CONTACT
CONTACT

Texas Wesleyan Martin Student Center

Fort Worth, TX

Expertise

  • Education

Services

  • civil engineering
  • land surveying
  • mechanical / plumbing engineering
  • electrical engineering

Size

  • 44,000 SF

Baird, Hampton & Brown was pleased to provide the civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering as well as land surveying for the most significant capital improvement project at Texas Wesleyan University in 100 years. The project consisted of a new 44,000 square-foot student center building located within the great lawn at the center of campus. The new facility created the spaces for an expanded list of student services as well as the consolidation of existing services that had previously been spread throughout the campus, including a dining hall, bookstore, and ball room for major events.

The civil design included a circular drop off connected to the clock tower entrance at the front of the main campus. Other pedestrian centric amenities included plazas at each of the entrances to the building. The western plaza incorporated an existing historic fountain that is now better highlighted with new seating areas and outdoor charging stations for the student body. The eastern entrance of the building provides a new outdoor amphitheater, expanding seating and creating an outdoor interface for the dining hall with a raised stage for student group activities. Land surveying services for this project included a topographic survey, construction staking and electric, water, and utility easements.

BHB’s electrical engineering team provided the installation of a new electrical service and the coordination of the food service equipment for several different carry-out food vendors and a coffee bar. A unique aspect of this project included the lighting controls for the upstairs ballroom space, which can be configured into three smaller spaces. BHB worked with the design team to provide a flexible lighting control system that automatically adapts to the configuration of the room. The mechanical scope included 140 tons of cooling for the student and family welcome center, bookstore, student government, student lounge areas, office space, food court, and the ballroom.

Key People

  • John W. (Bill) Baird, Jr., PE, RPLS

    John W. (Bill) Baird, Jr., PE, RPLS

    Founder | Chairman Emeritus | Senior Civil Engineer

    John (Bill) Baird has over 50 years of active management, design, estimating, and coordination experience, and is still actively designing and managing projects. He has provided project management and design for many civil engineering projects for various client types, with expertise spanning municipal, industrial, commercial, educational, religious, and institutional projects. His design experience includes extensive site development; streets, roadways, and thoroughfares; bridge and culvert projects; flood control; storm water detention; water distribution and sewage collection; and water and sewage treatment plants.

    Bill lives in Burleson with his wife Terresa and enjoys traveling, gardening and, most especially, spending time with his grandchildren.

    Project Experience

    Catholic Charities of Fort Worth
    Fort Worth Country Day Lou and Nick Martin Campus Center
    Fort Worth Country Day Sid W. Richardson Visual Arts Center
    Granbury Dental Center
    Granbury Resort Conference Center
    Early Learning Center
    Saint Patrick Cathedral Parish Hall
    Texas Wesleyan University Rosedale Renaissance

    Education

    University of Texas at Arlington:
    Bachelor’s Degree/1972/Civil Engineering

  • Dave Horsburgh

    Dave Horsburgh

    Senior Associate

    Dave’s journey to Texas wasn’t always the plan; he grew up in Florida, nurturing dreams of becoming a professional surfer. Remarkably, he achieved significant success, holding the third rank in the state within his division and garnering multiple sponsors along the way. As a child, Dave’s adventurous spirit led him to construct forts, explore woodlands, and shadow land surveyors on construction sites in his neighborhood.

    Dave’s land surveying path led him to BHB, where he knew he could forge a fulfilling career. His tenure at the company has spanned over 25 years, during which he has excelled as an Associate and Senior Survey Technician/Survey Department manager. His affiliation with the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors exemplifies his commitment to the profession. Dave plays a pivotal role in cultivating the land surveying department’s client relationships, overseeing project management, and providing training on essential tools like Autodesk Civil 3D and Trimble Business Center.

    Beyond his professional achievements, Dave leads a fulfilling personal life alongside his wife, Jill, and their three children: Jamie, Ava, and Benjamin. Adding joy to their family is their beloved canine companion, Mack. Dave’s multifaceted interests include his ordainment as a minister, active involvement in his church, and dedicated community service. He enjoys moments spent with friends and family, enriching his life through travel experiences.

    Dave’s global altruism is evidenced by his volunteer work in Romania, where he dedicated a summer to serving in an orphanage. His journey also took him to Mali, Africa, where he engaged in vital land surveying tasks with the International Mission Board. During this time, he connected with unknown tribes, fostering relationships and creating essential maps of villages and routes.

    Dave embodies a remarkable blend of professional excellence, compassion, and adventurous spirit, making him a true inspiration to those around him.

    Project Experience


    Education

    Tarrant County College

  • Richard J. Watters, PE

    Richard J. Watters, PE

    Chief Operations Officer | Senior Mechanical Engineer

    Richard Watters came to BHB after working with a design-build contractor in the area for two years. As an active member of BHB’s leadership team, Richard manages some of the firm’s multiple long-term engineering projects, including healthcare, commercial, oil and gas, retail, and municipal. He is experienced in sustainable design, energy studies/audits, design-build, hospitality, data centers, critical environments, medical gas systems, and construction administration.

    Richard has been named one of the Top 40 Engineers Under 40 in the country by Consulting-Specifying Engineer Magazine and one of the Top 20 Engineers Under 40 in our region by Engineer News-Record magazine.

    In the office, his hands-on style has helped him successfully find solutions for clients and mentor young engineers. Outside of the office, Richard has been past president of the Fort Worth Chapter of ASHRAE and has been active with various student organizations as a guest speaker or project sponsor; he also travels back to Texas A&M to guest lecture and has sponsored projects for the construction science department at Texas A&M.

    With his wife Yesenia, he enjoys being outside with their kids, traveling, working on multiple home improvement projects, and helping others. They have sponsored scholarships for children in El Salvador, his wife’s native country, who would otherwise not have access to advanced education. In addition to these, they also have four annual scholarships locally at TCU and UNT. Expanding on this desire to provide resources and forward momentum for everyone, Richard is also a founding board member of the Paul Schulte Foundation, a non-profit organization with a goal to empower, inspire, and facilitate individuals with disabilities.

    Project Experience

    Arlington Animal Services Center
    Doss Heritage and Culture Center
    Ott Cribbs Public Safety Center
    Star-Telegram Building
    Texas Wesleyan University Jack and Jo Willa Morton Fitness Center

    Education

    Texas A&M University:
    Master’s Degree/2001/Mechanical Engineering
    The University of Texas at El Paso:
    Bachelor’s Degree/1997/Mechanical Engineering

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