hufft projects
kansas city, mo.
www.hufft.com
Matthew Hufft, AIA, LEED AP, believes there’s never been a better time to run a nontraditional design firm. “We’re coming out of the worst recession in the country’s history,” he says. “The building industry is so scared, people are willing to think about different ways of doing things.”
The company he founded, Hufft Projects, provides a perfect example. Along with several architects and designers, the 18-person staff also includes a team of skilled craftspeople who fabricate wood and metal details, cabinetry, and furniture. The firm’s Kansas City, Mo., compound encompasses a metal studio and a digital studio, complete with an extra-large CNC machine.
This interest and expertise in fabrication recently has led the firm to explore design/build. One such project is a house for Hufft and his wife, Jesse (who are both directors at Hufft Projects, along with Clayton Vogel and Kimball Hales, AIA, LEED AP). It also has taken on several mixed-use, multifamily projects in addition to its custom residential and commercial work. In May, Vogel and Matthew Hufft officially introduced Edwin Blue, a furniture line and sister company to Hufft Projects. Says Matthew: “We survived the recession based on determination and also diversification.”
View all articles in 15 Young Firms to Watch.
years in practice: 7 / projects completed in 2011: 30 / firm size: 18 / areas of interest: multifamily, custom residential, commercial, mixed-use
