recently re-formed in 2010 from EDI Architecture, Inc., EDI International’s mission is ‘design with purpose’. Led by Chairman / Principal Victor Mirontschuk, the firm’s portfolio in residential, hospitality, and commercial sectors showcases their focus on purposeful and inspired to design.

Mirontshuk began his career after graduating from the University of Arkansas in 1974 with two degrees, a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and a Bachelor of Architecture. Initially, he had planned a career in the Chicago market; but like so many well laid plans, the economy had other things in mind.

“The job market in Chicago was not very good,” Mirontshuk said.

“There were lots of layoffs, so I went where things were looking better.

An engineering friend of mine was starting to get some good work in Houston, Texas, so I started my career there.”

Mirontshuk did work as a designer for an architectural firm in Houston, his work consisting mainly of residential projects and an occasional

commercial project. A few years later in 1976, he started his own design firm: EDI Architecture Inc. “Those first years starting off were really great,” Mirontshuk said. “We started out doing single-family and multi-family projects. The market in Houston at that time was booming. We were able to design and build homes within a six month timeframe; the economy was great, so we could do some experimenting with new creative styles and housing forms plus innovative land planning solutions. As a planner, that allowed me to approach each project from an entirely different angle OPPOSITE PAGE & LOWER: American First National Bank, Houston, Texas.

Designed for an Asian owner, the convex curve follows Feng Shui practices to deflect negative energy around and away from the building. The opposing curve of the fountain channels positive energy toward the bank. The center slice in the building is symbolic of the number one, a lucky number. The building floor plan balances universal energy through a yin/yang inspired layout. This corporate US headquarters includes conference facilities as well as tenant rental space on multiple floors.

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to meet the shifting markets.”

Over time, EDI began taking on more and more projects of increasingly larger scale.

One of the first large projects for the firm was a 10 story high rise building in downtown Houston in the early 1980s. It was a fairly prominent building and put the EDI name on the map in the Houston area. However, Victor soon realized that to significantly grow the firm, it would need to be working in more locations than just Houston.”

By this time, EDI was providing design services across the country, from Georgia and Florida to the West Coast in California and Colorado.

The high quality and innovative design work had brought EDI recognition in the West Coast markets and in 1984 Mirontshuk decided to open a new office in San Francisco.

“The San Francisco office was a great success,” Mirontshuk said. “But after a while, I knew that there was no way I could keep up that commute back and forth. So at that time, I hired one of my college classmates, Richard Handlen, to run the San Francisco office as Managing Principal.”

As the general architectural styles of different parts of the country tend to have certain defining features, especially in places like Hous 4 Architecture Leaders Today

ton and San Francisco, EDI Architecture was able to bring a new and interesting perspective to the scene of San Francisco architecture.

“It was in San Francisco that we really began to grow and hit our stride,” Mirontshuk said. “We were able to take our knowledge and style out to California. There were a lot of opportunities for innovative new housing types that we hadn’t been able to do in Houston due to the topography, and that was really exciting and educational.”

After some time, in the late 1980s, EDI and Mirontshuk decided to try a similar kind of expansion, this time on the East Coast. Initially, a new office was opened in Pennsylvania; but after a short while there, the office was moved to its current location in New York City.

“Our growth strategy in New York was very much the same as San ABOVE & OPPOSITE PAGE: Fazio Clubhouse, The Woodlands, Texas. Located in upscale Carlton Woods, a gated community in The Woodlands, this country club offers members outstanding golf with fine dining, luxurious locker rooms and meeting facilities. This upscale clubhouse includes casual dining, including a bar and lounge area, that utilizes copious amounts of natural stones and exposed timber beams to privde abcharm reminiscent of Old World traditional clubs while meeting the operational needs of the modern golfer.

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Francisco,” Mirontshuk said. “We had built up a reputation, a brilliant staff and a knowledge base that came to define us. We then brought those qualities out into a new and vastly different market. Again, we were engaged by a style of architecture and environment that were entirely new to us and we were able to bring a unique perspective to the market.”

After building up these three branches, Mirontshuk began to take his expertise and experience overseas.

“Having built a large base of contacts and satisfied clients,” Mirontshuk said, “we leveraged our way into relationships within England’s development scene. We did quite a bit of work in that market.”

Mirontshuk’s experience garnered him a position as a design editor for Individual Homes Magazine in the U.K. He used his broad knowledge of American architecture on all scales of projects, both commercial and residential, to write about his own experiences and ideas. He also brought to the English architectural press his love for the American open planning and housing style, and in particular the way his firm had blended that style with traditional English exteriors and techniques. Additionally, Mirontshuk spent much time giving lectures and talks for the American Institute of

ANDRES CONSTRUCITON SERVICES

Legacy on the Lake was the third project Andres completed for Legacy Partners.

“As usual, Andres worked hard to help us overcome difficulties,” said Spencer Stuart, Jr. of Legacy Partners. “Despite heavy rains and a tight site, they found a way minimize the loss of time and money.”a tight site, they found a way minimize the loss of time and money.” images of current and previous collaborations. With more than 11,500 completed projects, against which we can compare their work, our esteem for Gund Partnership is sincere.

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PREVIOUS PAGE, THIS PAGE & OPPOSITE PAGE: Legacy on the Lake, Austin, Texas. Known for its ultimate high rise experience, Legacy on the Lake floor plans come in a variety of shapes, sizes and heights. The building design utilizes a square building footprint to create an efficient floor plate. The site design captures lake views in three directions and downtown skyline views in two directions. The prominently displayed custom glazing, the vibrant colors and innovative designs were inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock, Martin, and Dana houses and is carried further with select interior design details.

These high end luxury apartments include granite countertops, wood plank flooring and gourmet kitchens.This project design achieved LEED Silver Certification through a careful combination of materials, construction and energy saving features. Specialized amenities include flex cars, hybrid reserved recharging parking spaces, bike storage, recycling, green roofs, pool, fitness and business center, clubroom, convenience store, etc. All photos courtesy of EDI Architecture

Architects, and other groups throughout the U.S. and U.K. At one point, Mirontshuk received a grant from the Department of Trade & Industry in England to further his contributions to the U.K. deasign market.

As EDI Architecture continued to grow, it became increasingly international. Through the Houston branch, EDI began to receive work in Angola and other countries on the western coast of Africa.

Initially, the firm designed small-scale residential expatriate projects. Being the only American firm working in Angola at that time had some distinct advantages. Over time, EDI has designed some of the largest commercial projects to date in Angola.

In the mid 1990s, shortly after independence was achieved for the country of Kyrgyzstan, EDI was brought in to help reinvigorate the country’s economy. They helped to accomplish the difficult task of bringing in international investors and also in developing the country’s infrastructure. Mirontshuk was appointed by the late Senator Alan Cranston to the position of Vice Chairman of the U.S.-Kyrgyz Business Council, a position he held for three years.

Today, EDI International is a large and diverse firm with an impressive roster of clients: from Exxon-Mobil, Disney and Legacy Builders to Halliburton, Hilton, AvalonBay and Trammel Crow. In the past decade, EDI finished one of their most comprehensive projects to date. Har-Ber Meadows is a 400+ acre master planned, residential-business community located in northern Arkansas.

This upscale, neo-traditional community and many of the homes within it have been designed by EDI. “Whether it’s low income affordable housing that we do pro bono or unique large-scale tunnel form high rise buildings,” Mirontshuk said, “we have the knowledge, history and capacity to complete a project of quite literally any size, budget or design.” ALT

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