Wharton projects steal show at AIA banquet
Depot and courthouse restorations both earn awards
By BARRY HALVORSON bhalvorson@journal-spectator.com

Pictured at the recent AIA awards in Houston are area notables, from left, David Bucek Jr., Merrell "Doc" Barfield and William Loocke.

Wharton projects were front and center at this year's American Institute of Architects awards banquet for the Houston Area Chapter.

Only 16 of the approximately 150 submissions were recognized with awards at the banquet, held earlier this year in the Crystal Ballroom of the restored Rice Hotel. Of those recognized only four were for restoration projects, Architect David Bucek Jr. said. A Wharton native, Bucek is with Stern and Bucek Architects in Houston. Of those four restorations, two were local projects - the Southern Pacific Depot, which was done by Bucek's firm, while the second was the Wharton County Courthouse, done by Bailey Architects. Other categories in which awards were presented included commercial architecture, residential design, interiors and conceived projects, those still on drawing boards.

In discussing the depot, Bucek said the comments he heard most frequently was the attention to detail and the depth of research that went into restoring the building to its original glory. Bucek credited a lot of the historical accuracy to the efforts of John Volz of Volz and Associates of Austin, who served as a preservation consultant on the project.

"He is originally from Wharton," Bucek said. "John's mother (Louise Volz) taught history and social studies for many years in Wharton and I was even in her class. I think that's where I developed my respect for history.

"And his father was Henry Volz, who was a professor for several years at Wharton County Junior College."

The attention to detail included using blueprints saved from a dumpster in Houston provided by William Loocke and museum research projects.

"Every aspect was considered," Bucek said. "Down to the ticket counters and the partition wall that separated the building. The one change we made was in the wall, which dated back to the era of segregation and was solid. This time, there is a door in the wall."

Even the floor scale used to weigh traveler and commercial baggage is historically accurate.

"At some point, someone ripped it out of the floor," Bucek said. "We found an identical scale on e-Bay in Wisconsin for $70, but we had to go pick it up. It was the same model and finding it for us was a big deal."

While not one of the architects for the courthouse, Bucek takes great pride in being one of the many volunteers who worked so hard to make the project a reality.

"I've been a volunteer for the courthouse since 1992 and at the time, it was a project that wasn't going to happen," he said. "Even the preservationists in Austin had written it off because of local opposition and the project expense. Since it has been completed, it's become the poster child for courthouse restoration because no other has been brought back from being so far down."

Bucek said the accuracy put into the depot was also evident with the courthouse and one of the reasons it was recognized. He cited the clock, color selections and trim as all being part of the attention to detail.

He added that having two awarded projects can be a boon for the local economy.

While he trained as a modern architect, his involvement in the two restoration projects have given Bucek a greater appreciation for historic restoration.

"Architecture is about dialogue and the different artistic aspects of what you see. To have peers recognize the value of your work is a great honor.

"And through these projects, I gained a greater appreciation for the field of historic architecture. This is not a 'Walt Disney' construction where you are trying to make new materials look old. This is dealing with buildings that are being used for the purposes they were intended for and part of an active, vibrant community."