This story is really about the last 30 Years of CDA Architects, but it has its roots long before the fateful summer of 1995. In 1974, Charles Chambliss started an Architecture Firm that would bear his name and begin serving Grocery and Retail Clients out of a small office in North Houston. Near a shopping area anchored by Greenspoint Mall, Charles’ first clients included Kroger Grocery Stores and developers like Jerry J. Moore.
After a couple of decades of experience, and growth to fourteen employees including three Architects, Charles and his wife Lois would incorporate the firm as Chambliss Design Associates, Inc., doing business as CDA Architects in June of 1995. At that time, the Client List had expanded greatly as well as the States where the firm was practicing. Since then, there are always projects in Texas, typically multiple projects in Louisiana, and usually projects working in four or five other states. Today we are licensed in 19 states with another likely to be added soon.
As we found ourselves working for grocery clients including Kroger, HEB, and Fiesta, CDA Architects was arguably the leading Houston firm in the Grocery market. Working for these major grocery tenants all over Texas, Louisiana, and even in the Michigan region, our team was introduced to many more Retail Developers that would ultimately ask themselves and then our team “If you are already designing the Grocery Anchor, would you be able to design our building as well?”. The answer of course was yes, and a strong involvement in the Grocery Industry made for a strong involvement in the Retail Industry.
As time went by, we found ourselves working on many Neighborhood Retail Centers. Some had Grocery Anchors and some did not. Some of our developer clients then asked us to take on their larger developments, commonly called Power Centers where we would design five to eight or even more, Anchor Retail Tenants like Best Buy, Ross Dress for Less, Marshall’s, Petco, Michael’s, and a forever changing list of similar tenants in the marketplace. These would often include coordination with larger Tenants like Target, Home Depot, and many others. These developments forced us to expand the communities we served as our Clients asked us to work in many other locations and states. These Centers introduced us to National Retailers and their teams, which then got us engaged on some of their projects directly where a Developer was not incorporated.
In the ever-continuing evolution of our work, some of our Clients would ask us to design their corporate headquarters or office buildings. These would include Kroger Texas, NewQuest Properties, Hartz Chicken, Signorelli Company, Brixmor Properties, and more. Having Clients that trust you and know your level of experience and expertise so much that they want you to design their corporate “homes” is a testament to our service to them. We really enjoy working with them to create these spaces that showcase our talents and help them solve different types of architectural problems.
As our Staff grew to a high point of twenty-seven in the early 2000s, so did our workload. We were able to utilize skillsets that many of our team members brought to the table to engage with Private Schools like Pro-Vision, Northland Christian, St. Anne’s Tomball, and St. Nicholas Schools. Our skills and word of mouth referrals had blessed us with an abundance of work in so many areas and industries that we sometimes look back in wonder at the varied types of work that we find in the office at any given time.
Some of the Contractors we met along the way have enjoyed working with our team so much, they have made introductions that would lead us to Veterinary Clinics, Medical Offices, Dental Clinics, and other similar work. Our own efforts in diversification have moved us into the Industrial Sector and more Interior Buildouts for National Chains like Baskin Robbins, Dave’s Hot Chicken, and Little Caesars. As we look at our portfolio today, I like to personally say that we draw anything that does not have a bed in it. We have stayed clear of Hospitals, Hotels, and Residential work (for the most part). There were a few Mixed-Use projects where we designed Retail on the ground level and multi-family units above it, so my “bed” comment is slightly flawed now. Suffice to say, there is not much that our team of talented professionals cannot design.
If you are reading this, you are likely a large reason why we are celebrating 30 Years of Partnership & Architectural Design! For three decades (or more really), we've been dedicated to serving our valued clients. This year, we proudly celebrate our 30th anniversary, a milestone built on trust, collaboration, and shared success. We are immensely grateful for the continued support and partnership. Thank you for being a part of our journey. Here's to many more years of working together! We'll be celebrating this year so stay tuned for more details and check back next week for more information on the favorite projects of our staff.