Architecture Team Member Highlight: Billy Ballow R.A.
After opening our doors as Goodwin-Lasiter, Inc. in 1983, Billy joined our team 8 years later in 1991 following his graduation from Texas A&M University. With a degree in Environmental Design, he started out as an architectural intern and drafter where he drafted and designed for all departments and even assisted survey crews when needed. In 2006, he received his license as a Registered Architect in the State of Texas and began managing architectural projects. When asked why he chose to become an architect, he said "When I was a kid, I did not have a profession in mind of what I wanted to be. I thought I would graduate, get married and find a job just like my father. My best friend in high school's mother noticed I was good in math, was a problem solver and that I liked HS drafting. She recommended that I pursue architecture and her husband made sure that it happened by helping me enroll in college. They changed the course of my life."
Mr. Ballow initially lived in Nacogdoches near Lufkin, Texas and discovered GLS during his last semester of college. Having worked at GLS for almost 30 years, to this day he says that his favorite part of working for the company is being able to do what he enjoys most: designing and drafting.
In 2014, Billy moved to one of our branch offices in Bryan, Texas. From there he worked on the Mart ISD New High School & Gymnasium Project and the Navasota ISD 2019 Campus Improvements Project. These projects along with the smaller projects worked on from 2018-2020 are in his favorite projects to have been a part of since he joined the GLS team in 1991. When asked why they were his top 3 projects, Billy responded, “My favorite GLS tradition is satisfying clients. After the completion of each of those projects, the client was elated because the end result was even better than what they had imagined. GLS has top-quality designers such as Jennifer “the mother” Sitton, who has managed the Bryan office architecture team with me since I transitioned to that office in 2014 and after I moved back to the Lufkin office this year. I love being part of the architecture team regardless of what office I am working out of because the work we provide to the clients - like Mart ISD and Navasota ISD - go above and beyond their expectation.” (Brief descriptions of each project are listed below)
Mart ISD New High School and Gymnasium - A 73,500 SF high school with 23 classrooms, an administrative suite, cafeteria, competition gym, locker rooms, band hall, and vo-tech building.
Navasota ISD 2019 Campus Improvements - A $55 million bond project with 5 phases completed within 2.5 years including: 8 renovations, 8 additions and 1 new ag facility.
2018-2020 Project Summary - 10 renovations, 10 additions and 7 new facilities - all completed in the same 2.5 year time span of the Navasota ISD project. This is an average of designing 1 project per month.
FUN FACTS
Billy served as an officer for the College Station Police Department after graduating from the Central Texas Police Academy at Texas A&M TEEX Bryan campus
Q. If you were stuck in a 1900's decade of your choice, what decade would you choose?:
A. The 80's! I miss competitive high school sports and old friends.
Q. Who is your favorite sports team?
A. Texas A&M! (preferably football and baseball)
Q. If you could only listen to one album (or artist) for an entire year, what would it be?
A. REO Speedwagon
Q. If you were a superhero, what would be your super power?
A. This one is easy. Outside of the office things are different. In these uncertain and frightening days, my super power would be "Hope". I would encourage people by sharing hope.
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