Carson City is Nevada’s biggest light industry manufacturing base. The city houses many electronics, machinery, and transportation manufacturers, as well as plastics and rubber and chemical manufacturing companies. Most of these companies are based in the city’s Airport Industrial Park. Many manufacturers have chosen the city as their base for its convenient location and transportation system as well as its favorable weather conditions.
As the city continues to grow, the five industrial architects on this list are ready to assist companies that have chosen Carson for their base. These architects are experts in a range of services, including interior design, master planning, and construction administration. Most of these architects produce sustainable designs. All award-winning, these architects are respected by their peers, clients, and the media.
TSK Architects
225 S Arlington Avenue, Suite A, Reno, NV 89501
Named the 2020 Architecture Firm of the Year by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Nevada, TSK Architects has maintained a solid reputation in the industry for over 62 years. Established in 1960, this multi-awarded firm places excellence and sustainability at the forefront of its services. The firm provides its top-notch architecture, interior design, programming, and construction administration services to Nevada and beyond. With offices in Nevada, California, and China, the firm has made a name in and out of the US. Publications such as the Environmental Design + Construction Magazine, The Engineering News-Record, and Architect Magazine have featured the firm.
Crucial in delivering excellence is outstanding leadership. Windom Kimsey serves as the company’s president and CEO, succeeding award-winning leaders. With his impressive credentials, Kimsey proves he is the right man for the job. A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) and a LEED Accredited Professional, Kimsey leads by example in producing quality design solutions. Like his predecessors, he has received many awards, including the AIA Nevada Silver Medal in 2007.
The firm’s impressive portfolio includes a Starbucks Carson Valley Distribution Center located in Minden, Nevada. The firm helped expand the coffee brand’s plant and consolidated two off-site warehouses that span 750,000 additional square feet—space that has proven crucial in increasing the company’s production efficiency. Staying true to its commitment to sustainable methods, the firm employed natural lighting and LED fixtures.
H+K Architects
5485 Reno Corporate Drive, Suite 100, Reno, NV 89511
Established in 1994, H+K Architects specializes in aviation facilities. Based in Reno, the firm’s expertise in aviation is a testament to how it handles complex projects. The firm practices exceptional construction administration and impressive cost and schedule management skills. This is why many companies and institutions trust the firm, enabling it to accomplish over 600 public projects within 28 years.
One of the firm’s best is the Repair Maintenance Hangar for the Nevada Air National Guard. For its exceptional renovation of a six-decade-old facility, the firm received the United States Air Force Design & Construction Award in the Merit Award Facility Design Category in 2011. The firm showcased its expertise in including mechanical and electrical systems in the design. The firm also added a command suite, a classroom, and a shop and support space for the facility. To complement other buildings in the area, the firm designed the facility’s exterior façade with insulated metal wall panels and concrete masonry veneer.
The firm is also a specialist in distribution centers, maintenance facilities, and other commercial projects. Leading the firm’s outstanding services are principals Max Hershenow and Jeff Klippenstein, both AIA members. Under their guidance, the firm has been noticed by the press. The Reno Gazette-Journal, The Engineering News-Record, and Southwest Contractor Magazine have all featured the firm’s work.
Tectonics Design Group
730 Sandhill Road, Suite 250, Reno, NV 89521
Winner of the 2017 NAIOP Design Team of the Year in the Northern Nevada Summit Awards, Tectonics Design Group offers insightful design solutions to clients throughout the west. Specializing in industrial, warehouse, and manufacturing projects, this 17-year-old firm has architects and engineers providing smart, highly-efficient designs. These experts are experienced in designing distribution, maintenance, and mixed-use facilities as well.
One of the firm’s biggest industrial projects is Conco Companies. The firm provided architecture and structural and civil engineering services for the project. Located in Tahoe Reno Industrial Center, the 2.6 million square feet facility features four buildings. Given an elevated site adjacent to the road, the firm created a smart solution by incorporating a retaining wall in the design. The facility’s layout is simple and functional, improving site flow and efficiency in the company’s day-to-day operations. The entire building is surrounded by open parking spaces that provide ease of access and transport.
The firm’s exceptional projects have graced the pages of The Reno Gazette-Journal, The Las Vegas Review-Journal, and REBusinessOnline. Founded in 2005, the company is led by Barrett Donovan and Matt Rasmussen. Donovan, LEED AP, is a University of Nevada alumnus with more than 23 years of industry experience. Rasmussen is a Washington State University graduate with over 16 years of experience in the field.
JK Architecture & Engineering
1311 N. McCarran Blvd., Suite 103, Sparks, NV 89431
Serving northern Nevada and northern California for almost four decades, JK Architecture and Engineering is a multi-disciplinary firm specializing in a range of services that includes architecture, civil engineering, and structural engineering. JKAE has a history of award-winning designs both locally and nationally, including 13 DBIA awards in the last four years alone, as well as the Learning by Design – Outstanding Project Award in 2021. Its industry excellence is a result of the collaboration of the firm’s outstanding partners—Jordan Knighton, Derek Labrecque, and Chris Vicencio. All AIA and National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) members, these partners produce environment-friendly, highly-efficient design solutions.
Knighton—an architecture graduate from the University of Southern California—has worked on many LEED-certified projects and is recognized for landmark buildings from complex college and institutional facilities to resort and personalized residences. His insight and dedication to sensitive and eloquent design solutions have navigated the firm’s success and recognition for sustainable design leadership. His work integrates architecture, culture and sense of place through a journey of creative innovation and thoughtful collaboration.
Labrecque and Vicencio are both LEED accredited professionals. Labrecque is a graduate of Roger Williams University with over 25 years of expertise in project management, design, and planning. Derek understands the importance of collaborative planning and community outreach in defining a vision beyond the initial preconceptions. A California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo alumnus, Vicencio has more than 30 years of industry experience specializing in commercial and educational architecture and planning. Chris places a strong emphasis on client interaction and satisfaction and is most proud of projects that benefit the local community. As principals of the firm, they provide leadership and experience that is highly valued by their clients.
Established in 1984, JK Architecture Engineering has consistently exhibited stellar performance for almost four decades. One of its exceptional regional projects is the new Plumas Bank branch office in Tahoe City. Built in collaboration between JK Architecture Engineering and GLA Morris Construction, the project features a non-traditional bank design with an open, welcoming atmosphere. This new space, which was a historic downtown Tahoe City bank remodel, opened in April 2020 and offers personalized service with a focus on community connection. Comfortable work areas are available for clients to meet with their universal banker for personal and business banking needs. Additionally, the bank features a 1,200 sq. ft. community gathering and virtual co-work room, a 10-person community conference room and a coffee bar/kitchenette.
Frame Architecture, Inc.
4090 South McCarran Boulevard, Suite E, Reno, NV 89502
Featured by the Nevada Business Magazine, Frame Architecture lets its projects speak for itself. Specializing in industrial, commercial, and residential projects, the firm features each of its flawlessly executed outputs on its website. Established in 2002, the company has built many breweries, restaurants, and finance and religious facilities as well.
One of the firm’s complex projects in Carson City is Click Bond Building 51. Accomplished in partnership with Shaheen Beauchamp Builders LLC, this 10,000-square-foot renovation project features highly-efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. A non-geothermal ground source system is included in the design, a first of its kind in the city. The project’s sustainable features also include LED lighting, contributing to the facility’s efficient energy use. Frame Architecture, Inc. also worked with Paul Ferrari, Manhard Consulting, RHP Mechanical, and Paradigm Electric to complete the project.
The firm is owned by Jeff Frame, a University of Utah master’s degree holder. Frame is an expert in construction and project management, as well as green building. Under his guidance, the firm won various awards including the 2014 Builders Association of Northern Nevada BANN-ER Awards for Best Commercial Project in the Over $2,000,000 category.
