A major city bordering Kentucky and Indiana, Louisville is known for its active trade and commerce. It is considered an industrial, commercial, and shipping center, supporting its highly operational trading industry. Additionally, the city has posted positive growth in its employment rate these recent years. This feat proves that as Louisville economically improves further, more people land jobs, and more new businesses are sprouting within the area. Given the budget-friendly rental costs and housing expenses, most residents own their houses. Although the city gives off a suburban vibe, it contains everything a major city can offer. This makes it an ideal place for single professionals and growing families. The list below contains eight of the best industrial architects in Louisville, Kentucky.


Sherman Carter Barnhart Architects, PLLC

9300 Shelbyville Rd. Suite 502, Louisville, KY 40222

Sherman Carter Barnhart Architects is a regional company serving customers since 1979, including the P-12 education, higher education, multi-family housing, government, and civic markets. The firm, with offices in Lexington, Louisville & Paducah fosters a collaborative environment to provide innovative designs that contribute to the communities they serve.

Thinking and creating outside of the box fuels the company’s desire to create unique designs. Sherman Carter Barnhart specializes in creating inviting, sustainable, and productive spaces through design efficiencies. The Principal in Charge of the Industrial, multi-family housing, higher education and civic studios is Mike Smith. Mike was a member of the 2007 Leadership Lexington & 2009 Leadership Kentucky classes & is an active advocate of the American Cancer Society organizations.


JRA Architects

829 East Market St. Suite B, Louisville, KY 40206

JRA Architects is an architectural firm that specializes in design and project planning and has been in the business for seventy-six years. JRA Architects attribute its fruitful history and successful years to its clients. With its customers as the core of the company, the firm diligently works  to improve the lives of customers who occupy its spaces. The firm promotes client inclusivity through its hands-on interactive design process. This approach enables JRA Architects to involve the clients’ needs at every step of the design and building journey, initializing deeper conversations and building genuine partnerships.

JRA Architects was officially incorporated under its current name in 1973 and is currently regarded as one of the industry’s largest and most respected firms. In the firm’s long course of doing business, JRA Architects ensures that it exceeds customer expectations and delivers outputs of the best value. Its project portfolio comprises different works in different sectors of the construction industry. Also, the firm was awarded numerous awards from various architectural institutions and awarding bodies these past few years. This 2022, it was awarded the 2022 Multifamily Award from ICF Builder Awards for its work at the University of Louisville Belknap Residence Hall.


Donhoff Kargl Nall Architects

716 East Market St. Louisville, KY 40202

Certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Board, Donhoff Kargl Nall Architects is an AIA and LEED-accredited firm registered to operate in thirty-eight country states. Having registered to conduct operations in more than half of the US states, the firm has completed several projects across North America. In addition to general architectural service offerings, Donhoff Kargl Nall also provides LEED consulting and masterplanning services, distinguishing it from its competitors. It has developed a varied client base composed of major corporations, public and private developers, government authorities, religious institutions, and educational and cultural sectors. 

Donhoff Kargl Nall is under the management of its CEO, Rob Donhoff. Rob finished his bachelor’s degree in architecture at the University of Kentucky and his master’s degree in architecture at the prestigious Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. Rob, together with his team of equally-skilled and incredible professionals, continues to deliver Donhoff Kargl Nall Architects’ promise of exceptional and quality architectural services. Last 2019, two of DKN’s projects were listed as finalists for the Commercial Real Estate Champions Award.


Bayus-Design Works

1901 Commonwealth CT Ste A, Louisville, KY 40299

Headquartered in Louisville, Bayus-Design Works is an architectural firm that offers full-service architectural services coupled with non-traditional architectural service offerings. The firm’s services also involve external engineering resources and providing reports and inspections for construction financing purposes. Since its establishment in 1981, the company continues to adopt a responsible customer service approach,  centered on providing clients with designs of value, at a budget-friendly price and within the specified time frame. 

The firm has actively participated in different industry-specific organizations and committees throughout the years. These memberships were made possible through the firm’s president, Anthony Bayus. Tony still plays an active role in various associations, such as the AIA ( Board Member and Chapter President; 1985), Kentucky Society of Architects (Board Member; 1986), and City of Anchorage Commission (Commission member; at present). Through these memberships and affiliations, Bayus-Design Works continues to meet some of the industry’s top professionals, which it can outsource for select client requests and projects.


Architectural Investments, Inc.

222 S 1st St. Suite 206 Louisville, KY 40202

With a long list of service offerings, Architectural Investments, Inc. is a two-decade-old AIA-accredited architectural firm specializing in all facets of architecture. The firm’s menu of services ranges from basic design-build to more complex service requests like end-to-end construction planning and management. Part of its end-to-end service involves predevelopment feasibility studies and the facilitation of construction documents during and after project construction. Together with its competent, efficient, and creative teams of professionals, Architectural Investments, Inc. gives exceptional, holistic, and complete architectural service packages to its customers. 

Today, the firm services the cities of Jackson and Louisville and some areas in the state of Indiana. Its President, Kevin Burns, a registered professional architect in twenty-six states, is also its founding architect. He has twenty-five years of unique architecture background, especially in financial Pro-forma analyses and master planning projects. Under Kevin’s leadership, Architectural Investments Inc. consistently performs with quality and excellence. In 2020, the firm received an Excellence Award awarded by NAIOP.


Keyes Architects & Associates, PLLC

4717 Preston Hwy. Louisville, KY 40213

Founded on the strong desire to build client partnerships, Keyes Architects & Associates PLLC is a full-service architectural company in Louisville, Kentucky. It provides projects in almost all markets, including emergency services. The firm was established in March 1991, and for more than twenty-nine years, it has completed approximately 3,800 projects with costs valued from $15,000.00 to $14,800,000.00. Most of the firm’s projects are in Louisville, but it also serves surrounding areas of Radcliffe, West Point, Elizabethtown, Burkesville, and Bardstown. In addition, some of Keyes Architects & Associates, PLLC. projects were featured in different columns and magazines like The Business Journals and The Lane Report. 

The company was founded and is currently under the leadership of Charles J. Keyes III. Charles, a University of Kentucky alumnus with a national certification with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, established the goals and working philosophy of the firm. Having participated in various civic organizations, Charles’ strong sense of volunteerism and eagerness to help have been reflected and practiced within the firm. This gives birth to the firm’s primary goal of developing a more hands-on and direct agency-client relationship.


MRP Associates, LLC

2919 White Plains Road Louisville, KY 40218

MRP Associates, LLC architecture service firm specializes in adaptive re-use, renovation, and addition in healthcare facilities. Most of the firm’s work is in Louisville; however, clients from neighboring areas also reach out to MRP for design-build services. Aside from its specialization in the healthcare sector, the firm also takes on retail, commercial, and residential clients. MRP Associates LLC is an NCARB-certified firm, considered a Veteran-owned small business (VOSB) certified by the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is also listed in the System Award Management (SAM). The firm was founded in 2002 and has been in the industry for two decades. 

MRP Associates, LLC stands for Michael Ray Pluta Associates, the firm’s president, and founder. Michael’s work background consists of thirty years of professional architecture experience in several US states. Michael is goal-driven and customer-focused, and he leads in the firm’s management as he ensures each project is delivered with complete competence.