Firm overview

Located in Fayetteville Arkansas, David W. McKee Architects PLLC is a design focused architecture firm currently consisting of a staff of four.  Of these two are licensed architects. As principal designer David McKee AIA, LEED AP is a lifelong resident of Northwest Arkansas and has been involved in the design and construction of some of the regions’ most iconic buildings. Other firm members bring a variety of experiences and skills to contribute including graphic design, CAD, and project management. 

Current projects include a mix of residential, commercial and institutional commissions with a focus on user friendly planning, sustainable design strategies, and maintenance friendly detailing.

design philosophy

 We strive for a timeless quality in our work that is not subject to the fashions of the day, but are rooted in the nature of their place. Materials, memories, movements are all forces that create our sense of place. Our culture, our institutions are all based on the summation of the edifices that have come before. 
  A singular building that taps the collective energy of its’ surroundings can establish an identity that can be shared by an entire community. Thorncrown Chapel and its’ younger offspring the Anthony Chapel are good examples. 
  In some instances an aggregation of “stand alone” structures can generate a dynamic experience that can achieve a collective sense of place. The Botanical Garden of the Ozarks is such an example. Individual gardens and attendant structures, each with a specific theme, provide visitors with a series of experiences that cover a wide range of what people of all ages might enjoy.
  More often though buildings that achieve a harmonious relationship and a contextual appropriateness with their surroundings stand the test of time. A good Master Plan, and the willingness of subsequent designers to follow it, can be a good road map that can achieve the cohesiveness that is important, especially in small towns, or institutional campuses. 
  Our recent Master Plan for the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks would weave together multiple buildings, very different programmatically, so that they have a sense of place that is a part of the whole. This can be achieved though materials selection, scale, proportion, and a subtle sense of familiarity that visitors bring with them from their own life experiences.