Thoughts of a residential designer

Stress and the times that are upon us

2010-07-27T23:46:00.000-04:00

Today I realized how much time had slipped away and how remiss I had been in keeping up with my promised posts to my blog. This is actually quite the crowning sin to me and I feel horrible about not keeping to my normal timelines. Do I have an excuse? Of course. But the fact still remains that I should have continued my normal duties.
Today I turn the light to something on the more serious side of our lives now. Stress. I believe it to be a safe assumption that stress levels for all of us are, in all likelihood, manifesting themselves more than many of us can recall. Be it jobs, the economy, wars, politicians, or any and all of the mix above, we're all paying the price for this more than we should. Am I guilty of it? Absolutely and completely no doubt. Should I be succumbing to it? I wouldn't be human if I didn't, but that doesn't make it any more acceptable.
Before I continue, I will say this. I'm not going to allow this posting to wrap into any of the above topics regarding stress. We all have our views on these things and to believe we agree with each other on every topic is laughable, at best. We're humans, so of course we will have our differences and that's great. That's what being a human is all about. Instead, I want to spend a little time talking about the toll stress takes on us, our families and remind everyone that we need to avoid sinking under the weight.
For me, personally, I can say that I have seen myself drowning much more than I should be lately. I have noticed it in my short temper, frustration at increased events and things around me that shouldn't make a difference, and most notably and regrettably, in causing me to be much more silent than usual around my family. And not in a good way. The eye opening realizations come when you realize that most of the words you say are nothing more than snapping at insignificant things. Letting every little item cause you to get irritable. And our families are usually the fastest to see this and the ones that have to tolerate it.
Over the past couple of days, I have come to understand my transgressions more than usual, meaning I have been oblivious and making excuses to let it slip by. I know this isn't the right thing to do and I know that I shouldn't allow it to happen. But it has and it's time to make amends. Part of the realization that you have allowed yourself to succumb hopefully means you will also realize how and the need to fix the situation.
As for myself, I have been stressing over workload. More to the point, the lack thereof. Construction and anything associated lately is more feast or famine than usual and it can be absolutely maddening at times. I admit this and I admit that I let it get to me much deeper that it should. Is that to say we shouldn't worry about work and finances? Of course not. That would be ludicrous. What it does mean is that we shouldn't slip and let this become the controlling issues in our lives. It affects to many other things.
Recently, I noticed that even though work was slowing, I still felt tired and didn't have the drive to work on the small projects remaining. Not a smart move. I got them done on time, but not without heavily prodding myself. As I worked through this I noticed something else. My creativity. More importantly, the lack thereof. Allowing myself to drop had killed my drive and creativity, two things you need absolutely the most of in slow economic times, especially if you're self-employed. Without those two primary items, failure can follow very close behind in short order.
So the first things I did was work on my drive, creativity and attitude towards my business (please, no lectures about how family should have been the first, I realize that entirely but I do go off of the necessity to provide). So what did I do? I made a bold step to first, create and start the implementation of my new advertising materials for my design studio. That helped. A lot. Seeing some work finally flowing from myself again that would not only hopefully yield more projects but forced me to think and learn new skills that I had forgotten was good for my soul.
Next, I took a brave step and started the implementation of my new consulting company. Will it fly? I don't know. It's going to be hard work, but I believe the need and skills are there, so it's time to make the move. I've prepared and actually performed my first seminar with some good, positive signs of interest. This not only has helped my belief in the company, but also the belief in myself. I had forgotten how good it was to know that even in bad times, you could still do good things. So I'm moving forward as hard as I can with both companies with the determination to survive.
The next thing that I started working on was my personal attitude. That's an important component and one that should not be ignored. Without the correct attitude, you're a shell that everyone can see through. Become positive again and doors start opening. It feels like a weight is starting to come off my shoulders slowly with getting my head straight again. And I believe the way I talk and act around people is very evident in relation to whether I am feeling positive or not.
Beyond that, I have to believe that things happen for a reason. There have to be times of challenge. Times to force yourself to move on, even though you don't want to. Life simply cannot be easy all of the time. The sooner you come to this realization, the better off you will be.
Overall, what can I say more than "lighten up". Find your escape. Use it. For all it's worth. For me, I'll sink back into my Jimmy Buffett songs, close my eyes and just shut the world out for awhile. It works wonders. Find your own inner peace and bring it back. The sooner you do, the better of you'll be.
I apologize for the rambling and skipping around tonight. Simply too many thoughts bouncing around in my head, but I hope I kept the point of this clear. Turn off the news, forget about the outside world for awhile and concentrate on your family, friends and yourself. Get your head straight and get moving again.

So where is this balance between family and work?

2010-07-07T00:47:00.000-04:00

I think I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that I'm not the only one finding it hard to find a balance between family wnd work life lately. If I'm off base with this one, please feel free to let me know, because right now it seems like most of life is spent trying to keep a small business afloat in a very off economy.
Lately, it seems that one word has become very prevalent in regards to small companies. Survival. Basically by any means necessary. Unfortunately, one of the first places that feels the sacrifice is the home life. Trust me, you will find no lecturing here on that point. I have found I'm as guilty as the rest, if not more so. Not a pleasant thought or great place to find yourself in, no doubt about it. So the question arises, why do we do it? I mean, obviously other than the usual answer of money and making a way to provide for your loved ones.
A lot of introspection lately has led me to some very interesting thoughts concerning just this topic. I think it's easy to say, once you get past the initial guilt about all that you are sacrificing that those that have their own businesses don't just see these entity as a means to an end. To many, they take on a life of their own. In this, they are not merely names on a paper or an invoice, but a personal symbol of success (or failure) that is directly attached to your performance. As if that isn't enough to worry about, these businesses take on a life of their own. They become another children to us. Is that healthy? No, probably not, but wuch is life.
So why does this become so significant to us? Why is this something that we allow to become so all consuming in our lives that we let the other things slide? That becomes a little harder to explain as each person will tend to have their own personal reasons, but it's safe to say the core values will hold true for most of us.
First and foremost, these are extensions of our lives and personalities. Many of us have made rather large sacrifices, both personally and financially, to make these dreams come alive. Do we usually know the amount of work that will be involved down the road? I would say in most cases the answer is a resounding no. I had a general idea, but general ideas aren't worth anything in the grand scheme of things. We put our blood, sweat and tears into these endeavors and take things relating to them VERY personally. That's human nature, unfortunately. Wish we could get beyond it, but no one has figured it out yet, no matter how much they proclaim otherwise
Why is that first point so important? Because it lays the foundation for the reason why the next issues and actions occur. Why we are so willing to let work so complete devour our lives and time. If you haven't figured out where I'm going with this yet, let me lay it out clearly for you. These businesses are not only jobs, they are another child. Another part of the family. Does this cause issues? There is no doubt about that. Is there an easy answer? God I wish there was but I sure haven't figured it out yet. What it comes down to is where you rank this family member. As much as it pains me to say so, in these uncertain times, the business can't be left alone to survive and thrive. More time and effort than ever has to be put into it in hopes of making it through this difficult economy and world.
Why do I say this without having any answers? Well, two reasons. One, to let you know you're not alone. There is a large amount of guilt placed squarely on our shoulders because of the sacrifices we are making. Sacrifices that we hope to be able to make up to our real family one day. But for the moment, the best we can hope for is understanding from those that love us. Is that fair? Not by a longshot, but this is real life we're talking about, so fair need not apply.
Secondly, I hope this clears at least a few consciences and allows a little more sleep at night instead of worrying and wondering about the things that I do. In some form or another, many of us are thinking about exactly the same thing, in some form or another.
All I can offer is to let you know that you're not alone. There are more of us in this boat than you would imagine, so keep on breathing and treading water. The payoffs will come to us down the road. Just making it through now is all that there is to be concerned about.
And whenever possible, stop to smell the roses. Even if it means working until the early hours of the morning to make up for lost time while everyone else is asleep, take some time out to enjoy the ones you love. Because they are sacrificing for you, too, whether you realize it or not.
Good luck and God bless to all of us in the same boat.

Design and the World of Technology

2010-06-26T11:53:00.001-04:00

While the market has been collapsing for builders, developers, architects and designers, technology has marched forward. It is a safe statement that technology hasn't always been a friend to the construction industry. Many old school builders, developers, architects and designers have resisted technology like the plague. Some still do. But what worked before most likely will not work in the future.
Changing times bring about changing methods of survival. Technology will, in my opinion, be one of the deciding factors in the survival of those in the construction industry in this ever evolving world. It won't be an option, it will be a necessity. Why? Several reasons, but the primary are summed up in a few short, key points.
Efficiency, this was an issue before but ever moreso now. True, there are less people competing for survival now as we are watching competitors fall by the wayside at an ever increasing rate. Those that are still here are having to do things better and smarter. Thus, more efficiently. This involves everything from faster construction and design time to better utilization of materials complete through a more efficient implementation of money. There is no one step answer to this, but rather a combination of methods to help in this process.
Virtualization. Take companies into the virtual world. Websites, blogs, online schedules, online plan reviews. All of these are key components to virtualization. There are several things that virtualization accomplishes. The first and foremost is getting your name out to the rest of the world. Exposure is everything now. You MUST make your name as prevalent, and relevant, as possible in this new world. If you don't, you will miss the opportunity to not only connect with new customers but also improve your contact with existing.
Standardization. While expanding companies into the virtual world, there is a key point that must be maintained. The appearance of companies MUST remain uniform across all platforms. In that, all advertising, both print and electronic, must have the same appearances and styles across the applications. Without that, the company will appear fractured and unorganized. This, of course, looks unprofessional and amateurish. With the competition left in a small venue, this must be avoided at all costs. Any weakness can cost you a client.
Automation. Bring your systems up to speed and do it now. If your not trying to use electronics and computers in every way possible, you are setting yourself up for failure. Automation ties all of the concepts together. It allows you to speak and communicate with clients by phone, laptop, desktop, all electronic mediums while not only making you more available, but allowing better referencing of information and a back-up of information by getting as many communications as possible in writing. The greater of a record you can maintain electronically of information and contacts, the better you can manage your projects.
So the key message for today is to take advantage of every technology available for survival. Will it cost you? To an extent. But there are many, MANY areas you can utilize these technologies at minimal to no cost. You simply must investigate your options and ramp up to where you would like to be. Waiting isn't going to improve survival rates. Anything that can be done to survive must be done and done now.
Good luck.

And now, for the real news...

2010-06-14T18:35:00.000-04:00

For a change of pace, I'm going to take a moment to cover some of my personal insights into the construction and design industry around Georgia and the rest of the country. Needless to say, things are still more than a little tumultuous leaving may businesses and individuals in limbo regarding their construction and design projects. Is there good news? Yes and no. It all depends on your take on the situation. Of course, please take what I say here with a grain of salt. This is going to be centered on information I have seen firsthand in regards to my personal business and in discussions with others in the field.
Construction is, most definitely seeing a slight surge in various spots around the country. From what I have seen, a lot of the pop coming in Atlanta appears to be in the area of remodeling. There are several reasons for this, much of which is directly correlated to a lack of prominent growth in the new construction side of the house. Overall, the biggest factor in this shift has to do with financing, or more importantly, the lack thereof.
It's no secret that financing on most real estate projects is still a nightmare, both for attempting a new home or to try to find equity for a remodeling project. The main factor in this is, of course, the foreclosures that are still growing like wildfire. Despite common logic, existing home buyers are having to compete with foreclosure and fire sale properties for appraisals. A flawed practice, in my opinion, but something none of us have the ability to affect a change to. So what does this mean?
Basically, a house with someone currently paying the mortgage and maintaining the residence is being forced to compete with the values on houses that have either been partially built or abandoned in the foreclosure boom. As such, those of us that are managing to stay in our homes are suffering greatly on our values. To the point of little to no refinances, no chance of selling and breaking even and little to no options of selling. Are there exceptions to the rule? Sure, but they definitely seem to be few and far between. This it the major reason we're still showing a large drop in new construction and the remodeling projects being on a smaller scale than they have been in the past. Quite simply, the values aren't there.
My proposal, for what it's worth, would be to establish a dual appraisal system to bring things back on an even keel. Essentially, run one appraisal system for foreclosure/abandoned houses and another for currently occupied residences. In this, we could look at possibly getting house values back up to a realistic appraisal level while allowing the foreclosures to continue at a lower amount, which would be more accurate. If this were to occur, I believe a substantial shift would begin to occur in the construction and real estate industries to bring it back to a normal line. Until this is done, we are all at the mercy of foreclosures finally getting sold off and shifting to a correct sales pattern.
Now if I could only find a way to get this suggestion heard or implemented. Without being in government, its on the impossible side of getting the correct ear to listen.
In the opinion of everyone reading this, does this seem a reasonable step in the correct direction to start a cure to the construction and real estate nightmare we are living through?

It's a bird, it's a plane...wait, wrong story...

2010-06-03T01:12:00.000-04:00

To pick up where I left off, high school was my first real introduction to architecture and design. I was entered early into mechanical design and immediately made the jump to architecture. Once I took that class, that was all there was to it. I was hooked. There was something about constantly developing unique and beautiful structures that no one had ever seen before. Especially doing it on a large, grand scale.

While working around the job sites and watching my father draw houses, there had always been a little disconnect on exactly where the two came together. Upon entering my architecture class, it all started making sense. In the back of my mind, something stirred. Something that made the paper and the wood in the field relevant. A light clicked, to say the least. Someway, somehow, I suddenly was able to envision how the lines I drew on the paper would evolve. Expanding and jumping off the page, growing into the places where people would eventually reside. There was something "magical" about the process of watching the development of the plans to reality. It seemed almost surreal that something as simple and fragile as lead pencil lines drawn on a thin piece of white, translucent paper could become a living, breathing home.

Okay, so I guess that's enough metaphors to fill you for the night. I guess there's no doubt in your heads that I truly love architecture and building in general. The two fields always seemed like a natural fit to me. Despite the intrinsic headaches, there was always an immense sense of satisfaction in seeing happy homeowners move on to the next stage of their lives with your assistance.

Throughout high school, while others were on spring and summer break, visiting friends, beaches, far away places, I was working on the lots. One day would find me hammering down subflooring while the next would be setting silt fence along the perimeters of the lot. I guess now would be as good of time as and to admit these were not the days I loved. Were they necessary? Yes. Did I love them? Not a chance. But such was the lot on life that I had drawn so I worked through it.

In the time I had available, I continued to teach myself architecture. Mind you, the basic class in high school helped greatly but for the most part, just laid the foundation for the design field. Along the way, I learned the best way to learn design was by actually pulling stock plans from the magazines and start moving walls, openings, things such as that. This eventually grew into an understanding of designing the roof, in all honesty, one of the most complex items involved in home design. As I started to get a grip on this, I was able to move forward and start designing the actual exterior of the homes from the ground up.

Suffice to say, by the time I was coming to the end of my time in high school, I had developed a rather solid understanding of architectural design. So what was the next step? Applying to an architectural school to get an architecture degree. I applied and was accepted into the programs at both Georgia Tech and Auburn. I had missed the deadline to the school I had truly wanted, North Carolina State but I was overall satisfied with my other options.

So what does an aspiring designer yearning for an architectural degree do when presented with these two choices of architectural schools? Why, apply at one other school and end up at The Citadel, a small military college in South Carolina with a planned major of civil engineering (which lasted all of two weeks before switching to business administration).

I'll bet you're curious how that road started tying back to my life as a designer, aren't you? Well, there wasn't quite as bad of a disconnect as you may think, but that's the next chapter of my blogging life.

What a long, strange trip it's been, and we're just beginning

2010-05-30T11:49:00.002-04:00

What a long, strange trip it's been. There's no denying that's a commonly used phrase. We see it on television, hear it on the radio and use it throughout life talking with others. It means a lot of things to a lot of people. Sometimes there is more significance to this statement than it would appear on the surface.

I've become a big believer in this statement. I've actually started to consider it a trademark for my life. To say that I've covered an interesting course in life is an understatement. And this is just in regards to my businesses and education. Of course, at this point, this seems to take up a large portion of my time so it really stands as no surprise that everything seems to rotate around this sphere of my life.

With this being the introduction to the blog of my company and life surrounding it, I figured it would be best to give some background to how I've gotten to be where I am in life. Some will find it interesting, some won't, I'm sure. If nothing else, at least this will help everyone see where I am coming from.

I started in the construction industry early in life. To say the least. Moving to Georgia prior to eighth grade, I found myself in the world of residential construction. Apparently those ties were deep within my family and it was a homecoming in a way. Starting in construction at such an early age, it's safe to say that I've seen ALL aspects of construction, the good, the bad, and the dirty.

Take that last statement at face value. I mean it just as it appears. I found myself working on lots after school and on weekends doing pretty much anything conceivable that involved cleaning the houses under construction. Digging mud out of ditches following rainstorms. Sweeping the sawdust and construction debris out. Burning random blocks of wood and paper. Pulling buckets of, well, things out of the corners of basements. All the fun things that an eighth grader dreams of.

And if you believe that, I've got some oceanfront property n Arizona to sell you. But I will say this, this journey led up to where I am today. In some way, form or manner. It took a long time to see how the points on the line connected, but they eventually did. And once they did, it was actually rather odd seeing the connections.

Rather than bore all of you with a full novel about my life in construction leading to my current life as a residential designer, I'll allow you a reprieve and pick up the story again in my next edition. In between, I'll add some other notes, some regarding work, some regarding design, a little construction, and even humor interspersed throughout to keep everyone entertained.

Who says a blog has to be boring? Not I.

By the way, did I mention I have a background in writing? Let's see if I can let that side grow again.

Looking forward to entertaining everyone and providing a little insight into the workings of the mind of a designer.