History of Mims Architecture PLC

Mr. Mims (foreground) at Taliesin West, 1964

    Mims Architecture PLC is the continuation of the practice of architecture by William E. Mims and his architectural colleagues. The firm started as a sole proprietorship in 1977 in Nashville, Tennessee and later was operated as Mims Design Group, a business corporation. Mr. Mims later restructured the firm under its present name as a limited liability company in the late 1990’s. The firm is located in Hermitage, Tennessee in a building which Mr. Mims purchased and renovated as his office. During its history the firm has changed size and staff and has been as large as 16 employees and as small as 2. At the current time, the firm has a staff of four and only engages in selective design projects.

    Under the architectural licenses of William E. Mims, Mims Architecture PLC currently provides professional design services to clients in twenty five states. The firm does not specialize in any particular category of design, but has been honored that almost all of its work has come through referrals from satisfied clients. Because of this loyal client base, the firm has had the pleasure of doing a number of repeat projects for its clients. The type of projects the firm has done have varied from time to time as the economy has changed. Over the past twenty eight years, the firm has done a number of church related projects, land planning projects, office buildings and multi-family housing projects, as well as many custom designed luxury private residences.

    The firm has historically maintained a strong joint-venture working relationship with several firms whose principals were connected with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and Frank Lloyd Wright’s successor firm, Taliesin Architects. Because of this involvement, the firm has been honored over the years to have served as Associate Architect with Taliesin Architects for the completion of a number of un-built original designs by Frank Lloyd Wright. In 1989 Mr. Mims worked at Taliesin West as Associate Architect, with architect John Rattenbury on the Waikapu Country Club for Maui, HI as well as a number of other projects which Taliesin Architects had under contract at the time. In 1994 Mr. Mims temporarily relocated to Madison, WI and worked as Associate Architect with Taliesin Architect’s Anthony Puttnam on the design and construction of the Monona Terrace Convention Center, another original design by Frank Lloyd Wright.

    Because of this direct involvement in the projects for Taliesin Architects, in 1997 Mr. Mims was hired as the President and Chief Executive Officer for that firm, and operated that firm from its headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona for the next three years, while also continuing the operations of Mims Architecture as an affiliate under the banner of Taliesin Architects Southeast. In that position, he was responsible for marketing, coordinating and managing approximately 100 active projects at any given time. This work involved designs ranging from housing developments in Japan and New Jersey, a new city center Master Plan for Chandler, AZ, administrative facilities for a Native American Tribe and numerous private residential and commercial developments. Mr. Mims managed a staff of 55 during those years and reported to the Board of Directors of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Since completing his service to Taliesin Architects, Mr. Mims has returned full-time to the firm in Middle Tennessee, but continues to provide design and consultation services to several of his former Taliesin Architects colleagues in different parts of the country.