
KEO Studioworks serves Colorado and New Mexico, with a broad presence across the Intermountain region.
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With years of experience in mountain and resort communities, we have developed a deep understanding of the unique contextual, historical, and geographic factors that shape each project. Our diverse background in various project types, land use processes, and community priorities has honed our ability to identify the specific challenges, needs, goals, and opportunities that are unique to each project and its surrounding community.




process


DATA + ANYLISIS
ENVISION + GENERATE

REFINE + DEVELOP
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KEO studioworks is a collaborative design studio with a human-centered approach that emphasizes the integration of people and place. Our design philosophy derives solutions from the analysis of program, context, sustainability, and well-being.
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Founded in 2020 and led by Jim K., a Colorado resident since 2004, the studio draws from his extensive 30 year experience across public and private sectors. Before founding KEO Studioworks, Jim held leadership roles as Design Leader, Design Principal, and Design Director in notable firms in St. Louis, Chicago, Salt Lake City, and Aspen.
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With expertise in design and project management, our team ensures rigorous attention to schedule and budget across all project phases. Our diverse experience spans commercial, public, and private sectors, and includes projects of both large and small scales. This breadth of knowledge enriches our ability to deliver thoughtful, high-quality solutions for our clients.
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At the heart of our practice is a collaborative approach, where we guide the synthesis of vision, program, opportunity, and value. We advise clients on how to achieve their objectives efficiently while maximizing impact. In the early stages of planning, we focus on feasibility, land use, and pragmatic considerations to establish clear, achievable goals that offer substantial value.
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At KEO Studioworks, we constantly challenge the boundaries of design while respecting the realities of budget and context. Our goal is to create spaces and environments that elevate human experience, transforming built environments into places that inspire and enrich.
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team

AFFILIATIONS
Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture
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Architecture Culture and Spirituality
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NCARB
Registered Architect:
Colorado
New Mexico
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EDUCATION
Washington University
St. Louis, Missouri 1995
Master of Architecture
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Mackintosh School
of Architecture
Glasgow, Scotland 1994
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University of Bridgeport
Bridgeport, Connecticut 1992
Bachelor of Science, Interior Design
Cum Laude
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MWPI - Pratt Institute of Art
Utica, New York 1989
Fine Arts

EDUCATION
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University of Michigan
Master of Architecture
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University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign
Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies
AFFILIATIONS
AIA
NCARB
Registered Architect: Colorado
For the past three decades, Jim has focused on leading contextually driven design for public, community, and private architecture.
He has a passion for design, especially within the public realm. Known for his collaborative spirit, he is accustomed to rolling up the sleeves and being flexible to get the job done in the most appropriate fashion for any given project. The diversity of past projects gives a wide range of experience that can assist broad analysis and development of any given site and scope. His spirited process begins with a robust, thoughtful, and nimble conceptual design phase. This is driven by project and client’s goals, schedules, budget, leading to the most appropriate and distinctive solutions.
Jim has led significant projects within firms in St. Louis, Chicago, and Salt Lake City and, more recently, as Design Leader at CCA in Aspen, CO, with prior roles of Design Principal and Design Director. He has also collaborated on competitions with Leon Kier and Will Bruder Architects and is a member of the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture (ANFA).
Jim spends time between Aspen, Telluride region, and Taos NM. He is also an artist represented in NYC and Taos, with works in private collections in California, Texas, and Colorado.
email: jim@keostudioworks.com
Noelle Wilhite brings 12 years of professional experience in the capacity of Project Management, Project Architect, BIM and Operations Management.
Noelle’s experience spans from single family residential, multi-family housing, large scale commercial projects, K-12 and higher education facilities, and biotech laboratory facilities. Noelle’s recent work has largely been with residential development and affordable housing in Colorado mountain communities. Noelle has a passion for managing creative, complex projects with many moving pieces and unique technical challenges. She is detail-oriented and thorough in her approach, focusing on creating processes and systems to clarify project goals and keep projects on schedule and on budget. Noelle is dedicated to consistent communication and a collaborative team effort to drive design impact on both immediate and long term client needs.
Noelle's range of experiences with a variety of project sizes, types, and locations, diverse project teams, and various office cultures give her a wide-lens perspective as an asset to any project.
HITE DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

BenjamÃn Vera del Barco is an advanced Architecture student with experience in designing and developing single-family and multi-fmaily projects, residential complexes, as well as commercial and mixed-use projects. Over the past few years, he has gained skills in planning and executing architectural projects, from initial concept to final presentation.
BenjamÃn has actively participated in national and international architectural competitions, standing out in events like the Inspireli Awards (2023-2024). These experiences have allowed him to refine his creative and technical skills, as well as his ability to work within interdisciplinary
teams.
He demonstrates great flexibility in project work, handling various tasks with ease. His quick adaptability to new software programs has proven valuable in adjusting to different project requirements and environments.

Jim speaking at the Aspen Art Museum, Architecture + Wellbeing.
Jim is an unusual architect. When he contemplates a project, he imagines not only how it will look from the outside,
but how it will feel like to be inside it. - Leslie Vreeland, Editor at Shelter
CADDIS COLLABORATIVE
What Science Teaches Us About Designing Buildings for Mental Health and Well-Being.
Jim with Bryan Bowen from Caddis Collaborative
EDUCATION
Nacional University of Tucuman – Argentina
Architectural and Urbanism Studies. (FAU)
REGIONALISM
ENVIRONMENT & CONSERVATION
PHOTOGRAPHY