2023 Men of the Year: Brandon Dake

Nearing 30 years of experience in the architecture industry, Brandon Dake doesn’t just consider his professional path as a career but a calling. 

“I love architecture, and I can’t imagine doing anything else,” he says, noting the work is a combination of art and science. “This is what I’m meant to do, and as a result, I put an immense amount of care into it.”

A 1994 graduate of Kansas State University, most of Dake’s architectural career has been in Springfield, where he moved in 1997. Dake and Andrew Wells teamed up nearly 20 years ago to form Dake Wells Architecture Inc. after they exited BRP Architects in 2004.

In his career, Dake says he’s seen a continuous thread of leadership at all stages, tied to his belief that the best leader is a servant leader – one present to support, encourage and help those around them.

Part of that leadership has been in organizations within his industry, such as the Springfield chapter of the American Institute of Architects, for which he served as a board member from 2005-12, including president in 2011. He also remains active with his alma mater, where he’s served on the Dean’s Advisory Council at KSU since 2012.

“My leadership on the DAC has helped identify areas of concern and provide feedback for improvement,” Dake says. “My hope is that this will lead to better graduates and bring more young professionals to the Springfield area.”

In 2019, Dake was named to the AIA College of Fellows, considered one of the highest honors given by the Washington, D.C.-based architecture association. Fellowship is conferred on less than 4% of the AIA membership, recognizing those who have achieved excellence in the field, according to the organization.

“It is a great honor to know that our national organization found my work to be excellent and worthy of praise, when all along I’ve just been trying to do the best for my clients and community,” Dake says.

Past civic activity for Dake includes service with Springfield Sunrise Rotary Club and Springfield Southeast Rotary Club. Additionally, he is a graduate of Leadership Springfield Class 20.

Dake says much of his local community focus over the past decade has been less professional and more personal. Aside from taking church mission trips, he’s gotten involved with nonprofit Victory Mission & Ministry. Initially donating his architectural services pro bono for facility assessments, master planning, preliminary designs and other requests, Dake now serves as chair of its board of directors.

While his final term on the board is coming to an end this year, Dake says the organization’s executive committee is proposing a change to its bylaws that would allow him to stay a little longer.

Jason Hynson, Victory Mission executive director, says Dake’s leadership “has been a force for good.”

“Brandon’s passion for excellence gave Victory a promising future with a new strategic vision,” Hynson says. “His leadership has empowered and challenged both board and staff in powerful ways.”