Business Spotlight: Architectural firm plays hometown advantage

When Sapp Design Associates displays its designs at industry shows, most of the architects they meet are surprised to learn the firm is located in Springfield.

"When another architect assumes you're from New York or Chicago, it lets you know they've ranked your firm among the best in the country," said Michael Sapp, president of Sapp Design Associates.

Sapp Design Associates, which specializes in architectural design and master planning, has racked up its share of high-profile projects including designing The Library Center in Springfield, Nixa High School in Nixa, and the Student Activity Center and the Fine Arts Center at Evangel University in Springfield. Sapp Design Associates also recently developed the new building addition and renovation plans for Central High School.

When Sapp founded the firm in 1986, it had three employees. Over the years, the staff has grown, and the firm's corporate structure has changed. Today, Sapp Design Associates employs 16 people, six of whom are architects, and James C. Stufflebeam serves as the firm's vice president.

Initially, Sapp Design Associates focused on individual, commercial, and residential design projects. In the early 1990s, however, the firm's focus shifted after it was selected to develop a long-range facility plan for the Nixa School District.

Today, approximately 50 percent of the firm's work comes from educational institutions, and another 30 percent comes from industrial design projects. The remaining 20 percent comes from municipal design projects. Most of these projects are located within a 100-mile radius of Springfield.

"Our firm is best known for the libraries we've designed, as well as the creative educational designs we've done at area schools and universities," Sapp said. "We don't do cookie-cutter architecture. We develop customized solutions."

Many of these creative solutions have garnered national recognition. In 1998, American Schools and Universities magazine recognized Sapp Design Associates for their innovative work on Matthews Elementary School in Nixa, and in March 1999, the firm's work on Willard Central Elementary School was featured on the cover of Metal Architecture magazine.

Sapp Design Associates also does many municipal design projects, and recently the firm was selected to design the new $3 million community center in Nixa.

Still, the municipal and educational design markets can be fickle. The fate of these projects ultimately rests in the hands of the voters.

When voters reject a municipal or educational project, the firm increases its market volume of industrial projects. Originally, the firm used this strategy to help even out business fluctuations. In recent years, however, the demand for industrial design has increased, and currently the firm is working on its eighth project in the Springfield Partnership Industrial Center.

"I think one of the reasons we're successful in so many different areas is because we have a high-quality staff," Sapp said. "The success of this company doesn't rest with me, it rests with the employees. We've empowered our employees. The architects who work here have a sense of ownership on their projects. They meet with clients directly, and they make a lot of decisions on their own."

Most of the new projects undertaken by the firm come through referrals from former clients. Still, Sapp Design Associates often competes against large national architectural firms when interviewing for a project.

When competing against these companies, Sapp uses his hometown advantage. He reviews the list of successful projects in the area completed by the firm and touts the firm's high ratio of registered architects to employees. Unlike a large, out-of-town architectural firm, Sapp Design Associates also can provide clients with quick, hands-on service if there's a problem during construction.

"We bring new value to the buildings we design" Sapp said. "We think there's more to the value of a building than the price tag on it."

In the future, Sapp said he plans to add several new architects to the firm. The company also is beginning to receive requests from educational institutions located outside of its market region. Sapp also is considering adding in-house engineering and interior design to the mix of services the firm offers clients. If the firm's expansion goes as planned, Sapp Design Associates may move to a larger building sometime next year.