Lamar Wakefield
Principal
Lamar Wakefield is a people person. His ability to connect with clients and set them at ease during the complicated design process consistently creates great results. And it’s this ability that has created a relationship-centric culture at Wakefield Beasley. By treating employees, clients and contractors well, Lamar’s emphasis on people permeates every aspect of the firm’s business.
Lamar was always an artistic child with a natural talent for drawing and a strong aptitude for math. For years, friends and family told him that he was meant to be an architect, so it seemed like a natural career choice later in life. It was either architecture or real estate, as Lamar loved building things and creating places. After working for various architecture and general contracting firms out of school, Lamar founded Wakefield Beasley with John Beasley at the young age of 27, envisioning a design firm with high design standards and a team of great individuals.
While Lamar expected Wakefield Beasley to thrive as a small boutique firm that would focus on office, retail and public projects, he’s delighted by the success of the firm. With multiple design studios, a diverse group of employees and offices in Georgia, Florida and Panama, Wakefield Beasley grew to levels he never could have imagined. The sense of collaboration among the different design studios at Wakefield Beasley makes the firm a fun place to work and a great place for young architects to hone their craft.
Lamar attributes his success – and the success of Wakefield Beasley – to the firm’s focus on diversity. Diversity has enabled the firm to branch out in ways Lamar never imagined, bringing different perspectives and solutions to every challenge the firm faces. This diversity is a hallmark of the firm’s success and the secret behind its longevity in difficult economic times.
To Lamar, the design business is about making relationships and maintaining relationships. He has worked closely with John Beasley to hire the correct people to lead the firm’s design studios and given them the autonomy to thrive. He has also put in the time to keep up with past clients to stay abreast of changes in their organizations and goals to be ready when new design opportunities come along 10, 20 and 30 years later. This commitment to focusing on people is Lamar Wakefield’s greatest strength.
Education:
Bachelor of Architecture
Georgia Institute of Technology
Memberships & Affiliations:
Member, American Institute of Architects (AIA)
Member, National Council for Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB)
Member, National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP)
