Clio Raynor, AIA, an architect and principal of the firm, has been with GSBS for 20 years. “It is the only firm I have ever worked for,” she said, adding that she was drawn to the practice and stayed with the company because of the high quality of work that she saw and the culture of the firm that is demonstrated daily. Mentoring is not just given lip service, “everyone is always willing to take any time out of the day to help you be better. They will help you with anything — from changing a tire to designing a building.” The client is baked into the GSBS design process because good ideas aren’t good ideas if they don’t work for the client. They are focused on their clients and their needs, creating specific design solutions for each client, not promoting a signature style. “We invite them into our process. We are trying to solve their concerns. That is why our projects look so different,” Raynor said. “We provide expertise and strive to get the point that our client trusts us to give them what they need. Then we can push them beyond where they may have gone because they have the confidence that we understand what they want. If my client is surprised — I need to do better. I should have explained it better. Having an empowered team helps clarify communication. “Good design ideas can come from anywhere. In our best work, it is an integrated design process and that comes with a certain ownership. Our firm believes that the best idea gets you to the best user experience. We work hard to provide the best solution to the challenge that the owner and user are having. We design to a vision, and the solution always drives back to the vision. The best solutions might come from a junior member team member. It is not driven top down; rather, the team leader sees that a great idea is a great idea. It is the best thing for the owner, the best thing for the firm, and the best thing for the designer. It isn’t about one person. And, depending on the project, it could be anyone managing ideas.” Diverse Staff Fuels New Service Offerings The leadership of GSBS has long recognized that helping individuals achieve their personal aspirations and goals has provided a way to expand their services, reputation and expertise. Stephen Smith was a planner as well as an architect, which allowed the firm to explore community planning in a way that helped build the firm’s portfolio. Erika Chmielewski is a planner of Hungarian/Polish extraction who found her way to GSBS by looking for an organization whose planning projects are not just conceptual but actually realized. When she said that was her goal, leadership provided the support to identify, pursue and capture projects like the community space on Mead Avenue that is currently under construction. She and her team are now looking at three more projects being built within the next few years. “GSBS got me there,” she says. “There are a lot of people in my corner.” “GSBS got me there. There are a lot of people in my corner,” says Erika Chmielewski about how GSBS supports her career. “The client is baked into the GSBS design process because good ideas aren’t good ideas if they don’t work for the client,” says GSBS Principal Clio Rayner, AIA. Salt Lake Community College Technical Arts Building 19
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTg3NDExNQ==