Economic Impact Awards Architecture Finalist: Creative Ink Architects LLC

“A very large percentage of our work is work out of town, meaning we generate a significant amount in fees,” Stockdale said. “Those are dollars that come from outside of our community. In terms of economic impact, it's not like we are taking money and moving it around town. We are bringing new dollars to the Springfield area.”

Though Bass Pro Shops is among the firm’s clients, Creative Ink also sometimes serves as architect for speculative projects, such as the Writer’s Hall of Fame of America and Silver Saddle Productions Inc.’s Great American Wild West Coliseum in Branson.

But Stockdale said it’s still worth it to get involved with what he calls “pie-in-the-sky” projects.

“Without the assistance of an area architect, the project may never go anywhere,” Stockdale said. “It is certainly self-serving. We’d like the project to work out and be involved with a real thing, but sometimes that doesn’t work out. … When they work out they are certainly good for our office and good for the community.”

And when projects do come to fruition, he noted, the firm reaps the benefits.

One success for Creative Ink is the master plan for Branson Meadows. From that design, Creative Ink got work on Branson Mill, the P. Graham Dunn Gallery and other projects.

As word of their work travels, more jobs come in.

“I'd say 95 percent of the work we do is obtained by reputation and word-of-mouth,” Stockdale said. “We've had some good, long-standing clients and done one-shot wonders for others. For example we designed one dentist's building and those professionals talk, and then we design another and another and another.”

In July 2006, Stockdale moved Creative Ink to Galloway Village, an area in southeast Springfield that officially became part of the city in 1969.

Stockdale saw an opportunity to build something there that was both functional for the firm and a good fit for the neighborhood.

“It's kind of an under-discovered corner of Springfield,” Stockdale said.

“Since we've come down here and made our investment, things have started to pop.”

Creative Ink’s new office was created through the adaptive reuse of a 2,400-square-foot residence built in 1907 in Galloway Village.

There were 1,400 square feet added to the structure, and renovations recreated historic features that were prevalent for commercial buildings in that area at the turn of the century.

Stockdale’s vision appealed to Dr. Tedd Hamaker of Springfield Veterinary Hospital, who has purchased 1.2 acres in Galloway Village and has plans to move there eventually.

“I liked what Bob Stockdale had done with his building,” Hamaker said.

“If we build our building near his, we have a chance to continue the theme. If you see his from the outside, it looks like one thing, but if you go on the inside, you see that it is a very modern, well-thought-out building that takes into account the environment for the employees. From the outside it looks like a building from the period of Galloway at its heyday.”

Creative Ink Architects LLC

Address: 4064 S. Lone Pine Ave., Springfield, MO 65804

Phone: (417) 823-2100

Web site: www.creativeink.bz

Employees: 20

2006 Revenues: $3 million[[In-content Ad]]