Just like it’s inefficient for a pilot to take off with a tailwind, clarifying and optimizing land usage is one of the most important steps in safeguarding a Developer’s ROI. Understanding municipal bylaws, land usage restrictions, parking/access requirements, watershed paths and building design options prior to purchasing land or investing in design is critical. It lets Developers hit the ground with big picture awareness, possible additional revenue opportunities, and a faster path to completion.

We believe the role of an Architect is to lead the creative vision for design; but it is not the role of rest of the design team to simply ‘serve the design’. The best building designs are the ones that people love to live and work in, because functionality and design are in perfect harmony. In order for this to happen there needs to be an equal and shared respect for the expertise sitting around the table.

Renowned Author Malcom Gladwell’s research concludes it takes precisely that many hours of intensive practice to achieve mastery of complex skills. Every solution we deliver is driven by the ‘10,000 hour’ multiples that we’ve accrued as Designers – leveraging our team’s collective knowledge base in terms of understanding what’s required, how to make it happen and the outcomes a Developer can bank on as a result.

Establishing oversight mechanisms is as important as managing the build during takeoff. Prior to breaking ground on a commercial or multi-residential building we gather for a critical intake meeting with the client and the general contractor to review and confirm all pre-construction requirements. We examine outstanding tasks, confirm completion dates, identify potential issues that need to be addressed – and who specifically is responsible for getting them done.

In our experience transparency and access to real-time information is the lifeblood of project execution. Using a fully integrated online project communication platform not only keeps everyone in the loop, it also provides a project database for tracking progress and engaging in discussion. With stakeholder daily recaps, action items and site reviews we eliminate silos, finger pointing, delays and misunderstandings.

Optimizing a project’s efficiency in terms of time and money is often determined by reducing situations that make you turn backwards to fix mistakes. For every Developer who wants to skip a step after reviewing our 7 Stage Design Process we’ll show you numerous examples of missed opportunities, change orders, costly budget revisions, cratered opening dates and frustrated subs to suggest doing otherwise.

Anytime we encounter turbulence or delays in a design project we sit as a team to clarify what went wrong and build the solution into our process so we can mitigate the chance it will happen again. During the last 15+ years of taking a ‘solve a problem once’ approach we’ve created some of the most time and cost saving systems in the industry. When you work in a culture of continuous improvement, years of experience fuels performance.

Providing regular ground support on project jobsites is worth the investment just in terms of building relationships, and earning the trust of Contractors and Engineers – all while working on behalf of the Developer. We have the opportunity to confirm work progress, address questions on site, and fast track issues back to the team as they arise. The collaboration that happens on site is verification that real talent is better served when it works together as one.

Every Spitfire client is partnered with one point of contact (Team Lead) who is responsible for working on behalf of the Project Developer. Team Leads work with Architects, Engineers, Contractors and Municipalities to maintain continuity. As a result, issues or questions get resolved quickly, but perhaps more importantly it creates freedom for developers – who no longer need to deal with daily project noise.

A partner is someone you trust implicitly, and not everyone is worthy. First, they believe what you believe in terms of creating a wow experience for the client. Secondly, they have proven themselves to be world class in terms of what they do. All of that is enhanced by working closely with a wide range of municipal planners who know and trust our work – and who appreciate our efforts to stay aligned with their community vision.