From small-scale engagement with a core group of decision-makers to extra-large-scale engagement with everyone in a community, we provide multiple ways for stakeholders to participate in the design process with us.

We listen to learn to ensure that the design aligns with the community's individual needs and expectations, discovering great ideas and solutions along the way. That is why we consider community engagement to be not just beneficial but essential to project success.

Featuring: Principal Charles Tilley, AIA, REFP; Senior Associate Andrea Quilici, AIA, LEED AP; Principal Saundra Little, FAIA, LEED AP, NOMA; Principal Leora Mirvish, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C; Associate Alfredo Davalos, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, NOMA; Senior Associate Allison McElheny, AIA, LEED AP BD+C.

Listening to Learn: Engaging Communities

Video Transcript

CHARLES TILLEY

Architecture is really about problem solving, and I like to help people solve problems.

Quinn Evans really spends a lot of time listening to the communities, to the users, to the client up front to really understand the needs and what the community’s goals are for the project.

ANDREA QUILICI

I work on public libraries a lot, and I love the engagement of people, talking with people. In community engagement, we get a lot of ideas and we draw from what people say. Fantastic ideas that are transformative.

SAUNDRA LITTLE

We walk into every space with consideration of the individual in the places that we're saving, the places that we're keeping. But it's also stewardship, right? It's the longer vision of keeping place, keeping stories, we do that in everything that we do.

LEORA MIRVISH

We tailor our projects for whatever the needs of the project are. And the communities where those projects exist.

ALFREDO DAVALOS

I think the idea is that everyone should have a voice. And that includes not only people who are going to be using the building in a day to day, but also the community around the building.

ALLISON MCELHENY

And we're really trying to listen often and, you know, make sure we're talking to a broad range of the community—the older people in the community, groups of teens in the community—and that we're providing multiple ways for them to engage in the design process with us. So, we're sharing the process. It's not just sort of us leading the way, but it's more of a partnership. And we're really listening to learn.