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David CockrillAIA LEED AP- CEO

Bigger than life with a heart of gold, nobody approaches life with any more gusto than David. He’s a strategic thinker with a fierce competitive streak, wore the “ORANGE” for Coach Mears during the Vol’s championship years of the mid to late 1970’s, and was the first and only varsity athlete to graduate from UT’s architecture program. He loves his family, firm and friends; believes that a bad day on a deer stand, boat, trail or bicycle seat beats the heck out of a good day almost anywhere else. Read More

Don ShellAIA- Chairman of the Board

Don loves planning and architecture but he would just as soon be on the golf course. He uses the game for both recreation and marketing. But don’t expect him to let you win! His competitive nature comes from school days when he played basketball, football and baseball. He even competed against Steve Spurrier, and did quite well, thank you very much. Don is a visionary and “big picture” thinker and leads the company toward appropriate futures that will benefit our clients as well as our company. Read More

Bill VinsonAIA- President

Poor Bill just can’t get away with much. His son is a Baptist minister, and so Bill has to be good because he knows if he doesn’t, he’ll show up in his son’s sermons as the example of what not to do! Bill has directed document production at the company for decades, and his leadership helped the company be the first in East Tennessee to use computers for design and production of large-scale projects. That direction led to the firm’s use of 3D modeling on projects in both architecture and engineering. Read More

Margaret BackhurstAIA LEED AP- Director of Design

Whew !…..red-head personified, whirlwind of creative energy and talent, strong-willed and determined, lover of good causes…makes a great, great friend; farm girl turned architect – she’s at home in the country or with your CEO. Her hand and talents are evident in every nuance of the firm’s design personality. Read More

Aaron Miller

Ronald Aaron Miller, alias RAM, personifies his driving, tireless work ethic and pursuit of making good things happen for friends, family and firm. With 14 years of experience in managing projects of various types and sizes, he brings “hands-on” knowledge to each project with a background in construction. A notorious member of the Dirty Dozen….keeps a pirate ship moored in his back yard…or maybe it’s an ark?

Alex Stinchcomb

An avid adventurer and thrill seeker, Alex has traversed most of the known world courtesy of the US Navy. When he isn’t out trekking the world he is still working. He is currently pursuing his bachelor of architecture at the University of Tennessee.

Amanda Gann

As a Native Nashvillian, Amanda became an apprentice to her jack-of-all-trades father from a young age, eagerly helping with everything from herding cattle to swinging a hammer. Five years ago, she made Knoxville her home as she studied architecture at UT, graduating in May of 2012. Passionate about the entire realm of design, Amanda posits herself in the doorway that separates the interior from the exterior, always searching for astonishing details. After immersion into the spiritual landscape of Sweden and work of Aalto in Finland, the feeling of red clay bricks and birch bark is still embedded in her fingertips.

Chris OgleAIA

Chris and his wife Gina have five grown children and two grandchildren. Chris is a leader in his church as well as his company. His strong values and high standard of ethics have helped guide company policies for three decades.

Daniel Olberding

As a recent graduate from the University of Tennessee College of Architecture and Design, Daniel quickly realized Knoxville is the place to be. With a strong passion for the community, his enthusiasm in architecture stems from how our community interacts within the built environment. Outside of the design field, he spends time enjoying nature through the glimpse of a runner.

Don LaneRA

Don works as an architect, but he really makes his living off his several rental properties. If you need a cottage in the Smokies for the weekend, Don is the man to see. His 40-plus years in document production and construction administration make Don a key person in the firm’s excellent reputation of producing documents that work and are cost effective.

Gururas KhalsaLEED AP

Dancer, sailor, scuba diver, beautiful inside and out; she’s our valedictorian. Eager to pursue a career in architecture from a very young age, she continues to be passionate about all phases of the design process. She juggles career, role as wife and Mom, and her continued involvement in dance. College nickname “GudaCad” was deservedly earned as the fastest “draw(er)” around.

Henry WelchPE

At 6’-7’ and 200 “none of your business” pounds, Henry stands heads above most of the other staffers. But that won’t hold him back for a second getting on his hands and knees to play with his favorite (and only) granddaughter Kathleen. Henry has headed his own engineering firm as well as his own mechanical contracting firm in years past. This experience makes him one of the most experienced mechanical engineers in the state and a proud part of our organization.

Jeff Robinson

Jeff not only does all the electrical design for the office, he also does all the electrical installations and repairs for the office and several of the staff’s homes! But the biggest “shock” is that he shoots in the 70’s in golf! (Don Shell always sees to it that he’s on his team on company outings.) Jeff also worked for several engineering firms before coming “home” to be with us.

Larry StognerRA

Larry is known nationally for his award-winning boxer bulldogs, which he trains and shows across the country. He has had several national winners through the years. And, with several trained boxers on the premises, he doesn’t have to worry about burglars either! Larry is a client pleaser as well. He has been the company lead in our work with the United Stated Postal Service, who has been a client of the company for three decades, primarily due to Larry’s skills and abilities.

Lauren Rogers

A Chattanooga girl, Lauren graduated from UT in 2010 where she shared her passion for innovative, sustainable design as a leader on the University’s Solar Decathlon project. She loves traveling, painting and spending time downtown.

Patrick R. CoreAIA

A Knoxville native, Patrick graduated with honors in 2005 from UT, where he was a finalist for the Tau Sigma Delta bronze metal. He has experience in all phases of design in educational, medical, and adaptive re-use / renovation projects. He also likes working on his old house (most of the time).

Paul McCall

Paul has spent 17 years as a designer, project manager, construction administrator, design instructor at the University of Tennessee’s College of Architecture + Design and is an advocate of regional modernism. One of three architect couples in our firm, Paul and Tarra are well on their way in the development of their own home studio with baby girls Aislin and Kimbell. Paul can be counted on to nap while riding “shotgun” on all business trips…deserving every precious minute.

Roy PainterPE

Roy married one of the first women to be in NASA’s astronaut program. Even after all these years, he still thinks she is “out of this world,” but she may lose her seat on the throne soon now that his first grandbaby arrived. Roy’s background is very diverse, having worked for over 25 years for TVA and additional years at other engineering companies before coming to help our company with its electrical needs.

Rushika Patel

Currently pursuing her bachelor of architecture at the University of Tennessee, Rushika comes to us from a very diverse background. She has spent a majority of her life in Africa where she grew up, and also completed an internship in her hometown in Ahmadabad, India. Her extensive travel opportunities have played a great role in her development as a designer.

Tiffany Epps

As the business manager, Tiffany has over 20 years of experience and works closely with the firm principals to oversee day-to-day activities. Married with four sons, she enjoys traveling across the U.S. and abroad, camping with family. In a word she’s resourceful…..as a business manager and Mom. She’s nothing short of amazing as to how much she can accomplish with so little for her “home” and “office” families.

Todd Sparks

From working in New York while he studied interiors at Harding University to his recent graduation from UT’s Master of Architecture program, Todd’s education and experience has prepared him to do what he enjoys most: design. When it comes to architecture, Todd’s focus is on responding to the cultural and physical nuances of each place, though this sensitivity to setting hasn’t kept him from cheering on his beloved Memphis Tigers in the heart of Vol Country.