Eric Dempsey, a 2005 graduate of the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, is the founder of Dempsey Design, a growing architecture studio based in West Palm Beach, Florida. After spending 14 years living and working across Asia, most notably in Shanghai, he returned to the United States in 2022 to establish his practice and reconnect with his roots. Today, he blends his Southern upbringing with global experience to create meaningful, story-driven spaces.
When did you become interested in architecture and why?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been drawn to building, tinkering and creating. As children, my brothers and I spent countless hours in a massive sandbox and backyard fort.
I’ve held onto that early childhood instinct to build and play. A naturally curious and observant mind has consistently served me in my life. Working with my hands is second nature, and I feel a strong sense of purpose to create meaningful, lasting work.
What began as an impulse to create has since evolved into a deeper calling: to design environments that foster sensation, movement and memory.
Why did you choose to attend the University of Arkansas and/or the Fay Jones School?
Though I faced real challenges in my youth, I was fortunate to find opportunities through education. Attending the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts in Hot Springs opened my eyes to a broader world of possibility and set the foundation for my future in design. When it came time to choose a university, I recognized that the Fay Jones School offered a nationally respected design program. After visiting the campus, I knew I had found a place that was close to home and also aligned with my creative ambitions.
I remain deeply grateful to all of the educators in my life who have helped shape my path. Their guidance helped me grow into the architect I am today.
What has your career path been like so far?
My career has been a journey of adaptation, risk and resilience.
I graduated in 2005, just ahead of the 2008 Wall Street crash. I worked in Memphis and Biloxi, but after studying in New York and Italy, and backpacking throughout Europe, I knew that the world had much more to offer. With opportunities in the U.S. limited, I made the bold decision to move abroad, first to Seoul in 2009, then to Shanghai in late 2010.
I spent 14 consecutive years living and working overseas, where China became an immersive learning environment, an intense, real-world education that shaped my approach to architecture and business. The experience was transformative, deepening my ability to navigate language, culture and complexity with confidence.
Year after year, as my roots in Shanghai grew deeper, the geopolitical climate began to shift in the opposite direction. Rising trade tensions slowly changed the makeup of the local expat community. Then in late 2022, following the COVID lockdowns, I made the decision to return to the U.S. and re-establish my practice.
Returning home felt like a natural progression, a chance to be closer to family and to contribute more meaningfully to my home country.
What has been your favorite project to work on?
One of my favorite projects was the office for McCann Worldgroup in Shanghai, completed between 2015 and 2016.
It began as a fast-paced, competitive design-build proposal that we ultimately won, thanks to a concept we developed that balanced brand identity with cultural context. What started as a fit-out of just the 10th and 11th floors quickly expanded to include the 16th, 18th, 22nd and 25th floors, completed in phases over a two-year period.
Our design, based on the idea of a patchwork quilt, showcased the many divisions and sub-brands under their umbrella. I worked closely with local leadership and global stakeholders, blending Eastern and Western sensibilities. We gathered a wide range of concepts from our design team and wove them into a cohesive whole. That project reminded me that collaboration is essential to any well-executed design, and that it can bridge differences and build common ground.
We worked closely with our client, an advertising firm with many creative ideas. In addition, our internal team included roughly 15 designers, space planners, render specialists, 3D modelers and engineers, along with two to three cost estimators and a dedicated group of construction managers. As the “tip of the spear,” it was the design team’s role to win the work, push it into production, and then rinse and repeat.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
As the principal of a growing studio in West Palm Beach, the biggest challenge today is consistently creating new business, especially while maintaining a high standard of design and personal engagement with each project. It’s a balancing act between being a creative and a strategist, between the drawing board and the boardroom. These days, I’m working more than ever. Our presence in South Florida is still relatively new. We are working to build our brand recognition and ensure that we have equal business opportunity with some of our larger competitors. We’re small, but we punch well above our weight class.
What unique perspective do you bring to architecture?
I bring a hybrid sensibility: part Southern storyteller, part global traveler. Growing up in rural Arkansas taught me to value place, simplicity and, above all, resourcefulness. Those early lessons continue to inform how I think about design, especially the way architecture can shape community and identity.
After 14 years living and working across Asia, I returned to the U.S. with a changed lens. That distance helped me see home with fresh eyes. I gained a deeper appreciation for cultural nuance, for how people live, work and adapt to change. Working across shifting cultural, economic and political landscapes taught me to listen carefully, to empathize and to believe in design as a way to connect people across boundaries.
My work blends narrative thinking with spatial intelligence. I don’t just design buildings; I create experiences that reflect identity, movement and memory. I believe architecture should serve both beauty and purpose, whether for a multinational client in Shanghai or a small business in South Florida. Every project is a dialogue, and I strive to listen deeply to the story a place wants to tell.
Ultimately, I see myself as a translator between East and West, tradition and innovation, vision and execution. That ability to move fluidly between the creative and the practical, while staying grounded in human values, is the lens through which I approach every project. It’s what allows me to design with intention, navigate complexity and create spaces that are not only functional, but deeply resonant.
What are your interests or involvements outside of design?
Outside of architecture, I’m passionate about storytelling, mentoring and community impact. I’ve been developing ways to share the insights I’ve gained, especially with young creatives and at-risk youth who might not otherwise see a future in design. I’m currently working on several pre-recorded feature interviews of inspiring people I’ve met over the years, which I plan to feature at a local art venue. These will form the basis of a book I am working on, entitled An Architect’s Adventure Guide. I also love geography, travel, history and the arts — anything that helps expand how we understand and shape the human experience.
Who have been your biggest supporters?
My mother, without question. She raised three boys on her own, and I can only begin to comprehend the strength that took. She instilled in me a sense of independence, responsibility, quiet determination and a strong work ethic (qualities I suspect she inherited from my grandfather, whose parents migrated to Arkansas in the 1800s.) That Arkansas grit, combined with her unwavering belief in my potential, even during the hardest moments, has been a steady current throughout my life. Today, as I move into a new chapter, I also want to thank my wife, Vivienne, who stands by my side through thick and thin, supports me and challenges me.
What’s the best part of having your own design firm?
Freedom. I get to choose the direction, the collaborators and the kinds of projects I want to bring into the world. It’s a bit daunting at times, but one of the greatest benefits is building a consistent foundation from which to deliver meaningful work and knowing that the practice will grow stronger over time. It’s a privilege to shape my firm on my own terms and ensure that every decision reflects my values and vision.
Leading my business allows me to channel that passion into something lasting, to build a future that is both meaningful and self-directed. It’s not just about designing projects; it’s about designing a life I believe in.
A professor once told me, “People with passion are a dime a dozen.” I’ve learned that while passion may be common, it’s an essential ingredient. When paired with discipline, determination and direction, it can carry you across oceans.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Our field demands constant evolution, not just in skills, but in perspective. My hope is to keep growing both as a designer and as a human being, and to give back in ways that are meaningful to the next generation of architects, storytellers and dreamers.