This story is brought to you in partnership with Pinnacle Financial Partners
When you ask Joseph Cole, CEO and Founder of Culture Architecture and Design, what drew him to architecture, he will tell you he’s always known that was the career path for him.
As a kid growing up in South Nashville, weekend grocery trips planted the architecture seed. From redrawing the properties listed in the free magazines in grocery stores to reimagining existing structures into more elaborate designs, architecture was the natural way to go for Joseph.
That natural desire is now reflected in his firm, one founded to center people and purpose in every project across his hometown.
After graduating from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a few years working in Chattanooga, getting his MBA from Emory in Atlanta, and living in New York, he returned to Nashville with fresh eyes for its rapid growth and evolving identity. He describes his journey as an intentional homecoming.
While many architecture firms focus first on aesthetics, Cole’s vision is rooted in the belief that culture itself creates great design. A lesson early in his career made that clear: “It was a big budget, easy timeline, cool design brief… set up for success, but it turned out terrible,” he said. The reason was simple, “The overall design team was just really self-interested.” Compare that with a project where budgets were tight and timelines stressful. “Everybody was bought into the vision and it turned out phenomenal.”
From that point on, people came first.
“If you get a group of talented people together and develop a great firm culture, culture then creates great design. So I knew that when I started my own business, I would start building around the people first.”
Those people, Joseph emphasizes, are what help the projects move forward successfully.
“Establishing a great company culture affords you a level of buy-in and camaraderie. Then, we all know we are looking out for each other, and then create some pretty cool stuff.”
Culture Architecture is behind major Nashville projects, including Nissan Stadium and Vanderbilt’s FirstBank Stadium. Even on large teams, Cole sees their role clearly. “We’re here to advocate on behalf of the design, but also on behalf of the client,” he said. For the new Titans stadium, Culture is the local architect helping ensure the project remains connected to Middle Tennessee. “A project that is so paramount to the community has to be built successfully.”
Cole resists a signature design style. Instead, his team studies the client and surrounding neighborhoods to produce something that feels rooted in its community. “Our design is whatever our client likes,” he said. “We never look at a project like it’s our project. We look at it like it’s the client’s project and an opportunity to steward it with great design.”
Architecture remains one of the least diverse professions in the U.S. Cole knows that firsthand. “Less than 2 percent of architects are Black,” he noted. “Our industry is very much a relationship industry. Those conversations start from who is in the room.”
Culture Architecture makes sure they are in the room, especially in Black Nashville. Cole and his team show up to community meetings even when a project isn’t involved. He calls it advocacy through presence. “We care about our community even if it’s not our project.”
They also invest in various programs around the city, including the A.C.E. Program (Architecture, Construction, and Engineering), high school mentorship program, and the Nashville chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects’ initiative, Project Pipeline, a program introducing young minority students to the field.
“We’re intentional about showing up as our authentic self,” he said. “Those Black and brown students are being introduced to design from a young age by architects who look like them.”
Cole thinks a lot about what he wants Culture Architecture to represent decades from now. The vision is clear. “I want to make sure we leave this legacy of intentionality,” he said. Whether it is company culture, design partnerships, or pushing for the best outcomes for neighborhoods, nothing is done for show. “We want to design projects that benefit the community. There are certain types of projects we just won’t touch if it doesn’t align with our ethics.”
For Cole, the foundation of a sustainable business is the same as a successful building: solid support. His banking relationship with Pinnacle has played a part in Culture’s continued growth. “You always hear that you have to have a great relationship with your bank,” he said. “Pinnacle does a great job making that easy.” His banker, Kandace Harris, has become a hands-on partner. “They aren’t being reactive in our growth, but proactive,” he said. “They ask how they can help take us to that next step.”
Cole is designing the city he calls home with intention, community, and legacy in mind. Each project becomes another opportunity to make Nashville’s rapid growth feel like something everyone can recognize as their own.
Photography provided by: Joseph Cole and Culture Architecture & Design
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