CJMW Architecture Creates Design Solutions for Today and Tomorrow
Sponsored by: CJMW Architecture
In 2026, CJMW Architecture and Interior Design celebrates 120 years of thoughtful design, elevating how people work, live and connect within an array of regional and national residential, commercial and institutional settings.
Founded by Willard Northup in 1906, his small Winston-Salem architectural practice has passed down from partnership to partnership to grow into an award-winning firm where planning and design professionals craft innovative solutions to meet today’s needs and address tomorrow’s demands.
Partners in Planning
With offices in Winston-Salem, NC, Raleigh, NC, and Lynchburg, VA, the CJMW team provides a full range of planning, architectural and interior design services to work with clients from concept to completion.
CJMW President Kathleen Warner, RID, IIDA, LEED AP, says the firm’s depth of experience across industry sectors and market types elevates design solutions.
“We bring a diverse perspective to each client’s project,” Warner says, adding the firm’s entrepreneurial mindset embraces problem-solving and innovation.
However, she notes, the mainstay of the firm’s longevity is its people and close client partnerships.
“Our professionals are just phenomenal,” Warner says. “And we really enjoy becoming a valued member of each client’s team. Once ingrained, we’re able to provide stronger solutions for each client both in the short term and long term.”
The Client Perspective
There’s a reason why so many clients become long-term partners. Here’s what a few have to say:
“They’re extremely responsive with great attention to detail and strong client relationships.”
– Karen Hart Huey, Wake Forest University
“A design team has to understand each community is unique, and they have to listen to the spoken and unspoken things that many people may not know how to say or ask for. Their ability to do that is what sets CJMW apart.”
– Zane Bennett, Porters Neck Village
Intuitive Design
Every project begins with listening – including to what’s unspoken – to understand what drives a client’s vision. Whether a small renovation, multi-million dollar building or entire community, the firm looks beyond immediate goals to anticipate how a client may evolve and how that evolution will shape user experience. The CJMW approach draws as much from culture as from context, infusing a client’s core values, spirit and setting into custom projects. That depth of understanding has earned the confidence of clients who continually entrust the firm with new projects.
“Each relationship becomes its own conversation, renewed with every project,” explains Warner. “The result is design that feels both inevitable and entirely individual – spaces that reflect not just what’s needed but what’s possible together.”
Future Focused
CJMW Managing Principal John Drinkard, AIA, LEED AP, adds taking time to understand each client’s unique narrative is an investment that pays dividends far into the future.
“It’s why our designs stand the test of time,” Drinkard says. “Clients get a very high level of design, a lot of knowledge and a depth and breadth of experience but with close attention to service from a team of people with a goal of developing long-term relationships.”
Warner says that same strategic vision applies to the firm’s own future.
“What does the next 120 years look like?” she asks. “I think it’s about new generations bringing their own energy and ideas to the table and continuing to develop the excellent work and client relationships that have always defined us.”
For more information about CJMW Architecture, visit cjmw.com.