Principal
NEW REPUBLIC ARCHITECTS CINCINNATI
Please tell our readers about your design process.
A. We check our egos at the door and put our client’s hat on. What is going to improve their return on investment? What is going to function best? Where are opportunities to maximize their revenue or maximize their space? And then we layer in the aesthetic creativity part after that.
We start with, “If we owned this project, what would we do?” But we try to stay away from making an architectural statement for our own benefit. If an architectural statement materializes out of it, great, but we never start out a project with “I’d like to try this design move or this material.” We start out with “How are we going to hit a home run for the client?” and just really nail all their needs.
Q: Typically, how involved are you in the construction phase?
A. It varies. Some of our clients are owners/builders, so we give them the designs and we are hands off, and they only call if there is a problem or a question. There are other clients that are not builders, so we are more involved. We are out there on the site once a week, “kicking the tires” and holding people accountable — that kind of thing. So, the level of services depends on the client.
Q:. How do you balance aesthetics versus functionality?
A. We believe that aesthetics are more malleable that function. Once we nail the function down and how it works, we can design to that and integrate the aesthetics to that function, and it will look like it has seamlessly gone together. The building can look the greatest in the world, but if we didn’t nail the function right, we’re not going to have a happy client.
If we and our clients have to choose between function and aesthetics, function wins. But we are good at being able to dress up anything.
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