We immerse ourselves in the full context of our clients’ challenges and emerge with a high performing, cost effective, and beautiful solution. Our strategic value manifests itself from our early investigative process of digging deeper to find the true problems that need to be solved, setting stretch goals beyond what may seem possible, and uncovering hidden value through blue-sky charrettes.

We continue our design process by cross pollinating ideas with industry experts, integrative teaming with cost shifting, and our use of technology, building science, and performance modeling. Along the way, the design is scrutinized against the pragmatics of cost, program, and established goals to deliver highly functional, deeply strategic, and sustainable outcomes.

Our team-oriented culture encourages collaboration and communication to prioritize the needs of the client and accomplish tasks in a well-orchestrated, organized fashion. We actively listen, establish clear objectives, value unique perspectives, and address issues as they arise.

We are selective with who we serve and with whom we work. We ask if the client and user advance society. We ask if we can truly advance them. This evaluation helps us stay true to our mission.

intense collaboration and research early

We collaborate with an Integrative Design approach that gets everyone at the table early. By “everyone”, we advocate for all stakeholders, including the owner, users, staff, community, full design team, subject matter experts, and even the nay-sayers. Great ideas can come from anyone and casting a wide net provides optimal input. These workshops stem from private charrettes to open public community engagement sessions that help bring all issues to the surface.

We then set project goals, develop the design program, and establish performance targets with the steering committee and client/ user/ community leadership. This identifies what success will look like for a pragmatic and strategic solution. We place metrics to performance goals which create the framework that guides the team through the life of the project. These goals also establish priorities when strategies compete for dollars.

We must understand the sense of place and design appropriately. We dig deep in our understanding of the full context of the problem to be solved. Research on the client, user, their industry and community, historical, cultural, precedent, typology, experiential, biophilic, geological, and natural environment is the inspiration for our design work.

respond to the sense of place

During the conceptual design phase, the art and the technical must align. We facilitate integrative design charrettes to explore and critique many design solutions in a short amount of time. The schemes get vetted against the constraints of budget, program, project goals, and client preferences. We test the final solutions against highly sustainable, cost effective, and aesthetic goals through design-based energy modeling, order of magnitude cost estimating, and mapping out the users’ preferred workflow to ensure the pragmatics of functionality. These ideas are conveyed through various types of media based on the client’s needs, such as sketches, renderings, fly throughs, 3D printed models, or virtual reality.

knowledge and expertise

As the project design solidifies, cost shifting generally occurs which allows for higher performing designs for the given budget. It is during this stage where the value of the open and integrative process is realized. Dollars are allocated to the area or systems that align with the predetermined project goals, and the design is right-sized for each client and user group. Our specifications and Mindful Materials research plays an important role in selecting healthier, durable, and more sustainable end products.

the final, ideal solution

Many of our clients procure our team to assist during bidding and perform site visits during construction. We can guide clients that are new to the building process or be a sounding board for more experienced owners. If allowed, we follow up by collecting useful data such as energy consumption and, at times, Post Occupancy Evaluations. This feedback loop helps to ensure our designs operate as intended and to feed our continuous improvement.

Ultimately, this process enables emersion DESIGN deliver highly sustainable, cost effective and beautiful places, spaces and buildings.