Get to Know: Beck’s Design Leadership in Atlanta

Meet the leaders shaping design in Georgia’s capital and beyond

The Beck Group’s award-winning architecture and design practice in Atlanta features a leadership team who guides our clients towards inspired and innovative projects.

Principals Clayton Daspit, Ryan Horne, and Christian Timberlake lead the practice with support from Higher Education practice leader Ken Higa and Commercial practice leader Ryan Woods. Combined, they bring experience and passion while supportively delivering successful projects.

Clayton Daspit: Leading Projects to Design Excellence

Daspit brings over 25 years of broad design experience to his role. As Director of Design, he guides clients through our design process, giving each project a unique identity and narrative.

He oversees all design to ensure the team maintains design standards, from rigorous conceptual exploration to the expression of the smallest detail. Daspit provides individual attention to projects and clients while collaborating with and empowering his architects and consultants to achieve their best work.

Ryan Horne: A Case Study in Growing Our Design Business

As Director of Architecture, Horne uses his over 20 years of project experience and client service to manage our day-to-day work while also focusing on strategy, business development and sales.

Horne is a consummate relationship builder and is instrumental in mentoring, training and retaining staff while ensuring client satisfaction. He serves his community and is the co-chair of the Georgia Institute of Technology School of Building Construction Advisory Board.

Christian Timberlake: Design-Oriented And Operationally Excellent

Timberlake’s extensive experience serves him well as Director of Architecture Operations, where he leads large-scale, complex projects to ensure excellence across the department.

He mentors project managers and applies best practices to ensure our clients receive the best value and efficiently execute our projects. With more than two decades of experience, he is also a critical stakeholder in process improvement and understands the factors for project success.

Recent Architectural Collaborations

The trio collaborates with notable clients, including Duke University, the University of Georgia, and Simon Properties.

Since 2006, Beck has designed and built most of Duke’s athletic precinct with new buildings and a modernized stadium. Meanwhile, the team recently partnered with the University of Georgia to design its new 525-bed First Year Residence Hall, which opens in August 2022.

Another significant project is redeveloping Phipps Plaza for Simon Properties. Led by Beck, the design-build effort redefines the luxury shopping mall into a vibrant lifestyle, office and dining destination.

The Future is Bright

Beck is proud of the success of this group of leaders. We are excited for the future as the practice grows and expands its impact on the Atlanta community and its stunning skyline under the leadership of Daspit, Horne and Timberlake.