The History of WD Partners

WD Partners’ story is one of reinvention…a single founder’s vision that grew, over decades, into a nationally recognized architecture, design, and consulting firm. Our story begins with Wolfgang Doerschlag, born in 1940 in Southern Romania, amidst the historical German Colony of Siebenbürgen, known as the “Seven Hills.”

Fleeing political changes during World War II, the Doerschlag family resettled in Austria just south of Salzburg, where, along with countless others, they faced the daunting task of rebuilding after losing everything they’d built over four generations.

With a bold spirit, Wolfgang’s father decided to seize the opportunity for a new beginning in the U.S. In 1955, they settled on the south side of Columbus, Ohio, and in 1959, Wolfgang graduated from South High School. Fueled by a passion for architecture, he pursued it as a major at The Ohio State University, putting himself through school with jobs in construction. In five years, he earned his degree and embarked on a remarkable career working with the Tibbals, Crumley and Musson firm. In 1968, Wolfgang founded Wolfgang Doerschlag Architects—the beginning of what would become WD Partners.

The company expanded its services and client base over the years, evolving into WD Partners in 1979. The ’90s saw the integration of the next generation, with Wolfgang’s sons, Chris and Martin, joining the family business. In the mid-’90s, Chris assumed the role of CEO, steering the company through significant growth. By 2006, he became the sole owner, shaping WD Partners into the innovative and nationally recognized company it is today.

Throughout our history, WD’s business model has evolved to meet the needs of our clients, with our problem-solving philosophy developing from an emphasis on understanding our clients’ problems and creating unique solutions for each one. Rooted in delivering business-right solutions, we’ve leveraged technology as an accelerator and our subject matter experts as assets to our operations, becoming a nationally licensed and integrated company offering Strategy, Design, Operations, Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Solutions. From the beginning, we’ve never stood still. We’re constantly evolving and expanding our service offerings to meet the needs of our clients, adding value to the company and our clients every step of the way.

It’s in our DNA to solve problems with a consultative approach to our work. We believe we will be successful if our clients are successful, and from the start, we’ve known that delivering innovative solutions to our clients requires the best people. We emphasize the importance of investing in our culture and forming initiatives that focus on growing, retaining, and training our associates. Our values, built on the principles of courageous collaboration, doing it for the people, and innovative excellence, make up what we call our WDNA. It’s who we are, how we work, and what we have to offer.

Nearly six decades since Wolfgang founded the company, we’re immensely proud of what that history built—the achievements, the supportive environment we’ve fostered, and the mutual success we’ve shared with our associates and clients. The journey is ongoing, and the evolution of WD continues as we look toward a future filled with innovation, growth, and collaboration. Here’s to the next chapter of our story.