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Institutional + Civic Architecture

Pickard Chilton strives to create welcoming and meaningful public spaces. Striking a sensitive balance between functionality and inspiration, we breathe life into civic and institutional architecture while still fulfilling the specific needs and ambitions of each project and community.

Levine Museum of the New South marks its 35-year anniversary with the announcement of planning for a new home in the South End neighborhood of Charlotte, NC.  The neighborhood has steadily evolved from an industrial to a vibrant, multi-faceted neighborhood of small and large businesses, a robust retail and restaurant scene, and more recently housing at scale. The museum will provide a flagship of cultural identity for South End, establishing the trajectory of the museum for the next few decades as it continues its work of drawing community together to tell the story of the New South. Pickard Chilton has been selected as the design architect for the new building.

“This new campus represents a bold step forward for the Museum and for Charlotte,” said Dr. Richard Cooper, President and CEO of the Levine Museum of the New South. “It will be more than a museum—it will be a gathering space where history sparks conversation and where diverse perspectives come together to explore what the New South has been and what it is becoming.”

The mission of the museum, to connect the past to the future to realize the promises of a New South, places it literally at the intersection of history, community and storytelling. Place, culture and history will be woven through our collaborative process with the museum board, administration and staff, the Leon Levine Foundation and the Charlotte community. The new museum building, sited in the heart of South End, represents an extraordinary, once in a lifetime inflection point-- for the museum, the neighborhood and Charlotte.  

“The Levine Museum of the New South project represents a rare opportunity to create an extraordinary place of lasting civic and cultural significance,” said Kristin Hawkins, Associate Principal at Pickard Chilton. “We are honored to partner with the Levine Museum to design a place that reflects the Museum’s enduring commitment to history, storytelling, and inclusive public engagement.”

Aerial view of the Aplin Center, a state-of-the-art mass timber facility at Texas A&M designed for immersive learning and sustainability.

Envisioned as an immersive learning laboratory, the Aplin Center is a new state-of-the-art facility that will provide students with an unprecedented opportunity to experience the intersection of research, education, and innovation across multiple areas of study.

Tokyo Midtown Yaesu building connected to Tokyo Station, featuring a modern glass facade and surrounded by a bustling urban landscape.

Envisioned as a human-scaled and sustainable transit-oriented development, Tokyo Midtown Yaesu is a 240-meter, mixed-use tower with a below-grade transportation hub offering direct access to Tokyo Station. 

Children playing outside Barack H. Obama Magnet University school, the three-story brick-clad building New Haven, Connecticut.

The design Barack H. Obama Magnet University School captures daylight and views to create positive learning environments while embracing the landscape to engage students with nature.

Design proposal for the World Health Organization (WHO) Headquarters Building Extension.

Pickard Chilton undertook an internal exploration and charrette to generate multiple potential solutions for the W.H.O Headquarters in response to an open international competition.

The five storey Minnesota Senate Building with glass facades located in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Minnesota Senate Building is a State Capitol Building with five-stories and approximately two levels of below-grade parking across its sloped site.

The California Resource Agency Headquarters offer commanding views of the river valley and downtown Sacramento.

The exterior view of a lighted CalPERS Headquarters Complex that incorporates sunshades, light shelves, and greenery.

The California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) Headquarters Complex is a mixed-use development integrating 550,000 square feet (51,100 m2) of commercial office space, 25,000 square feet (2,325 m2) of retail space, 180,000 square feet (16,720 m2) of housing and below-grade parking for 1,000 cars.

The Orville L. Freeman Building reflects both the timeless beauty of Minnesota’s agricultural landscape and the surrounding architecture of the Capitol District.

Design proposal for the Case Library and Center for Information Technology located in Hamilton, New York.

The design for the Case Library wraps the existing facility with new construction and renovates the old interior using best-in-class standards introducing open, light-filled workspaces.

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