Grubbs Acura Driven by innovation, purpose, and design excellence, VLK Architects is a multidisciplinary architecture firm. With over 35 years of experience and a robust staff, VLK has the size and expertise to service clients and projects of any size. Our business and project delivery processes have been recognized regionally and nationally multiple times, including Zweig Group, Building Design + Construction’s Annual Giants 300 Report; and by Architectural Record as a Top 300 Architecture Firm. Our automotive clients experience designs that are influenced and informed by extensive regional, national, and international experience. With offices across the state of Texas, we have formulated deep community roots, experiences, and relationships in all of the major metropolitan areas and sub-markets of Texas.

GRAPEVINE, TX

GRUBBS ACURA

For Grubbs Acura, our design perfectly reflects the brand’s aesthetic with a refined, upscale showroom. Details such as polished floor tiles, rich wood accented walls, a balcony with glass railing running the length of the showroom’s second level are punctuated by a soaring skylight that lends drama to the space and gives the showroom a sense of scale. The skylight includes LED lighting allowing for the ability to change colors to suit a specific need. VLK’s experience partnering with just the right vendors allowed us to find costs savings for our client, despite using such high-end materials. For the service department, we maximized square footage by angling the shop to allow us to fit an extra couple of bays. The bays themselves feature built in work benches and tool drawers, which along with the in-ground lifts, keep work areas clutter-free. • 54,000 Square Feet • 30 Service Bays

GRUBBS ACURA

THE GEARHEADS

The purr of a deep exhaust note. The soft give of a leatherof VLK wrapped steering wheel. The satisfaction of a restoration project finished (or at least finished for now). For many of our VLK team, vehicles represent the joy of sharing time with someone special, complete with dirty hands and broad smiles. It’s one reason why VLK truly enjoys work with dealerships partners — across any and all makes and models — and developing them for the long term.

Tim Kunz, a principal here at VLK, developed his passion for vehicles when he was kid, taking things apart just to figure them out. As time wore on, that early curiosity blossomed into a full-blown hobby of keeping all kinds of vehicles running, from ATVs to trucks to tractors. Tim knows it’s all about finding solutions, “When you encounter vehicle problems, you find ways to fix them. When you have a problem on a project, you find good solutions to keep things moving forward.”

Now we’ve all seen beautiful cars. And many of us have seen a beautiful restoration job. But if you want to see both demonstrated in one automobile, look no further than this 1939 Packard 110 Coupe lovingly owned by our Chief Creative Officer Ken Hutchens. The forest-deep green exterior and luxurious ivory interior immediately cue the decadence that Packard was famous for while 18" wide tires in the back give a hint of the 1,000 H.P. engine under the hood. Head to tail -- from the distinctive Packard cormorant hood ornament to the graceful arc of the chrome back bumper -- Ken’s Packard reflects the passion for design he brings to VLK.

Thomas Stewart says his car hobby is in many ways a lot like his construction administrator work at VLK; it’s getting the right parts at the right time and getting it all put together. Thomas has no fewer than three major projects going right now — and yet he always has his eye out for the next hidden gem to bring back to life. After finding this Datsun Z in a farmer’s field, Thomas looked to work his magic, but alas this car was beyond even his help. Ever resourceful, Thomas decided if it couldn’t come out of his garage beautifully, it could work to make his garage more beautiful. So, he cut the sports car in half and hung it on the wall. As much as he loves working on cars, including a large collection of Datsun Zs that actually run, Thomas says, “It’s also just fun to drive around.”

Project Coordinator James Garza says the allure of automobiles begins with feeling the freedom of the open road when he gets out for a drive. Although he’s a self-confessed speed demon, he still only has one speeding ticket since college, so we know he’s got some sense of moderation. He’s also got an incredible sense of design as he demonstrates in his work with us every day. An avid car show attendee, James says that seeing how car designers create spaces and elicit emotion through their craft, which isn’t so far away from his work at VLK. In particular, James says he’s always struck by how trends in design can permeate everything — from graphics, to fonts, and all the way through architecture.

But perhaps no one else on the VLK team demonstrates the close ties between vehicles and architecture more than Brandon Kendall, Construction Administrator in our

Fort Worth office. He works day by day after hours to realize a decade-old dream of building a small home on wheels. He started with a 38-foot long, 74-passenger decommissioned school bus and together with his 15-year-old daughter will transform the interior into a fully functioning home. Home may be where the heart is, but for Brandon and his family, it will be wherever they choose to park. Brandon's plans feature a full kitchen, complete with a refrigerator and woodburning stove, a full bathroom with a shower and bathtub, and room to sleep five people, including a space with a queen-sized bed. When it is finally finished, Brandon's mobile mansion will be equipped to operate off-grid, with both propane and solar power. Needless to say, Brandon brings new meaning to phrase, "Taking your work home with you."

No matter how our resident gearheads express their passions for vehicles, all of the VLK team is passionate about our projects helping our dealership partners realize their visions for well-designed and well-constructed structures for their businesses.

James Garza