In 2015, Chelsea Lavell was six weeks into her maternity leave with her first baby and got a call that would change her career forever. The UFC Corporate Headquarters project that had been on hold was back on and they wanted Chelsea. This project was personal for Chelsea due to the work she had already put into it. For KGA it had the potential to put them on the map in the world of interior design. Chelsea had a choice to make. She could either pass on the project and stay on maternity leave, or she could expedite her leave and finish the project that meant so much to her. With the help of the KGA partners a team of designers was hired to get to work.
Because of that choice, KGA went on to design the entire UFC campus. It also landed an incredible partnership with Caesars Entertainment. Today, KGA Architecture is known equally for its outstanding architectural work and fantastic interior design. Now a partner, Chelsea shares some of the firm’s history, recent projects, and plans.
KGA History & Recent Projects
KGA was founded in 1975 and its work encompasses hospitality, healthcare, civic, commercial, and education. Coming up on its 50th anniversary, the firm now boasts a team of 48 employees.
As to recent projects, Chelsea is particularly excited about a new casino they have designed with Caesars Entertainment and the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma. “The amazing thing about this project is we were called in October and returned 100% of the drawings by April.” That was six months to fully design the casino from the ground up.
This casino is a prime example of what KGA can do for its clients. “I’ve sat in so many interviews where the client says, ‘Show me that you’ve done this before.’ says Chelsea. “And I tell them, ‘We haven’t done that before. But we hadn’t done this other project before either and look how well it turned out.’ Just because there’s something that we haven’t done, that doesn’t mean we aren’t completely capable of creating something unique for our next client.”
“Our firm has a vast project portfolio which allows us to bring knowledge and distinctive design to our clients.”
Chelsea Lavell
Faith Lutheran & Caesars Entertainment
KGA is also working on the Faith Lutheran Crusader Technology Center, which will be a new STEM building on campus. This is just one of the buildings KGA has designed for the school. KGA has been fortunate enough to work with the Faith Lutheran community for over 20 years. This project speaks volumes about the quality of KGA’s work and the trust it has built among return clients.
One such return client is Caesars Entertainment. In 2015 KGA competed for a design project with
Caesars and won their business. Since then, Caesar’s has kept them very busy. One project of note is the Caesars Forum Convention Center which was the largest pillarless ballroom at the time. This was the first time KGA was awarded an interior design contract under another architect rather than the reverse.
What Makes KGA Unique
What makes KGA unique in the market is not only its diverse offerings in architecture and interior design among multiple markets but also its dedication to the client’s vision. As Chelsea says, “We’re not egotistical. We’re designing for you, not for us. That is why you can’t look at a building and say, ‘Oh, that was done by KGA.’”
Looking ahead to what they hope to accomplish soon, Chelsea shares, “We have a culture that we are very proud of that goes back to the roots of KGA. We have always been family-oriented, so each person has a life outside of work.” The way KGA is helping this work-life balance now is by facilitating a hybrid work environment. They require two days in the office per week and ask for consistency from week to week. “If you do your work and your clients are happy, I don’t need to see you across the table from me.”
Moving forward, Chelsea hopes she and the other principals can maintain that culture of trust that has led to such great retention for their team. Alongside that, they prioritize personal growth through
mentorship.” I was mentored by the generation before me to go after my goals. Now I get to continue that legacy and I think that is awesome.”
Finally, KGA is excited to take on new and challenging projects. No matter the client or project size, they are dedicated to remaining personable and letting their client’s vision drive their designs.
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