Minority-owned architectural firm in Grand Rapids receives Business of the Year award

Pure Architects, an architecture firm founded in 2020 with offices in Grand Rapids and Detroit, has been awarded the Minority Business of the Year by the Michigan Celebrates Small Business organization. The firm’s founder and CEO, Zachary Verhulst, expressed gratitude for the award, emphasizing the company’s human-centered work culture, quality client service, and community focus.

Verhulst further explained that Pure Architects’ mission is centered around collaboration with clients to create spaces that integrate their needs with the values of the surrounding community and environment. The award recognizes the firm’s commitment to providing employment opportunities for the minority community, growing staff and business revenues, fostering a positive company culture, and supporting minority groups and nonprofits through community service.

With a team of 26 employees, Pure Architects specializes in innovative design work, aiming to make an impact beyond the physical structures they create. As a Black-owned design firm, the company is dedicated to equity and design excellence, offering a comprehensive and inclusive approach to every project. The staff is focused on an empathetic, economically responsible, and environmentally conscious design process.

Some notable projects completed by Pure Architects include the John Ball Zoo Koala Exhibit, offices for R.W. LaPine in Kalamazoo, and the Sip Coffee & Cocktails establishment in Grand Rapids. The firm’s approach to design is rooted in purpose, striving to create spaces that benefit not only their clients but the broader community as well.