Our Value Proposition: Why Smith LaRock?

With over thirty five years of combined staff experience producing control facility design projects using AutoDesk Revit BIM and our other 3D design tools, Smith LaRock Architecture has refined a process that allows real-time 3D design to help communicate and gain client consensus earlier in a project: Revit BIM is part of our process that allows a more rapid design convergence and faster consensus: it is a more effective communication tool and puts more information in front of our client far sooner than under a traditional design approach. The resultant benefits to our clients are tighter FEL designs and opinions of cost, allowing quicker turn around and the development of more cohesive construction documents.

Why Smith LaRock Architecture? Because one size fits all is not a successful approach to mission-critical architecture. “You thought of it before we knew we needed it” and “you thought of it so we don’t have to” is what we hear.

Cost Reduction

1. Less Redesign – We have found that when the leadership of an architectural firm can work with the tools of modern architecture effectively, better information can be developed far earlier in the process.  Better information means better decisions and less redesign. Through our DistanceDesign™ techniques we can walk our client through their building earlier in the design process than ever before.
2. Shorter Project Timeline – We have reengineered the traditional approach so that companies using our methodology have been able to substantially reduce the amount of time needed to complete a project and thereby reduce the overall management costs associated with a project – both internal and external. Since project management historically accounts for 20% of the total labor cost in a project the savings can be very significant.

Cost Avoidance

1. Short term – Our SLA 3D Spiral approach also reduces the number and negative impact of changes normally associated with a job of this complexity.
2. Long term – with over 82% of the total life time cost of a facility going into the staff cost after the building is occupied it is essential that we make the structures user friendly. The intrinsic value of good design means that the building is fit for purpose. When best practices are applied to the social, technological, and physical architectural constructs within a facility, better functionality and operability are natural outcomes. Return on Investment is realized through lower absenteeism, better health and welfare of the User groups, better situational awareness, more sustainable operations practices, increased operator vigilance and better safety for all.

Design Differentiation

1. Breadth:
   • By using 3D models and including all of the requisite disciplines into the design at the beginning we can substantially reduce the “gotcha” normally associated with an effort of this complexity.
2. Focus:
   • We start with the vision of how the structure will be used and carry that vision throughout all 5 phases of our methodology from initial visioning to occupation of the facility.
3. Architectural Integration:
   • We integrate the physical environment with the social usage of the structure and the technologies being used in the facility. Our goal is to make the environment invisible to the people using the facility. So as they do their work they don’t have to fight with the environmental factors.
4. Best Practices:
   • We are able to bring control room and facility design best practices for our Fortune 50 clients to all of our customers, allowing them to better compete with the major companies for a dwindling talent pool.
5. Depth:
   • Our methodology goes from conception of the facility all the way through the occupation and optimization of the facility. We have even included training of the end users as part of our service depth.