History...
DeMunbrun Scarnato Associates, Inc. (DSA) celebrates 68 years of providing professional architectural services in the San Antonio and South Texas area. The firm was established in 1953 as a two-man partnership when Bruce Johnson and Charles Dempsey began their architectural practice in San Antonio, Texas. In 1972 the firm was re-organized as Johnson-Dempsey & Associates, Inc. (JDA)
In 1964, Richard R. DeMunbrun started practice in Seguin, Tx, later moving to San Antonio as DeMunbrun/Slavin/Associates, Inc. In 1982 Richard merged his firm and became a partner and Senior Vice-President of JDA. Along with his design skills Richard brought a keen business and management sense to the company and was well known for his community involvement in Seguin and San Antonio. Richard guided the firm during two of its most recognizable projects, the Bexar County Adult Detention Center, and the City of San Antonio Central Library.
Tony Scarnato came to JDA as part of the merger and was promoted to Vice President in 1994. In July 1998, JDA began doing business as DeMunbrun Scarnato Associates Inc. (DSA). Bruce Johnson passed away in 1988 followed by the death of Charles Dempsey in April of 1992. Richard DeMunbrun passed away in December of 2018, at which time Tony Scarnato became President of the firm.
Our legacy has made many contributions to San Antonio, both in the public and private sector. Over the years the firm helped to develop the 410 / Broadway skyline with structures such as The GPM Life Building, Tesoro Petroleum Twin Towers Buildings, Alamo Savings Towers, The Plaza Buildings, and the Windsor Executive Plaza to just name a few. We have also designed hundreds of school projects, churches, and civic buildings for clients across South Texas.
Services Provided
Architectural Services
Design
Programming
Master-Planning
Sustainable Studies
Design/Rendering Services
Construction Documentation Services
Construction Administration Services
Project Management Services
Constructability Reviews
Value Engineering
Cost Management
Cost Estimating
Construction Bid Evaluation
Change Order Reviews
Schedule Oversight
Critical Path Method (CPM) Scheduling
Contract Risk Reviews
Design Reviews
Total Float Management
Quality Assurance & Control
LEED Consulting Evaluations
Dispute Avoidance and Claims Mitigation
Performance & Productivity Assessments
Sustainability
We approach sustainability as a dynamic evolution that provides synergy between disciplines, not a LEED checklist. Our methodical approach is holistic in nature that delivers greater value at lower cost, improves efficiency, includes a healthy environment for occupants, and reduces operational and maintenance costs, thereby yielding benefits to our clients.
We believe good architecture takes into account all aspects of design, including sustainability. Therefore, we encourage clients to create environments that use simulation analysis for energy, day-lighting, renewable energy and water usage. We use this information to provide a deeper understanding of the metrics and how they affect the life of the building and its users. Our process takes into account the materials and how they are generated and used, thereby fully understanding their true life cycle and carbon footprint.
