OKLAHOMA CITY – Architect Jason Holuby started his career at Frankfurt-Short-Bruza and did several different types of projects.

When the firm was hired as the owner’s representative on the Chickasaw Cultural Center in Davis, his interest in Native American projects was sparked. The work led to him and FSB being the lead architect on the Chickasaw Visitor Center in Sulphur.

To date, the firm has designed more than 30 projects for the Chickasaw Nation. It has worked with other tribes as well, including designing the Choctaw Nation’s 500,000-square-foot headquarters building in Durant.

“That portion of our work has grown every single year,” he said. “It’s become a big part of what we do at FSB. As it’s grown over the years, it really made sense to start a Native-owned architecture and engineering firm.”

Holuby is the president and owner of New Fire Native Design Group. The firm shares space with FSB, but is a separate company.

FSB President and CEO Gary James said at his company, tribal work is one of seven other market sectors. If the firm wanted to show its commitment to Native American work, it needed to have a separate company.

With New Fire Native Design Group being Native American-owned, it could help connect to the tribes, said James Jump, a leader in student engagement at the Oklahoma State University Center for Sovereign Nations. He’s an Osage Nation citizen.

He said tribes will see working with New Native as a way to support other Native Americans and help them succeed.

“(Working with other native people) gives us a level of comfort and trust,” he said. “They better understand our cultural values and our history.”

Holuby said separating the business from FSB will show tribes that they are solely focused on their needs. He is still working with FSB on projects for existing clients, such as renovating the WinStar World Casino and Resort, designing three other casinos for the Chickasaw Nation, and creating four master plans for Muscogee (Creek) Nation properties in Okmulgee.

But Holuby said the goal with New Fire is to work with other tribes outside FSB’s existing clientele. The Chickasaw Nation has played an integral role in FSB getting more tribal work, he said.

“(The nation) developed a lot of trust with us,” he said. “They’re real vocal advocates. They’ve been instrumental when someone asks for a recommendation.”

FSB will continue to provide production support, James said. With New Fire in the same building, Holuby can work with FSB to create a team of architects, engineers, or project managers that can help each tribal client.

James said he’s seen a development in Native American tribes with wanting to share their culture and art.

“That requires a higher level of building design,” he said. “It’s natural for FSB to gravitate toward that. And they’re just fun projects.”

He said FSB’s success in the tribal sector goes back to Holuby’s passion for the work. If a firm is in the sector and doesn’t have someone with that same love of sharing the tribes’ culture through their buildings, then they don’t need to be in the work, he said.

New Fire Native wants to bring more Native American students into architecture. The company is sponsoring a scholarship at the University of Oklahoma’s College of Architecture.