A close-up view of hands sketching, one working on an architectural plan and the other on a portrait, showcasing the creative process and artistic precision involved in design and illustration.

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide distinguished architecture for discerning clients.

We achieve this through actively listening to our clients’ needs and closely collaborating to include them during the design process, utilizing SketchUp 3D modeling for interactive design review and ongoing feedback.

Philosophy

We view our clients as the ultimate experts in what they want, and we take the time to work collaboratively with them while utilizing our extensive experience to translate and transform their imaginings into responsive architectural realities.

Communication is the key to developing successful projects, and, in addition to carefully listening to the client, an architect must be able to clearly explain design options and approaches. To that end, The Imagination Studio, Inc. uses SketchUp 3D design and presentation software to let clients explore designs as they will see them in real life: in 3D perspective, rather than just in 2D plans and elevations or sometimes-confusing axonometric views. Being able to move around and through the design in real time gives clients a better sense of what’s being proposed and more opportunity to provide informed feedback on all aspects of their designs.

While projects must obviously embrace programming needs, site practicalities, and budget realities, we strive for a harmonious architectural aesthetic that is simple yet elegant, and we are comfortable designing in any architectural style that suits the client’s goals.

While we delight in any creative design endeavor, our primary market sectors served are:

  • Education
    (early-childhood through higher-education)
  • Religious
  • Civic
  • Commercial
  • Residential
Closeup of architectural drafting tools, blueprints and laptop

Firm History

The Imagination Studio’s President, Joseph Clarke, has had the privilege of working for architectural firms known for expertise with schools and churches and for interacting with clients to actively listen “between the lines” to discern their unspoken architectural aspirations.

The Imagination Studio, Inc. was incorporated in 2007 to provide a legal entity for occasional side- and pro-bono-projects, and in 2024 the company was relaunched as a full-time venture to provide distinguished architectural, interior design, and master planning services.

Staff

As a sole proprietor, Joseph Clarke will be your single point of contact from project inception through completion. We find this approach to be most effective for streamlining the communication flow and making sure that all the clients’ nuanced requests are appropriately reflected in the final design.

Joseph E. J. Clarke

President

Born and raised in England in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, Joseph developed a deep appreciation for enduring buildings and architecture that connects with its users at a subconscious and spiritual level.

He was born in a small cottage that had been the village Forge and was raised in an old Cotswold farmhouse, both having been built in the 1600’s. The village church his family attended (and where he helped with traditional bell-ringing) was restored in 1856 but had parts dating from the 14th century and a font from the 13th.

Upon moving to the United States in the late ’70’s, the biggest “culture shock” was encountering churches that were younger than he was and that just didn’t “feel” like churches. That cultural dissonance ignited a passion for discovering why buildings “feel” certain ways and evoke deep-seated responses.

He has built on this experience to bring a wholistic approach to design, recognizing that buildings and spaces have the capacity to influence how we feel and interact within them, and to tailor spaces to reinforce the atmospheres/ambiance the client wishes to cultivate.

2024 – present: President, The Imagination Studio, Inc., Sheboygan, WI

2021 – 2024: Senior Project Manager, Legacy Architecture, Inc., Sheboygan, WI

2007 – present: Founder, The Imagination Studio, Inc., Sheboygan, WI

2004 – 2021: Sr. Proj. Mgr., and Director of Education Studio, Groth Design Group, Inc., Cedarburg, WI

1992 – 2004: Project Manager, The Stubenrauch Associates, Inc., Sheboygan, WI

1989 – 1992: Environmental Controls T.A., University of Washington, Seattle, WA

1989: Intern, Kenyon & Associates Architects, Inc., Peoria, IL

1992: Master of Architecture, University of Washington

1989: Bachelor of Science, Architecture, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee

Currently:

Chairperson, Sheboygan Architecture Review Board

Deacon on Consistory, Zion E.C.C., Sheboygan

Rotating leader for Adult Christian Formation Class, Zion E.C.C., Sheboygan


Previously:

President, Near North Neighborhood Association, Sheboygan

Sheboygan Building Use Committee

Mayor’s Neighborhood Leadership Cabinet, Sheboygan

Joe and his wife Denise have lived in the delightful City of Sheboygan since 1992. They enjoy reading, movies, and walks on Sheboygan’s wonderful beaches.  They have two grown/married daughters, and it seems as if they are constantly working on the never-ending projects of their 1879 vintage home.  Joe has a passion for all things Range Rover, and he also enjoys the physical and mental challenges of HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts).  He has been a member of the Germantown Wisconsin Historical Fencing Association since 2105 and is proud to have attained the rank of Provost.