Q+ Profile

The work of Quackenbush Architects + Planners that you see in communities throughout South Carolina is indicative of a valued ability to blend creativity, connectivity, and reality into lasting solutions.

We are a full-service architecture and planning firm located in Columbia, South Carolina specializing in institutional, civic, educational, and commercial projects. Our services span from building design to land planning to interior design. Our portfolio includes projects for universities, cities, colleges, government agencies, school districts, and private clients. Our work reflects a commitment to innovation, sensitivity to our regional context, and the richness that comes from collaboration with our clients and the community.

How We Work

We are architects, designers, planners, and- just as importantly- collaborators. Our process is hands-on and interactive. The relationships we have with clients, colleagues, partners and the public foster trust and dialogue – yielding work that is relevant, appropriate, engaging, and mutually respected. We ask, we listen, we explore the issues, we define the objectives, and only then do we design, inspire and guide.

Visually and functionally, the integrity of our work speaks for itself. Yet we are equally passionate about core attributes of our firm that only reveal themselves in the process. There is the serious attention to detail – thorough work, modest change orders, and meticulous documentation. There is the conscientious and professional service. There is the careful, planned implementation of even the loftiest ideals. There is the total respect for a client’s vision, schedule and budget.

How We Think

Great architecture is derived from its unique context, the essence of a place. It contributes to and strengthens its community. It becomes a positive force, elevating its neighbors. It enriches those who experience it. We believe in architecture that celebrates urbanity and delights in the juxtaposition of the old and new. We seek to design buildings and plan spaces for our age – innovative yet part of a recognizable, genuine environment.

How You Benefit

In a word, the overarching positive of partnering with Quackenbush Architects + Planners is the confidence it instills. Confidence generated by deep experience and a strong, award-winning track record of institutional, educational and commercial projects. Confidence supported by our adeptness at remaining faithful to our ideals as we honor the vision and needs of our clients.

Showcase Project

SCVRD Lyman Center

As the first new Center to be built for the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department in over twenty years, the Lyman Center reflects the current mission and philosophy of the Department, providing counseling, rehabilitation, and work production services. The new 35,000sf structure, to be constructed in two phases, is subdivided into three major program components: an area office, a 10,000sf production/training floor, and a special services unit for occupational and physical therapy. Designed for an organization that values its relationships within the business community, the facility appeals to corporate and technological aesthetics while also blending with its organic, wooded site on the Middle Tyger River.

Northeast Engineering / Science Classroom Facility Construction

This 68,000 sq. ft. classroom building addition at the Northeast Technology Campus will become the new home of the Engineering and Science departments of the College. The program features teaching labs and classrooms focusing on clean energy technology, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing, supporting the mission of the College’s regional research partners. The design features strategies to provide student centered “casual” spaces that encourage social interaction and collaboration. The facility will showcase flexible spaces and planning strategies to respond to changes in mission and technology.

School Designs Change with the Times

If back-to-school brings visions of the proverbial little red schoolhouse, better think again. Today’s schools are more a combination of brain research, educational advancements, sustainability and technology, bringing new challenges for school architects and designers. This amphitheater was built into the design of the Center for Knowledge as another area of learning. (Photo/Courtesty Quackenbush Architects & Planners) “It’s really like the chicken and the egg,” said architect Doug Quackenbush, as educators and architects collaborate on designing new schools using resources and ideas from both fields. “We give school districts good advice on a fully performing 21st century school while they inform us of new teaching techniques and educational trends.”