The Largest African American-Owned Architecture Firm Behind Wintrust Arena, Moody Nolan, Preps For National Spotlight During NBA All-Star Weekend

When the NBA’s elite step onto the court of Wintrust Arena for the league’s official Celebrity Game and All-Star Practice and Media Day in Chicago this weekend (February 14 and 15), the nation’s largest African American-owned architecture firm and arena architect, Moody Nolan, will be watching proudly, but from another angle – literally.

“When you hear about a high-profile event such as NBA All-Star Weekend, you can’t help but feel excited for the players and fans who will receive the ultimate sports experience in an arena that we worked on for more than four years,” said Jonathan Moody, CEO of Moody Nolan. Design and love of basketball are nothing new to Moody given that his dad, Curt Moody, once played on The Ohio State University men’s basketball team and recently transitioned from firm CEO to chairman of the board.

With nearly a dozen collegiate arenas in its portfolio, including Big 10 schools and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the significance of the NBA All-Star events speaks to both the firm’s expertise on marquee projects and its quest to design an arena for a professional team. The veteran arena architect has planned and/or designed sports and event spaces across the country, most notably Fifth Third Arena – University of Cincinnati; Value City Arena – The Jerome Schottenstein Center at The Ohio State University; the Vanderbilt University football stadium; and the University of Pittsburgh Athletics and Recreation Center. For Wintrust Arena, Moody Nolan served as the architect of record.

Renauld Deandre Mitchell, a firm partner and a native of Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, heads up Moody Nolan’s Chicago and Washington, D.C. studios. Mitchell served as principal-in-charge for Wintrust Arena and is also excited about future opportunities for the firm and the next generation of architects. “We hope that we can expose children in the communities we serve to the possibilities of designing arenas, while also playing in them,” said Mitchell.

What sets Moody Nolan apart from the rest of the pack is its ability to deliver customized, innovative, and beautiful solutions for clients. “Clients come to us because they know they’re not going to get cookie-cutter results. Since I opened the firm in 1982, we’ve continued to put our clients’ visions at the forefront of our ideation, strategy, design, and build,” explained the senior Moody. “This has resulted in award-winning work for us, but most importantly in very satisfied clients.”

Curt Moody founded the firm because of his passion to change the landscape within the field of architecture, which dismally lacks African American representation. Over the course of nearly 38 years, Moody Nolan has become a game changer in opening the doors for people of color by recruiting at HBCUs and equipping new employees with the tools needed to succeed.

Over the years, the No. 27 ranked architecture firm (Building Design + Construction), with offices in 12 markets across the country, has amassed a project portfolio of significant scale and substance; with projects ranging from libraries, arenas, and hospitals to museums, educational facilities, and convention centers.

Notable projects throughout the country include the National Museum of African American Music that is set to open later this year in Nashville; the International African American Museum in Charleston, SC; Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York; Martin Luther King Library in Columbus, OH; and Englewood STEM High School in Chicago.

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Moody Nolan has full-service offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Covington, Dallas, Houston, Nashville, New York City, and Washington, D.C.

About Moody Nolan

Moody Nolan is the country’s largest African American-owned architecture firm with 12 offices across the country. Headquartered in Columbus, OH, Moody Nolan was founded in 1982 with just two employees. It has grown to more than 200 employees and has received notable national recognition and awards. Moody Nolan specializes in corporate, education, sports/recreation, collegiate, healthcare, housing/mixed-use, and public service facilities. For more information about Moody Nolan, visit www.moodynolan.com.

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