2015 Small Business Award Finalist: Dake Wells Architecture Inc.

In 2004, Brandon Dake and Andrew Wells founded an architecture firm in Brandon’s guest room on folding tables with a milk crate and toolbox. Fast forward 10 years and Dake Wells Architecture Inc. recently relocated to an office double in size due to growth.

Sitting in the heart of downtown Springfield on the square, Dake Wells is true to its original business philosophy: the pursuit of design excellence.

Out of the gate, Dake said the duo wanted to bring something different to the Springfield area.

“We set out to do something that we saw wasn’t happening in Springfield at the time, which is a higher level of design to our community and that’s what really got us started,” he said.

“In general, we think sometimes there is an attitude that we are not a big city and we are a small town, but we love this city and want the best for it.

Starting out a few years before the Great Recession, the nationwide financial crunch has been Dake Wells’ biggest obstacle to date.

“We were forced to become smarter business owners, making difficult cuts in expenses and working harder and longer for seemingly smaller returns, postponing the reduction of staff until the last possible moment,” Wells said.

In September 2008, nine out of 12 active projects vanished from the company, which also went from seven employees to three. Dake said the company has had to overcome talent obstacles since then, saying attracting the right talent to Springfield is a challenge.

“We build relationships at universities like Kansas State and Drury (University) and recruit good talent,” he said.

Coming out of the recession, the partners say the company kept its focus on the original goal.

“It’s design excellence,” Dake said, noting one of the partners’ goals was to win a national design award during the first 10 years. “In the first five years, we had won four national awards and blew that goal out of the water.”

Wells said that approach includes and engages the client.

“Our approach adds value to the design process by engaging our clients and constituents in the creative process, building trust and developing design solutions based on logic and rational problem solving,” he said.

The 11-year-old company now has numerous large-scale projects under its belt. At Missouri State University alone, projects include the Davis-Harrington Welcome Center, Glass Hall renovation, Level 1 Game Center inside Plaster Student Union and Carrington Hall auditorium. Outside the university, Dake Wells has worked on projects for the Missouri Department of Conservation, Liberty United Methodist Church, Andy’s Frozen Custard and Springfield Public Schools.[[In-content Ad]]