Michael L. Johnson, AIA, NCARB, NOMA, is the sole founding owner of JMA Johnson, LLC (JMA) and the past owner of the eminent Johnson-McKibben Architects, Inc. (JMA). His diverse, 45 years as an accomplished, award noteworthy Architect began after graduating from the University of Texas at Arlington with a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1976 in Architecture, where he immediately went to work in Houston, Texas employed by Haywood, Jordan, McCowan Architects, and Planners. After relocating to Dallas, he was employed by Jarvis Putty Jarvis Architects, Inc. as an Associate Architect for 10 years. Proficiently managing the firm’s school projects while working seamlessly with school administrators, he was aggressively recruited by the Dallas Independent School District to provide staff architectural services for the facilities department.
Mr. Johnson managed over $700 million in construction value during his professional tenure. From 1988 to 1991 as a Dallas Independent School District Project Architect/Program Manager he provided the district with significant experience having worked as a member on the in-house facilities design team. During his tenure with the Dallas Independent District (DISD) he handled over 25 renovations and managed the installments of elevators in 15 challenging schools. He is recognized for his keen historical factual knowledge regarding the DISD schools and local community history. His sense of humor is refreshing in all phases of work.
As a true trailblazer and real entrepreneur, in 1991, Mr. Johnson began a business partnership, establishing Johnson-McKibben Architects, Inc. The successful relationship lasted for 21 years until December 2011 when his partner retired. He has maintained a local office presence since that time. In December 2011, the new firm was established and the name was changed to JMA Johnson, LLC and has continued to provide outstanding and continuous service within the design community for 11 years under the new company name and his sole leadership. JMA Johnson, LLC and Michael Johnson are highly sought out for the firm’s outstanding ability to facilitate even the most difficult projects through successful completion.
Mr. Johnson is an exceedingly knowledgeable Architect, skilled in a vast variety of project types. The firm specializes in unhealthy environments with complex deterioration often in crisis situations. The Dallas Independent Schools Wilmer Hutchins High School Comprehensive Renovation and Stadium are just two notable accomplishments. Most recently he was the Associate Architect on the new Eddie Bernice Johnson Elementary School, William B. Travis Vanguard Academy Renovation and Addition, several DISD Stadium projects, a special project at Thomas Jefferson High School and on the renovations currently taking place at Lorenzo DeZavala Elementary School. He is well known for the City of Dallas’s Westmoreland Park Pavilion which was applauded with a citation of excellence by the American Institute of Architects, Austin Chapter. He just recently completed the City of Dallas’ Lakeland Hills Park Pavilion and Parking Lot. DFW Airport recognized Mr. Johnson as a “Quality Trailblazer” providing over 25 years of airport aviation quality design services. His innovative works are noted in several design trade publications.
DESCRIPTION
A renovation of an existing old Naval Air Station for the City of Dallas Operations Center. The project was designed for LEED certifications being the first renovated LEED certified buildings in Dallas, and the eighth facility in the United States.
The facility had previously been a former Dallas Naval Station. The property was reassumed by the City of Dallas and was being converted into both public and private use. The City of Dallas had adopted a green building resolution requiring that all new facilities over 10,000 square feet achieve LEED silver certification. While the renovation was technically exempt, it was important and responsible to design within feasible guidelines. The project was creative because it had several over-whelming considerations and challenges. It was a first design/build contract for the department, it had an extremely accelerated timeline, a lean budget, and lengthy contract timeframes. Michael L. Johnson, AIA, NCARB, NOMA as the Architect of Record marvelously maneuvered the extreme unidentified challenges as the facility was being repurposed from a military environment to the City of Dallas Operations Center.
“uniquely designed with creative forward thinking”
An acknowledged civic accomplishment was repurposing a City of Dallas Abandoned Hangar at Hensley Air Field to a City Service Center. The results birthed the second publicly funded facility in the State of Texas that achieved USGBC LEED Gold Certification. Mr. Johnson’s guidance assisting with relocating a major city job center closer to the underserved community was positively received as an important urban improvement resulting in remediating a “Brownfield Environment Site”.
CITY OF DALLAS
HENSLEY FIELD OPERATIONS CENTER
Dallas, Texas
CLIENT
City of Dallas
AREA
77,000 square feet
COMPLETION DATE
November 2004
FINAL CONSTRUCTION
$5,000,000
PROJECT MANAGER
Michael L. Johnson, AIA, NCARB, NOMA
Design Cost Data/Nov-Dec 1999/Dallas County Youth Village Expansion, Dallas County, Texas
Architect: Johnson/McKibben Architects, Inc. /Case Study: Number CV991136, pg. 36
Design Cost Data/May-June 2000/Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility, Texas
Architect: Johnson/McKibben Architects, Inc. /Case Study Number CV000558, pg. 58
Design Cost Data/Jan-Feb 2003/Brookhaven College, Expansion and Renovation, Farmers Branch, Texas
Architect: Johnson/McKibben Architects, Inc. /Case Study Number EU030140
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Open House, The Haskell Free Press, February 2002
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Case Study feature : Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility, Design Cost Data Magazine, May/June 2000
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Editorial feature “Speaking of People”, Dallas Weekly, Volume 45, November 1999
Case Study feature : Dallas County Youth Village Expansion, Design Cost Data Magazine, November/December 1999
Lopez, Nora, “HKS To Help Build Downtown Arena”, Dallas Morning News, July 1998
Real Estate Briefs, “Dallas firm Designs county youth village”, Dallas Business Journal, August 1997
Aubespin, Eleska, “NBA’s Johnson visits site of rec center he’ll help build”, Dallas Morning News, June 1996
Everbach, Tracy, “Expansion of treatment program for youthful offenders supported”, Dallas Morning News, February 1996
Miller, Clay, “Learning The Hard Way”, Progressive Architecture, March 1992
“Alternative Careers in Architecture”, Public Architecture, AIA Dallas – April 1991
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