smbw is an architecture and interior design studio based in Richmond, Virginia, with more than 30 years of experience delivering complex, context-driven projects. The practice is defined by how ideas are developed, tested, and carried forward through research, clear decision-making, and sustained follow-through from early study to construction.

Work at smbw is shaped by a studio made up of multiple voices and areas of expertise, working across architecture and interiors as a single practice. Each project begins by listening to clients, to site, and to the conditions that shape how a space must function over time. Design decisions are made with the understanding that authorship is shared, and that meaningful outcomes depend on sustained engagement and responsibility.

The studio’s portfolio spans adaptive reuse, institutional, civic, and mission-driven projects across a range of scales. Rather than operating from a stylistic position, smbw applies a consistent and methodical approach that values clarity, durability, and purpose. This approach allows projects to respond directly to their circumstances while remaining grounded in long-term use and care.

smbw works alongside clients and consultant teams as co-authors of the work. Ideas are examined with rigor, refined through dialogue, and resolved with intention. Design is understood as a transformative act shaped by careful decisions and shared accountability, with lasting impact for the communities these projects serve.

smbw

Org chart

Teams

Offices