Kirk Teske’s interest in the built environment began with a love of drawing and a high school apprenticeship with a local architecture firm in his hometown, Longview, Texas. He began his career with HKS in Dallas in 1984 working with cost-driven developer clients who did not share his passion for passive design strategies. In the late 1990’s he began managing projects for corporate clients. The Sabre Headquarters project in Southlake, Texas, which opened in 2001, was a milestone for Kirk and a catalyst for change in the region.

Gary Olp grew up outdoors in the Wisconsin suburbs and the rural Midwest. Whether tending the garden, working in a steel mill or building a fort, he was hand’s-on, immersed in nature. Since the third grade, he had wanted to be an architect, to design buildings. He was inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright to understand the integration of the natural world and the built environment. He attended the University of Cincinnati and created his own path of study. Early successes validated his design philosophy and entrepreneurial talents.

Growing up in Puerto Rico, Zaida Basora was surrounded by Spanish colonial architecture and a culture that celebrated design for people and nature. She came to Dallas in the mid 1980’s to study and practice architecture. In the mid 1990’s she accepted a position with the City of Dallas in the Public Works department. Nationwide, concerns were being raised about clean waterways and lowering energy consumption, but in Dallas, conversations about conservation were difficult to have. However, by the early 2000’s there was interest in energy efficiency and cost savings.