McMillan Pazdan Smith Adds 10th Studio Office with Huntsville Acquisition
McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture (MPS) is proud to announce that Fuqua & Partners Architects (FPA), a progressive community-based architecture, interiors and planning firm operating in Huntsville, Alabama since 1983, has joined McMillan Pazdan Smith. The acquisition represents a strategic growth investment in Alabama and southern Tennessee with a tenth studio office for Southeast-focused MPS.
Huntsville “Rocket City” is a center for national R&D, especially in emerging technologies and space exploration. “With its welcoming and people-centered culture and growing diversity of commercial, civic, education, and healthcare environments Huntsville is an exciting community for McMillan Pazdan Smith to serve and support,” said Chad Cousins, CEO of McMillan Pazdan Smith, “Fuqua & Partners is aligned with the same strong values, community focus and design excellence that enables MPS to serve clients insightfully and successfully. In partnership together, we look forward to supporting the vitality of communities, commerce, and campuses throughout the rapidly growing North Alabama area.”
“Our firm is proud of how the buildings we’ve designed have had a positive and long-term impact on the people and communities we serve,” said FPA founding principal, Joe Fuqua. “Joining with MPS will offer our clients enhanced project expertise and support, setting current and future clients up for long-term success. It will also provide new and exciting opportunities for the talented designers and architects that have made FPA one of the leading firms in North Alabama.”
FPA’s design portfolio includes significant projects in Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky and Louisiana. The firm designed the award-winning Huntsville Transit Transfer Station, a building that combines functional efficiency with environmental consciousness. In 2023, they completed the Discovery Life Sciences Global Headquarters on the Huntsville campus of HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology.
FPA leadership and 30 team members will be integrated into MPS’ collaborative practice area teams, while continuing to serve their local clients from the studio’s location at 100 Church Street SW, Suite 700, Huntsville, Alabama 35801.
AEC Advisors (www.aecadvisors.com), through its registered broker-dealer affiliate AEC Transaction Services LLC, was the exclusive financial advisor to Fuqua & Partners Architects.
About McMillan Pazdan Smith
McMillan Pazdan Smith (MPS) is a 400+ member architecture, advisory, planning, and interior design firm. Practicing since 1955, the firm’s success is based on its collaborative and relationships-centered culture, creative client solutions, experienced advisory depth, and commitment to design excellence. ENR named MPS the Southeast “Design Firm of the Year” in 2020. The firm also received the 2022 Premier Award for Client Satisfaction from PSMJ and the “Firm Award” from AIA SC in 2024.
