Ireland Architects

Dirt is officially starting to move over on Primrose and Jefferson!

The heavy equipment is on-site, and the survey stakes are already going into the ground. If you look closely at one of them, you’ll see "Grid A-3" written across the wood.

In our architectural drawings, that stake marks an exact column line intersection for the structural frame. Before a contractor ever drops a bucket to dig, the team must make sure every single benchmark is located down to the inch.

A massive amount of coordination happens long before the first shovel hits the dirt, and it’s always fun to see those paper plans finally start translating to the physical site!

We listen, we communicate, we deliver. Every time.

BP Builders as general contractor,
Jennifer Winslow as the MEP engineer,
Heithaus Engineering Inc, Teresa Davison for civil engineering,
Natalie Stepp Reagan is our project manager,
Charles Mitchell Taylor with RTM Engineering Consultants as structural engineer, and
Mike Tillman and James Tillman (Tillman Properties) are the developers.

Meleah Spencer, CEO of The Kitchen, Inc., and I attended Springfield Business Journal’s 2026 Business Leaders of the Year event, and it was such a great reminder of how many talented leaders we have right here in Springfield.

I had the opportunity to serve as a judge this year, and let me tell you — it was HARD to select only 20 honorees! There were so many impressive nominees with inspiring stories, strong leadership, and a real commitment to making a difference in our community.

Congratulations to all of this year’s recipients!

Crystal Miller and I recently attended Good Morning, Springfield! in Ozarks Technical Community College's newest building, “The U” — and wow, what a beautiful space!

It was a great setting for the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce event, and I couldn’t help noticing a few design features along the way – a “hazard” of being an architect!! LOL.

On the upper level, there was a privacy pod where someone can step in to make a phone call to have a private conversation without disturbing others. It reminded me of an old-school phone booth, just a much more modern version! In a large, open space, one loud conversation can carry a long way, so this is such a smart solution.

And those “lines” hanging from the ceiling? They’re vertical acoustic baffles. In a space this large and open, sound can bounce and create a lot of unwanted noise. The baffles help absorb sound and improve the overall acoustics of the space. Nicely done!

The event itself focused on housing as a growing workforce and economic-development issue in Springfield. Panelists discussed the need for more attainable housing, greater housing variety, and continued collaboration between public and private partners.

One of the biggest takeaways: housing and workforce go hand in hand. If employees can’t find housing that fits their needs and income, it becomes much harder for businesses to recruit and retain talent.

Ireland Architects recently toured the Springfield Art Museum construction project with the NAWIC Southwest Missouri #366 group.

When completed, the renovated museum will offer so much more to the community, including expanded and refreshed galleries, additional classrooms and gathering spaces, improved art-receiving areas, an enlarged multilevel lobby, and stronger connections to the surrounding greenspace and Phelps Grove Park. The project will also feature updated infrastructure, improved HVAC systems and exterior-envelope performance, indoor and outdoor art experiences, and greater capacity to accommodate major traveling exhibitions.

It was fascinating to see how much thoughtful planning and coordination goes into creating a facility that not only showcases art, but also protects it and makes it more accessible to the public. We're excited to watch this important community project take shape!

If you’ve driven down Ingram Mill Road recently, you know this site is exceptionally long and narrow—definitely not the easiest footprint to build on! Finding the best way to utilize a footprint like that takes some extra creative problem-solving.

Our plan breaks the site into five smaller multi-tenant commercial buildings designed for flex/warehouse space. Each tenant suite will get a functional setup with office space, restroom, warehouse storage and its own overhead door.

Between the vehicle barriers running along the road and the Highway 65 sound walls backing right up to the property, the construction team has a lot of obstacles to navigate while maneuvering heavy equipment.

Right now, the crew is working on the building pads to get them ready for concrete. The gravel layer you see goes down first to create a solid, level base that also takes care of drainage underneath the slab.

You can also spot the rebar cages staged on-site. While concrete is great at supporting heavy downward weight (compression), it’s actually pretty weak when it comes to bending or pulling forces (tension). Dropping that steel reinforcement into the pour gives the slab the extra muscle and durability it needs to handle daily business traffic.

The contractor is working in stages, getting one building pad prepped and poured before rolling down the line to the next.

We listen, we communicate, we deliver. Every time.

Branco Enterprises, Inc, is the GC.
Jennifer Winslow is the MEP engineer.
Heithaus Engineering Inc, Teresa Davison, is the civil engineer.
Charles Mitchell Taylor with RTM Engineering Consultants is the structural engineer.
Natalie Stepp Reagan is our Project Manager.
Mike Tillman and James Tillman (Tillman Properties) are the developers.

Who will the lucky person be?? Please share so the RIGHT person sees it!! Thanks!!

I was flattered to be featured in an article by Donna King at Springfield City Lifestyle! It explores how beauty surrounds us through architecture, personal style, travel, thoughtfully designed homes, and the people and places that make our community special.

https://citylifestyle.com/articles/beauty-by-design

Architects of Style | Springfield City Lifestyle Style is not limited to what we wear. It shapes the spaces we inhabit, the places we explore, the objects we preserve and even the way we see ourselves.

Uncle Bentlys Pub & Lounge in Springfield is expanding into an adjacent space that recently became available. The project will add a full commercial kitchen and catering area, giving the team new opportunities to grow their menu, expand their services, and better serve their patrons.

Contractor: DeWitt & Associates, Inc.
Engineer: Jennifer Winslow

If you’ve driven by the new Huey Magoo's on Benton Avenue recently, you’ll notice the building is still very much "Subway green." The new exterior siding is on order and will go up as soon as it arrives, but behind the scenes, a lot of heavy lifting is already wrapped up. The crew filled in an old window opening, framed out a new door, and poured the concrete pad out back for the walk-in cooler.

Inside, the space is really starting to look like a restaurant:
-White subway tile is up in the ordering line.
-The kitchen has its stainless steel wall panels and a massive hood installed.
-The new flooring is down in the dining room, and those high ceilings still do a great job making a -small footprint feel wide open.
-And for anyone who knows their local trivia—yes, this site sits right off Bob Barker Boulevard. Seems pretty fitting for a transformation this good. "Come on down" soon!

We listen, we communicate, we deliver. Every time.

Huey Magoo's
Tillman Properties
James Tillman

Our team recently conducted a final "punch" walkthrough at The Kitchen, Inc., which means this project is officially wrapping up very soon!

Ever wonder why architects and contractors call it a "punch list"?

Despite the joke, it’s not a list of people you want to punch when a project gets stressful (we try our best to refrain from that! 😉).

The term actually comes from old-school construction history. Traditionally, inspectors and architects carried a paper checklist through the site. Once a minor repair or fix was completed and accepted, they would literally punch a hole in the paper next to that item. If the hole was punched, the task was done—if it was left unpunched, it still needed attention!

Today, we use digital tools instead of hole-punchers, but the purpose remains the same. A punch list is the final quality-assurance checklist prepared near the end of a build. It catches those last minor details like a touch-up on paint, a trim adjustment, or a fixture tweak, that must be finished before final completion and handover.

Checking off those last few items at a facility like The Kitchen, which does so much good for our Springfield community, is always a great feeling. Stay tuned for the final reveal!

We listen, we communicate, we deliver. Every time.

Thanks to:
ARPA – American Rescue Plan Act
City of Springfield, MO
Grants Administrator from City of Springfield- Bob Jones
Missouri Department of Economic Development

Project Team:
Construction- Killian Construction Co.
Civil engineering- Heithaus Engineering Inc
MEP engineering- Interpres Building Solutions
Structural engineering- RTM Engineering Consultants
Ireland Architect’s project manager- Natalie Stepp Reagan