BB+M Architecture is pleased to announce that Nick Barnes, Hong Choe, Kelly Cook, Carey Sikes and Heath Wickline have been named partners in the firm. All five are now Associate Principals at BB+M, which was founded in 2005 and has grown to 53 firm members at present.

Barnes, Choe, Cook, Sikes and Wickline are all senior leaders in the firm’s architectural practice, while Cook is BB+M’s Director of Interiors.

“Nick, Hong, Kelly, Carey and Heath have made an invaluable contribution to BB+M and have positioned us for continued growth and success in the years ahead,” said Roger Manley, AIA, one of BB+M’s three founding principals. “This is a well-deserved promotion for a group of consummate professionals who embody our culture and our commitment to client service.”

Barnes brings 14 years in the profession, spending 12 of those with BB+M. His client-centric approach and commitment to quality design allows him to not only lead critical firm projects but participate in broader design mentorship within the office. As a champion for producing projects that are both cost effective and thoughtfully designed, his influence in the office is essential. His project involvement is diverse including work focusing in the mixed-use, office, hospitality, adaptive reuse and multifamily markets.

Choe has been involved in various high-profile mixed-use projects during his career including retail, office, multifamily apartments and structured parking. His leadership is most evident within the firm’s larger projects through his seamless guidance within the most complex of project types across multidisciplinary teams. With hands-on working experiences from different cultures, including his home country of South Korea, Hong brings a diverse knowledge base and leadership skill set. He is a tireless mentor for young staff members and enjoys aiding in their development and growth, which is critically important to the firm.

Cook joined BB+M three years ago and was promoted to Director of Interiors in 2018. She leads a team of 10 Interior Designers and has been instrumental in the growth of the department. Prior to joining BB+M, Kelly spent 11 years honing her leadership and design skills in the hospitality design market and was honored as part of the 2015 “Boutique 18” class, a yearly roster of up and coming designers in the hospitality industry.

Sikes is an internationally experienced architect with over 18 years in the profession. His experience working on large mixed-use projects in India provides the firm with crucial design background, particularly with high rise concrete projects. He is often tasked with leading the firm’s more complicated and larger projects from concept to fruition and is instrumental in quality control practices for the firm. Sikes is a licensed Architect, a member of the AIA, and is a LEED AP.

Wickline has more than 18 years of experience including 13 years at BB+M. A creative thinker who prides himself on solving the complicated problems, he has completed a wide variety of project types across the country for the firm ranging in value from $10,000 to over $100 million. Wickline enjoys a wide spectrum of design challenges from new construction to preservation through the firm’s many recent adaptive reuse projects. Executing project vision with no ego and attention to detail is what makes him an effective team leader.

BB+M Architecture is a Charlotte-based firm offering regional comprehensive planning, architectural and interior design services. Founded in 2005, BB+M’s principals have provided design solutions for office, retail, multifamily, senior living, interior design, and mixed-use developments ranging in size from small projects to upwards of $125 million in value. The foundation of the practice has always been the simple core concept of relentless commitment to design excellence always centered around our customers’ aspirations.