Our Story

Champlin/Haupt has its roots deep in Cincinnati history. At the turn of the 20th century, architect Harry Hake established a prolific career in the Queen City designing prominent landmarks, such as the Greek-Revival Western Southern Life Insurance Co. headquarters, the Art-Deco Cincinnati Bell Telephone Co. headquarters, and the English-Renaissance Queen City Club.


His legacy extended through several partnerships to his son and grandson, architects Harry Hake Jr. and Harry Hake III. Downtown Cincinnati is a treasure-trove of that legacy, from monumental government buildings, such as the John Weld Peck Federal Building and the Federal Reserve Bank, to early high-rises, such as Lytle Tower on Fourth St. and the original Provident Bank Building, to more modest, yet beautiful structures such as the Cincinnati Automobile Club (AAA) and 550 East Fourth Street apartments.


In 1978 two of his partners, Russ Champlin and Bob Haupt, established the new company Champlin/Haupt Architects, Inc. The founders kept the commitment to the Cincinnati region and continued a tradition of providing excellent architectural services.


One of the fledgling company's first commissions was the Government Square Transit Terminal, described in an architectural guidebook as "an echelon of glass and stainless steel prisms dancing above granite pavers." An association with several architectural firms produced one of the largest regional building projects at the time, the Hamilton County Justice Center. A 1984 Cincinnati AIA design award winner, the Kenwood branch of Eagle Savings & Loan incorporated an abstraction of the company's signature "eagle" into the building's form, resulting in a distinctive iconographic design.


In 1990, Russ and Bob decided to retire, and Bob Schilling, John Wyler, Joan Tepe Wurtenberger, and Michael Battoclette took the helm. The firm continued to focus on its commercial, institutional, corporate, and hospital client base. Steady growth ensued, both in size of projects and number of staff.


Champlin/Haupt has a strong talent base, with eleven additional partners, 18 registered architects, a registered structural engineer, and 55 employees. Recognized as a progressive design leader, the firm remains rooted in our strong architectural legacy.