Lamar Johnson designers form new architecture firm in Bentonville
by January 28, 2020 1:43 pm 1,305 views
Two former employees of Lamar Johnson Collaborative have split off to form their own full-service architecture and design firm in Bentonville.
Ryan Faust and Christophe Bouteille are partners in the new business, called BUF Studio. Faust, who is the managing principal, said opening his own business is a lifelong dream.
“I look forward to pursuing creative and groundbreaking work with our team at BUF Studio,” he said. The company’s office is at 702 S.W. Fifth St.
Faust and Bouteille have worked together for several years in Northwest Arkansas. In 2015, Faust opened an office in the region for Missouri-based Bates. Through merger, BatesForum was formed in 2018. In 2019, Lamar Johnson Collaborative, a design and architecture subsidiary of Chicago-based Clayco, merged with BatesForum.
“We are excited for Ryan and Christophe as they begin this new journey and are eager to see the great work they accomplish together at BUF Studio in the years ahead,” Kapil Khanna, president at Lamar Johnson Collaborative, said in a statement.
Faust said the company name refers to one of the firm’s guiding principles: “Be a buffalo.” It illustrates the notion, Faust explained, that buffalo face the storm rather than running from it and are able to get through challenges quickly and fearlessly.
BUF Studio has eight employees, including one licensed architect (Faust) and one licensed engineer (Andrew Finnegan).