Tracy Ward loves a project that has a story to tell.  The practice of Architecture is much more than simply creating a pretty box that keeps out the weather.  Within the architectural design process…. to incorporate the lessons learned through history is to teach and share with the next generation.  Every project, every site, and just life itself will provide its own unique story(s) to tell.  And those stories can be integrated into the architectural concepts thereby adding meaning and substance to the experience of the building inhabitants.  Influential architects who successfully blended historical precedent with modern technology of their time include Sir Edwin Lutyens, Sir John Soane, Frank Furness, and even the self-taught Thomas Jefferson, architect of our Declaration of Independence.

Mr. Ward was educated at the School of Architecture of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1987.  His intense training included time in London, England at the Bartlett School of Architecture in 1985.   After graduation, Mr. Ward and his wife (also an MSU architect) moved to Atlanta, where he gained valuable experience designing and managing projects including luxury high-rise condos, office buildings, convention centers and other large-scale commercial projects.

In 1993, he co-founded the partnership of Benchmark Design, Architects & Planners, and leads the firm’s community involvement, marketing efforts and business development with integrity and moral values.  Mr. Ward approaches each project with not only an artistic focus for the building structure(s) itself, but also an honest effort to build strong relationships with those involved in the project, and to successfully solve the client’s aesthetic & financial challenges...while achieving his/her vision and objectives.  Honesty and integrity during design and construction are essential to bring the total project to a successful conclusion.  It is in fact, this personal care and attention that allows Benchmark to gain the trust and repeat business from its clients, investors, builders, developers and consultants.

Tracy Ward has been married to Kimberly since 1985. They have four children, Natalee, Dakota, Alexa, and Noah. The family attends First Baptist Church in Cumming, Georgia where Mr. Ward is a Deacon and adult Sunday-school teacher. In his limited spare time, he enjoys traveling & photographing the forgotten country “back roads”, as well as spending time at the family’s north Georgia mountain farm property they affectionately call “Havilah.” (Genesis 2:11)

King Yeap, principal and partner of Benchmark Design, Architects & Planners, strives to combine those elements of quality, functionality and aesthetics reminiscent of the classic architecture of historic “people places,” such as Italy’s outdoor piazzas and other old-world destinations.  Born in Malaysia, Mr. Yeap came to the United States at age 17 to pursue architecture, inspired by his love of old cities and the architectural drawings of Michelangelo, Claude Nicholas Ledoux, Giovanni Battista Piranesi and Sir Christopher Wren.

He graduated with honors from Auburn University in 1987 with a Bachelor of Architecture, and moved to Atlanta where he quickly became one of the city’s leading designers of hotels, convention centers, athletic facilities, office buildings and more.

Among Mr. Yeap’s many notable accomplishments are the Chateau Elan Conference Center and Inn in Braselton, Georgia; the Georgia Tech Olympic Aquatic Center on the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta; Boca Raton Resort & Club Convention Center Expansion in Boca Raton, Florida; Lost Mountain Middle School in Cobb County, Georgia, as a prototype for Cobb County Schools; and the master plan, site feasibility study and conceptual design for Phase I of the Eagle Financial Center in Kingston, Jamaica, as well as numerous other memorable projects.

Mr. Yeap approaches each project with an eye toward Classical scale and proportion, creating projects that are exciting in detail and vision, with a time-tested elegance and simplicity that tells a story and inspires the inhabitants.

In 1993, he co-founded Benchmark Design, based on a standard of ethics and integrity unmatched in the industry. His clients call him “creative,” “talented,” “an excellent listener,” “true to his calling”. The artistry he brings to his designs allows Benchmark to generate the creative quality demanded by today’s competitive clients, investors, builders and developers.

He’s been married to Kah-Mee Yeap since 1987. They have two children, Lauren and Kristen. The family attends North Point Community Church. In his limited spare time, he enjoys traveling to the old world, where his creative yearning absorbs the inspiration for future projects.