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| Formerly | Kemp, Bunch and Jackson Architects |
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| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Architecture |
| Founded | 1946 in Jacksonville, Florida |
| Founders |
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| Headquarters |
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| Services | Architecture, interior design |
| Revenue | $157.9 million (2005) |
Number of employees | 50 (2005) |
| Website | www.kbj.com |
KBJ Architects, Inc. (KBJ) is an American architectural firm founded by Franklin S. Bunch, William K. Jackson, and William D. Kemp in 1946 from Jacksonville, Florida.
Roy A. Benjamin (1888–1963) moved from Ocala to Jacksonville soon after the Great Fire of 1901 and designed many notable buildings in Jacksonville and surrounding areas. His most famous structures were theaters, although most of them have since been demolished. He was one of Jacksonville's most talented and prolific architects. [1] Three University of Florida alumni—William D. Kemp, Franklin S. Bunch, and William K. Jackson—purchased Benjamin's architectural firm when he retired after World War II and renamed it Kemp, Bunch and Jackson Architects in 1946.
Each founder focused on one aspect of the firm: Kemp specialized in the business side of projects, Bunch was known for being the expert in architecture's construction and technical aspects, and Jackson was the lead designer.
KBJ has worked throughout north and central Florida, as well as throughout the southeast United States. Clients include international and private corporations, developers, institutions, public authorities, and federal, state, and local governments. The firm also developed the design standards for residential developments at the Deerwood Country Club and at Amelia Island Plantation north of Jacksonville. In Orlando, KBJ designed the First National Bank and Hartford Insurance buildings and three of the four airsides at Orlando International Airport; in Gainesville, the Delta Tau Delta fraternity house and Tigert Hall, the University of Florida Administration building; the Quarterdeck Club in Miami and the Occidental Life building in Raleigh. [3]
The firm designed 17 of the city's 30 tallest buildings and "created Jacksonville's modern skyline", according to The Florida Times-Union . [2] The firm designed the first high-rise in downtown Jacksonville, the 22-story Aetna Building, which opened in 1955. [5]
| Project | Location | Completed | Image | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aetna Building | Southbank | 1955 |  | Formerly Prudential Insurance Building | [6] |
| 233 West Duval Street | Northbank | 1955 |  | Formerly Independent Life Building | [7] |
| CSX Transportation Building | Northbank | 1960 |  | Formerly Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Building | [8] |
| Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts | Northbank | 1962 |  | Formerly Jacksonville Civic Auditorium | [9] |
| Riverplace Tower | Southbank | 1967 |  | Formerly Gulf Life Tower | [10] |
| Times-Union Building | Northbank | 1967 |  | ||
| Cathedral Towers | Northbank | 1968 |  | [11] | |
| Cathedral Townhouse | Northbank | 1970 |  | [12] | |
| Cathedral Terrace | Northbank | 1974 |  | [13] | |
| BB&T Bank Building | Northbank | 1974 |  | Formerly First Union National Bank Building | [9] |
| Wells Fargo Center | Northbank | 1974 |  | Formerly Independent Square | [9] |
| 550 Water Street | Northbank | 1982 |  | [9] | |
| EverBank Center | Northbank | 1983 |  | Formerly Southern Bell Tower | [14] |
| Two Prudential Plaza | Southbank | 1985 |  | [15] | |
| SunTrust Tower | Northbank | 1989 |  | Formerly American Heritage Life Building | [9] |
| Bryan Simpson United States Courthouse | Northbank | 2002 |  | in association with HLM Design | [9] |
| Duval County Courthouse | Northbank | 2012 |  | [16] |
In June 2002, KBJ Architects, Rink Reynolds, Cannon Design, and Spillis Candela were the final four candidates under consideration for designing the planned Duval County Courthouse Complex. [17] When Cannon Design was chosen, KBJ appealed the award, claiming that Cannon's design was inconsistent with the specifications for size and budget set by the city, but the administration of Mayor John Delaney saw no grounds for the award to be rescinded. The project continued under Cannon into the term of Mayor John Peyton, but costs and the size of the project fluctuated and ultimately peaked at a $224 million construction cost, $23 million over the $201 million Mendoza Line for construction costs drawn by the Mayor. As a result, Peyton stopped all work on the project and terminated all consultants contracts for convenience, including Jacobs Facilities (Program Manager), Cannon (Architect), and construction managers Skanska Dynamic Partners. [17]
The project was re-bid in 2006, and the city received two offers for a Design-Build solution and project delivery. The team of Perry-McCall Construction -The Auchter Company coupled with Architects Rink Design and DLR were initially awarded the contract. [18] When it was discovered that the Auchter Company had financial troubles, the contract was terminated for convenience. Second place bidder, Turner Construction Company, which is partnered with Technical Construction Services Group and KBJ Architects, was given an opportunity to negotiate a contract with the city in July 2007, by approval of the Competitive Sealed Proposal Evaluation Committee. A contract was signed with a budget of $350 million. Work was completed and the courthouse opened on June 18, 2012. [19]
KBJ designed buildings include: [20]
The Great Fire of 1901 was a conflagration that occurred in Jacksonville, Florida, on May 3, 1901. It was one of the worst disasters in Florida history and the third largest urban fire in the U.S., next to the Great Chicago Fire, and the 1906 San Francisco fire.
The Better Jacksonville Plan is a growth management plan implemented by the city of Jacksonville, Florida. It was the signature project of Mayor John Delaney. It was approved by Jacksonville voters on September 5, 2000. Lex Hester was a key advisor to Delaney on the $2.25 billion package of projects, pushing for the inclusion of a new downtown library, then serving on the team of top administrators charged with making the far-reaching plan work. The BJP was codified as Section 761 of Jacksonville's Code of Ordinances and administered by the City of Jacksonville, the JEA, and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, in cooperation with the Florida Department of Transportation. A Sunset provision will terminate the half-penny sales tax used as part of funding the program, to be completed around 2010, no later than 2030.
The Dyal–Upchurch Building is a six-story, 43,747-square-foot historic building in Jacksonville, Florida. It is located at 4 East Bay Street, and was designed by architect Henry John Klutho. On April 17, 1980, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
The 310 West Church Street Apartments, also known as the Ambassador Hotel, is a historic building located at 420 North Julia Street in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. On April 7, 1983, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
The Jacksonville Public Library is the public library system of Jacksonville, Florida, United States. It primarily serves Jacksonville and Duval County merged areas, and is also used by the neighboring Baker, Nassau, Clay, and St. Johns counties. It is one of the largest library systems in Florida, with a collection of over three million items. A division of the city government, the library has the third largest group of city employees, after the city's fire department and sheriff's office. There are twenty-one branches and a main library in the system.
1 Independent Square is a skyscraper in the downtown area of Jacksonville, Florida, located northwest of the Main Street Bridge and north of St. Johns River, at the southeast corner of Bay and Laura streets. Standing 535 feet tall, it is the city's second-tallest building. It was formerly known as the Modis Building until 2011, when Wells Fargo acquired the naming rights. From 2011 to 2024, it was known as the Wells Fargo Center. In July 2024, the building was renamed to 1 Independent Square after Wells Fargo did not renew its naming rights.
The Riverplace Tower is a 28-floor office building on the south bank of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. At the time of its construction, it was the tallest building in the state of Florida and was the defining landmark in Jacksonville's skyline. On April 18, 2012, the American Institute of Architects's Florida Chapter placed the building on its list of Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places as the Riverplace Tower / Formerly Gulf Life Tower.
Eight Forty One is a 309 feet, 22-floor office building on the south bank of St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. Completed in 1955, it was the tallest building in the city for 13 years until surpassed by the Riverplace Tower. It was "The Tallest Office Building in the South" and the tallest in Florida until NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building was completed in 1965. The building's former names include the Aetna Building, Prudential Plaza I or One Prudential Plaza, and the Prudential Building.
The Barnett is a skyscraper in the downtown area of Jacksonville, Florida, at the southwest corner of Adams and Laura streets.
The Duval County Courthouse is the local courthouse for Duval County, Florida. It houses courtrooms and judges from the Duval County and Fourth Judicial Circuit Courts. The new facility is located Downtown Jacksonville, Florida; it was built starting in 2009 and opened in 2012.
100 North Tampa, formerly known as the Regions Building and the AmSouth Building, is a skyscraper in Tampa, Florida, United States. Rising to a height of 579 feet (176 m) and 42 floors in Downtown Tampa, the structure currently stands as the tallest building in Tampa and the twenty-sixth-tallest building in Florida. 100 North Tampa was designed by the HKS, Inc. architectural firm, headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The building, an example of postmodern architecture, holds offices for Regions Bank, the American International Group, Yara, North America, KPMG, and law firms Holland & Knight, Foley & Lardner, and Turkel, Cuva, & Barrios.
Roy A. Benjamin (1887–1963) was a prominent architect who lived in Jacksonville, Florida.
Wilbur B. Talley was an architect in Florida. He worked in Jacksonville until the death of his wife Nellie and daughter Sarah, who were killed when the car they were riding in was hit by a train on December 21,1919. After the accident, he moved to Lakeland, Florida where he continued working as an architect.
VyStar Tower is a skyscraper in the downtown area of Jacksonville, Florida, at the northwest corner of Independent Drive and Laura Street. Standing 357 feet tall, it is the city's sixth tallest building. It was formerly known as the SunTrust Tower, Jacksonville Center and the Humana Building, among other names. Completed in 1989, the building was designed in the postmodern style by the Jacksonville firm KBJ Architects.
The architecture of Jacksonville is a combination of historic and modern styles reflecting the city's early position as a regional center of business. According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, there are more buildings built before 1967 in Jacksonville than any other city in Florida, though few structures in the city center predate the Great Fire of 1901. Numerous buildings in the city have held state height records, dating as far back as 1902, and last holding a record in 1981.
The CSX Transportation Building is a 251 feet high-rise office building located in Jacksonville, Florida. Completed in 1960, the building currently serves as headquarters for CSX Corporation. The building is located in the Northbank area of Downtown Jacksonville, along the banks of the St. Johns River.
Laura Street is a north–south street in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, named for the daughter of the city's founder, Isaiah D. Hart. Historically, the downtown portion of Laura Street has been considered the financial district of Jacksonville.
The architecture of Boston is a robust combination of old and new architecture. As one of the oldest cities in North America, Boston, Massachusetts has accumulated buildings and structures ranging from the 17th-century to the present day, having evolved from a small port town to a large cosmopolitan center for education, industry, finance, and technology. The city is known for its granite buildings stemming from its early days. It is also known for being one of the origins of Federal Architecture.
The Auchter Company was established in 1929 in Jacksonville, Florida, by George D. Auchter. The company was among Florida's oldest general construction contractors and built many of Jacksonville's civil and corporate buildings, including the City Hall. and ranked among the top design/build firms in the US. The Auchter Company also helped build ships needed for World War II, as part of the US Navy's Emergency Shipbuilding Program. After the war the shipyard closed in February 1946. The company went on to build many buildings and bridges until it was sold on March 26, 2007, to Perry-McCall Construction, Inc.
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