SAN ANTONIO--Weston Urban and KDC have announced the selection of architecture firm Pelli Clarke Pelli to lead the design of the Frost Tower, Frost Bank's new headquarters and San Antonio's first downtown office tower in three decades.

“Frost Bank is a Texas institution and the company's new tower will reflect its rich heritage and standing in the marketplace,” KDC executive vice president Don Mills told GlobeSt.com. “We've put together a dynamic team that will develop a tower which is sure to become a focal point of downtown San Antonio.”    

The design of the approximately 400,000-square-foot office tower will be orchestrated by the architecture firm, which is based in New Haven, CT.

"We couldn't possibly be any more excited to announce the selection of Pelli Clarke Pelli to lead the design of the Frost Tower," says Weston Urban president Randy Smith.

Pelli Clarke Pelli has been a leader in environmentally sustainable design for over a decade. The firm's designs included sustainable strategies even before the U.S. Green Building Council established its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program and its work includes the country's first residential tower to achieve LEED Platinum, the program's highest rating. The firm has designed and developed towers across the world from the World Financial Center in New York to the Petronas Towers in Malaysia.

Alamo Architects will serve as the local consulting architects. Irby Hightower, one of the founders of Alamo Architects and principal of the firm, was instrumental throughout the selection process, which featured ten firms, both domestic and international.

"Pelli Clarke Pelli draws inspiration from their surroundings to create iconic works of architecture, sometimes understated, sometimes bold, but always sensitive," says Hightower. "This is the right firm to help San Antonio realize the first downtown office tower of the 21st century."

Construction on the project is slated to begin in fall 2016 and is estimated to be complete by 2018 or 2019.