One American Center vs Bank of America Center

Comparing the One American Center and the Bank of America Center is an interesting exercise, because even though they are located in different cities (Austin, TX and Orlando, FL), both were designed by Morris-Aubry Architects and finished within within 4 years of each other. This gives us the chance to see how the same architect's ideas were expressed in different urban contexts almost simultaneously.

These two towers present an interesting contrast in their proportions. The Bank of America Center rises higher at 404ft (123m), while the One American Center reaches 400ft (122m). However, the One American Center accommodates more floors with 32 levels above ground, compared to 28 floors in the Bank of America Center.

This suggests different approaches to interior space design. The Bank of America Center has an average floor-to-floor height of approximately 4.4m, while the One American Center has more compact floors averaging around 3.8m each. The taller building's more generous floor heights might indicate grander interior spaces, higher ceilings, or different programmatic requirements.

These different proportions likely reflect the specific needs each building was designed to serve, whether driven by zoning regulations, client requirements, or the intended use of the spaces within. The contrast shows how architects can achieve different spatial experiences even when working with similar overall building scales.

Both the One American Center and the Bank of America Center were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Postmodernism style.

At the time, this style was at the height of its popularity. So Morris-Aubry Architects followed what was in many ways expected at the time, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms rather, than breaking with convention.

Both the One American Center and the Bank of America Center were designed to serve as commercial towers, and that has remained their main use since their completion, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

The One American Center also provides 872 parking spaces.

These two towers illustrate the many possible ways to combine structure and enclosure in skyscraper design.