National architecture and interiors firm
Dyer Brown has announced that Paul Koch, an admired and accomplished retail architect with national experience, has joined the firm. This key appointment affirms the growing reach that Dyer Brown brings nationally as well as the firmโs expansion into retail flagships and store rollouts while it maintains a strong profile in the hospitality sector.
An architect and accreditedย LEEDย Green Associate, Paul Kochย AIA,ย NCARBย has built on his art school foundation and wide experience with successful retail companies to emerge as a leader in creating world-class customer experiences and memorable stores. Koch has worked in-house with such brands as Talbots, Cabelaโs and J.Jill, giving him unique insights into the needs of the owners and brand managers with building locations from Philadelphia to Charleston, W.V. to Nanaimo, British Columbia.
โOur success depends on our insights into the companies and brands we serve, and Paul brings new depth and understanding in our key growth sectors, says president Brent Zeiglerย AIA,ย IIDA, in announcing the addition of Koch. โPaul will help us continue to consistently deliver results for our clients in design impact, return on investment, successful operations, as well as sustainability and wellness.โ
According to Dyer Brown, Paul Koch previously held posts as studio director for design firm Nelson and corporate architect and senior manager of construction and store planning at Massachusetts-based apparel retailer J.Jill. Koch also served as corporate architect for Nebraska-based outdoors purveyor Cabelaโs and as project manager for Boston design firm Bergmeyer.
โIโm excited to help lead Dyer Brownโs next phase of growth in these key markets and delighted to have such a visionary, multidisciplinary team supporting the effort,โ says Koch, who has four children ages six to 16. โCulture is a real harmonious thing, and Dyer Brown brings together all the different parts and pieces to get to the best possible solution โ that means giving everyone a voice, understanding what each practitioner brings to the table, and seeing their ideas inform new and radically superior solutions.โ
With experience in site selection, enticing boutique storefront concepts, and even technical specialties such as incorporating massive aquariums and taxidermy displays in 300,000-square-foot Cabelaโs destinations, Koch brings a broad understanding of the evolving retail scene.ย ย โOne fascinating area of technology is how retailers track our every move as customers in their stores, which brings a new dataset on traffic and display effectiveness to inform future store modifications and redesigns,โ adds Koch, who studied architecture at Boston Architectural College and an immersive sustainability curriculum at Vermontโs legendary Yestermorrow Design/Build School.
Paul Koch joins Dyer Brown as the 50-plus-year-old firm notes it is majorityย LGBTQ-owned and counts about 80% of employees as identifying as female, further diversifying the firmโs talent pool. Adds Dyer Brownโs principal and director of operations, Rachel Woodhouse,ย NCIDQ, โWith Paul Koch joining us in 2023, Dyer Brown keeps with our tradition of establishing a โpipeline of leadershipโ that builds on our local visibility and also our national presence, from Seattle to Atlanta to Boston, and our continued growth into the foreseeable future.โ
For more information on Paul Koch or for interviews and imagery, please contact C.C. Sullivan for Dyer Brown.
About Dyer Brown
As an LGBT-owned and -operated architecture and interior design firm known for its broad array of integrated, vertical services, Dyer Brown is recognized nationally for its award-winning portfolio of architecture and interior design projects. Known for its unwavering commitment to both design excellence and client service, Dyer Brownโs 40 professionals forge long-lasting relationships with business leaders, building owners and brokers, institutional leaders and collaborators. Dyer Brown believes that buildings and spaces — the backdrop to our daily, shared experience — should always be inspiring, useful and enjoyable. Award-winning work and a detailed overview are found at
dyerbrown.com