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Remembering Al York, FAIA, RID

It is with deep sadness that McKinney York Architects shares the news of the passing of our Principal, Al York, FAIA, RID. Over the course of three decades, Al’s leadership has had a profound impact on the growth and identity of McKinney York Architects. His simple, thought-provoking approach to architecture exposes the underlying grace of the ordinary, revealing beauty within familiar situations. As a distinguished leader and advocate in the design community, Al was a celebrated architect, cherished friend, and beloved mentor.

Al’s loss is felt profoundly by the countless lives he has touched. He spent his career pushing others forward, offering calm wisdom and unwavering generosity to all. Al leaves behind a lasting legacy of design that reflects his belief in architecture’s power to engage the mind, touch the heart, and elevate the human experience. He will be sincerely missed.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends during this time. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Rawson Saunders School Al York Fund, or the McKinney York Architects Scholarship at The University of Texas at Austin.

Photo: Al seated in the iconic breezeway of one of his recently completed works, Inks Lake State Park Headquarters Building for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

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Hogg Memorial Auditorium wins 2025 American Architecture Awards for Restoration/Renovation!

McKinney York Architects is honored to be recognized by the Austin Business Journal as one of Austin’s Top 30 Fastest-Growing Companies.

Hogg Memorial Auditorium wins Preservation Texas 2025 Honor Award for Historic Rehabilitation!

 

McKinney York Architects is honored to be included in the Austin Business Journal’s list of the Women-Owned Businesses.

McKinney York Architects and Landmarks celebrate the groundbreaking of the College of Education Entry Renovation & Art Installation!

McKinney York Architects joins SOM-led Team to Design New Arrivals and Departures Hall at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

Photograph of existing facilities by © Ken Griffith

Photograph of existing facilities by © Ken Griffith

McKinney York Architects is recognized by the Zweig Group as one of the Best Firms to Work For 2025!

 

Austin ISD Sánchez Elementary School featured on America ByDesign!

Writer’s Retreat wins HBA Max Award for Custom Home/Project Design, 2025!

Bookshelf's surrounding the central window of a white room.

Texas Facilities Commission, Groundbreaking for a new Archival and Records Storage Facility

St. Julian of Norwich Parish Hall wins Outstanding Construction Award, Associated General Contractors’, 2024!

We are excited to announce the elevation of Navvab Taylor, AIA, RID, LEED AP BD+C to Associate Principal and Lauren Gamboa to Associate. Navvab exhibits design excellence and employs strong communication and project management skills to build and maintain rewarding client relationships. She is a champion for sustainable design and will serve as the firm’s Sustainability Leader, working collaboratively with clients to develop environmentally responsible solutions and ensuring the firm’s practices align with rigorous standards. Lauren demonstrates skillful management of the marketing department and a remarkable ability to execute with precision, creativity, and efficiency. Her expertise and attention to detail has driven successful campaigns and streamlined the firm’s marketing processes. We value the leadership and knowledge of these team members and are thrilled to spotlight their advancement!

Looking Back at 2024…

AIA Austin WiA Profiles 2024 featuring our Associate Navvab Taylor!

Hogg Memorial Auditorium achieves LEED Platinum Certification!

View along curved rows of seats in an auditorium, facing a series of windows.

AISD Sánchez Elementary School wins TxA Design Award 2024!

straight on view of stairway that also functions as a social gathering space in elementary school, books are displayed on the levels and children and teachers are in the foreground

Comedor wins AIA Austin Design Award of Merit 2024!

People seated at bar and high tables of a nice restaurant.

River Ranch County Park wins a Texas Travel Award  and gets featured in Parks and Recreation Business Magazine! Have you been there yet?

Outdoor pavilion in a field of wildflowers.

 

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Present/Past: The Robert Polidori Photographic Archive

scroll View Project Description
  • Two people in art exhibit taking the art in.
  • Two people looking at painting on a red exhibit wall.
  • Man standing looking at spot lit painting of a ben in a exhibit.
  • People standing in a blue walled section of an art exhibit.
  • Painting hanging on blue wall in an art exhibit.
  • Two panting's hanging in blue room of an art exhibit.
  • Two display cases outside on the entrance to an art exhibit in a hallway.
  • Hallway with four glass display cases containing historic photographs.

Project Details

This exhibit at the Briscoe Center for American History highlights the large-scale photographs and archival materials from the library of world-renowned architectural photographer Robert Polidori. The exhibit design is organized into two primary spaces, focusing on recurring themes in Polidori’s work and exploring how architectural objects, urban spaces and interiors ranging from the monumental to the everyday reflect both individual and historical change. The Main Gallery houses finished photographs capturing remarkable detail and depth, held delicately in space by crystalline custom frames and accentuated by room colors selected to resonate with the work. The Exhibit Hall displays archival materials and proofs in custom display cases, offering a unique glimpse into Polidori’s artistic process and underlying themes. The two exhibit areas are tied together by a dramatic hall, subtly evoking the architectural space portrayed in Polidori’s works. McKinney York’s scope of design/build services included project management, exhibit planning and creative development, conceptual design, graphic design, custom frame design and fabrication, printing, and exhibit fabrication and installation. The resulting exhibit reflects on the human experience of space and the passage of time, growth and decay, and adaptation and physical reinvention – inviting visitors to reconsider how history is witnessed, preserved, and interpreted.

Publications

  • “Bridging the Gap from Idea to Reality: How the Briscoe Center for American History Solved Exhibit Challenges Using Practical Solutions”, Presented at Texas Association of Museums Annual Conference, 2025
  • The Wall Street Journal, Present/Past: The Robert Polidori Photographic Archive’ Review: Inside Pictures’ Outsize Impact, May 2022

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