JAMES S. LITTLE, JR., AIA, NCARB

jim-color-square

James Little brings over thirty-two years of hands-on practical experience to the firm of SBL Architecture, Inc. He is a managing principal of the firm, and serves its clients in the roles of Project Manager, Facility Programmer & Planner, Project Designer and Quality Assurance Officer, as required by the individual engagement.

Mr. Little began his career as a fabrication technician with Braden Steel Company in Tulsa in 1969. There he gained hands-on experience with the tooling of steel building components, coordinating the installation and testing of the company’s first automated Z-Bar cleaning, painting, drying and stacking line.

In 1971, Jim began his studies at the University of Oklahoma where he earned a Bachelor of Science – Environmental Design Degree, with Distinction, in 1975 and a Master of Architecture/Planning Degree, with Distinction, in 1980. While at the University of Oklahoma, Jim served as Graduate Teaching Assistant involved with photographic and mechanical systems design courses. He was also the recipient of the AIA Henry Adams Fund Certificate of Merit For Excellence in the Study of Architecture. With an exceptionally strong commitment to continuing education, Jim has completed more than twenty-five significant programs sponsored by the AIA, Professional Services Management Association, American Hospital Association and other such organizations. He completed studies in the Management of Design and Planning Firms at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design in 1983.

In 1976, Jim joined Rees Associates, Inc. as its first architectural employee. He served in the planning, design and production capacities on numerous assignments while developing an expertise in management that lead to his role as Principal and member of Rees’ Board of Directors while in the Oklahoma City office. In 1983, Jim opened the Dallas office of Rees Associates. By 1991 that office had been recognized by the Dallas Business Journal as the fourteenth largest architectural and engineering firm in Dallas County and in 1992, Rees Dallas was recognized by SMU’s Cox School of Business as one of the “Dallas 100″, the fastest growing small firms in the Dallas area. Jim was Senior Vice President and responsible for the Dallas Office when he left Rees in 1994 to found Sterling Architects & Consultants, which soon became Sterling Barnett Little, Inc, and is now SBL Architecture, Inc.

Jim has national certification as a licensed architect (National Council of Architectural Registration Boards certificate #32,033) and is currently licensed in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and an active participant in the AIA’s Academy of Architecture for Health (national & local).

Jim’s leadership has worked to guide the firm’s growth, inspire team members, explore new professional boundaries and create noteworthy facilities of lasting value.

He is an innovative and assertive executive with over thirty-two years of achievement in the design profession. A proven history of completing projects within time and budget constraints has developed many long-term relationships with significant clients. He possesses a unique combination of talents which merge creative problem-solving abilities and graphic skills with management and fiscal responsibilities.