David M. Schwarz Architects

The Gaillard Center began as a 1960s-era, general purpose, 2,700-seat #auditorium and exhibit hall known as the Gaillard Auditorium. In 2010, we were commissioned to the lead the design of a wholesale #renovation and expansion. The project scope includes a full renovation of the auditorium, a renovation and expansion of the existing exhibit hall into a banquet facility and the construction of an incorporated office building to serve several of the City of Charleston’s departmental offices. The original Gaillard Auditorium was insensitive to its surrounding context in terms of detailing and material selection. The Gaillard Center’s redesigned facades employ a #renaissancerevival aesthetic to signify the building’s #civic purpose. This approach allows for detailing and iconographic elements appropriate for Charleston at the building type. Read more on The Charleston Gaillard Center on our webpage here: /project/gaillard-center/ or through the link in the bio!

St John’s College Annapolis graciously invited a few of our Designers to the 42nd Annual Annapolis Cup against the U.S. Naval Academy! The Nine-Wicket croquet match was held on Saturday, April 18, 2026, on the @sjcannapolis campus. Since 1983, Johnnies on the Annapolis campus have faced off against the Midshipmen of the U.S. Naval Academy in a friendly-but-fierce rivalry for the Annapolis Cup and bragging rights as the best croquet team in town. Check out a few of our finished projects at the St. John’s College on the next slides! Slide 4: Mellon Hall Slide 5: Edensword Hall

Nicholas S. Zeppos College is the second in a series of four new residential colleges (RC) being planned and designed by David M. Schwarz for @vanderbiltu . Sited at the corner of campus at West End Avenue and 25th Street, Zeppos College serves as the gateway for visitors entering the University from the west and north. The 260,000 SF building is designed in a #collegiategothic architectural language appropriate to the context of the other West End Residential Colleges and campus #architecture. In addition to housing for undergraduates, faculty, and graduate student advisors, @zepposcollege houses meeting space and apartments for visiting scholars. The West End Residential Colleges are intentionally planned as a series of related – but distinct – multi-purpose residential buildings. Each of the four buildings will employ a collegiate gothic vernacular appropriate to its place on campus and relation to one-another. Zeppos College sits on a corner of campus in an area with much less historic context; therefore it is creating the context around which future buildings can relate. Zeppos College addresses the corner with a seven-story tower that marks the entrance to campus. Relating back to the other RCs along West End Avenue, Zeppos College is rendered in a similar brick blend and detailed with Crab Orchard and Indiana limestone. Linking Zeppos College with the Rothschild College is a 310’ tall tower that is a Vanderbilt University landmark.

Since we first established the theme for Cook Children’s Medical Center with the Main Hospital building in 1989, the vision has remained consistent – make Cook a warm, welcoming building, more like a hotel than a hospital. Cook’s latest expansion includes the 270,000 SF North Tower wing, which adds 160 new patient beds. The first floor of the North Tower provides several amenities, including a family friendly, skylit food court with after-hours counter service, a physician dining area, a public school classroom, a recording studio, and a teen room. Located on the 2nd and 3rd floors, the 77,000 SF NICU includes 106 all-private-bed family & patient care rooms. The rooms accommodate overnight stay for two adults, dedicated parent storage, a TV with headphones and access to the GetWell Network. Shared family care amenities in the unit also include shower, laundry, and kitchen facilities, a visitors’ lounge, and two family lounges with views of the light court and fanciful sculpture garden. The 26-bed Neuroscience and 28-bed Hematology/Oncology units on the 4th and 5th floor are directly connected to their corresponding outpatient clinics and doctor’s offices in the Dodson Specialty Clinics building via 3-story Link over 7th Avenue. An all-weather indoor/outdoor Palliative Care balcony on the 5th floor affords views of the Main Hospital and campus gardens.

Break a leg! From performance halls to amphitheater, we love to celebrate the arts and the spaces they perform in. We are fortunate to have designed beautiful theaters and to continue to grow our portfolio. 1. Charles Gaillard Center, Charleston, SC 2. Severance Music Center, Cleveland, OH 3. The Smith Center of Performing Arts, Las Vegas, NV 4. Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Nashville, TN 5. Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts, Carmel, IN 6. Chapman Cultural Center, Spartanburg, SC 7. The Orion Amphitheater, Huntsville, AL 8. The Bass Performance Hall, Fort Worth, TX

🌟 Employee Spotlight - Juan Guareschi 🌟 Juan is originally from Caracas, Venezuela. Coming from a family of builders, he decided to pursuit his undergraduate studies at the @univmiami . During this time, he briefly joined the firm as a summer intern before studying abroad in Rome and later graduated in 2020 amid the pandemic. For two years he worked in Construction and Real Estate for a private company in Paraguay and Uruguay, until he decided to pursuit his Post-Professional Master’s Degree at @yale in 2022. Juan’s Thesis & Investigation on the history and urban morphology of Asuncion, Paraguay, and its relationship to its cultural techniques was presented and published at the International Planning and History Society Biennale in Hong Kong 2024, the same year he joined DMSAS as a Design Staff. During his time at the firm, Juan has mainly been involved on the @cookchildrens West Tower expansion, focusing on the interior’s architecture, which is scheduled for completion in 2030. In addition, he participated in the Twinbrook mixed-use project, contributing to the exterior’s studies and development. In addition, he has been involved in the application of model fabrication and technologies within the office such as 3D printing, Virtual Reality presentations, and currently involved in the Artificial Intelligence Task Force to study and evaluate the best practices in the use of AI. Juan enjoys sports and outdoor activities. Growing up he was an accomplished #equestrian, winning three national championships in a row, a FEI bronze international championship, and 3 FVDE cups. In addition, he would constantly go on fishing trips with his father, creating memories he will always cherish. In DC, Juan enjoys quiet weekends and exploring new activities with his wife Camila. Juan, we’re so glad to have you part of the DMSAS team and appreciate the talent and enthusiasm you bring!

Final renderings are where the vision truly comes to life. After countless sketches, iterations, and conversations, these images celebrate the culmination of the design journey - capturing every detail, material, and moment with clarity and intention. They tell the story of what’s to come and reflect the collaboration, creativity, and care behind the project. Seeing it all come together in its final form is always a rewarding milestone. Can you identify these DMSAS projects? #rendering #art #architecture

Nestled on a lush, 18-acre promontory overlooking the Grand Cul-de-Sac and Marigot Bay on the island of St. Barthelemy in the French West Indies, @rosewoodleguanahani is one of the premier resorts in the #Caribbean. The property has 66 guest rooms and villas, an event space, spa, fitness center, boutique, and kid’s club all supported by a completely reimagined beach and dining experience. Recently reopened after significant updates to the landscape and architecture, the property was honored in @travelandleisure list of the Best New #Hotels in the World for 2022. David M. Schwarz Architects was tasked with creating a multi-phased master plan to bring the property and guest rooms up to current French luxury standards, improve the restaurant and beach experience, and enhance the landscape all while adhering to the island’s sustainability initiatives. The effort intensified after the devastation of hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. Many of the rooms were enlarged, interiors completely reimagined, and private pools added, all while retaining the familiar, colorful French Creole style. The beach experience is highlighted by a Lounge, Beach Bar, and two unique Dining Rooms overlooking a spacious deck and infinity-edged pool. Guests can also enjoy lunch and special events at the “Feet-in-the-Sand” outdoor restaurant overlooking Merechal Beach.

Chevy Chase Lake is a #mixeduse development located along a new suburb-to-suburb light rail line just outside Washington, DC. Completed between April 2018 and October 2022, the project replaced a single-story auto-oriented commercial strip mall with three distinct pedestrian-oriented buildings featuring 531 residential units, 110,000 square feet of retail, a one-acre neighborhood square, and three levels of underground parking. The #architecture draws inspiration from the historic early 20th century apartment houses found along Connecticut Avenue. Exteriors are characterized by traditional forms, well-studied detailing, and timeless materials. Facades were carefully varied to create the appearance of nine distinct buildings across three cohesive blocks, earning community support while honoring Connecticut Avenue’s architectural heritage. Key buildings include The Barrett, a 6-story apartment building which anchors the project’s entry; The Claude, an 11-story apartment building with a public stair connecting to the light rail station; and The Ritz-Carlton Residences, a 65-unit luxury condominium. At the heart of the development is a curbless neighborhood square designed as a pedestrian-friendly hub for community events. It features green space, a water feature, and an artistic sculpture by @tomfruin . All three buildings feature ground level retail and restaurant uses.

🌟 Employee Spotlight - Derek Marks 🌟 Derek is an #Associate at and the Development Director of David M. Schwarz Architects. Originally from #Augusta, GA, he joined DMSAS in 2015, attracted by the firm’s #WashingtonDC homebase and its portfolio of arts, entertainment, and hospitality projects. Since joining the firm, Derek has contributed to a mix of projects including the Waycroft Apartments in Arlington, VA; Rosewood Le Guanahani, multiple private residences, and a mix of performing arts related feasibility studies. Derek also managed two of the firm’s recent publications: its fourth monograph and its 40 Years retrospective book! As a kid, he drew comics. As he drew, the settings often surpassed the story. A friend noticed and suggested a career in design and a decades-long love of the built environment was born. He began work in his first #architecture office in high school, graduated from the @uofcincy with a bachelor’s degree in #urbanplanning, completed co-operative education stints at architecture, planning, and historic preservation firms, and today he is happy to be in an office with a similarly multi-faceted approach to design. Derek lives in the District of Columbia with his husband Ed and two precocious dogs: George, a Boston Terrier, and Otto, a puggle. He is a cook, a gardener, and a fledgling baker. Weekend’s at Derek and Ed’s home often end with a comfy Sunday supper shared among a diverse group of friends. In warm weather, Derek is a distance cycler and, in the summer of 2025, completed the Pan Mass challenge, a two-day 200-mile ride from Boston to the tip of Cape Cod that raised money for Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Although they love their routines and community in the District of Columbia, Derek and Ed travel often. While they always welcome the opportunity to spend time in New York, Miami, London, or Barcelona, they cherish trips spent with friends and family including Derek’s niece, Emory, and newborn nephew, Bennett, in Augusta, GA.

Boman Pavilion, which houses two smaller #multipurpose #performance spaces: Troesh Studio Theatre and Myron’s (formally Cabaret Jazz) is located at the @smithcenterlv . The lobbies features custom metal detailing, light fixtures and floor patterns thematically consistent with Reynolds Hall. The material pallet of #green #terrazzo floors with complimentary #Venetianplaster walls creates a more intimate environment, without sacrificing the feeling of quality. Troesh Studio Theatre and Myron’s are highly flexible spaces capable of seating up to 250 and 300 patrons, respectively. The Troesh Studio Theatre, while programmed to be a #dance studio and #orchestral rehearsal space, is highly adaptable and designed to be used for anything from rehearsal and small performances to parties and receptions. The expansive window openings, coupled with the custom-colored acoustic curtains, which can wrap the entirety of the room, allow it to serve many uses. (Disclaimer: photos shown were taken prior to recent remodel) Myron’s occupies the second and third floors of Boman Pavilion, offering beautiful views of Symphony Park. A mezzanine balcony wraps the room opposite the stage, adding to the intimate feel of the space while allowing for additional patron seating. A Brazilian Cherry wood floor is complimented by #custom designed seating that in turn appropriately references the intricate detailing of the room’s stainless metal railings, light fixtures and window #details.

The Grain District Office building is located at 245 W Main Street anchoring the east end of downtown and serving as a new gateway to #Spartanburg, SC. The 7-story, 147,000 square foot #officebuilding with ground floor retail space and a lower level of parking is part of a +/-15-acre district redevelopment by the City and Johnson Development Associates that includes the recently completed Grain District Parking Garage (also designed by DMSAS), a 1.5-acre public plaza, and the Fifth Third Park (home of the @hubcityspartanburgers baseball team) and future #mixedused residential development. Repeating bays of red #brick pilasters and divided light windows create a building that is reminiscent of the textile mills that previously dotted the landscape of the area. #Caststone is used to provide a higher level of finish at the pedestrian level, while variations of the typical bay width and an added level of detail at pilaster capitals and spandrels mark the primary building entries at the north and west facades. A stepped landscaped seat wall is employed along Main Street to soften the large grade change along the building face and provide for outdoor seating to the ground floor retailer. A redesigned Grove Street with brick sidewalk and landscape connects Main Street to the building’s primary lobby and the public plaza. Pulling from the #exterior detailing, DMSAS provided design services for the two ground floor lobbies and the upper floor core spaces, including elevator cabs and restrooms for a consistent overall building aesthetic. The traditional interior design is composed of painted wood cased openings and wainscot with paneled walls capped by a frieze whose pattern is inspired by the exterior pilaster capital. The diamond and band articulation of the second-floor spandrel is translated into a border pattern of the #terrazzo floor. Slated to start construction in late 2025, the project is planned to open in mid to late 2027.