Facility layout and design is a crucial part of a company’s overall operations, both in terms of increasing the efficiency of the manufacturing process and addressing staff demands. The layout and design of that space impact greatly how the work is done—the flow of work, materials, and information through the system.
The list below describes the best industrial architects in Wichita, Kansas, selected for their accreditations, certifications, and professional affiliations. Industry awards, client reviews, and press features were also considered. This curated list also examines the range of services the firms offer, their specializations, and the length of time they have been in the industry.
LK Architecture
345 Riverview Suite #200, Wichita, KS 67203
LK Architecture is a premier architecture, interior design, and engineering firm with clients throughout the country. The award-winning firm specializes in multifamily buildings, offering clients a varied range of housing options. For 50 years, the company has developed outstanding residential, hotel, retail, industrial, and commercial projects. The completely certified organization offers architectural services in all 50 states around the country.
The LK Architecture team continues to leave a lasting architectural impact on Kansas and the rest of the country through dynamic and inventive ideas, profound technical understanding, and hard work. The firm offers electrical, mechanical, and plumbing engineering services as well as interior design, site planning, landscape architecture, and traditional architectural services. LK Architecture has won numerous industry awards since 1967, including being named one of Architectural Record’s Top 300 firms in 2021.
The project featured here is an example of LK’s ability to bring a client’s concept to completion. The firm converted an existing Boeing 747-8 three-bay aircraft production hangar into a new aircraft production facility for Spirit Aerosystems. The new facility consists of aircraft fabrication, tooling, and testing shops as well as calibrated, isolated equipment operations slabs and hyper-level floor slabs to accommodate specialty production and transfer equipment within the facility. The design required modification of the structural frame in several locations for the movement of specialized production tools used in the fabrication process.
GLMV Architecture
1525 E. Douglas, Wichita, KS 67211
For a century, GMLV Architecture has used architecture to improve people’s lives. GLMV has employed three generations since its start in 1919. The national architectural design firm has a reputation for making bold ideas a reality. GLMV continually fine-tunes its design focus to remain a specialist in the sector, seeking to be the best while developing long-term customer connections.
The firm is well-known and has won numerous awards, including the 2019 Award of Excellence for the Associated General Contractors State Building, the 2018 Keeper of the Plains Award for the Wichita Chamber of Commerce, and the 2020 Honor Award of the American Society of Landscape Architects Prairie Gateway Chapter. Many publications, including the Wichita Business Journal, Time Magazine, and The Hutchinson News, have lauded GMLV’s projects.
What began with the expertise of a single aviation architect has grown into a full-service team serving the leading designer and manufacturer of light and midsize business jets, utility turboprops, and single-engine aircraft. GLMV has designed over 1.5 million square feet of space for Cessna, including a parts distribution center, business jet service centers, aircraft assembly facilities, paint booths, hangars, testing facilities, interior fabrication centers, and administrative and engineering offices.
Spangenberg Phillips Tice Architecture
121 N Mead Suite #201, Wichita, KS 67202
Founded in 1985, Spangenberg Phillips Tice Architecture offers a full scope of architecture, landscape, and interior design services. While specializing in multifamily units, the firm caters to various industries, including residential, commercial, office, healthcare, and civic sectors. The mid-sized firm uses a customized approach to design unique spaces that address the client’s needs. Each design is conceptualized based on the client’s specifications and budget to ensure clients receive the most cost-efficient solutions.
The Village Travel building is one of the firm’s most striking projects. In addition to administration and travel planning offices, the facility contains an extensive bus maintenance zone with a body shop, paint booth, wash bay, cleaning and detailing parts storage, and six general maintenance bays. A customer lounge with a serving kitchen sits adjacent to the loading zone, which can also serve as a gathering space through an overhead door connection to the customer lounge. Wedge-shaped elements with alternating color designations define the staff and customer entries and provide dynamic movement to the building.
With more than three decades of experience behind it, it’s no surprise that the firm has been featured numerous times in the Wichita Business Journal and Wichita Eagle for its exceptional projects.
SJCF Architecture
257 N Broadway, Wichita, KS 67202
For over 60 years, SJCF Architecture has designed, collaborated on, and developed purposeful spaces that enrich people’s lives and strengthen communities. It specializes in corporate, community, education, recreation, worship, and government projects for its clients in Wichita and surrounding areas. The firm has won multiple prestigious awards, including the 2018 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Wichita Design Award, and the 2017 AIA Kansas Excellence in Architecture Award.
Shannon Ferguson-Bohm, the firm’s principal, is AIA- and LEED-certified and has assembled a team of like-minded LEED AP and AIA-certified professionals. Shannon has authored and developed many of the strategies the firm has used to creatively respond to the needs of its clients while staying on top of current trends.
SJCF’s excellent work ethic and attention to detail resulted in Kyodo Yushi USA’s first American manufacturing plant in Maize, Kansas. The new facility, designed to process bulk oil and additives to create high-performance automotive greases, covers approximately 50,000 square feet and includes a product development lab, manufacturing area, shipping and receiving area, and office space.
3Ten Architecture
919 W. 2nd, Wichita, KS 67203
3Ten Architecture has provided architecture, design, and planning services to clients in Wichita since 2013. In less than a decade, the design studio has established itself as one of Wichita’s leading design firms. The 3Ten Architecture team continues to serve as a client partner, ensuring that all aspects and intricacies of a project are efficiently managed. Trust and communication are crucial in the company’s efforts to develop an honest and authentic relationship with the client. The AIA-accredited firm has received numerous awards for its outstanding work, including an honorable mention in the AIA Excellence in Architecture category in 2017.
Chad Glenn, the firm’s president, is responsible for supervising operations. He is a Kansas State University architecture graduate and the former Director of AIA Kansas, a Young Professionals member, and a former Director of Go Wichita. Glenn guided his team in producing this safety-rated facility, a control building that is meant to protect human life during a catastrophic event. While the structure is designed for that rare occasion, the interior comfort of the space for day-to-day operations is critical.
