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What Is Ekklesia Design?
A professional planning & design firm? Yes. A ministry? Also, yes.
Ekklesia Design is a full-service, professional practice firm, operating in the economic market industry of real estate development, landscape architecture, land planning, and community design. However, at the core of this missionally-minded endeavor (as is the foundation for any good & worthy work) is a robust theology which seeks to glorify God in every area of life. Providing extraordinary quality to our value-aligned clients is the company's goal, while the overarching vision is to build a multi-disciplinary venture which expands Christ's Kingdom (& advocates for truth, beauty, and goodness in this world) one property at a time.
Meet Our Founder
Connor Neville is a licensed landscape architect and cartographic map-maker, by trade. As a confessionally-reformed Christian, husband, father of 3, churchman, and missional entrepreneur, Connor founded Ekklesia Design LLC as a way to dovetail his call to ministry pursuits with a vocational craft (from the Latin, vocatio, meaning to call/one's calling). Connor and his wife & kids (and dog) live in rural middle TN between Franklin and Columbia, through which he has developed a heart for the Appalachian/Southeastern US region and a zeal for its future development. However, Connor is passionate about helping build-up local communities and meeting their contextualized needs, wherever that may be.
Our Founding
It all started out back in a beloved garden, when the founder, Connor Neville, was a young boy in his Grandpa's back yard. Many spring days were well-spent laboring alongside his father (a landscape architect by trade, himself) with an end goal of planting that year's rendition of a beautiful, "theme-garden" of colorful annuals and refreshed perennials. Little did young Connor know at the time, this creative outlet would in-part become his lifelong calling; to work with the beautiful forms of nature in order to create places for human flourishing & social interactions.
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Ekklesia Design originated as a capstone project, titled "Redemption of Place", during Connor's tenure of earning his master's of landscape architecture (MLA) degree. The capstone's thesis was to design a consultancy model which would enable a landscape architecture firm to work with Christian clients & churches on the missiological strategy of cultural engagement through community development. To put this thesis to the test upon graduation, Connor created Ekklesia Design in 2020, which initially functioned as a social media and content-based ministry, with the occasional design project outside of full-time employment at the time. After various guest appearances on numerous podcasts & presence at various conferences, Connor was led to consider pursuing this venture full-time in providential timing.
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Connor eventually went on to employ and sharpen his skills at a premiere & boutique firm based out of Franklin, TN (Gamble Design Collaborative, www.gdc-tn.com). First-class mentorship, friendship, and a breadth of experience & expertise were all gained while at GDC, for which, Connor & Ekklesia Design will remain publicly thankful for life. Much of the project work that is displayed on Ekklesia Design's website (to-date) draws upon graphics and client work which were produced by Connor & his collaborators while at GDC.
Upon becoming professionally licensed to practice landscape architecture on his own, Connor founded Ekklesia Design LLC and launched the venture full-time in 2024. It is now a fully-licensed and insured consultancy firm operating in the field of landscape architecture & land planning. From start to finish, conceptual strategizing to construction administration, Ekklesia Design now exists to serve its amazing clients & craft their vision into reality. Our founding is truly a vision which providentially turned into a reality. Partner with us today!
Contact
Wanting to find out more? Looking to connect?
Reach out today!
410-430-0760