Chamberlain builds business from the ground up

With such fast development in and around Springfield, chances are that five-year-old Chamberlain Architects is behind some of the buildings springing up.
The firm’s current project list grows by the day, but one project sits atop the heap: the Belair Theater in Branson.
A buzz around the office for months now surrounds the new Branson theater. Chamberlain Architects designed the $5 million Belair Theater, a project of Morris Group Hotels’ Jim D. Morris and Chris Lucchi and real estate developer Glenn Patch that recently started construction.
Such work is fairly new to Chamberlain Architects – staff architect Dave Burris calls the Belair the firm’s “pride and joy,” because it is work of a different variety for the company. Joel G. Chamberlain started the company in 2000 almost strictly designing industrial buildings for Rich Kramer Construction.
Now project lists include church buildings in Springfield and Osage Beach, a private, upscale airplane hangar/office building in Lebanon, and buildings at Old Kinderhook, a golf resort community in Camdenton.
“Those are not anything like the industrial work we’ve done in the past,” said Joel Chamberlain, founder and owner.
But Chamberlain said his firm never would have gained such projects without the reputation built in the industrial market, which Chamberlain still calls his “bread and butter.”
“The longer the company has been in business, the more the firm has been generally recognized in the community, and that has opened up expansion to other types of projects,” he said.
Chamberlain continues to draw up plans for Rich Kramer Construction – he designed Kramer’s new Partnership Industrial Center West cabinet shop. Industrial-type projects still comprise up to 60 percent of Chamberlain Architect’s revenues, which reached $370,000 in 2004. Compared to the firm’s first-year revenues of $182,000, project fees have grown at a 20 percent clip each year. Chamberlain expects that trend to continue, projecting he’ll clear $500,000 by the end of 2006.

Big projects
Before taking on the Belair, one of Chamberlain’s bigger projects was working as construction administrator during the development of Jordan Valley Park’s first two phases.
In that role, Chamberlain’s firm acted as liaison between the city and the park’s contractors – Flintco, various subcontractors and Seattle-based LMN, the architectural firm that designed the civic park master plan.
The firm does quite a bit of work outside of Springfield. Chamberlain Architects designed the Camdenton Fire Station, a townhouse development in Osage Beach and Independent Stave Co.’s façade redesign in Lebanon.
Chamberlain said the firm takes on projects anywhere in southwest Missouri. Such far-reaching limits and an expanding project list have required staff growth from two to five.
“I’m surprised at the rate of growth in five years,” Chamberlain said. “It’s nice and I expect we’ll continue to grow, but I want to still work like a smaller firm would to greatly benefit my clients.”
Eric Roberts, an area real estate appraiser and developer, has worked with Chamberlain on several projects in the last few years.
“Joel is very good at what he does because he is very
attentive to what his clients are seeking with each project,” Roberts said. “He pays very close attention to detail and tries to make the project cost efficient and (is) quick with his work, but he makes sure the job is done right.”
Roberts said he has several projects coming up in the near future – which means Chamberlain does, too.
“We plan on using Joel for as many projects as he is willing to take on,” Roberts said.

A design dream
Chamberlain’s dream of being sole owner of an architectural firm began long ago.
“I first became interested in architecture in the ninth grade,” Chamberlain said. “I became very interested in art, drawing, designing and drafting, and ever since it’s been a career I’ve wanted to pursue.”
Chamberlain, a native of Sturgis, S.D., realized his first obstacle when it came time to go to college.
“There weren’t any architectural schools in South Dakota so I decided to attend Kansas State University because I liked the program and had family in Kansas,” Chamberlain said.
Chamberlain graduated with a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Kansas State in 1977. He went on to work in the field with several contractors and developers for more than 20 years before he decided it was time to take the ultimate step in his career.
“I always expected to be in business for myself, and after gathering the know-how of what to do and how to do it, I looked at the stage of my life and realized it was time to begin my own firm,” Chamberlain said.
Chamberlain moved from Anchorage, Alaska, to Springfield in June 1994. He continued to work with contractors who helped him develop more clientele in Springfield and in surrounding areas throughout Missouri.

New venture
Chamberlain has begun working with former employee Michael Galliard to form C&G Group, a home-building side business.
“Michael had this great idea for developing and designing houses here in Springfield,” Chamberlain said. “I think it will be very successful. We are trying to help give a strong establishment that also resembles some elegance (for) homes that won’t cost a fortune.”