The seeds of David Narramore’s 40 years in architecture were planted in second grade
When David Narramore’s second-grade teacher, Elaine Childress, told him “you draw so well you should be an architect,” his fate was sealed. From that day forward he wanted to be an architect. Now 40 years later, Narramore is still astonished that he “gets paid to have fun.”
Narramore is a native Greenvillian who attended Overbrook-Eastover Grammar School on Laurens Road and later Greenville Senior High. He never wavered from his chosen profession, taking mathematics classes in high school to do everything he could to prepare for his architectural career. In 1969 he graduated from Clemson University with a degree in architecture.
He spent a few years working as an architect-in-training for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Savannah, Ga., and Mobile, Ala., helping with Hurricane Camille disaster relief in Mississippi.
After a short stint in Atlanta for the General Services Administration, Narramore made the decision that he “didn’t like working in civil service for the U.S. government or living in Atlanta,” so he came back to Greenville. He worked for several local architectural firms until he was eligible to take the state architectural exam in 1972 – “a week-long endurance test with three days in Columbia and two in Clemson.”
He passed the exam on his first try – “not an easy feat” – and opened his own practice in 1973 with a partner, working out of the laundry room of his house, using an old door as a drafting table.
But work slowly came in, although Narramore says he and his partner “only made about $6,000 the first year.” Narramore dissolved the partnership in 1974 and continued on his own. Each time one of his projects was in the newspaper, Narramore said that his former teacher Ms. Childress would clip it out and send it to him with a note saying how proud she was of him. “It’s really a testament to how a teacher can affect a kid.”
Narramore Associates specializes in retail and commercial projects and has large customers such as Aldi Foods and Wal-Mart. Narramore is licensed in 27 states and often does projects outside of South Carolina.
“Over 90 percent of our customers are repeat,” says Narramore. The company has completed designs of over 500 Aldi stores in the past 13 years, he says, and has also completed shopping centers in the Upstate such as the Shops at Orchard Park, Lewis Plaza and Augusta Commons.
Narramore just completed the company’s largest project to date: a 700,000-square-foot shopping center in Morganton, N.C. The grand opening was a few weeks ago, and Narramore says it took three years to complete. The shopping center was built on the site of a former furniture plant, and Narramore says “it has relocated the town,” bringing more jobs to the area than the closing of the former plant took away.
From time to time, Narramore takes on projects that aren’t just commercial. A passion for hunting and shooting sports led to a couple of projects to design private hunting lodgings. About 15 years ago he did a pro-bono job for Head Start, a nonprofit program that provides child development services, for the Pleasant Valley Child Care Center.
“The child care center was really special,” says Narramore, who was moved when his second-grade teacher showed up to the grand opening and told him she was proud of what he had accomplished.
Narramore says his 10-employee firm is family-oriented, and even with a few tough years riding out the recession, he has many long-term employees. Narramore says he tells his employees that “family is the most important thing, not architecture,” and even Harley, a large labradoodle, comes to the office most days.
The company has had several different office spaces around Greenville and moved into the current location on Mills Avenue 18 years ago.
Narramore says his office is big enough, with 5,000 square feet and plenty of room for growth, that he hopes to not have to move again.
He sits on the Greenville Technical College Architectural Engineering Technology Advisory Board and has served as a board member for A Child’s Haven and the Clemson Advancement Foundation.
“Life is good,” says Narramore, who believes in “living life to the fullest” and relishes a little more free time these days to pursue other passions. He’s a self-described “gadget junkie” who enjoys the latest technology. In addition to hunting, he likes motorcycles (he has four now: two BMWs and two Harleys), he completed a welding class at Greenville Tech, does blacksmithing, paints watercolors and likes to travel.
Narramore has five children and several have worked for him “from time to time” but none have an interest in taking over the family business. He says even though he is far from retirement, he hopes his right-hand man, Shea O’Brien, will take over the company reins when that time comes.
Narramore also hopes to collaborate on design/build projects in the future with one of his sons and possibly do design work on new urban-type neighborhoods.
But for now, he’s content. Narramore says that he really enjoys what he does. “I love getting up every morning.”
