Our Practice
Duvall Decker is an expanded architectural practice, expanded by necessity and by design, in a place of palpable need to foster the public good.
Mississippi is a state with a history of inequity, racial strife, and a consistently depressed economy. It is also a place rich with examples of beautiful human responses to such struggles, with Civil Rights heroes, artists, musicians, and authors who have changed the culture at large by engaging deeply in the culture of their place.
“One place understood helps us understand all places better.” – Eudora Welty
Duvall Decker was founded in 1998 by Anne Marie Duvall Decker, FAIA and Roy T. Decker, FAIA. Neither were from Mississippi, and they had no economic, familial, or political subsidy, but they were inspired by the place and its people. With the shared belief that the privilege of designing the built environment, no matter the source of funds, is a public act, they posited that given this responsibility, architecture must be both a radical act of service and a hopeful artistic speculation. In every project, no matter its size, type, or budget, architects can expose needs and design strategies to heal, to build upon the beauty of place, and elevate human experience. As the firm has expanded its commissions beyond Mississippi, this challenging training ground and this approach have become a model for a search for the public good that may be pursued in any place.
Because the character of the built environment matters to our health and well-being, Duvall Decker designs with hopeful speculation to create architecture that is durable in material and memory. It plans for diverse, healthy, and community-centered growth. It develops with civic-minded, triple-bottom-line, innovation, and it leverages its experience to care for buildings over time.
(planning and design)
Duvall Decker designs with hopeful artistic speculation to create architecture that is durable in material and memory and plans for diverse, healthy, and community-centered growth. Duvall Decker is a recognized design and planning leader in the region and is dedicated to advancing public health and environmental quality. The firm achieves design excellence no matter the project scale or type – large or small, renovation or new construction. These projects include community planning, K-12 schools, state and federal institutions, university buildings, work places, and affordable housing. Duvall Decker’s work has received numerous state, regional, and national awards for design excellence. The firm was selected as a 2017 Emerging Voice by the Architectural League of New York and identified as a Game Changer by Metropolis Magazine in 2019. The firm’s work and approach has been featured in national publications including Architect Magazine, Metropolis Magazine, dwell, and The New York Times.
(care)
Dunn Management provides comprehensive turnkey facility maintenance, energy efficiency consulting, and management services to help our clients improve and care for their facilities. Craftsmanship is the measure of quality in this work that capitalizes on the experience and knowledge of a full building professional staff. Dunn Management helps clients maintain healthy environments, reduce energy consumption, and increase efficiency – creating operational cost savings. With our unique specialized expertise in building care and management, we help our clients extend facility life and optimize efficiency so they can use their talents and resources on progressing their organizations’ missions.
(develop)
Eldon Development is recognized for its innovative real estate development strategies that enhance communities in need and promote social, economic, and environmental quality. Eldon Development provides a full range of development services for its own investments as well as for clients as development consultants. Built on the firm’s experience of design, planning, project and construction management, and building care, the Eldon team is uniquely qualified to apply all these skills in the service of community development projects.