The essence of serving by design
Published Nov. 14, 2024
"Now in Sapulpa, we have a closer and more immediate impact with our community, and we see the fruits of that labor."
Since its October 2009 start, Reed Architecture and Interiors completed 100+ large and small projects. Its consistent high-quality work through those 15 years earned RAI a strong reputation for delivering innovative designs that meet client goals, schedules, and resources.
Some of their creative efforts – Tulsa Public School arenas at the Booker T. Washington, Memorial, and Edison campuses, for example, and the addition to Putnam City's original high school – became beloved community landmarks. Many projects – like the athletic village and courtyard at Putnam City West High School, or Tulsa’s East Central and McLain high school arenas – demonstrated Reed Architecture’s ability to overcome difficult site and infrastructure problems to exceed their diverse user needs while staying within their budgets.
But none of these projects proved as impactful as Reed Architecture’s 2020 move to downtown Sapulpa, OK. That building purchase and renovation, made as COVID shook the U.S. economy to its foundation, saw RAI evolve from a growing service provider to a vibrant community leader.
“In Tulsa, we were one architectural firm among many,” noted David Reed, principal and founder of Reed Architecture and Interiors. “We supported a lot of things and did many community projects, but we didn’t make a significant impact beyond our blueprints and renderings for our community. Now in Sapulpa, we have a closer and more immediate impact with our community, and we see the fruits of that labor. We can meet our mission, to serve by design, in a very impactful and visible way.”
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Graphic Designer Sophia Ramirez is painting a 15th-anniversary mural in the entryway to Sapulpa’s Reed Architecture and Interiors, which opened as David Reed Architecture in October 2009. Ramirez hopes to complete the artwork this weekend, in plenty of time for Reed Architecture’s anniversary and holiday celebrations. David Reed, RAI founder and principal, expects to enter the new year with this colorful treasure. “Who knows?” he said with a smile. “We may leave it up until October 2025!”
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Since its 2020 move to 18. E. Hobson Ave., Reed Architecture:
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Became an active partner in downtown preservation and improvement efforts by the City of Sapulpa, Sapulpa Main Street, the Sapulpa Chamber of Commerce, the Salvation Army of Creek County, the Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum, and other organizations. RAI became the project manager of the city’s downtown master plan, designing improvement efforts and overseeing their construction through bond funds approved in 2020.
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Supports a wide variety of Sapulpa Public School projects. First among them, RAI is designing extensive SPS campus and sports facilities that will play guiding roles in educating Sapulpa leaders for decades to come.
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Offers hands-on assistance to downtown Sapulpa marketing events, from funding and design to implementation and clean-up. For example, RAI team members volunteered hundreds of hours to set up, operate, and take down different elements in the first two Route 66 Christmas Chute extravaganzas.
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Buys many of its supplies and services from Sapulpa businesses. Its team members often eat at downtown restaurants and shop at downtown retailers, improving their cash flow, revenues, and tax collections. Almost half of the RAI staff now live in Sapulpa to be closer to work and participate in community activities.
“They’ve just melded with everybody in this town,” said Sapulpa Chamber of Commerce President Janet Birnie. “They’re not just some big architectural firm. They want to be a part of this community. They want to make everything better. And it’s not just monetarily. It’s actually being out there, doing the hard work, and people appreciate it.”
Reed attributed some of this to partner Gary Sparks’ 2020 retirement as RAI bought its downtown Sapulpa home.
“In our early years, Gary provided much of our vision while I oversaw daily operations,” said Reed. “Gary was very good at that. When he stepped away, it fell upon me to be the visionary. That caused me to take stock of what I do and why I do it. And that came as I hit the big 5-0, which also brings about a great deal of self-reflection. Realizing at this stage of life, when you see fewer days ahead in your career than behind, well, it made me think about how I can be more intentional and impactful in serving my community. It helped me put into focus our core values and our mission.
“Our goal has always been to serve our clients, team members, consultants, and most of all, our community,” said Reed. “That’s what we mean by ‘serve by design.’ But it wasn’t until we moved here, to Sapulpa, that we were able to see such impactful opportunities with almost immediate results.”
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These became visible as Reed Architecture and Interiors started renovating its 1907-era home. Working under COVID’s shadow, David Reed did much of the work himself, with his kids and dad lending a hand. RAI’s inventive efforts to preserve the building’s character while injecting state-of-the-art capabilities allowed that historic structure to comfortably house its 15+ team members, with room for growth.
“That was important,” said Cindy Lawrence, Sapulpa Main Street executive director. “That building had not had full occupancy in 30 to 40 years.”
Brean Fowler appreciated how Reed Architecture preserved the building’s iconic mural while restoring its bricked-filled windows. She said RAI kept a similar eye on historic details with its other downtown projects.
“David has a deep interest in making our town better,” said Fowler, who serves as the Sapulpa Main Street secretary while operating the Tulsa-Sapulpa Union Railway. “You can see that in everything he does. If you need any help, you can ask him, because you know he’s going to do everything he can to assist you. He’s got the biggest heart to help with anything you need.”
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This goes beyond actively supporting organizations with vested downtown interests. RAI and its team members promote Sapulpa while participating in a wide variety of regional and statewide organizations. Reed Architecture maintains an active social media presence, and its articles, photos, and press releases tout the community’s many successes among those audiences. Reed team members display RAI and Sapulpa hats, shirts, scarves, cups, and other memorabilia at work and play. And Reed Architecture cheers on every person and organization working to build a better community and state.
“Everybody working there participates in our community,” said Birnie. “They might be on different boards and committees, but they actively participate in our town in so many ways. And they are so approachable! People can talk to them if they have any concerns or ideas on a project, and the Reed people actually listen and talk to you. It’s wonderful!”
Reed Architecture and Interiors is a full-service architecture and interior design firm with extensive experience in educational, athletic, recreational, civic, commercial, and religious projects. To learn more about this Historic Downtown Sapulpa company, check out reed-architects.com or call David Reed at (918) 884-6007.