Commercial real estate architecture firm AO has opened an eastern regional office at 1447 Peachtree Street NE in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia. The office is spearheaded by AO Partner Richard Clarke IV, an design architect and Atlanta resident with a diverse and distinguished portfolio of award-winning developments. Atlanta-based architect Johnny Hembree also joins the AO leadership team as principal.
AO’s Atlanta location supports the firm’s business growth and the evolution of its offerings which include architecture, planning, interior and landscape design, the company said. It expands upon AO’s growing body of work in markets across the country and overseas while establishing a Southeast presence for its core developer client base in commercial real estate, including retail, mixed-use, office, multifamily, hospitality, industrial, healthcare, data centers and science and technology.
“AO has been providing best-in-class architectural and client services for over 45 years and we are thrilled to continue the firm’s legacy here in Atlanta,” said Rob Budetti, managing partner at AO. “The local commercial real estate market is thriving in Atlanta with huge demand for quality design and progressive development and we see a gap in the marketplace for the types of services and expertise that AO has to offer. As an integrated one-stop firm with a wide-ranging expertise across all CRE product types, AO offers its clients capabilities that are truly unique to this market.”
Clarke brings more than 35 years’ experience designing, planning and directing projects across all major commercial real estate sectors, including retail, hospitality, mixed-use and industrial projects through all phases of development and entitlements. He will continue to oversee projects in California and across the country.
Hembree, AIA, LEED AP, NCIDQ, brings over 30 years of architectural experience spanning large and technical projects in the mission critical, office, medical, higher education, civic, multifamily and senior housing sectors. Notably, he was lead designer on S1 Corporation’s Atlanta headquarters, AT&T’s Alpharetta data center and the Cobb & Douglas County Public Health Center in Marietta. Drawing on his extensive design experience and industry connections.
