Ireland Architects

If you’ve driven past the old Missouri Sports Hall of Fame building lately, you might have noticed it looks a little different! We are currently giving the entire property a massive, well-deserved makeover, inside and out, for the Hagale Family who will be occupying the space.

This building hasn’t seen a major renovation since it was originally constructed back in 1994, so we are completely stripping away the old look (yes, the iconic red roof is officially gone!) and bringing it into the modern era.

Here is a sneak peek at the updates in progress:

The Exterior Face-Lift: We’re adding a beautiful blend of stone and high-performance EIFS to the siding, along with introducing new windows to flood the space with natural light.

The Interior Upgrades: Inside, the building is getting a luxury professional feel, complete with stunning vaulted ceilings, along with fully modernized, upgraded restrooms.

It is an honor to take a piece of Springfield’s history and repurpose it for a fantastic local family office. We can’t wait to show you the final results when it’s complete!

We listen, we communicate, we deliver. Every time.

The team:
Lee Haik of James Home Decor
Ron Hill of Euro World Design,
Jeremy Carter of The Shade Above, and
Mike Strange of MWS Homes is the contractor.

Here are few photo updates from The Kitchen, Inc. ...things are looking great.

The new aluminum canopy connecting the old building to the new is in place, and the stonework on the tower is coming along beautifully. Details like these are what take a project from good to really special.

Thanks to:
ARPA – American Rescue Plan Act
City of Springfield, MO
Grants Administrator from City of Springfield- Bob Jones
Missouri Department of Economic Development

Project Team:
Construction- Killian Construction Co.
Civil engineering- Heithaus Engineering Inc
MEP engineering- Interpres Building Solutions
Structural engineering- RTM Engineering Consultants
Ireland Architect’s project manager- Natalie Stepp Reagan
Ireland Architect’s Construction Administration manager- Ladon Curran

We are hitting some major milestones at the Lakeland Behavioral Health System project this week! The building is rapidly transitioning from a raw construction site into a finished facility, both inside and out.

Here is a quick look at what’s happening on-site:

On the Exterior: The crews are installing the EIFS (Exterior Insulation and Finish System). If you aren't a contractor, think of it like a modern, high-performance stucco. It acts as the building's protective siding, giving it a clean, durable, and polished look.

On the Interior: The heavy construction is clearing out, and the details are moving in. We have flooring going down, finishes and fixtures being installed in several rooms, and Whiterock wall cladding being mounted for a highly sanitary, durable finish. We even have some furniture starting to arrive and move into place!

Watching a healthcare space come together like this is incredibly rewarding. Every finish we've selected is all about delivering a safe, functional, and welcoming environment for patients and providers.

We listen, we communicate, we deliver. Every time.

Heithaus Engineering Inc - Teresa Davison for civil engineering;
RTM Engineering Consultants - Charles Taylor for structural engineering and Jennifer Luce for MEP engineering;
Buxton Kubik Dodd Design Collective - Kris Evans and Lisa Wampler for interior design services; and
Nabholz Corporation for construction.

I was lucky enough to meet the artists behind Queen's Gate 66 during the installation, and it was such a great experience.

The work comes from artist Amie Jacobsen and Jake Balcom of Farris Wheel Studios. The open center section is designed so visitors can step inside and take photos, acting as an entrance marker into Springfield's Route 66 district. After dark, the lighting highlights the crown silhouette in a way that feels true to classic Route 66 roadside tradition.

Public art like this really does make a place feel more like home. I'm grateful for the talented people behind it.

We had the absolute joy of visiting Pleasant View Elementary School this year to present to five fantastic classes! It was a true family affair—I was joined by my mom, Dr. Jeannie Ireland (retired MSU Interior Design professor), my husband Ken Turner, my daughter-in-law Brooke Turner (a former SPS school nurse), and even my grandson Hudson! Our newest employee, Emily Jones, also joined us for a second year after attending last year as an intern.

We taught the students how to "read" architectural blueprints, and then we put them to work on a hands-on structural challenge: building full-sized chairs out of empty blueprint storage tubes (a huge thank you to Reprographics for donating the tubes!).

The kids did an excellent job. We divided each class into two teams to assemble their chairs. They learned firsthand that while a single cardboard tube might buckle, combining several tubes together creates a strong structure—strong enough to easily hold up their teacher!

A few highlights that made the day so special:
💡 We made sure to talk about how it doesn’t matter if you are a boy or a girl—anyone can grow up to be an architect or a builder. It’s a message I love sharing with young minds.
💡 We gave each child a gift bag with a small notepad and pencil so they can start sketching out their own buildings, rooms, and spaces at home.
💡 We ended up presenting in the exact same classroom that Kennie sat in as a student 51 years ago! Talk about a full-circle moment.

To top it all off, I received the most hilarious and awesome thank-you note from one of the students.

Days like this remind us exactly why we love what we do every single day.

Thanks to the Waynesville-St. Robert Chamber of Commerce for allowing us to talk about some of the work we do in the area. Our Construction Administration Manager, Ladon Curran, actually lives in the Waynesville area, and it was great to be in his home territory.

We listen, we communicate, we deliver. Every time.