The 25 – Andrew Cogar

As the president of Historical Concepts, Andrew Cogar sees his role as carrying on the architectural traditions started by the founder of the firm, Jim Strickland.

“His design philosophy and approach were not about a single individual, viewpoint, or perspective,” Cogar says, noting that the firm has five studios, each led by a partner, that practice across the country. “It’s about a process—a process of research, a process of rigor, and a process of collaboration. By applying this process to each project, we can create a sense of authenticity in our designs without being rote or engaging in repetitive history.”

Cogar’s focus has been on developing strategies to ensure that Historical Concepts will be a legacy firm—one that will continue beyond him and his partners.

“I believe this is having a ripple effect through the industry based on the number of peers and peer firms that have asked me how we do our succession planning and how we set up our ownership structure,” he says. “This move away from the single-generation firm that closes its doors when the founder retires, to firms that are talking about legacy—that’s so healthy for the future of classical and traditional architecture.”

Cogar, who has had a lifetime passion for drawing and sketching, calls architecture “the perfect blend of art and engineering” and says that it should advance the community.

“A building based on traditional principles may not be the most heroic building, it may not have the splash factor, but it’s always going to be something that contributes to the betterment of society,” he says.

Although he liked the contemporary house he grew up in, Cogar loved the old houses of his grandparents and aunt and uncle.

“They always called to me,” he says. “They engaged the senses—sight, sound, smell, touch. There was just something about those old houses that felt deeper.”

He applauds the new inventiveness in traditional architecture, what he calls its “sense of exploration, reimagining, and playfulness” that illustrates “how it does not have to be stuck in the past but can be something that can add to the future.”

“There’s this richness and diversity of what it means to be classical or traditional, and I think we’re on the cusp of a renaissance of sorts,” he says. “I believe we’re about to hit a new era in all of the decorative arts, architecture, and design, with a huge blossom of creativity—and I really look forward to seeing where it goes.”