Global Awards for Excellence: Devon Energy Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Devon Energy Center is a corporate headquarters highlighted by a 50-story skyscraper that creates a focal point for the company and for Oklahoma City by integrating civic-scaled spaces as a vital component of its overall development.

Devon Energy Center is a corporate headquarters highlighted by a 50-story skyscraper that creates a focal point for the company and for Oklahoma City by integrating civic-scaled spaces as a vital component of its overall development. The project consolidates Devon’s Oklahoma City–based workforce into a 1.8 million-square-foot (167,000 sq m) state-of-the-art facility while also welcoming and engaging the community. The project’s significant features include the following: 2.5 acres (1 ha) of publicly accessible parks and plazas (a key strategy element for the 7.5-acre [3 ha] site); a six-story atrium that serves as the primary entrance and connecting hub for the complex, and as the site of civic events; and a five-story podium that houses conference space, training facilities, and a promenade providing public access to restaurants and seating areas overlooking the park.

The office building features a richly textured curtain wall that provides a defining presence throughout the city, offering a subtly changing presence on the skyline.

The project was purposefully positioned as a catalyst for downtown revitalization. For instance, it generated more than $100 million in tax increment finance (TIF) funding for public streetscape and park improvements. Certified LEED-NC Gold under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, the project incorporates sustainable strategies that include brownfield redevelopment, community connectivity, innovative water use reductions, and recycled and regionally sourced building materials.

Daniel Lobo is the Senior Director of Awards, Education and Advisory Group, for the Urban Land Institute, a nonprofit education and research institute that focuses on issues of land use, real estate and urban development. The mission of the Institute is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Prior to joining ULI Mr. Lobo was an independent consultant working as project manager for a variety of urban and research initiatives, in particular facilitating open cultural urban interventions internationally, and new media research. Earlier he worked extensively as project manager for the Center for Communities by Design at the American Institute of Architects, and as Urban Designer at Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill LLP. He holds a MSc City Design and Social Science from the London School of Economics, and a BA (Honors) from the School of Architecture and Interior Design at London Metropolitan University.
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