We recently connected with Andrew Barnes and have shared our conversation below.

Andrew, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

Most architecture firms are designated by either a single person’s name, or a combination of letters which typically refer to the name(s) of the firm’s founder(s). We opted instead to use a name that speaks to our mindset about architecture and design. Oxford Languages has two primary definitions of agent: 1.) a person who acts on behalf of another person or group. 2.) a person or thing that takes an active role or produces a specified effect. Each definition is important to our identity in different ways.

We strongly believe in approaching our work as embodied in the first definition. Architects should be the client’s chief advocates, helping them to realize their vision & goals and being good stewards of their money. A great amount of trust is being placed in us each time a client engages our services, and we never want to take that for granted, or shirk our responsibility. Whether we are working on a multi-million dollar project or a modest home renovation, we approach this the same way, acting in the the best interest of our client. We also frequently work with clients who have not gone through a building and design process before, so it is also our job to guide them through and demystify the process, helping them feel comfortable and confident each step of the way.

The second definition is our aspiration, reminding us why we got into architecture and design in the first place. We want to take that active role in making our community a more positive, beautiful, and pleasant place. We strive to explore new ideas and bring value to both our clients and city. We understand one small architecture firm alone isn’t going to dramatically change the world or completely solve long-standing societal issues, but each project presents opportunities to make localized positive impacts. These granular improvements in the city’s urban fabric, I think, are more needed in Dallas than the massive and massively expensive mega-projects that Dallas seems to love so much. As architects we do have control over how we engage with our clients, how we think about the problems and issues each project presents, how we engage and build teams, and the culture we create in our own practice. We strive to take those things we can influence and make something special and maybe even unexpected for our local community.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Personally, I always knew I was going to be an architect. I was drawing buildings and floor plans as far back as I can remember. I always wanted my parents to take me downtown so we could try to go to the top floor of every building. To feed my obsession, my parents bought me house plan catalogues (I was probably 7 or 8 years old) which I joyously received and spent many hours poring over, imagining the spaces represented in each floor plan. When it came time for college, I didn’t think twice about entering the architecture program, and from there on my fate was sealed. I came to Dallas in the summer of 2011, as firms were beginning to rebuild after the Great Recession. After working a few years each at a large retail-focused firm, and then a small boutique firm, I set out on my own and started Agent in the spring of 2017 with one client and just enough optimism.

After two years, my wife and partner Sara joined Agent and we began to work together. A creative, at times subjective, field like architecture begs for collaboration, and I was finally able to work with another human! She is a registered interior designer with a background in Corporate Interiors, so she brought on a whole new (and much needed) base of knowledge and experience to the practice. We are now able to fully integrate architecture and interiors into one seamless process. At larger firms that have both architecture and interiors capabilities, they are usually housed in two separate studios with no guarantee as to their level of collaboration. With Agent, it is truly integrated, there is no place one scope ends and another begins, it is all one. We feel this is one of our best advantages.

Looking back on Agent’s beginning, I am proud that I never stole a client from a previous employer. All projects have been organically derived from relationships, repeat clients, and referrals. We don’t have any projects on our website with the disclaimer “this project done while at previous firm”. I am proud of the body of work we’ve built over the past 5 years.

We are fortunate to have been able to grow the Agent team over the last few years…with most of that growth occurring in the last year. Agent now consists of 4 full-time employees, including Sara and myself. We have also had 2 great college interns, both from Texas A&M. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to work with a great group of thoughtful and talented people everyday.

We are architects of place. Place is important. A large portion of our projects are in and around the urban core of Dallas. We are passionate about creating projects that are good building blocks for the city overall. Each building helps form its larger context, and does not exist in a vacuum. Both our home and our office are in the Cedars, just a couple blocks south of Downtown Dallas. We are dedicated to the urban experience and striving to make Dallas – and any place we work – a more cohesive, generous, and enjoyable place to live and visit.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I read the book “Architect Entrepreneur” by Eric Reinholdt, and it completely changed my entire outlook on firm ownership. Prior to reading the book, I had vague aspirations of maybe going out on my own in 10 to 15 years. The book demystified all the aspects of running a practice that had previously felt very intimidating. Reinholdt clearly walks the reader through out all the facets of firm ownership, from his marketing and client engagement strategy to the software he uses for timesheets and accounting. What previously felt like a daunting task full of un-knowable challenges all of the sudden felt very do-able. Reinholdt was also very encouraging, stating that if anyone has even just a tiny, nascent desire to run their own design firm, they should try it, because there’s nothing like controlling one’s own destiny. Because of the lessons learned from the book, those first days and months were much less panic-stricken and overwhelming than they would have been otherwise. I credit Architect Entrepreneur largely for giving me the confidence to make the leap and hang out my own shingle.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The honest answer to this is: our current clients. We are grateful to have many repeat clients, and many of our clients are constantly referring us to other new clients. We are grateful that our hard work leads our clients to voluntarily recommend us to their peers. As everyone knows, when seeking out a new service provider, whether it is a doctor, accountant, or an AC repair technician, a recommendation goes a long way. So, the value of those client referrals is not lost on us. We have done zero paid advertising or marketing, and unfortunately we aren’t very prolific on social media. Just good old fashioned word of mouth and relationships keep the projects flowing.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.agentarchitecture.co
• Instagram: @agent_architecture
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/company/agentarchitecture

Image Credits
Images of Texas Brand Bank by Justin Miers, Images of 1806 Greenville (dark brick facade) by Leonid Furmansky. All other images and renderings by Agent Architecture.