50th anniversary logo
Our Foundation Our History Our Stories Our Celebration

OUR FOUNDATION
FOR WHAT’S NEXT

In 1975, REES was created. Since that day, REES has helped our clients shape the world around us, creating places you want to be—places that connect, heal, enrich, comfort and inspire. For half a century, we’ve built relationships, sparked innovation and helped bring client’s dreams to reality. Now, our next fifty years await. This is our story, so far.

REES THROUGH THE YEARS

  • 1970

    1970

  • 1975

    1975

  • 1977

    1977

  • 1980

    1980

  • 1980

    1980

  • 1984

    1984

  • 2001

    2001

  • 2005

    2005

  • 2012

    2012

  • 2022

    2022

  • Career Begins | Frank Rees graduates from the University of Oklahoma School of Architecture and begins working at Benham-Blair. 

  • Our Founding | Frank Rees, Jr. begins REES Associates, Inc. on November 15, 1975.

  • First Media | REES designs KOCO-TV news station in Oklahoma City, beginning their work in the media sector.

  • Preparing for Growth | Frank establishes an external board of directors members to provide guidance as the firm continues to rapidly expand.

  • First Senior Living | Wesley Village Retirement Center in Oklahoma City marks the firm’s first senior living project. The adaptive re-use project provided continuum of care from a previous hospital.

  • Texas Expansion | REES looks to tap into the growing Texas economy by establishing an office in Dallas, Texas.

  • New Beginnings | REES designs and moves the Oklahoma City office into REES Plaza on the shores of Lake Hefner.

  • Celebrating a Milestone | Noted Oklahoman historian Bob Blackburn writes REES: History of an Architecture Firm to tell the story of REES’ first 25 years.

  • Leadership Transition | Allan Parr becomes CEO of REES. 

  • Houston Expansion | REES opens a new office location in The Woodlands, Texas. 

OUR STORIES

Coming Soon

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REES Turns Fifty

  • Giving Back to the Community

    Interfaith of The Woodlands is a nonprofit dedicated to providing programs and services to those in need around The Woodlands, Texas. In 2024, our team in Houston organized a Thanksgiving Food Drive for the nonprofit to help stock up its Food Pantry during the holiday season. With help from their neighbors at Market Street, over 265 pounds of food was donated to support seniors and families in the area.

  • Bethany Children’s Health Center – “You have everything you need inside you to soar.”

    Kal’s journey came to life as REES team members read Kal’s Big Day to the children at Bethany Children’s. The storybook, written and designed in collaboration with Storyland Studios, tells the story of Kal’s transformation from caterpillar to butterfly. From big chairs on stage, team members shared the story to BCHC children and their families. Smiles filled the room, and at the end, each child took home their own book—ready to start their own journey of growth and discovery.

  • CANstruction

    Canstruction is an annual event that combines design, construction and fighting hunger. REES teams in both Dallas and Oklahoma City have participated year after year, raising hundreds of pounds of non-perishable food items for local food banks.

    Last year, our Dallas team consisting of REES and Bliss & Nyitray, Inc. Engineers constructed “Cattle in the Cactus”, a Texas longhorn grazing in a cactus patch. In line with the theme “Saddle Up and Lasso Hunger”, the structure’s 2,824 cans were part of over 100,000 cans donated to the North Texas Food Bank. 

  • OK Kids Korral

    REES employees have spent hundreds of hours volunteering with food related charities and organizations. OK Kids Korral provides a safe, hopeful temporary home for families receiving treatment for childhood cancer. Since completing design services to OK Kids Korral in 2013, our REES team prepares a monthly meal to take some of the stress off of the families served.

  • Dallas LIFE

    Dallas LIFE is Dallas’s largest shelter for those experiencing homelessness. We love having the opportunity to serve those in their Recovery Program and support the work that they do for those who need it most.

  • Design Appetit

    The REES team goes all out for Design Appétit, an annual event that pairs chefs with design firms to create one-of-a-kind gourmet dining experiences to raise funds to support the mission of Focus on Home.

  • United Way

    REES employees can be a competitive bunch, and went all in on the Great REES Bake-Off of 2019, as part of our annual fundraising campaign for the United Way of Central Oklahoma.

    We were so honored to have three United Way agencies as our clients, ReMerge, Sunbeam Family Services and Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma. We asked representatives from each organization to act as our judges, and they happily obliged.