Why Architect + Designer Collaboration Saves You Real Money

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What Does Early Collaboration Actually Change in Commercial Interior Design?

Scott Blosser: When we're calling you and trying to bring you on, we want you early in that, because you're not a house interior designer who picks out throw pillows for a couch. You're a commercial interior designer. Part of what you're doing is helping us talk about what the influence of the space is, what the organization is, what does the energy feel like?

Scott Blosser: There are little things you can do with design that help influence how people interact with and move through a space. Being able to do that together early on helps a lot with the design satisfaction of the client and what that final product becomes.

Randi Lynn Johnson: All right, everybody, here we are — another installment of Design to Help Your Business Grow. I am your host, Randi Lynn Johnson, with Pasley Commercial Interiors, here with Robin Pasley, our owner and design principal, and today we have Scott Blosser with Compass Architecture. You are the principal architect, correct?

Scott Blosser: Correct, principal architect, principal designer. I'm just happy to be here.

Randi Lynn Johnson: Scott, we just want to get to know you a little bit. When did you first discover that you had a knack for architecture, that you liked it?

Scott Blosser: I gained interest in middle school — about eighth grade when Santa Claus brought me a drafting board. Love that guy. I would sit in my bedroom and teach myself how to draw to scale and how to use all the tools, and I just started drawing house floor plans. When it came time to apply for colleges, I knew I was applying for architecture school. I never really looked back.

Randi Lynn Johnson: And you knew from a young age what you wanted to do — your passion for owning a business and design.

Robin Pasley: I knew I was always interested in business and the design side of things. It was more aesthetics and art that I was always drawn to. I was an artist when I was little, but I would always make my mom change my room because it was all about the way things felt. I remember we had this rattan furniture because it was so big in the 80s, and it had these little crisscross things on the side. I wanted to change the color of it, and I remember my dad being like, "That is horrible," because it was all these layers we had to paint. But he loved me so much he set up a spray-paint tent in the garage so he could spray all those to the right color.

Randi Lynn Johnson: Shout out to your dad.

Robin Pasley: I know, what a guy.

Randi Lynn Johnson: That's so fun. Tell us a little bit about what your job entails. What does it look like to be an architect? How do you help business owners solve problems?

How Do Architects and Commercial Interior Designers Shape a Project Together?

Scott Blosser: As an architect, there are different ways we can design and engage with our clients. We'll do everything from architectural design — designing the outside of a building — to interior design. That's part of why Robin and I have a relationship: being able to use her for commercial interior design instead of us doing it in-house. We'll even do master planning. If we're meeting with a developer, we can talk about what their master plan is, what they want to do, and what the larger vision is. We can create documentation that covers everything from a site plan to general building aesthetics to a written plan of attack for moving through the development process.

Scott Blosser: Sometimes, if you're doing multiple buildings or working for a school district, they may be saying, "Here's what we want to do over the next 15 to 20 years." You need to understand the steps, and we can help create those goals for what the project is going to be. People ask a lot about what we do differently from engineering. Typically, the architect creates the design and the vision for what the building will look like — the aesthetics — but we also make structural decisions on whether the building is constructed from steel, wood, or masonry. Those decisions have aesthetic effects too, sometimes on the outside and sometimes on the interiors. That is something Robin and I work through together.

Scott Blosser: What are some of those early decisions, and how do those aesthetic elements come together into one package? In working through that, we collaborate with our engineers — structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing. But a lot of times, the architect and the commercial interior designer work together on the layout of the building, the aesthetic we're going for, and how all of these things work together. That collaboration helps us dictate and control what happens at the engineering level.

Robin Pasley: Scott, I really love working with you. One of the reasons is because I remember the first project where we did some heavy-lifting design together. We decided to schedule it at 4:30, pour a beer, and start working in the software together to bring both of our ideas to the table. I appreciate that so much because sometimes architects bring us in at the last minute, like, "Oh, we need materials for this place." The way that we think about space is different from the way a lot of architects think about space. We ask clients questions when we come in that they've never been asked before, and it changes how the client feels about the space and what they want to do. I appreciate that you love to collaborate and that you've been bringing me in when projects get started, because then we can say, "Wait a minute, what if we did so-and-so right here?" I think that makes the process go faster.

Scott Blosser: Not only does it go faster, I think it goes smoother as well. I love that from your end you notice the collaborative aspect. When we're calling you and trying to bring you on, we want you early because you're a commercial interior designer — not someone just picking materials at the last minute. Part of what you're doing is helping us talk about the influence of the space, the organization, and what the energy feels like. There are little things you can do with design that influence how people interact with and move through a space. Being able to do that together early on helps a lot with the client's satisfaction and what the final product becomes.

Robin Pasley: You think about client care and client satisfaction the way I do. You really want to listen to them. That's a big piece of how you function with your team: what are they saying to us? Staying in close connection with them and paying attention. It's not always like that, so I really appreciate it.

Scott Blosser: It just feels really seamless.

Robin Pasley: I feel so confident telling people that we really want to bring them a great architect.

When Does Late Involvement Lead to Budget Problems in Commercial Projects?

Randi Lynn Johnson: Back to timing — when is it most beneficial to bring in a designer sooner? Can you think of some real-world examples?

Robin Pasley: It was one of those situations where we realized the client had not been asked what they needed for plumbing in their medical office. The architect didn't ask the question, so it wasn't in the plan. They didn't have any sinks in a medical office, and they had already gone out to bid. It was going to be almost $100,000 to add sinks. The other issue was that the architect had included tons of cabinetry she hadn't asked for — walls lined with cabinets. We had to pause everything because we were brought in so late and some major elements had been missed. But we ended up helping that client get to her opening date, and we came in almost to the dollar on the original bid without going over, because of how we reappropriated those cabinets.

Scott Blosser: You asked about timing, and hitting on the budget part is relevant because it all goes together. The longer we wait to bring you in, the more it can throw the budget off. It depends on the contractor's involvement — are they already engaged, or coming later? Do we know what the client's budget is? There are times when you come in and ask questions, and something aesthetically important to the client gets surfaced that I never would have drawn out. I may be talking with them about cabinets and sinks, and then when you come in, they say, "We need this lobby to look like this because it's a pediatric clinic and those kids need to feel comfortable and welcome. We need that energy in the space." Sometimes I can't get that out of them. Then you ask a similar question and all of a sudden they know exactly what they need. It's important to have that collaboration early — not just at the end.

How Can Small Businesses Avoid Costly Mistakes When Planning Their Commercial Space?

Randi Lynn Johnson: Scott, tell us more about Compass Architecture and who you love working with. Who's your ideal client?

Scott Blosser: Our mission is designing better places to live, learn, and play that foster community growth through innovative building design. A big word in there is fostering community growth. We're about projects that help build our local community — that can be anything from private business to higher education. We currently have contracts with Pikes Peak State College, and part of their evolution has been going from community college to state college. Being able to create better classrooms and lab spaces helps the 20-year-old who is trying to figure out what to do with the rest of their life. That directly affects our community. Even designing for small private businesses matters because those businesses are part of our community too. Small businesses help make the community go.

Randi Lynn Johnson: So if I hear you right, it's the people making a difference right here in the community. You love working with the people you do life with.

Scott Blosser: Exactly. We had one client last summer in Salida with a great concept — they wanted to do an old-school soda-pop pharmacy on the ground floor and put apartments above. But the building didn't have a sprinkler system and wasn't already separated. Bringing a sprinkler system in is required by code for that residential use upstairs, and it immediately became a budget killer. They said, "We'll keep playing with the idea — maybe do the downstairs first and hold off on the sprinkler system." It's about being real with clients and talking through the actual issues: budget issues, code issues. Those are things that can surprise a small business owner. We don't expect business owners to know building code or commercial interior design. That's what you're hiring us to do. A couple hundred dollars up front saves you thousands down the road.

Randi Lynn Johnson: Absolutely. If someone needed your serves, where could they find you?

Scott Blosser: You can come knock on our door — we're at 101 North Cascade, downtown Colorado Springs. Find our website at compass-arch.com. There's a get-in-contact page where you can plug in information about your project and send us an email, and we'll get back to you. You can also call us at 719-677-5550.

Randi Lynn Johnson: Great. Well, Scott, I don't have anything else. Do you have anything else for him?

Robin Pasley: No, just so thankful for you.

Scott Blosser: Thank you so much for having me.

Randi Lynn Johnson: Really appreciate that. You can find these two moving and shaking and making all kinds of improvements around the city of Colorado Springs. Until next time, see you later.

Robin Pasley: In an increasingly competitive market, the merits of using interior design as a strategic growth tool can make all the difference in not just surviving but thriving. Pasley Commercial Interiors — design to help your business grow.