Boise-based COLE Architects has finalized a merger with Bend firm DKA Architecture & Design. The move will expand both firms’ service capabilities and allow them to better meet the needs of their clients. Both locations will retain their existing personnel and will operate as COLE Architects under one ownership team.
“These are two exceptional groups of individuals and the merging of abilities promises an exciting new chapter for all of us,” says Matt Huffield, president and managing partner at COLE Architects. “Our goal is that everyone in our firm finds satisfaction in their work and continues to stretch their abilities.”
The partnership will be mutually beneficial for both firms, which share a similar portfolio, industry experience and culture. “DKA’s principals share a personal commitment to creating architecture that embodies the unique qualities of a given urban and regional context,” explains DKA cofounder and principal John Kvapil. “And because COLE Architects is nearly identical to DKA in qualifications, design horsepower and aesthetic approach to architecture, we see this as a positive development in that it affords us greater flexibility to focus on what we do best.”
In 2020, COLE Architects celebrated 25 years in business. Over the years, the firm has attracted a diversity of talent, backgrounds and expertise that lends itself to a collaborative environment and well-balanced work. Its personnel of 18 is composed of ten licensed architects, an interior design team, marketing director, administrative staff and architectural interns — several of whom sit on local design boards and regional service boards.
DKA was founded in Bend in 2000 by architects Phil Doza and John Kvapil, and the firm has been the architects on many local landmark projects including the Tower Theatre Renovation, Deschutes Brewery and Public House, Trinity Episcopal Church Reconstruction, St. Thomas Catholic Church, the AAA Building, the Kendall Bend Audi/Porsche/BMW facility, the Aquatic Center at Sunriver Resort and AmeriTitle Buildings in the region.
Moving forward, Huffield envisions COLE Architects “maintaining our local and regional influence and focusing on doing what’s right — whether that means being true to design and materials, creating a harmonious work environment for our employees or focusing on important sustainability and environmental issues.”
