MARLON BLACKWELL ARCHITECTS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant
- Education / University of Arkansas
Brandi joined Marlon Blackwell Architects in early 2024. She began her professional career working as an executive and personal assistant to the Founder and Creative Director of a local Event Planning & Design Firm. In the 8 years she spent at the company, she served in a variety of significant roles gaining invaluable insights and expertise in administrative, logistic, communication and managerial duties.
Her exceptional communication and organization skills, complimented by her positive attitude and calm demeanor prove her to be a vital asset to the partners and other members of the leadership team.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Education Committee
Job Titles:
- Marketing Manager
- Education
Bruce Wagar has a diverse background of experiences involving broadcast journalism, video production, graphic design, architectural wayfinding and professional marketing. While earning his journalism degree, he spent time as an on-air reporter for a local NBC television station as well as covering the news for a NPR affiliate. Included in his experience was stories at the State of Missouri capitol as well as in San Diego for the 1996 Republican National Convention in which he was able to interview then Governor, George W. Bush. Bruce also performed video production for a private company that included traveling across the US as well as western and eastern Europe.
After transitioning to the architecture community, Bruce has extensive experience handling the marketing for national firms as well as designing wayfinding signage and graphics. This included projects at several NCAA campuses and professional ballparks including Wrigley Field, Spectrum Center (Charlotte, NC) and Smoothie King Center (New Orleans, LA). His journalism background has helped him create engaging designs so architecture firms can more effectively share their relevant stories through words and images. Bruce thrives on developing systems which allow teams to be more organized-enabling them to increase their impact.
He is well versed in integrated marketing strategies involving print and digital communications with extensive experience in Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office and Deltek Ajera. This facilitates his design of proposals, as well as social media campaigns and company websites. Outside of work, Bruce has extensive volunteering and leadership experience with Boy Scouts of America as well as the churches he's attended.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Member of the Education Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Education Committee
- Education
Carley spent her final year of undergraduate school at Auburn University's Rural Studio, where as a part of a team of four students she worked to design and build a home whose spatial quality and materiality responded to the spatial, social, and financial landscapes of Hale County, Alabama. Wishing to continue exploring the influence of place on the built environment, following graduation she left her home state to work for nonprofit firm 100 Fold Studio designing community-forward projects in Lakeside, Montana, followed by a period of time working for MASS Design Group to design healthcare projects in Kigali, Rwanda. She returned to the American South to join Marlon Blackwell Architects in early 2020, drawn by the firm's celebration of local materials and forms, the pursuit of truth in abstraction, all the while still finding a particular beauty in hen houses and grain silos of Arkansas.
Ethan joined Marlon Blackwell Architects in February of 2019. Prior to MBA, Ethan worked at the University of Arkansas Community Design Center and Wheeler Kearns Architects. Ethan received a Master of Architecture and a Bachelor in Design Arts from Drury University, where he was awarded the Librarium Thesis Prize and the Founders Medal for academic achievement. While in school, Ethan served as a teaching assistant in the second-year studio and a fabrication lab technician in both the digital and wood fabrication labs.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Member of the Education Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Education Committee
- Senior Associate
- Education
Growing up in the Ozarks, Josh's love for the outdoors has created a deep desire to understand the harmony that can be created between the natural & built world. For Josh, the development of this understanding is ex-ecuted through conscious relationships, even if subtle, from the first concept sketches to the completion of a project. From school to the professional setting, his work has hinged on this philosophy.
Josh's work at the University of Arkansas was centered on design build with an exploration of weaving build-ings with their surrounding ecologies. In 2009 Josh participated in the U of A's Modular home design build program as well as Ghost Lab 12 with Brian Mackay Lyons & Peter Stutchbury. For his final year of work at the U of A. Josh was recognized by receiving The John G. Williams Medal for Design Excellence.
Upon Graduating in 2011, he joined Eskew+Dumez+Ripple (2014 AIA Architecture Firm Recipient) and has overseen projects in all phases of design, from programming to construction administration and LEED documentation. Projects Josh worked on include; New Orleans East Hospital Chapel, New Orleans East Hospital, McDonogh 42 Elementary School and General Informatics Headquarters. Several of the designs carried out for EDR were honored with awards from the AIA and ENR.
In 2016, Josh left New Orleans to design an exhibit for the Venice Biennale. Upon completion of the exhibit's design, he joined Marlon Blackwell Architects.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Education Committee
- Senior Associate
- Education
Since joining Marlon Blackwell Architects in 2012, Justin has worked through all phases of the design and construction process, from conceptual design to construction administration, on project types ranging from residential to institutional work. His role in the office includes project design and management.
Justin grew up in rural Indiana where he spent his spare time working in his father's cabinetry shop, an activity that informed his interest making, construction, and architecture. After completing his undergraduate work in 2005, he worked in a fine concrete fabrication shop in Charlottesville, Virginia, overseeing the production of concrete countertops, bathtubs, vanities, and more from design to installation. His thesis project at the University of Virginia focused on the design of house through the exploration and synthesis of three types of construction systems: in-situ concrete, structural steel framing, and wood framing. Justin used iterative, material focused model making complemented by hybrid drawings techniques to form the foundation of the thesis's design process.
After earning his Masters of Architecture in 2011, Justin moved to the Ozarks to teach at the University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture + Design. During his tenure as a Visiting Assistant Professor, he taught introductory design studios (1st year and 2nd year) and assisted in the Design-Build program. Justin lectured frequently on the topic of making and representation in architecture. In the Spring of 2015, he co-taught a seminar focused on hybrid drawing techniques as a means of representation in the design process and continues to give workshops and contribute to design reviews at the School. In addition to the University of Arkansas, he has been a visiting critic at the University of Virginia, the University of Cincinnati, and Kansas State University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Education Committee
- Education
Katherine joined Marlon Blackwell Architects in November 2021, returning to Northwest Arkansas after spending five years in Little Rock, Arkansas. During her time in Little Rock, Katherine worked at Fennell Purifoy Architects acting as project architect on a wide range of project types including corporate, civic, higher education, and private residences. She is also an active member of AIA Arkansas, serving on the Emerging Professionals Committee, Executive Committee as Associate Director, and Public Relations Committee. Katherine's passion for empowering emerging professionals has shaped her overall outlook on the profession of architecture, and she helped launch AIA Arkansas's MERGE Mentorship Program in 2021.
Katherine's time at the University of Arkansas's Fay Jones School of Architecture + Design featured several studios which emphasized hand drawing and urban studies, including the Mexico and Rome urban studios. Katherine also served as a technical assistant in the school's fabrication shop, further sparking her interest for material exploration especially as it pertains to texture and pattern. This interest in texture and pattern continue to influence and inspire both her artistic endeavors and architectural work.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Member of the Education Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Education Committee
- Education / Master of Architecture, 2014
Matthew joined the team at Marlon Blackwell Architects after eight years of living and practicing in both Missouri and Mississippi. He received a Master of Architecture from Kansas State University where he participated in award-winning Design+Make Studio taught by el dorado. His professional portfolio spans a wide range of scales, typologies, and locations; with many of these projects being recognized with design excellence awards from local and regional American Institute of Architects' components.
Matthew is expertly curious and has a keen ability to listen and integrate new information into design. For Matt, making buildings is a patient search, seeking design excellence in every space and detail. His ability to research, experiment, and define the most economical and durable solutions contributes great quality to every project.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Education Committee
- Education
Michael joined the team at Marlon Blackwell Architects in June 2022 after practicing in Knoxville, Tennessee for almost fourteen years. During his time in Knoxville Michael worked for Sanders Pace Architecture where he led the design of a wide range of project types, from single-family homes to complex adaptive reuse development projects. Michael was the lead designer on many of the firm's award-winning projects, including the Loghaven Artist Residency, which received an AIA National Architecture Award in 2021. In total, his work at Sanders Pace Architecture was recognized with over 30 awards for design excellence at the local, regional, and national levels.
Michael is committed to developing thoughtful and engaging designs that respond to both the programmatic needs of the client and the surrounding context of the given project. Central to his design approach a sensitivity to place. Michael's interest in place began in college at the University of Tennessee, culminating in self-directed research focused on strategies for adapting obsolete sites. This interest was further informed by the numerous adaptive reuse and rehabilitation projects that Michael worked on early in his career. He is dedicated to making architecture that responds to the histories, traditions, and contexts of the places in which he works. Informed by a research-driven approach that critically investigates these conditions, Michael leverages these factors to develop innovative and inspiring design solutions that are rooted in an understanding of place.
In addition to practice, Michael has been an adjunct lecturer at the University of Tennessee. His most recent studio was focused on a series of projects located within Knoxville's Urban Wilderness, allowing the students to draw inspiration from the various networks and landscapes that exist in this area. He has been a visiting critic at the University of Memphis, the University of Tennessee, Clemson University, and Kansas State University. Michael is also an active member in the American Institute of Architects. He has served on the Board of Directors of AIA East Tennessee and AIA Tennessee, and has been involved in numerous committees at the local and state level. In 2021 he served as the President of AIA East Tennessee.
In 2021 he was a recipient of the AIA Young Architects Award, which honors individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and made significant contributions to the architecture profession early in their careers. He is a registered architect in the state of Tennessee.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Education Committee
- Adjunct Professor at Florida International University
- Education
Job Titles:
- Architect
- Member of the Education Committee
- Education
Ryan joined Marlon Blackwell Architects in early 2019 after spending 12 years practicing high-performance design in Kansas City with firms BNIM and Gould Evans. His time at BNIM included a 4-year collaboration with Steven Holl Architects on the Princeton University Lewis Center for the Arts, where Ryan played a leading role in the design and construction of a highly sophisticated building envelope.
Ryan became a licensed Architect in 2010, and his experience ranges from single family residences to large office buildings. Over the years, he has developed a focus on building envelope design and construction. One of Ryan's greatest sources of inspiration is how buildings respond to the effects of wind, water, and sunlight, and how these elements can be leveraged to elevate design.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Member of the Education Committee
Scott Kervin joined Marlon Blackwell Architects after graduating from the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design in Spring 2017. Prior to receiving his architectural education at University of Arkansas, Scott served six years in the United States Air Force and then worked as a mechanical designer for an engineering firm. During his time in military service, he earned an Airframe & Powerplant certification for his work as an aircraft mechanic, which he then correlated into his career as a mechanical designer. He attributes his background in maintaining and designing complex machinery to his development of design understanding. While attending Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, he received accolades that include winning a design/build pavilion for the Hillberry music festival, honorable mention awards for his work on a portable seat competition and a beach pavilion for the summer Olympics in Rio, and was a finalist for the Lamborghini Road Monument in Bologna, Italy. He currently enjoys spending his free time on drawings, design competitions, and riding his bicycle.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Member of the Education Committee
- Company 's Director of Technology
- Education
Spencer joined Marlon Blackwell Architects in the spring of 2014 following graduation from the University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture. Since joining the firm, Spencer has worked through all phases of projects at different scales. Currently Spencer works as a Project Manager for MBA, having managed a broad range of project types from private residences, education facilities, mixed-used, and a hospitality campus.
At Marlon Blackwell Architects, Spencer also serves as the company's Director of Technology. This role requires expertise in the management and implementation of all business technology operations.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Education Committee
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Member of the Education Committee