DECEMBER 2023 THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE AMERICA - WEST run complex illumination calculations, daylighting analysis, life cycle analysis, and cost comparative studies. So, the company has the capacity and experience necessary to take on extremely large, extremely complex projects – but that doesn’t mean they shun the smaller jobs. “We don’t turn anybody down,” Chip says. “Some people have said that’s a bad business practice, but I think the reality is it’s just the opposite.” “A smaller project might not be very profitable, but what it gives us is an excellent opportunity to mentor our younger employees,” he explains. “It gives them a chance to get involved, to run the job, to do the design work. That gives them an awful lot of confidence for the future.” Also, smaller jobs turn around faster – a large scale project might take five years from design through to installation, where a smaller project might take six months. LDA believes the experience of actually building a project is very valuable for young designers. “That’s really where you find out if your designs work or don’t work,” Chip says. “It doesn’t matter if it looks good on a blueprint or in AutoCAD or Revit. What matters is if it works on site and that it meets the client’s requirements and expectations. If it doesn’t, what matters is fixing it. That’s the best way to continually learn and ensure a happy client, which typically leads to future work.”
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