Collaborative Designworks was established in 2003 by James M. Evans, AIA, as a design focused architecture firm interested in orchestrating the varied conditions, requirements, and personalities involved in projects towards a common goal—the successful completion of built work. This interest has led the firm to expand its role in projects beyond that of exclusively Architect and into developer, furniture designer, and small scale builder. Completed projects to date range from single and multi-family residential to commercial buildings and from generous budgets to the highly limited cost parameters required for speculative developments; all with the belief that design can happen at various scales and should happen for all projects. One of Collaborative Designworks' recently completed projects has received a LEED silver certification.

Team
James M. Evans, AIA earned his degree at the Rice University School of Architecture and worked at the Renzo Piano Building Workshop in Paris, France, prior to focusing on project delivery and construction while working on large projects for a commercial Architecture firm in Houston. He has sat on several design awards juries, participates in studio reviews at the University of Houston and Texas A&M, and is active with various architecture and design committees.

Alexis Franco, an architect from Argentina, joined the firm in 2007. Ben Perry began his professional career with Collaborative Designworks after receiving his master's degree from the University of Houston in 2008.

Recognition
Collaborative Designworks has been featured in The Houston Business Journal, the Houston Chronicle, Houston House & Home, Houston Lifestyles & Homes, Houston Modern Luxury, Modern Houston online magazine, PaperCity, Residential Architect, Texas Architect, Texas Home & Living, The Things They’ve Done (William T. Cannady and Rice University School of Architecture), and on the Planet Green television network.

Collaborative Designworks has received a national AIA Housing Committee Award, PaperCity’s Design Excellence Award, a Residential Architect Design Award, a Texas Society of Architects Design Award and an AIA Houston Design Award. House X2 and The 505 were exhibited on the AIA Home Tour in 2008 and 2006, respectively.