In 1963, Lyle Fugleberg launched a small, one-person architectural firm. Partner Bob Koch joined him just three years later. Officially named Fugleberg Koch Architects, Inc. in 1972, the early years saw the Florida-based firm engage with senior housing facilities, tourism and hospitality, and multi-family projects.
Expanding its offerings over the decades to include an interiors division and turnkey solutions, the business expanded into mixed-use works, new planned urban communities, modular construction, and large resorts and full-service hotels such as the Royal Pacific and Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort & Spa.
More than 60 years after its founding, FK Architecture is known as one of America’s premier full-service, multi-disciplined architectural firms. With a dedicated team of around 45 employees, the company recently added Vermont and Nebraska to its state licenses, bringing the number to 30.
Continuing to earn business from new clients for its commercial, housing, hospitality, and other works, FK’s decades of experience keep bringing long-time clients back over and over. “That’s the bulk of our business,” says Managing Principal Gary Badge. “We are always winning work in new markets, but most of what we do is with clients who’ve known us for 10, 20, 30 years, and more.”
Six decades of teamwork
Much of FK Architecture’s strength lies in the remarkable people who have called the firm home over the years. At the company, hiring is about more than talent; it is about teamwork, culture, and collaboration to achieve the best possible outcome for clients.
“Being here for over 60 years has a lot to do with it,” says Managing Principal and Owner Kimberly Hellekson, who has been with FK for over a decade. “We have a strong presence and are known in the community. The Fugleberg Koch name is known here, and our reputation carries a good deal of weight in the marketplace.”
Dedicated to the firm and its vision, staffers often remain with FK for decades. Former Principal Mike Griffin recently celebrated his 40th anniversary at the firm.
The best fit for FK are people who are team players, open to input from others, and able to communicate their own points of view. “We want a team culture here,” says Hellekson. “With architecture, we feed off each other and our varied ideas. And knowing that we are bringing somebody in who has something to share and is willing to listen to what their coworkers have to say is a huge quality we look for in people.”
When she joined the firm, veteran staff recognized Hellekson’s potential, and she rose to her current position.
“We always consider our employees part of the team first and not a means to an end,” Badge agrees. “They appreciate that and feel recognized. There is stability here that doesn’t exist in other places. We aren’t known for much turnover and are focused on delivering the right mix of people and expertise to meet project demands.”
Women in architecture
In a field that tends to be male dominated, over a third of FK Architecture’s staff are women. The company isn’t looking to check any boxes; that has simply been the gender balance at FK for decades.
Most résumés come to the firm from women; many come for interviews and are hired. For Gary Badge, who participates in the hiring and retention process, having a better balance means the ability to see things through varied perspectives, which leads to successful outcomes and a unique lens.
Giving back
Valuing the fundamental importance of the profession, and always looking to encourage quality people to enter the field, FK is behind the Robert and Joanne Koch Scholarship for Architecture. This scholarship is awarded on merit and granted to a student working toward a bachelor’s degree in architecture at an accredited college in Central Florida.
The $1,500 scholarship was recently awarded to a local female graduate who will attend architecture school at the University of Miami. “We are thrilled to offer that to her,” says Hellekson. The young woman was accompanied at the award presentation by her mother and her father, an architect himself.
“He was happy to see what we are doing,” Hellekson adds, “and Joanne’s legacy continues here. We’re happy to promote the younger generation and encourage them to get an education and move forward.”
Indeed, FK Architecture is active in its community and supports several charitable endeavors such as Habitat for Humanity, a Thanksgiving basket brigade, and cultural events around town to give back and keep everyone in the company engaged with their local communities.
Recognized for its initiatives, FK has received many awards. In 2023 and again this year, the firm was the recipient of the Orlando Business Journal’s Golden 100, which is awarded to the Top 100 privately held businesses in Central Florida. FK was also presented with the 2024 Orlando Creative Homes Award.
Recent projects
In the past few years, FK has seen growth in the multi-family and affordable housing arena, along with modular and renovation projects. For example, the firm is currently focused on the Fountains at Hidden Lake, an affordable seniors’ housing complex in Florida’s Crystal River. A portion of the four-story, $25 million community will be dedicated to those earning at or below a certain percentage of the area’s median income.
FK is proud of its work, its longevity in the industry, and the many strong relationships the firm has nurtured with local developers. “I think it’s because we don’t just bring architecture to the table,” says Badge. “We bring a wide variety of knowledge and resources developers can rely on to do the work, which helps them get through some challenges and navigate things. We’re not stodgy, and don’t push back on a lot of issues,” he says. “FK is open-minded, and we don’t think we know everything, so other ideas are welcome at the table. We promote collaborator attitudes in the office, and we are team players with our developer partners as well. That’s how we approach our work. We say, ‘We want to be a partner, not just a service or pencil for you guys. You can call us pretty much any time,’ so that flexibility is appreciated. You get a little closer to these people rather than just being business buddies.”
Badge shares that soon, he’d like to see FK Architecture continue building on its foundation while embracing new directions. “We are on the fourth generation of ownership and still have some youth left in us,” he jokes. “I think we’ve yet to find all the things that inspire and drive us.”
While the firm continues experiencing plenty of repeat business, he’d like to see more work on the creative side. “We’ve got a very strong foundation, a smart and creative staff, and are working to develop our efficiencies in-house so we can divide portions of our business where we are doing one thing that’s making money and devoting creative talent to other things. We’ve got a very talented marketing and business development staff that is looking at varied strategies and different campaigns,” he says. The company has considerable experience in different markets, such as themed entertainment and single-family residences, areas Badge would like to see expanded.
Creativity, the fertile mindset
A big supporter of thinking outside the box, Badge believes there is more to the company than just architecture—a creative mindset sets it apart. This is an advantage over many other firms in Florida.
The third oldest firm in the area—and several others, themselves older now—came from FK through young architects who started at the company before setting up their own shops. “Somebody worked here, then started their own thing,” says Badge, not surprising for a business that bubbles with creative energy and the overturning of the ordinary.
With about half of its business in Florida, FK Architecture does have clients in other markets, including Texas, Arizona, and Colorado. Badge says the West Coast of the U.S. is broadly more free-thinking, while the East Coast is more economically driven. While there needs to be a balance between the two, Badge says he is inspired by the passion he sees in his West Coast counterparts.
“It’s important to draw new inspiration from different parts of the country that may have different ideas. Our foundational drive and values remain unchanged, but we are continuously revamping the image and identity of the company to take us to new heights.”
