Miller, Boskus and Lack

Three men had a vision to start an architectural firm in Fayetteville. Steve Miller, Roger Boskus, and Audy Lack opened Miller, Boskus and Lack in 1998. When they first opened, the company only had three employees.

It now has an employee base of 23.  

“MBL is a design firm focused on architecture, planning and interior design,” Lack said. “We have a very diverse portfolio of project types such as higher education, workplace, educational, religious and entertainment venues. Our firm focuses on small long-term care projects throughout the south and small commercial projects throughout NWA.”

In the early 2000s, the company commissioned the NWA Business Center and the expansion of the J.B. Hunt Transport campus in Lowell.  

“These projects changed our direction and guided our design philosophy,” Lack said. “Our firm desires to create timeless architecture, which is experiential for its occupants. We strive to deliver projects which meet these objectives.” 

By 2017, MBL expanded and added MBL Planning, which specializes in land planning and urban design. The company’s planning team invented the pattern zone concept, which allows for the streamlined development of downtowns and allows for affordable housing to be constructed timely in these urban areas. This concept was initially rolled out on a national level and is now taking hold in Northwest Arkansas communities. 

“We strive to make NWA a better place by designing and utilizing proven sustainable materials and design practices,” Lack said. “All of the buildings we design are energy efficient and utilize sustainable materials. In 2016, MBL recommended the use of cross-laminated timber for the University of Arkansas’ Library Annex Building as an alternative to concrete and steel.

“The use of this material would minimize the structure’s carbon footprint and would save the client significant money on the overall project. This was the first use of this material in the state of Arkansas.”

A year after the Library Storage Annex completion, MBL was commissioned to assist Walmart as an owner’s representative on the new Walmart campus in Bentonville. MBL assisted in information gathering and research for the new campus and was instrumental in guiding the company toward certain building materials during the construction phase.

Editor’s note: This company is a finalist for the Northwest Arkansas Outstanding Business Awards — Small Business category. Winners will be announced at a luncheon on April 9.