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Detroit Architects: Kessler & Associates

Detroit Architects: Kessler & Associates

2 min read

Founded by William Kessler, Philip J. Meathe, and Harry Smith in 1955, Kessler & Associates was a modernist architectural firm in Detroit from the 1950s into the 1960s, at the height of its mid-century economic boom and rise as an industrial giant.

Best known for their daring residential designs that earned early AIA citations, Meathe, Kessler & Associates’ early success eventually led to larger commissions as the practice expanded into commercial, educational, and institutional work.

Their body of work includes:

  • Various structures for Grand Valley State University, the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and Olivet College 
  • The Mount Clemens Savings & Loan Building (1961)
  • The Feld House at 1470 Strathcona Drive in Palmer Woods – a 2,700-square-foot landmark constructed for Dr. David Feld and Barbara Meathe

The Feld house in particular showcases Kessler & Associates’ mastery of level massing, patterned brickwork fused with stucco, expansive glazing, and dramatic butterfly rooflines.

In fact, this was the property that garnered Kessler & Associates AIA recognition in 1958, cementing their place as one of Detroit’s most sophisticated postwar architectural firms.

That said, the partnership ended abruptly in 1968, shortly after William Kessler was elevated to Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) for his exceptional design skills.

From there, Kessler established his own practice (William Kessler Associates), whereas Meathe joined forces with the prominent Detroit firm Smith, Hinchman & Grylls, which he eventually became the president of.

As for Kessler, he went on to become a trailblazer in historic theater restoration, completing acclaimed projects all across the US, as well as heralded local commissions in the state of Michigan, including:

  • The Center for Creative Studies (1975)
  • The Coleman A. Young Recreation Center (1976)
  • The Detroit Science Center (1978)
  • The Detroit Receiving Hospital (1980)
  • The State of Michigan Library and Historical Center (1988). 
  • The Harvard School of Public Health
  • The WPRI-TV headquarters in Rhode Island

Over his career, Kessler received over fifty AIA awards, including the Bartlett Award for barrier-free design.

His firm later reorganized as Kessler, Francis, Cardoza Architects (KFCA) in 1999, two years before William Kessler died in 2002 at age 77.