He began his architectural career in 1979 and made his home in Pawleys Island in 1985. His wife, Barbara, is a curriculum coach with the Georgetown County School District. They have two grown children, Stevie and Graham.

Because he cares about his community and the Lowcountry, Steve ran for Georgetown County Council.  He was successful, beginning his term in January of 2015. He says, “That grew out of my concern for the way the Waccamaw Neck was evolving. We have rapid growth, and I want to make sure it continues to grow in a positive manner.”

(Left) The White House Plantation Cottage after the renovation. (Above) Before the renovation.

In 1997, Steve formed Paragon Custom Construction, LLC.  Steve notes that while there are some excellent contractors in the area, at the time many of them were extremely busy.  “We found that we were increasingly relying upon construction firms with whom we had no experience, or whose qualitative standards were considerably less than ours.”  So perhaps out of necessity, Paragon was founded to provide another construction alternative for SGA’s clients; however, Paragon is a niche builder, so there is a considerable array of projects which require other contractors. “We maintain good relationships with a number of builders who are trustworthy that we can count on.  Many of these builders are great friends, and we have built our businesses together.”

Robert Brinson, the owner of Mill Park Construction, frequently works with SGA and Paragon. In early 2015, he was renovating a former furniture store in Pawleys Island that SGA had designed to be a dentist’s office with an attached rental space. Robert says, “The entire Pawleys Island area is getting what I would call a facelift. What Steve is doing is bringing the building up to standard to help it fit aesthetically with the rest of the facelift that Pawleys Island is experiencing.”

Steve and his staff also work with Ted and Dickie Chapman, the owners of Chapman Custom Homes.  Ted says, “I have never heard a negative thing from any of the owners of the projects I’ve worked with them on.  Everything usually runs smoothly. I have nothing but good things to say about working with Steve and his staff.”

Ted also adds, “Steve is a nice person to know.  He is an all around good guy from both a business and social standpoint. He’s got good people working for him. My impression is that his personal organization filters down to the people who are working for him. It’s a well run business.”

Steve notes, “I’ve got a great team supporting me.”

Although SGA does all types of design, Steve’s real passion is in home design.  He says, “I take the lead in residential design.  To me, a house is really a picture frame for a lifestyle. I enjoy learning about people’s lifestyles and goals and trying to mold a home according to things they have in mind, as well as designing their homes to provide the best possible solution for the site.”

He adds, “It is important that whatever I design looks like it is a part of Coastal South Carolina, or a part of the environment and community in which it resides.  A house must accommodate modern lifestyles, but place and history are vital references.”

Residential client, Marty White, said Steve talked with her and her husband, Bruce, and knew exactly what they wanted before designing their home in DeBordieu Colony.  “His attention to detail is outstanding.  He designed all the spaces for the way that we were going to live,” she said. “This is the fifth custom home we’ve done and it was by far the best, from design through construction.”

Steve knew Bruce and Marty liked to cook, so he gave special attention when designing their cooking space. In addition, he knew they had six adult children that would be visiting and designed the house to give everyone some privacy. Finally, Steve knew they fished and loved the outdoors, so he designed the house to give them a view of the creek from every room.

Marty said their lot is unusual, and she is still a little amazed that Steve found the perfect way to situate their home on it.

Bruce and Marty’s home is beautiful, practical and perfect for them and their family, and it is a wonderful place to entertain friends. “Everybody that comes into my house loves it,” Marty said.

Steve and his staff have designed several different projects at the Horry Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) campuses, including the monumental signage at the entrances of the Georgetown, Grand Strand and Conway campuses.

HGTC Executive Director of Capital Improvements Neil McCoy says,

SGA was engaged to provide a master plan for the HGTC Conway campus, which included a new perimeter road, pushed parking to the perimeter to create a campus heart, demolished some obsolete structures, and provided placement for new buildings.

SGA designed the Speir Allied Health addition at the HGTC Grand Strand campus, which houses the community dental clinic and dental program. The 24,000 square feet addition is connected to one of the oldest buildings on the Grand Strand campus near The Market Common. The building was once used as part of the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. Neil says, “They were really creative with their design. It complements the old building.”

The HGTC Speir addition and the Bryan Information Commons Addition at Kimbel Library at Coastal Carolina University are great examples of the ability of SGA to design green projects.  Both projects received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Berry Coggeshall, the owner of BEC Construction, has been the general contractor on several projects designed by SGA. Berry says, “I’ve enjoyed working with them.  They’re a good architectural company to work with.  They plan ahead. They’re very sophisticated architects, but they use good common sense on their designs and that makes for practical solutions to complex problems.”

SGA and BEC Construction have teamed on projects, including a total exterior renovation of approximately 60 condominiums at Tall Pines in the River Club and renovations to Litchfield By The Sea, consisting of the “total makeover” of the Beach Clubhouse, the guard house, restrooms and other amenities, as well as an elaborate system of boardwalks, dunes crossovers and large sunbathing decks.

Berry says, “All of the jobs we have done together have been very successful, and all of the owners have been happy.”

Berry says, “All of the jobs we have done together have been very successful, and all of the owners have been happy.”

Over the years, Steve and his staff of architects and designers have received numerous awards.  The company has been featured in Southern Living Magazine six times, twice as a cover feature. Steve designed and built the Southern Living Showcase Home that is now used as a special events facility inside the world famous Brookgreen Gardens.

The Brookgreen house and four other residences have won the SC AIA Robert Mills Award.  Some of SGA’s other awards include the Quattlebaum Award from the Conway City Council for the Early College High School; the Wood Design Honor Award for the Southeast for the Pepper Plantation Clubhouse; the Tri-State ASLA Merit Award for Morris Square and for the Georgetown County Parks Redevelopment; the SC AIA Merit Award for Holy Cross Faith Memorial Church; and the SC AIA Young Architect (Steve Goggans).

Steve remarks, “It’s validation that we’re doing good work, and we’re very proud of that accomplishment.”

For further information regarding SGA Architecture call (843) 237-3421, email Johanna@SGAArchitecture.com or email www.SGAArchitecture.com.