In 1998, Mr. Messick left a corporate Houston firm to pursue independent architectural design. This venture quickly evolved into a design-build company, merging his unique design theory with his construction expertise. By personally building his own architectural projects, he established the foundational model for KnZ.
Keith separated his architecture group from the design-build firm to overcome market biases and diversify his target audience. This strategic rebranding allowed for increased contract execution and greater creative focus on pure architecture. The business thrived until the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022) decimated the office and interior markets, forcing a critical pivot.
A soft merger with a large firm seemed to be the best solution.
The merger and subsequent role in that firm just wasn’t what Keith was looking for so he made a bold decision to start over