Synergy Park

Design team
Dr. J. Blair Blackburn (Project Executive); Chris Crawford (Construction Manager); Kendall Westbrook (Project Coordinator/Interior Designer); Robert Erickson (Landscape Designer)

Built in 1973 as the First National Bank of Marshall and considered East Texas’ most contemporary financial services facility for that period, the building’s postmodern exterior design features a sustainable combination of structural concrete and glass, mixing the complexity of geometric and symmetrical facades. The venue in the city’s historic downtown district has been revitalized by East Texas Baptist University to become Synergy Park, an educational training and business development collaboration center that seeks to effectively engage employers, community-based organizations, business owners, and educational institutions.

Synergy Park, an initiative to spur innovation, entrepreneurship, and workforce training, showcases an integrated approach to economic development. As the corporate headquarters for 13 different organizations and five small businesses, Synergy Park is a diverse economic ecosystem encompassing a mix of non-profits and for-profits. These entities represent a wide range of sectors, including higher education, behavioral/social services, mental health counseling, economic development, entrepreneurial services, financial services, adult education/literacy development, congressional leadership, and legal services.

The vision for renovation capitalized on the former bank’s history and preserved the architectural character of the simple, minimalist design, while incorporating the bold revolution of the 1970’s interior design styles. The grey and white monochromatic shades of the sustainable granite, slate, and marble materials provide a contrast to the vibrant yellows, greens, browns, oranges, reds, and blues layered with graphic patterns featured in wall coverings, artwork, and furniture that characterize the mosaic of the postmodernist era.

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