RFQ for A/E Services for Design of the Texas Southern University – School of Law

The Texas Facilities Commission is soliciting Architect/Engineer (A/E) services through Request for Qualifications (RFQ) #0008505 for the design of the Texas Southern University School of Law facility in Houston, Harris County. The procurement seeks comprehensive A/E services including site planning, utilities design, site development, and full architectural and engineering design and documentation for a new approximately 235,000 to 250,000 gross square feet, four-story facility. The services encompass four distinct phases: Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documents, and Construction Administration, with the anticipated project spanning approximately 1,380 calendar days including construction. Respondents must submit qualifications demonstrating relevant experience by identifying five most relevant past completed projects from the last ten years with similar size and scope, including original and final project durations, locations, awarded budgets, and final completion budgets with explanations for variances exceeding 5 percent. The submission deadline is Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at 3:00 PM through the Texas Facilities Commission's OpenGov eProcurement Portal, with mandatory attendance required at pre-submittal teleconferences on either April 21, 2026 at 2:00 PM or April 22, 2026 at 10:00 AM; an optional site visit is available April 23, 2026 at 10:00 AM. Short-listed firms will be notified by Friday, May 15, 2026, with interviews scheduled for Tuesday, May 26, 2026, and contract award anticipated by Thursday, June 18, 2026, with contract execution targeted for Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Design services must commence within fourteen calendar days of the Notice to Proceed.

This procurement includes a Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) set-aside designation with a goal of 23.7 percent for A/E services, governed by Texas Government Code Chapter 2161. All respondents with anticipated subcontracting opportunities must submit a completed HUB Subcontracting Plan (HSP) with their proposal; bidders whose HUB subcontracting percentage meets or exceeds the agency goal complete Method A documentation, while those falling below the goal must complete the more rigorous Method B, which requires notification to at least three Texas-certified HUBs and two or more trade organizations at least seven working days prior to bid submission. The architectural firms Treanor and KPF, who completed preliminary renderings and facility need studies, are eligible to respond as they did not receive compensation for work incorporated into the procurement document. The project budget totals $193 million, with a construction budget of $129 million and estimated construction costs between $185,000,000 and $200,000,000. Contract funding is contingent upon continued availability of state appropriations, with termination provisions applicable if funding becomes unavailable. The Owner's Representative for Project Management services is Broaddus and Associates, with the Texas Facilities Commission providing or contracting third-party firms for specialized services including Testing, Adjusting and Balancing, Registered Accessibility Specialist review, Commissioning Authority services, and Construction Materials Testing.