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Here you’ll find case studies on some of our most compelling before and afters, actionable advice for your next design project, and tips for a productive working relationship with a design partner.
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Momentum: When the Clubhouse Also Has to Run Leasing
At Momentum, a new multifamily community in Covington, Washington, ownership revised the clubhouse program after framing had already set the building envelope. Evolving economic conditions led ownership to fold the leasing office into a building planned solely for...
Your 2027 Capital Budget Is Taking Shape. Now Define the Projects Behind It.
The capital allocation can be clear while the design decisions that determine what the investment will accomplish remain open. By November, many ownership and asset management teams have moved through the first round of capital budget planning and narrowed their...
The Commercial Design Responsibilities That Do Not Appear in the Rendering
A rendering shows what a space could look like on the day it opens. It does not show whether the flooring holds up to five years of foot traffic, whether the layout clears code without a costly revision, whether a maintenance team can service what was specified, or...
Portfolio Consistency Without Sameness: What to Standardize and What to Localize
When ownership has multiple properties, consistency doesn't mean making them look related. The assets may sit in different markets, compete at different levels, serve different residents, and require very different levels of investment. Even properties grouped within...
What Needs to Be Decided When? A Sequencing Framework for 2027 Projects
A 2027 capital plan can have a defined scope and an approved budget and still run into trouble if the team hasn't established how decisions will move through the project. Commercial projects involve a lot of decision-makers. Ownership and asset management teams have...
Seven Questions Ownership Should Answer Before Approving a Repositioning Scope
A repositioning scope can turn into a list quickly. New clubhouse furniture. An updated pool deck. Refreshed lobby finishes. Exterior color. Every item might have a legitimate reason for being there. The harder question is whether each one deserves a share of the...
Phased Reinvestment: How to Create Progress Without Creating a Fragmented Property
Phased reinvestment creates a decision that doesn't exist in quite the same way when a property moves forward all at once. How much of the future should today's project decide? Ownership may know that several areas of a property will need investment over time without...
Spaces Design Us Back: What an Affordable Housing Conversation Made Me Think About Differently
One of the most interesting things I heard at a recent multifamily conference had nothing to do with finishes, amenities or what a building looked like. It was how the residents' questions changed after they had a stable place to live. I recently moderated a case...
Beyond Square Footage: What Makes a Multifamily Amenity Work?
The value of an amenity isn't determined by how many features it offers. It depends on whether the space supports the residents the property serves and the ways they need to use it. A clubhouse can have beautiful furniture, upgraded lighting, coworking space, and...
What Should Stay? Why Repositioning Shouldn’t Begin With a Replacement List
When ownership teams talk about repositioning a property, the conversation quickly turns to what needs to change. The clubhouse looks dated, furniture has reached the end of its useful life, and finishes no longer support the direction the asset is headed. Before...
The Real Value of a Commercial Design Partner Is Better Filtration, Not More Options
A design partner who hands over fifty options hasn't done the real work yet. Clients often expect to see every option we considered, and I understand the instinct. But handing over everything we found usually backfires. Our responsibility is to make a client's...
One Project, Multiple Decision-Makers: The Decisions That Aren’t as Isolated as They Look
On complex commercial projects, the question isn’t only who owns a decision. It’s who will inherit its consequences. A project can have experienced people making sound decisions and still begin to drift. A scope reduction affects more than the budget. A program change...