QUESTION:
Can you summarize your design philosophy and what separates Styer
from your competition?
ANSWER:
Time, quality and value. They have
always been my motivators. They are in our mission statement. It
takes a first hand understanding of these core elements to be a
balanced, creative, energetic and cost effective firm. Understated
elegance is the look we usually strive for. Understanding construction,
and the costs incurred from the design, allows one to utilize the
remainder of the budget for the finishes and look of the space.
Code compliancy and budget are always first.
Q:
Is that philosophy the reason that companies like Hewlett Packard
and the Philadlephia Eagles football franchise hire Styer & Associates,
Inc. for their projects?
A:
I believe that is true. We produce
buildings and space but it is a people business. We value our customers'
time and they appreciate it. They know they are working with truth,
accountability, accuracy, honor and integrity when working with
Styer & Associates. We also are very protective of them. We field
all the information from the various suppliers for them. We become
their direct representatives in the field. We consult and coordinate
the engineering. Often we are hired for Project Management and Construction
Management. We are a full service design firm. Therefore when hiring
us for part of a project, we are hired with a full understanding
of the entire project. It must be a win win for all. We are a relationships
company. We become part of their success and the relationship continues.
We do take on some high-end residential
projects, and they are typically one-of-a-kind projects. For example,
we provided design layout, documentation, details, finishes and
the construction of a high end residential dwelling on Washington
Square in Philadlephia. The Owners are accomplished business developers.
The building is historic and yet the request and outcome is sleek,
contemporary modern spaces. The customers appreciate the arts and
wanted the materials in their home - basically their surroundings
- to reflect that. These type of projects are very special projects
with savvy customers. They are business owners and top executives
who appreciate the value of their time. They are traveled and appreciate
the arts, special materials and types of architecture. They want
their personal spaces to emulate those that they have experienced
at home or abroad. They are organized and function as in a corporate
environment.
With the four (4) Styer companies
- Styer & Associates, the architecture firm, Oliver Construction
our construction division, Cairo Graphics our full service art consulting
company and Xavier Digital a cutting edge broadband and internet
company, we are able to tie in the design with cost effective construction,
while assisting with the technology which is a large portion, and
the aesthetics. It is a well rounded team.
Q:
What markets do you typically focus on in the commercial sector?
A:
Although we seem to maintain a large
clientele in the office, retail and hospitality markets, we truly
provide solutions to a diverse group of companies. From Canada and
throughout the United States many local Headquarters hire us to
provide the same services to their branch operations across the
country as we do to their corporate facilities locally. The combination
of office, hospitality and retail design allows a straight forward
understanding of construction costs as in corporate office design,
with the embellishments of specialty conceptual and product design
that hospitality and retail design afford.
Q:
Do you miss the New York lifestyle from when you worked at GHK
and then building Ralph Mancini Associates, Inc.?
A:
No because that experience was a stepping
stone for me. What I learned in New York, helping build a company,
has allowed me to do that here. From being on the marketing committee,
to managing such projects as Dean Witter Reynolds, and Merrill Lynch's
trading floors, among various other large projects such as 21 floors
of a fortune 500 company, I gained so much experience, mostly in
team building, schedules, deadlines, and resources. I teach and
apply the same paradigm to my business today.
Q:
What does the future hold for Styer & Associates?
A:
We are at a new level of service offerings.
Since completing our part of Lincoln Financial Field, we have completely
upgraded our systems and offerings. Our seamless integration of
taking a drawing and inputting it's layout, develop a rendering
from it, produce a budget report or a full set of construction documents
from the single system we built is a very powerful tool. It streamlines
the way we do business. We are able to focus our energies on the
customers needs and processing the project. It stays on track and
develops itself through our team.
We would like to offer this standardized
process to as many people as possible. The customer's experience
in working with our firm is pleasurable. We provide all the amenities
to keep the customer informed while allowing them to focus on their
business.
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