ZYSCOVICH ARCHITECTS SELECTED TO RE-DESIGN SERVICE PLAZAS ON FLORIDA’S TURNPIKE
Nationally Renowned Firm Responsible for Four New
Buildings, Three Major Renovations

MIAMI – (July 21, 2009) – Miami-headquartered Zyscovich Architects is helping Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise to re-brand the service plazas along the 312-mile length of Florida’s Turnpike known as Florida’s “Main Street.” A member of the Areas USA team recently awarded a 30-year contract to manage turnpike plazas from South Miami-Dade County to Okahumpka in north-central Florida, Zyscovich will design seven service plaza buildings with various retail and food service options for travelers. Four of the buildings will be brand new facilities and three existing buildings will undergo major renovations.

Not only will the new plazas get an updated look, they will be designed to LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards to ensure a more sustainable product.

LEED® is an internationally recognized green building certification system that provides third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.

“The buildings have been registered with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and will pursue LEED® Silver Certification,” said Project Manager Kricket Snow, AIA, LEED® AP. “We will be responsible for the exterior design of the plaza buildings and will manage the design teams creating their upgraded interiors.”

According to Snow, the building designs will focus on a modern architectural approach that changes both the presence of the plazas and the expectations of travelers who visit them. With an eye toward enhanced customer service, the designs will incorporate outdoor seating, an indoor sit-down restaurant, high ceilings, an abundance of natural lighting and a variety of seating/lounge environments where travelers can relax.

“Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise expects world-class buildings, and that is exactly what we will provide,” Managing Principal Bernard Zyscovich, AIA, added.

The entire renovation/rebuild project, which also includes five smaller fuel/convenience stores designed by other members of the Design-Build team, is estimated at over $100 million. In addition to Zyscovich Architects, the Areas USA Design-Build team is comprised of OHL/Arellano Construction; Jacobs; Gannett Fleming; Donnell, Duquesne and Albaisa (DDA); and WRScompass.

About Areas USA
Areas USA is a leading provider of food, beverage and retail services in the U.S. travel industry. With the ever-growing number of establishments in the U.S., including Miami International Airport, Orlando International Airport, Indianapolis International Airport, Detroit Metro Airport, San Jose’s Norman Y. Mineta International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Florida’s Turnpike Service Plazas and Boston Logan International Airport among others, Areas USA continues to deliver its superior customer service to each and every traveler. Its parent company, Areas S.A., began doing business in 1968 and is a leader in Spain and Latin America’s hospitality and retail market in airports, highways and railway stations. It operates more than 1,200 establishments worldwide.

More information can be found at www.areasusa.com.

About Zyscovich Architects

Established in 1977, Zyscovich Architects is a national firm recognized for its significant urban, commercial, residential, and academic projects. The firm, recently named the 2008 American Institute of Architects Florida Firm of the Year, is committed to improving neighborhoods by emphasizing sustainable development and economic vitality based on their character and history. With offices in Miami, West Palm Beach, Orlando and New York City, Zyscovich’s imprint is evident throughout Florida and beyond, from master plans and urban studies to mixed-use urban infill buildings, K-12 and higher education facilities, architecture for transportation projects and residential high rises.

For additional information on Zyscovich Architects and its diverse project expertise, please visit the website at www.zyscovich.com.

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