Last week we shared thoughts about the diversity of our projects over the last thirty years. If you missed that BLOG, go back and read it first to understand our beginnings. If you’re just starting here…I think you will still catch on fast. As I approached these Anniversary blogs, I asked the Staff to tell me about their favorite projects.
This list got long with eighteen people on the team and many that could not narrow down their choice to a single “favorite” project. The list included a Walgreen’s Store and Signorelli’s Corporate Headquarters Interiors in The Woodlands, a Kroger store in River Oaks (Houston), Arco-Fit fitness center in Sugar Land, a Family Medical Office and a Dave’s Hot Chicken in Magnolia, a Retail / Multi-Family Mixed Use project in Montgomery known as Pine Market, a Medical Office in Spring, and Shopping Centers in The Woodlands, Hattiesburg (Mississippi), Rosenberg, Pflugerville, New Braunfels, suburbs of New Orleans (Louisiana), Baytown, and the conversion of a traditional Indoor Mall to a Power Center at Northline Commons in Houston.
As I reviewed the list of projects and places, and why these projects were impactful on our staff, it became clear that it came down to three common reasons. The first reason is because the project meant a lot to them personally. Many chose a project where they really enjoyed designing the building, working with the client, and then seeing the design that they dreamed up come to life. We are creative people at CDA Architects but many times, a design is dictated to a point and our creativity is behind the finishes. It is clear our staff enjoys putting their own touches on our buildings so that makes many of these our personal favorites.
A second reason was the project’s impact on or fit in the community. Designs like Walgreen’s Creekside nestled into the craftsman design with some Frank Lloyd Wright inspired steel elements, or the Art Deco elements and neon used on the Kroger in River Oaks to blend in with this long-established shopping center. These were designed with the intention of making bold statements but also blending in with the past building traditions of their respective communities. Many of us learned in our educational studies about designing for a particular place but in today’s architectural realm, we can often put the same design anywhere. It seems our team really enjoyed the idea of learning about a particular place, then designing a building that even with cutting edge materials or technologies, would still blend in with the established architectural neighborhood.
The final common thread that seemed to permeate these projects was a recalled fondness of the Clients, Contractors, Consultants, and the overall team that worked to complete the projects. In many of these cases, Clients have reached out well after the project was done to say what a wonderful experience they had and how much they, and their visitors or customers or clients, love the building that we helped bring to life. Some of them are calling back to design another location, or a different project type altogether, or some just because we became friends and they wanted to reach out. We really do enjoy the personal friendship we have developed with our colleagues. I’m proud to say that we consider many of my Clients and former Clients as friends and often stay in touch on a personal level even when we are not working together.
What we find in looking back on these favorite projects is that the Architecture we have created, and continue to create, is having a lasting impact on the lives of our staff, the lives of our clients and the teams we work with, and a lasting impact on the communities these buildings serve.
It is a tremendous responsibility to know that we are designing a building that people will interact with and knowing that we need to keep them safe, provide them with shelter or a place to shop, a place to be entertained or even healed, a place where they can be taught or worship in their own way. While we recognize that responsibility, our team also takes great pride in the opportunity to shape these communities through our building aesthetics and also to shape the people of our communities through their interactions with our buildings.
I’ve often said if a building is designed poorly people will know it. They may not know why but things will just not feel right for some reason or another. On the opposite side, if a building is designed well, the public still may not be able to explain why, but it just feels right. It is these buildings that we measure as our successes. They typically have an appearance that lasts for decades and still looks fresh, or they have a flow that makes them very efficient, and the owners don’t make any changes because it really can’t be improved. Great Design is often only recognized years after it was done…because it still looks and functions Great. It stands the test of time and these are the projects we look back on with more pride than others.
If you’ve stayed with our blog story this far, you are definitely a large reason why we are celebrating! Through Economic Cycles and many different political leaders in our nation, state, and local regions, we've continued to maintain our strength of serving our valued clients. As we proudly celebrate our 30th anniversary, we are immensely grateful for the continued support and partnership. Thank you for being a part of our journey. Here's to many more years of working together! We'll be celebrating this year so stay tuned for more details and check back next week for more information on where we go from here.