The Williamsville-Sherman School District implemented a $40 million bond referendum for significant upgrades to their junior high and high schools, including new classrooms, fine arts and athletics spaces, and improved facilities.

St. Louis, MO – BLDD Architects, with offices throughout Illinois plus one in St. Louis, has acquired Dickinson Hussman Architects (DHA) of St. Louis. Both firms specialize in helping school districts address their need for facility improvements. Between the two firms, 28 major design awards have been won in the past 20 years.

A reinvented Crispin Hall greeted Illinois College students this fall semester. The $12.6 million renovation transformed Crispin into a 21st-century learning environment, creating new academic programs to attract top students, and refreshing a key part of campus that greets campus visitors and the community on College Avenue.

For a 5th year, BLDD Architects, Inc. has partnered with Macon County CASA for their annual Casas for CASA Playhouse Fundraiser. Casas for CASA is a charity raffle for one of two custom playhouses. Each playhouse is designed, built, and painted by a team of local volunteers. BLDDers have big hearts for helping their communities and truly believe in our mission “Because Life Deserves Design.”

Every district, campus, and facility is unique, which means the planning process isn't one-size-fits-all. A customized facility plan (or master plan) based on your district needs and budget can help you identify the smartest path for long-term success. Keep reading to learn 7 ways a long-range facility plan will help your team!

BLDD Architects, Inc., is pleased to announce the recipients of the annual Because Life Deserves Design Scholarship: The scholarship — named for BLDD’s mission “Because Life Deserves Design” — recognizes senior high school students for their creativity, artistic passion, and potential in contributing to the world of architecture, interior design, or graphic design.

In March, the BLDD Senior Living Team attended the Leading Age Illinois conference. While there, the team presented How to Use Informed Data to Choose The Best Master Plan for Your Community. Through the presentation, the team discussed how BLDD's very own QLEO Software is breaking into the Senior Living market!

School athletics are at the core of building and fostering a community. But despite the enthusiasm for high-school and collegiate athletics, many schools face similar challenges with outdated athletic facilities. Having access to modern, flexible athletic spaces for students and community members has become a priority for many schools.

Let’s be honest, there’s a reason the phrase “leave it to the pros” exists. Most of us can spot a DIY architecture project from a mile away, but we also know that looks aren’t all that matter. Whether you’re dreaming of a new facility or planning a renovation to your current buildings, hiring an architect can be one of the smartest investments you can make.

There is no rulebook for designing a house of worship. Churches come in a variety of shapes and sizes, serving congregations ranging from single digits to thousands. While each congregation has different needs and ideologies, they typically share a common goal: to create safe and engaging houses of worship for members of all ages.

When it comes to designing performance spaces like theatres, auditoriums, or concert halls, you need an expert at your side. BLDD Architects has more than 90 years of experience in helping educators, churches, and communities bring the stage to life for audiences, big and small.

​​​​​​​Agriculture is a staple of the rural education curriculum, and while a majority of students are involved in those programs, there is often little funding and inadequate spaces to support them. The future farmers and agribusiness leaders are frequently taught in regular classrooms or modified shop rooms, without access to the tools and resources they need.

For more than 10 years, the Waltham Elementary School District in North Utica, Illinois, dreamed of having one building for all their K-8 students who had been spread among two outdated elementary schools. Serving a student population of fewer than 250, the project goal was never to redesign how education environments are used. Instead, the objective was much simpler: to ensure this small, rural countryside town near Starved Rock State Park could remain viable. 

BLDD Architects is pleased to announce the recent promotion of three long-time employees. These staff members have continuously moved BLDD forward by becoming leaders in their fields and going above and beyond for clients and projects.

To celebrate Read Across America day, we wanted to highlight the current innovative trends that are bringing school libraries and media centers to LIFE. Once a quiet museum for books, school libraries are transforming to support the whole student.

Several of Richland Community College’s high-performing programs were in need of renovated spaces to refocus learning to a student-centered model. As part of a multi-phase long-range facilities plan, the $11.6 million first phase updated two exterior spaces and 45,000 s.f. of interior renovations were made to facilitate critical thinking and allow experiential learning through real-world problem solving in flexible spaces.

Big congrats to architectural intern Mansi Sanghvi, who was recently awarded first prize in the urban/large scale category for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's School of Architecture Earl Prize Design Excellence Awards! Her award-winning project project focused on reviving the lost identities of two cities that shares common municipality.

We are growing with additional architectural interns hired for 2022. Our new, rock star team members will help us continue to serve clients and our communities. Cheers to more GOOD VIBES in 2022!

Positive things are happening at BLDD, and we are looking forward to sharing more GOOD VIBES in 2022. We are excited to announce new hires at BLDD. These talented new team members will support increased project demand and help achieve continued growth throughout the firm.