Not many people can say they stepped into a business their grandfather helped build. Jared Davis can.

As CEO of Architectural Designs, Jared leads one of the most established house plan companies in the country — with more than 40 years of history and a Davis family legacy that goes back even further. But the way he talks about his role, you get the sense that the history is not what motivates him most. It is what comes with it — the responsibility to the people connected to AD today, and the chance to build on what generations of hard work made possible. "There are very few businesses that make it from one generation to the next, let alone into the third generation," Jared has said. "It comes with a heightened sense of responsibility."

That responsibility, as he describes it, runs in every direction. To the full-time team. To the part-time staff and contractors. To the designers and architects whose work fills the catalog. And to the customers who are trusting AD to help them with one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives.

Jared is candid about the fact that leading AD was not something he always envisioned for himself. He came from a sales background, having carried quota and worked in and around fast-moving startups and vertical software companies. He had always been aware of the Davis family's connection to Architectural Designs — there was always a sense of pride in that — but stepping into the CEO role was not a given.

When the opportunity came, it felt right. And what he found when he arrived was a team and a company that already had something rare: deep tenure, genuine care for their catalog of pre-drawn house plans, and relationships with designers, builders, and customers that had been tended over decades.

"I met a designer at a recent industry event who remembered working with three generations of the Davis family," Jared said. Moments like that stay with him. They are a reminder of what AD has always been, and what it is worth protecting as the company continues to grow.

Ask Jared what makes Architectural Designs different and he does not lead with technology or catalog size. He leads with people — and he is quick to make clear that the things AD does well are not the result of any one person.

The Customer Success team is something he talks about with real pride. They take calls, answer emails, and stay connected with customers across a process that can stretch over months or longer — bringing a level of knowledge and care that shows up in customer reviews again and again. "People still deeply value talking to someone," Jared has said, "especially with a decision like this."

He is also quick to credit Kitty Connor, AD's COO, whose 14-plus years with the company represent exactly the kind of institutional knowledge and relationship depth that Jared deeply values. Alongside her and the rest of the team, AD has built something that shows up across every part of the business.

"At the end of 2025, we made a slideshow where every team member contributed a piece showing all the new tools we added that year," Jared shared. "It was packed — almost no white space." That image captures something real about how AD operates. Progress here is a collective thing. It shows up across the whole team, not in any one corner of the business.

One of the things Jared is most focused on is the gap between finding a plan and feeling ready to build. For most customers — especially those just beginning the home building process — that gap is full of uncertainty. What will this actually cost? What does the space really feel like? What happens after I buy a house plan?

AD's growing suite of services exists to close that gap. Cost-to-Build reports, Materials Lists, Modification Services, Walk Your Plans, and Cost to Furnish reports. Together, they reflect something the whole team has come to understand over time: the stock house plan is the starting point, not the finish line. "The house plan itself is only a small fraction of the total cost," Jared has said, "but it represents the beginning of what is probably the biggest financial commitment someone will ever make. That can be very intimidating."

Walk Your Plans is a service he comes back to often — not just because of what it does, but because of how it came to be. The introduction was brokered through a long-standing designer relationship, and Jared sees that as a perfect example of what investing in relationships over time actually produces. Trust creating something neither party could have built alone.

"I hope our customers feel excited and energized to build after they buy from us," he has said. He wants people to feel less confused, less anxious, more equipped for the home building journey ahead — like they are joining a community of people who have been exactly where they are, who have built from these plans, and who came back to share their stories.

"I want to turn anxiety into excitement and replace confusion with a clearer sense of what comes next," Jared said. "That's the feeling I want people to walk away with."

When asked what he would consider a must-have in his own home, Jared did not hesitate. Space for a projector in the living room or media room.

"It elevates movies with family, sporting events, and time spent together," he said. "For me, that kind of feature is really about spending time with the people you care about."

It is a small detail that says something bigger — for Jared, the best spaces are the ones that bring people together.