BarberMcMurry Architects

What BarberMcMurry Architects does

BarberMcMurry Architects is a privately held, full-service architecture and interior design firm headquartered at 505 Market Street in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1915 by Charles and David West Barber, the firm has continuously operated in East Tennessee for more than 110 years and now maintains a staff of 11–50 employees including the largest interior design team of any architecture firm in the Knoxville market (five designers). The firm delivers professional design services — programming, schematic design, design development, construction documents, construction administration, master planning, and interior design including FF&E procurement — across healthcare, higher education, civic/cultural, commercial/corporate, and residential verticals. Distinguished projects include the University of Tennessee Student Union (395,088 SF, the largest construction project in UT history), the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center (122,000 SF, LEED Silver), the Joint Institute for Advanced Materials (142,634 SF, LEED Silver), East Tennessee Children's Hospital Scripps Tower, the City of Knoxville Public Works Complex (geothermal, green roof), and Covenant Health Park (Knoxville's first mass timber project).

The firm differentiates on sustainable and biophilic design (multiple LEED-certified projects, Keep Knoxville Beautiful Orchid Awards in 2010–2025), virtual reality visualization for client walkthroughs, and an unusually deep regional award record (most local AIA awards of any Knoxville firm, including the William Strickland Lifetime Achievement Award to David Wooley, multiple AIA East Tennessee Honor and Merit Awards, and 2026 AIA Young Architect recognition for Cameron Bolin). It has cultivated joint-venture partnerships with Lord Aeck Sargent, McCarty Holsaple McCarty, Bullock-Smith & Partners, and Blankenship & Partners on major institutional projects, and maintains leadership across AIA East Tennessee, AIA Tennessee, and Tennessee's healthcare facility licensing board.

Revenue is generated entirely through project-based, quote-driven professional services fees acquired via competitive bidding, design competitions, RFQ/RFP responses, and direct institutional relationships within the East Tennessee region. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Leadership transitions in 2025–2026 — Ryan Dobbs named President (February 2025), Drew Newman named Partner (February 2025), Matt Jordan promoted to Director of Design and Partner (April 2026), Katie Lowery promoted to Interior Design Manager (March 2026), and Cameron Bolin hired as Senior Associate — indicate an active generational and functional leadership rebuild around a stable institutional client base.

Name

BarberMcMurry Architects

Legal name

BarberMcMurry Architects

Website

https://bma1915.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1915

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BarberMcMurry Architects is a Knoxville, Tennessee-based architecture and interior design firm founded in 1915 that serves healthcare, higher education, civic, commercial, and residential clients across East Tennessee with a focus on sustainable, biophilic, and award-winning building design.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Interior Design Services (54141)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Interior design services
• Sustainable architecture
• Master planning services
• Healthcare facility design

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Architecture Services: Full-service architectural design including programming, schematic design, design development, construction documents, and construction administration for institutional, commercial, healthcare, and residential projects
2. Interior Design Services: Comprehensive interior design services including space planning, finishes, furniture selection, and FF&E procurement. The interior design team is the largest of any architecture firm in the area, with five interior designers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

BarberMcMurry Architects is a full-service architecture and interior design firm delivering building design, master planning, interior design, and sustainable/LEED consulting services. The firm serves higher education, healthcare, civic and cultural, commercial/corporate, and residential clients primarily across East Tennessee, with project engagements spanning new construction, renovation, and adaptive reuse.

Product overview

BarberMcMurry Architects is an architecture and interior design firm offering professional design services for various building types. The firm does not offer software products or platforms; its offerings consist of architectural design services, interior design services, and related consulting. Key service areas include healthcare facilities, higher education buildings, commercial office spaces, civic and cultural buildings, and residential projects. The firm has completed projects across East Tennessee and has received numerous design awards for its architectural and interior design work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $835 million in healthcare construction overseen
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lord Aeck SargentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with BarberMcMurry to design the UTIA Agriculture & Natural Resources Building, a four-story living research environment at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
• Bullock-Smith & PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner on the Joint Institute for Advanced Materials project at the University of Tennessee Research Park at Cherokee Farm
• McCarty Holsaple McCarty ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture with McCarty Holsaple McCarty on the University of Tennessee Student Union, the largest construction project in UT history (395,088 SF)
• Blankenship & PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner on the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center project at University of Tennessee
• Research Facilities DesignminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerServed as laboratory design consultant on the Pellissippi State Center for Math and Science project
• Fisher & AssociatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to provide fixtures, furnishings and equipment for Northeast State Community College's Technical Education Complex
• Legacy ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Legacy Parks to design the French Broad Veterans Memorial Park, honoring East Tennessee veterans overlooking the East Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• HOK: Large global architecture practice with deep healthcare and higher education portfolios that regularly compete for major university and hospital commissions. Comparable as a broad incumbent pursuing the same institutional RFPs from a national footprint.
• TRO Jung|Brannen (Stantec): Architecture practice now operating within Stantec with a strong higher education and civic portfolio across the Southeast. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing for Tennessee institutional commissions.
• Perkins&Will: Large national architecture firm (now including former Lord Aeck Sargent) with leading healthcare and higher education practices. Comparable for major institutional project pursuits and LEED/sustainable design leadership.

Regional players

• Bauer Askew Architecture: Nashville-based architecture firm with comparable higher education, healthcare, and commercial work. A Tennessee peer operating in a different metro market with similar institutional client mix.
• HFR Design: Nashville-based architecture firm with strong higher education and civic practice across the Southeast. Comparable as a Tennessee peer competing for similar institutional RFPs and design awards.
• Hastings Architecture Associates: Nashville-based architecture firm with comparable higher education, healthcare, and civic portfolios across Tennessee. Comparable as a Tennessee peer in adjacent regional market with similar institutional client focus.

Direct peers

• Sanders Pace Architecture: Knoxville-based architecture firm serving similar East Tennessee institutional, civic, and residential markets. Directly competes for the same regional clients and design award programs (AIA East Tennessee).
• Lord Aeck Sargent (now part of Perkins&Will): Atlanta-based architecture firm that partnered with BarberMcMurry on the UTIA Agriculture & Natural Resources Building. Comparable for higher education research and academic facility design, with overlapping biophilic and sustainable design practices.
• McCarty Holsaple McCarty Architects: Knoxville-based architecture firm that partnered with BarberMcMurry on the University of Tennessee Student Union (largest construction project in UT history). Directly comparable as a fellow East Tennessee practice with overlapping higher education and civic portfolios.
• Bullock-Smith & Partners: Knoxville architecture firm that JV-partnered with BarberMcMurry on the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center at the University of Tennessee. Comparable as a regional peer targeting the same institutional clients and project types.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/barbermcmurry

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BarberMcMurry Architects