Women in Business - Blitch Knevel Architects

Vanessa Schneider & Allison Looper-Chalmers

Blitch Knevel Architects

After years of working together at Blitch-Knevel Architects, architect Vanessa Schneider and interior designer Allison Looper-Chalmers decided to pursue business ownership and approached Ron Blitch about a partnership.

The talented duo was definitely a good fit. They worked together well and felt their talents were complementary. “Allison has immense strength,”Schneider said. “She is strong in her delivery and when she is talking about her area of expertise, she rules the room. It is a beautiful thing to watch. She has a wealth of knowledge about architecture and interior design.”

“Vanessa is an exceptional project manager,” LooperChalmers said. “She is remarkable at coordinating a set of construction documents. She works closely with the owners, consultants and contractors earning their respect and trust.”

At the start of 2023, Schneider, Looper-Chalmers and Blitch entered into a partnership, giving Blitch-Knevel the distinction of being a Women’s Business Enterprise—a first for the 65-year-old firm. As such, Blitch-Knevel joins 40% of U.S. businesses that are women-owned, a designation that opens doors to grants, educational opportunities and the ability to bid on as many as 5% of federal contracts that are reserved for minority-owned businesses. This will provide the impetus to further grow the business.

As the women transition to full ownership, Blitch will be their mentor, drawing on the experience he has gained over the past 45 years.

“He knows how to demonstrate his vision to clients and has a unique talent for hand-drawings,” Schneider said. “No one can produce hand-drawings to the level of detail and beauty like Ron.”

Both women value Blitch and their other co-workers. “We work as a true team, utilizing everyone’s strengths, working hand-in-hand with clients, and bringing new ideas to the table,” Looper-Chalmers said.

The team puts themselves mentally and physically into projects in order to implement the details that make the biggest difference. Such was the case at Memorial Hospital in Gulfport, where Blitch-Knevel added three floors—all while the hospital was continuously functioning. “We received a national award for this project in 2017 from the American Society of Healthcare Engineering for outstanding design for healthcare renovation,” Schneider said.

On that project, Looper-Chalmers drew upon her own experience. “We designed the NICU floor with parents in mind,” she said. “We created a more spa-like, relaxing and less stressful space.” When designing the intensive care unit, they got down to the smallest details by working closely with the NICU staff to incorporate their needs.

Vanessa, Allison and their team take immense pride in their work and in maintaining a relationship with their clients after the projects are completed. Seeing their clients thrive in the space they created is one of the most rewarding aspects of their job.

736 E. Boston St., Covington | (504) 524-4634

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