Friendly, collaborative, a great place to learn and grow professionally… just a few words to describe the culture at BRP. Here’s what our team members have to say about what it’s like to work here.
“We aren’t afraid to yell across the studio to ask someone a question. There seems to be a constant buzz of conversation. We are problem solvers and it is not unusual for someone to randomly pop in and out of a conversation to help come up with creative solutions. The ‘bosses’ sit at the same desk as the ‘interns’ in our open office configuration, only to benefit the collaborative team project management and design process.” – Nick Banner, Architectural Designer
“I ultimately picked BRP based on their willingness to teach and mentor you through everything. When I was going through the job finding process, this place stood out for me as a welcoming place, and an environment that you feel is open to experiment and try new design ideas.” – Amber Summers, Architectural Designer
“I initially wanted to intern at BRP because of the work the firm does, but also how involved people from the firm are with the Drury architecture program. As a student intern, I get to learn and develop my skills while working alongside architects. When I first started at BRP, I was able to work on the renovation of the church I grew up in.” – Megan Evans, Student Architectural Intern
“I would describe the culture as team-based, laid back and goal oriented. Everyone is included no matter what their job title is. It feels more like a family.” – Misty Brubaker, Office Assistant
At BRP, we take our work seriously, ourselves, not so much. From holiday parties, float trips, volunteer opportunities, exploring our downtown on the Trolley Bike to sharing a pint of local beer at a Wiffleball game, we like to have fun.
“My favorite things we do as a team is when we have activities outside of the office. By far, my favorite thing we did last year was the Day of Caring at the Discovery Center of Springfield. That was a great opportunity for all of us to volunteer and spend time together outside of work.” – Chris Swan, Architect & Managing Partner
“The Thanksgiving and Christmas parties offer a chance for the company to relax and unwind. We get to meet family and friends, which brings us all closer together as an architecture team.” – Nick Banner, Architectural Designer
“I like that we went on the Trolley Bike. It was cool to explore downtown, and fun getting to know everyone outside of the office.” – Jon Gruett, Student Architectural Intern
We also are proud of the fact that we do have a wide range of ages and experience levels working in our open and collaborative studio. This makes learning opportunities on a variety of subjects ranging from architecture to pop culture, that much easier.
“At BRP, we like sharing information amongst our peers, so when we have new people that start, I like to spend time teaching and helping people learn about how the profession works. When they have questions, they can feel like they can come to me, and I can bounce ideas off them as well. Great ideas come from everywhere.” – Laura Daugherty, Architect
“Just as Geoffrey and Tim mentored me during my early years at Butler Group, it’s been rewarding to be able to pass that experience along. What’s interesting is seeing how each of the interns are at different levels of experience and understanding of the profession, and then making sure they are given opportunities to learn as much as possible on as many different levels as possible. That’s imperative for them to be able to pass their architectural exams and progress to higher levels of responsibility on projects. I truly believe the open office atmosphere we have at BRP allows everyone to listen and learn from everyone else throughout the day” – Gerri Kielhofner, Architect & Partner
"Generally, people take their work a lot more seriously than they take themselves. People help each other; they train and mentor and share experiences. We call each other by our first names. We laugh a lot, and we work hard when we need to.” – Tim Rosenbury, Architect & Partner
“Every other Friday we have our roll call meeting. Lately, people have been giving presentations about different projects the firm is working on and learning about them. It’s a nice way to keep up with what the firm is doing as a whole as opposed to getting so focused in on your own project.” – Nicole Shaul, Architectural Designer
“To me, what makes BRP unique is the wealth of knowledge all of our principals have and are willing to share. It’s a great place to learn and grow professionally.” – Geoffrey Butler, Architect & Founding Partner
Another perk of BRP is flexibility. Not only do we close our offices at noon on Fridays, but we also promote a healthy work-life balance for our team members.
“I’d describe our culture as flexible. BRP encourages us to have a strong work-life balance. We have a relaxed dress code. A set schedule is encouraged, but not mandatory as long as the work is done.” – Brenda Horn, Accounting Coordinator
“At other firms work and life were more compartmentalized, but at BRP there is more life blended with work. There is as much work, if not more, but the closer-knit relationships combined with the office related activities (like the wiffleball league, service projects, etc.) creates a much better work-life balance by bringing more life to work.” – Glenn Illert, Architectural Designer
“We genuinely want you to succeed, we want our clients to succeed and we sincerely want our community to succeed. We are very proud of who we are and what we’ve done but we also are willing to admit when we need to adjust and learn something new.” – Angie Way, Partner
We also have to show some love to our hometown of Springfield, MO. Springfield is unique in that it provides the amenities of a big city with the warmth and accessibility of a smaller community. Springfield seamlessly balances small town hospitality with cool, urban opportunities and feel.
“Springfield is a great place to begin one’s career because it is affordable, has a vibrant downtown nightlife, and hosts many seasonal festivals. Our community is in the heart of the Ozarks. You are a short distance away from many outdoor recreation activities.” – Mike Harned, Architect & Partner
Want to join the BRP team? Be sure to check out the job description. Send samples of work and resume to Chris Swan: cswan@brparc.com
Also in the February Newsletter: BRP Designed Omaha Cambria Celebrates Opening Meet Alex, Our Newest Team Member!