Filo Castore tapped to open first Texas office of international architecture firm DLR Group

04/06/2016 | DLR Group

Houston may be #18 on Travel & Leisure’s 2015 list of Greenest Cities in America, but Filo Castore is on a mission to make the city even more sustainable. Castore will lead the first Texas office of integrated design firm DLR Group, located in downtown Houston in the LEED Gold 919 Milam building. Castore is structuring the office to be a design hub for Houston, a central location for creatives of all types, with the goal of driving more collaboration and deepening community involvement. The firm will focus on projects within its core sectors of workplace, civic, and education, but will also seek opportunities for more experimental joint projects with other design professionals.

Castore has a track record of involvement with sustainability and community initiatives. He is the co-founder of the Gulf Coast Green conference, an idea exchange forum for regional developers and designers. He was chair of the national Committee on the Environment for the American Institute of Architects, an appointee to the City of Houston Sustainable Advisory Committee, and board member of Houston Tomorrow. For the past 15 years in Houston, he has designed a wide range of office, civic and educational facilities.

DLR Group Houston already has several local projects to its credit. The Guy V. Lewis Development Facility at the University Houston was dedicated during the NCAA Final Four Tournament. The firm also designed the new TDECU Stadium for the Houston Cougar football program. DLR Group helped NRG with an energy efficient makeover at NRG Park with the installation of 600 solar panels and LED lights. HISD selected DLR Group to design the new North Forest High School, scheduled to open this summer, and the High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, opening in 2017.

“The Gulf Coast is a unique region with a delicate ecosystem and harsh climate demands,” according to DLR Group Southeast Region Leader Andy Anderson, AIA, and a Houston native. “Filo is the right person at the right time to grow DLR Group in Texas. He has the hands-on design experience needed for high performance facilities, and he knows the right community partners to involve to ensure our client’s goals are met.”

About DLR Group
Founded as an architecture and engineering firm, DLR Group celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2016. DLR Group serves clients through integrated delivery of planning, architecture, engineering, interiors, and building optimization for new construction, renovation, and adaptive reuse. Core areas of design expertise include Civic, Courts, Detention, Energy Services, Higher Education, Healthcare, Hospitality, K-12 Education, Retail, Sports, and Workplace. Our promise is to elevate the human experience through design. This promise inspires sustainable design for a diverse group of public and private sector clients; local communities; and our planet. DLR Group fully supports the initiatives and goals of the 2030 Challenge, and is an initial signatory to the China Accord and the AIA 2030 Commitment. Visit dlrgroup.com and follow us at Twitter and LinkedIn.