Designing our next chapter in St. Louis: Christner Architects joins CannonDesign

With Christner’s deep commitment to local and regional design excellence, we add expanded expertise and fresh perspective to design spaces that improve lives and drive impact across healthcare, education, science, commercial and cultural markets. News of the merger was shared by the St. Louis Business Journal this morning.

“For us, this joining of forces creates even greater momentum, opening new possibilities for the organizations we partner with,” said Brad Lukanic, CannonDesign’s CEO. “Christner's longstanding roots across Missouri, combined with their technical expertise and creative energy, complement our own strengths wonderfully. I’m excited for the many ways we’ll grow and expand what’s possible together.” 

For more than 60 years, the Christner team has shaped the fabric of St. Louis and the surrounding region through some of the area's most recognizable and enduring projects. Highlights include the Center of Creative Arts Renovation and Expansion, the William H. Danforth Research Wing at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, the Hirsch Center at Washington University in St. Louis and 201 Progress Parkway for Edward Jones, along with numerous projects for BJC HealthCare and many colleges and universities across Missouri. The firm’s influence also extends into Illinois, with notable projects such as the Helix Center for Research and Development for Ball Horticultural Company, among others. 

Christner’s work has been celebrated for design excellence and for the craft of shaping buildings that capture the spirit of communities and respect their unique histories. Earlier this year, the firm was named “Design Team of the Year” by Historic Revitalization for Missouri, honoring its work restoring and reimagining historic landmarks across the state, including the Jewel Box in Forest Park and the Stephen & Peter Sachs Museum at the Missouri Botanical Garden. 

In just the past five years, our firms together have received 17 AIA St. Louis Design Awards, more than any other firm in the region, as well as several AIA Central States awards. Just as important, Christner’s ethos of “thoughtful design that matters” strongly complements our Living-Centered Design philosophy, rooted in the belief that design should always serve a larger purpose. 

For CannonDesign, this move enriches our design culture and connectivity across a city we’ve proudly called home for more than four decades. It builds on our recent work in St. Louis, including BJC HealthCare’s Plaza West Tower, Mercy’s Center for Performance Medicine and Specialty Care, the Jeffrey T. Fort Neuroscience Research Building at Washington University School of Medicine, the Square and Cash App Office in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch building, the update to the City of St. Louis’ Sustainability Plan and the award-winning revitalization of the historic St Louis Central Library, among others. In 2025, we were named the #1 architecture firm in St. Louis by the St. Louis Business Journal.

Our combined local team is uniquely positioned to design and deliver technically complex and culturally significant projects with strong local leadership and national expertise. Just as important, we’re uniting our commitments to community impact, reflected in local efforts ranging from Christner Architects’ work with Nurses for Newborns, supporting women and newborns in need, to CannonDesign’s long-time partnership with Jamaa Birth Village, advancing health equity for Black mothers. 

This acquisition is the latest in a series of strategic moves advancing our firm’s evolution into a new kind of design firm, one capable of helping clients solve challenges of nearly any type across the built environment and beyond. Other recent acquisitions include Yellow Brick Consulting, a leader in healthcare transition and activation; The Clarient Group, experts in smart building consulting; and SRG Partnership, a renowned Seattle- and Portland-based design practice.