Our Three Clients
Articles, design
Our Three Clients
When it comes to designing multifamily and mixed-use buildings, it is important for us to consider our “three clients.” You may be thinking: What does that even mean? At ThoughtCraft, these three clients include the developer, end user, and community that a building is connected to. Each of these three parties are essentially the primary stakeholders who share a vested interest in the success of the project. With that in mind, our approach is to consider the needs of each one. Our team aims to serve everyone directly affected by our building design through careful consideration of each “client.”
So, what does this careful consideration look like? For starters, we like to think about how the new building will fit into its new surroundings or neighborhood. We start by analyzing the context and history of each site and then work to build a narrative that guides our design. It's important to us that our buildings resonate with not only its residents but its community members and developers. Again, each of these three entities matters.
Something else we’re always doing is making sure we create spaces that inspire and set themselves apart. The last thing we want to do is design a ubiquitous white box. Instead, we want to make buildings that enhance the fabric of the community and spaces that feel like home—for everyone, but especially for its residents. So, we often look to architectural cues of existing buildings to help assimilate our project within the context of the neighborhood. It’s also very important to our team that we innovate throughout our process, which means we explore unique features like exposed wood structure (see our Mass Timber Mid-rise) and the use of conventional materials in new ways to elevate living experience. All of these considerations mean we create spaces that improve and add vibrancy to a neighborhood, as opposed to repeating the same tired design.
What’s more, we pride ourselves on paying attention to even the smallest of details, which not only makes for a better living space but satisfies developers by adding value to the project. These details manifest differently depending on the project but could be the use of historical graphics and murals to shed light on previous uses of the space, the integration of balconies to connect residents to the outdoors, and the orientation of windows to maintain privacy while maintaining a sense of openness and brightness. In result, residents and community members are happy because of the way the nuance of these details make them think and feel; they can even unite together over these shared sensibilities. And developers are happy because the well-executed building creates a refined sense of place, which adds value to the project—which of course means finding themselves with a better ROI. (Additionally, a more desirable product will move through approvals with less friction and may even be constructed faster to reduce schedules and financing costs.)
In the end, what most matters to us is satisfying each of our three clients who are connected to our multifamily and mixed-use buildings. We want developers to be presented with a building that exists as a differentiated product in the market, so it leases up more quickly and makes for better business. We want community members to appreciate—and not be disgruntled by—the presence of a new building in their zip code. And we want residents to inhabit a place that feels like home—a place to dwell and dream and accomplish their unique goals.
You may think that aligning all three of these priorities is an intense challenge, but it’s actually easier than you might think. After all, most people can unite around a shared vision of what’s best for a project within their community. Whether that vision entails adding a sense of vitality and permanence to an urban realm, reflecting the history of a space within a contemporary context—or whatever else it may be—ThoughtCraft is honored to be able to bring folks together around new, community-centric, and thoughtfully designed buildings.