National architecture and design group buys North Charleston architectural firm

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A national design firm with an office in Charleston and experience working on Lowcountry projects has acquired a North Charleston architecture firm.

Little Diversified Architectural Consulting announced late on Feb. 7 that it has purchased Red Iron Architects.

Combining forces with the North Charleston firm will broaden Little’s services across the Charleston region and South Carolina and grow Little’s areas of expertise in community, health care, commercial and mixed-use sectors, the company said in a news release.

“Little has experienced unprecedented growth in our Charleston office since its opening in 2022, growing tenfold from a team of two to nearly 20,” Don Baus, president of Little’s Charleston office, said in the news release. “We have been designing projects in South Carolina for the last 10 years, so it’s a natural fit to further extend our presence in the Charleston region and the state.”

Baus said the two offices are united by a joint focus on client service.

The Red Iron Architects name will no longer be used as the staff is fully integrated into the Little team already in Charleston. They will operate at 4591 Durant Ave. with plans to fine a new offices sometime this year, a company spokesperson said.

“Our focus has always been to enrich the way people work and live,” Emma Souder, former principal and owner at Red Iron Architects, said in the release. Souder now acts as community studio principal in Little’s Charleston office.

“Now with our combined expertise, we can deliver even more innovative and sustainable design solutions that make life better for all,” Souder said in the release.

Little has offices in Charlotte; Durham; Newport Beach, Calif.; Orlando, Fla.; Washington, D.C.; and Charleston, where it has operated since 2022. Founded in Charlotte in 1964, the company has more than 400 employees.

Little has been the designer for projects that include East Edisto Middle School, Hilton Head High School Rebuild, College of Charleston Stern Center Renovation, AC Corcoran Elementary Addition and Greenville Schools CTE Innovation Center, as well as projects for the Medical University of South Carolina, the company said.

“People are the heartbeat of everything we do at Little,” Carolyn Rickard-Brideau, partner and CEO of Little, said in the release. “We are excited to welcome the talented people from Red Iron Architects to our team and continue to deepen our relationships in the Carolinas.”

Red Iron Architects offers architecture, programming, space planning, interior design and construction administration services to educational, governmental, health care and commercial clients. The firm’s portfolio of area projects includes Park Circle Playground, Malcolm C. Hursey Montessori School, Tri-County Therapy Clinic, The Citadel’s Bond Hall and Beach Club and Charleston Distilling.