GH2 Architects relocating to a building it designed in Greenwood

By Michael Dekker – Tulsa World Business Writer

(Tulsa, Okla.) May 20, 2025 – It’s not every day that an architecture firm is able to move into a building designed for one of its clients.

But that’s what will happen with GH2 Architects.

The firm, which marked 50 years in business in 2023, is moving from its current spaces within the historic 320 South Boston building to another downtown location, the 21 North Greenwood building.

“We love this (current) building, but we realized … we’re able to get an additional 20 to 25 people into the (new) space as we grow in the next 10 years and really function as a modern-day architecture firm,” GH2 Principal Steve Jaggers told the Tulsa World.

GH2, which has been in various parts of the 320 South Boston building for decades, plans an October move into its new digs. It will occupy the entire second floor of the 83,000-square-foot building at 21 N. Greenwood Ave.

The 22-story 320 South Boston, formerly known as the National Bank of Tulsa Building, was the city’s tallest for nearly 40 years.

GH2’s new space will be about 17,500 square feet, slightly less than the firm’s current offices, which are bisected by a wide hallway inside the Boston building, which has been renovated and expanded over the years.

But because of the completely open configuration of 21 North Greenwood, GH2 will actually have more practical and creative space, Jaggers said.

“Rarely does it ever work out that you design a building for your client and then there’s the opportunity to move into that space — for various reasons — timing on the real estate or, quite frankly, new buildings are expensive,” he said.

A lot of corporate entities are moving into new buildings in downtown Tulsa, Jaggers said. “We’ve always considered ourselves small. I guess we’re not small anymore.”

For a 100-person privately owned architecture and design firm, “I think that’s the cool thing about this,” he said.

GH2, which began in Oklahoma City in 1973, has designed more than 5,000 new projects and renovations in 48 states and 13 countries.

The firm’s portfolio includes government buildings, hotels, event centers, schools, churches, and mixed-use commercial and residential structures.

Among its clients are the state of Oklahoma (state Capitol complex renovations), municipalities, many state and out-of-state universities, school districts, commercial entities, nonprofits, and even horse stable operators.

In addition to Tulsa, GH2 has offices in Oklahoma City, Denver and Scottsdale, Arizona.

It began as Gralla Architects after being established by Stan Gralla. It later changed its name to GH2. It has won multiple awards over the years, including American Institute of Architects Eastern Oklahoma Firm of the Year in 2024, 2021, 2017 and 1992.

It was listed among the top 5,000 fastest-growing firms by Inc. magazine in 2010.

The 21 North Greenwood building was completed a few years ago at a cost of about $28 million, according to Crossland Construction.

Kajeer Yar and his wife, Maggie, with the backing of the Hille Foundation, of which she is executive director, own the building.

Jaggers said “a big selling point” for the building is the Vista at 21 on the rooftop.

“The whole top floor is multi-use space that we essentially can use anytime it’s available, which is great,” he said. “There’s a lot of events that happen there. And then you’ve got the whole outdoor rooftop terrace (Vista) that overlooks downtown, which is really cool.”

Jaggers said GH2’s new space will include many desks, tables and chairs from its current location but will also include new furniture and other amenities, including booth seating spaces and a large kitchen area where employees can gather, have lunch and collaborate.

Among the buildings GH2 has helped design is the 115,000-square-foot Gradient, 12 N. Cheyenne Ave., arguably one of Tulsa’s most unique office and collaboration spaces.

“We do a lot of projects like Gradient, and we can utilize those elements in our (new) office,” Jaggers said.

“The breakout spaces are critical to our being in our industry and the way that we function. We have to collaborate with one another. That’s how a building goes together.

“If we collaborate not only internally but with our engineering consultants and our other design consultants, … it’s just critical that we do that and we don’t sit at our desks and work in a silo.”

He said that years ago, people would talk to one another within an office space rather than sending emails or texts all day.

“We think of it (new future space) as sort of like old-school office,” he said. “When I started working here (in 2002), we checked our email twice a day.”

But years ago, he said, “if you needed something, you got up and you walked over to your colleague and you had a conversation. That’s what we’re trying to get everybody back into the habit of doing a little more.

“Sure, technology is here. We utilize it in every way possible, but things get lost in translation, and if we can get people to collaborate, … we’ve got to do it internally before we can do it externally.”

View the Tulsa World article at this link: https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/business/article_c731b53f-ec47-4fda-a165-bbf1df5b70e7.html