By 1945, the architecture firm of Vonnegut And Bohn had evolved into a partnership between Kurt Vonnegut Sr., George Caleb Wright, and Alfred J. Porteous, and the name changed to Vonnegut, Wright and Porteous. George Caleb Wright joined following the dissolution of Pierre And Wright architects in 1944. In 1959, Vonnegut retired, and C. Charles Lowe joined the firm. When Wright retired in 1961, the name changed to Wright Porteous and Lowe, and Wright’s son Wiliam Caleb became one of the principal architects along with Porteous and Lowe.

In 1962, the firm was co-architect for the City-County Building on East Market Street. In 1968, they designed the Indiana University Law School at 735 West New York Street on the Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis campus.

In the decade of the 1970s, the firm designed many of Indianapolis’ contemporary-style public structures. Among their most important works were the INB Bank Tower, which was Indiana’s tallest building for many years (1970, with co-architect Thomas E. Stanley); the Fashion Mall at Keystone at the Crossing and the Lawrence City Hall (1973); the Indiana Society of Architects’ award-winning Bazaar at the Crossing (1974); the bronze-glass Market Square Center (commonly known as the “Gold Building”) (1975); and The Children’s Museum (1976).

Following a merger with Fort Wayne-based Bonar Associates, an engineering and consulting firm, in 1989, the firm designed the state-of-the-art Hurco Manufacturing Company headquarters at Park 100 (1991).

In 2010, GAI Consultants, a national consulting and engineering firm headquartered in Pittsburgh, acquired Bonar, and it became GAI’s Midwest division. GAI has become a global firm that serves the aviation, transportation, manufacturing, and health care industries. It also consults in community development, municipal government, and energy projects.

Revised March 2021
 

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