A&E + SMA Design

A&E + SMA Design Two of Montana’s top firms have become one people-first, community and client-driven powerhouse. Let’s go! Stronger together, by design.

Please join us in celebrating 15 years with James Kordonowy!As a Partner in our Billings office, James has helped to ele...
06/11/2026

Please join us in celebrating 15 years with James Kordonowy!

As a Partner in our Billings office, James has helped to elevate the role of interiors within our firm and for our clients, bringing architecture, finishes, materials, and experience into one thoughtful design conversation.

With imagination, discipline, and skilled expertise, James creates spaces that balance timeless character with fresh ideas. His thoughtful approach to design shapes environments that are both meaningful and enduring, creating experiences that resonate far beyond the surface.

Thank you, James, for 15 years of creativity, leadership, and thoughtful design. We’re grateful to have you!

This future Western Security Bank branch in Billings reimagines what a neighborhood bank can be. Designed around a small...
06/10/2026

This future Western Security Bank branch in Billings reimagines what a neighborhood bank can be. Designed around a smaller, more efficient footprint, the branch creates immediate customer touchpoints that connect visitors with the right person faster, making every interaction more personal and responsive.

Behind the scenes, every detail supports employee success. Teller functions are organized with ergonomics in mind, placing technology, tools, and daily tasks within easy reach to minimize movement, improve efficiency, and create a more comfortable work environment.

Inspired by Western Security Bank’s refreshed brand, the result is a modern banking experience that pairs operational excellence with a strong local connection.

🤝: Western Security Bank

Installation is underway at Rocky Vista University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, where this custom metal bison is br...
06/09/2026

Installation is underway at Rocky Vista University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, where this custom metal bison is bringing new energy to the main entry. 🦬

Designed by our EGD team and fabricated by local welder Scott Clark of Scott’s Mobile Welding, the anatomically-inspired piece layers science and symbolism into a bold welcome for the campus community. For students, faculty, and visitors alike, it connects the college’s purpose to the place it calls home.

🤝: Rocky Vista University - Montana, Scott's Mobile Welding

Some restaurants are designed around a look. We designed The Camino around a feeling. The interior pulls from both its ...
06/08/2026

Some restaurants are designed around a look. We designed The Camino around a feeling.

The interior pulls from both its Missoula setting and Mexican inspiration — warm, tactile, colorful, and alive. Details like woven textiles, natural wood, and warm light work together to create a space that feels modern yet relaxed.

Good hospitality design understands that the atmosphere is part of the service. It sets expectations, shifts the energy, and helps guests feel like they’ve arrived somewhere worth staying.

📸: LARA SWIMMER PHOTOGRAPHY / Esto
🤝: The Camino Missoula

We love seeing our communities dream bigger. The future AC Hotel, designed by A&E + SMA Design, is featured in the June ...
06/05/2026

We love seeing our communities dream bigger. The future AC Hotel, designed by A&E + SMA Design, is featured in the June 2026 issue of Simply Local Billings, where our renderings offer a glimpse of what's to come.

From guest rooms and dining experiences to rooftop gathering spaces, the project is part of a larger wave of momentum downtown. We're proud to help create a destination that welcomes visitors, strengthens the urban core, and reflects our commitment to creating meaningful places with lasting impact.

Read the full article and learn more about the project at simplylocalbillings.com.

🤝: AC Hotel by Marriott Billings, Simply Local Magazine Billings

A new chapter for Shields Valley’s youngest learners is underway.This work-in-progress design focuses on creating a new ...
06/04/2026

A new chapter for Shields Valley’s youngest learners is underway.

This work-in-progress design focuses on creating a new building that feels connected to the existing school while giving Pre-K through 6th grade students a modern learning environment.

The design carries forward familiar brick, scale, and proportions, with wood accents adding warmth. Inside, administrative space, a library, and a music room will support daily school life, while flexible areas help the school make the most of its footprint and serve students, staff, and the community for years to come.

🤝: Shields Valley Public Schools

Last week, our materials specifications expert visited our offices for team education on how specs support the work behi...
06/03/2026

Last week, our materials specifications expert visited our offices for team education on how specs support the work behind the work. From materials and finishes to quality standards and contractor coordination, specifications are like a manual, helping translate design vision into a clear, buildable path forward.

This kind of ongoing education is part of how we grow as a team and as a firm. When our people keep learning, we strengthen the process for every project – so we can give our clients even greater confidence in the experience and the final result.

06/02/2026

Strong foundations and wide horizons. To celebrate the merger of A&E + SMA Design, we created this set of City Cards to give out to clients, partners, and collaborators – folks who’ve helped shape our path forward. 
 
Each card features a black-and-white illustration inspired by one of the Montana communities we call home. As you visit our offices, you can collect matching stickers and complete the full image over time.
 
In a fast-moving world, the idea was to create something simple and tangible. Part postcard, part keepsake, they’re a reason to stop in, say hello, and stay in touch.
 
DrivenToCreateImpact

The Boone and Crockett Club makes its home in Missoula’s National Register-listed Milwaukee Depot, bringing conservation...
06/01/2026

The Boone and Crockett Club makes its home in Missoula’s National Register-listed Milwaukee Depot, bringing conservation history and architectural history together under one roof.

Our historic preservation team assessed the exterior of the iconic 1910-era building and helped secure grant funding to support the restoration effort. Working to restore the Depot's historic character, our team helped guide masonry restoration and replace the building’s non-historic asphalt roof with a terra cotta clay tile roof, returning one of its most recognizable architectural features to the Missoula skyline.

📸: LARA SWIMMER PHOTOGRAPHY / Esto
🤝: Boone and Crockett Club

The best environments are designed around human experience. That’s where experiential graphic design does some of its mo...
05/28/2026

The best environments are designed around human experience. That’s where experiential graphic design does some of its most important work.

The A&E + SMA Design team traveled to San Francisco for the SEGD Conference, joining designers from around the world with leading voices in the field. We talked wayfinding, storytelling, inclusivity, and place. Meaning: we got to nerd out about signs. And maps. And murals. And how people find the front door. And why certain spaces feel welcoming before anyone says a word.

SEGD – the Society for Experiential Graphic Design – brings together a multidisciplinary community dedicated to creating spaces that are more accessible, intuitive, and emotionally resonant.

We came home with inspiration and energy for creating designs that are clearer to navigate, richer to experience, and more human-centered at every step.

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124 North 29th Street
Billings, MT
59101

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Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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406.248.2633

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