Dokes Design Architecture

09/22/2026

Progress doesn't happen in a straight line — it happens in the details and with great collaborators such as McIntosh Poris Architects

A look back at the Higginbotham project as it stood in September 2025: the early framing, the groundwork, the decisions that don't show up in a finished photo but shape everything that follows.

This is where the integrity of a space starts to take form.

We design for what a building will mean to the people who use it for years to come — and that starts long before the finishes go in.

Stay tuned as we bring you current on where this project stands today.

09/03/2026

Mentorship doesn't always look like a desk in the studio.
Sometimes it's a phone call before a portfolio review. A text after a hard critique. A conversation about what this profession asks of you — and what it owes you back.

amara♡ is headed to FAMU this fall to keep earning her architecture degree, and we've had the privilege of being in her corner along the way. She hasn't worked a summer with us yet. That doesn't make her any less ours to root for.

Architecture has a pipeline problem, and it isn't solved by one internship at one firm. It's solved by a lot of people deciding a student is worth their time, and then actually giving it.
amara♡ — go get it. We are so proud of you and here when you need us. 👏🏾

08/22/2026

Some projects are about buildings. This one was about belief.

Joshua Ashford came to us with a vision for Build Your Place in Cyberspace™️ , and we knew immediately that this space would do more than serve customers — it would give the neighborhood something to gather around.

Josh, thank you for trusting us with it, and for the friendship that came with it. We're honored to be part of the Webdroid journey and can't wait to watch this space make its impact.

Projects like this don't happen alone. Thank you to the team at BSEED City of Detroit — collaboration is what moves a vision from drawing to doors-open, and Detroit has been a true partner throughout.

Mayor Mary Sheffield , thank you for your continued support of small businesses building in this city.

Congratulations, Webdroid. Detroit is better for it. 🖤

08/20/2026

We've been busy so posting here has slowed down quite a bit, but we are getting back into the swing of things so we can continue sharing our story. Stick with us as we continue our journey doing the work we love for our community. ❤️

06/26/2026

05/27/2026

Feeling incredibly grateful for all the kind messages, support, and congratulations on being recognized as an Architectural Leader in Crains Detroit. Thank you to my community, clients, colleagues, friends, and family for being part of the journey. I truly appreciate you all. 🤍 Congratulations to everyone else who was recognized as well. Honored to be in such inspiring company.

05/26/2026

Congratulations to studio owner Kimberly Dokes for being selected as one of this year's Notable Leaders in Architecture, Engineering and Construction!
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Head over to for the full article.
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05/26/2026

Looking at existing conditions to determine the best design interventions. We first think through our layout with pen and paper then we solidify in the computer.
Starting with a direction then following through.
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05/20/2026

Before the ceiling is built, it's imagined.

At Dokes Design + Architecture, every great space starts long before the first wall goes up — it starts with a pencil, a trace, and a lot of quiet thinking. Here we're deep in the reflected ceiling plan for one of our current projects, working through the lighting design by hand the way we always do.

The ceiling is the fifth facade. It shapes how light moves through a room, how a space feels at 9am versus 9pm, how people experience volume without ever consciously noticing it. Getting it right means wrestling with it early — sketching luminaire placement, zoning light layers, and asking the hard questions before anything is ever specified.

This is where the work really happens. Not in the software. Not in the renderings. Right here, pencil to paper. 🏛️🖊️
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05/19/2026

Sketch session. Even with all the developing technology we still put pen to paper.
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