A twist on Sustainability… focusing on relationships

Currently, sustainability is thought of as a "green” term or a description of environmentally sound design practices. I would argue that an equally important aspect of sustainable practice, for our current market situation, has more to do with business economics. Although, I have written numerous magazine articles and blog segments reflecting on the meaning of sustainable design, LEED, and green, I have realized the vital nature of finding ways to apply more technical applications and strategies of being green to our industry, and not merely to the designs we produce.  

In considering these new concepts of sustainability, I have begun to scrutinize the various ways that it can be interpreted. My observation has placed one particular idea in the front of my mind. To paraphrase, this concept of sustainability is the ability to direct our course in ways that maintain and enhance stakeholder value, while contributing to the well-being of current and future generations.  Sounds great, right?  But what implications does this have for those of us navigating the unsteady waters of the construction industry? How can we apply this concept to the business side of the design industry?  For me one answer seems most clear – we must have more collaboration within the industry and less adversarial competition.  The bottom line is: if we take care of those around us, they will help take care of us!   

Intuitively, it seems that as economic conditions continue to slow, business competition will get tighter. Following increased business competition will be reduced cash flow. As our prices continue to compensate, there will be less room for slack. I understand that this may seem trivial, yet in tough times, it becomes that much more vital to understand the foundations. I have tried not to linger on the thought, but it is becoming ever apparent that no magical solution is coming. We (Architects, Engineers, Owners, Developers, etc.) are going to have to bear down and prepare ourselves to weather the storm together.  

In lieu of this, many businesses will find themselves buckling down, but there becomes a point where a quality business cannot sustain itself and thus the quality of our industry as a whole will suffer. Trust me, I am aware that there are plenty of fly- by-night design operations that our industry could shed; however, hard times are indiscriminant. They will take the best of us, as well as the worst, but my concern is not founded at the scale of individual businesses. If current trends continue, major problems could develop for the industry as a whole. We must find a way to work together, or those old design practices (sloppy drawings, missing deadlines, and energy-hog designs) will become more prevalent than ever.  

So, what is the solution? I have proposed to my team that design cooperation and teamwork are the way of addressing our problematic situation in order to reach a sustainable business model. But how, they ask? What might this look like? In my mind, the most practical applications of this idea are in our communication, professional integrity, and relationships.  

Communication -
An industry divided, is an industry conquered. First, I would argue our inter-business communication as an industry must improve. We must be responsive to problems and concerns of our clients, of course, but we must also be responsive to one another. For this to work, we must be open to communicate new ideas and open to listening to our peers. New forums of communication may need to be established, or perhaps old models could be rethought. One example of what I am talking about can be seen in our business. We recently introduced a blog component to my firm’s website, where discussion can take place between our personnel and clients, as well as other concerned parties. This strategy has worked quite well for us thus far, and we have found that this level of accessibility is a fantastic means of keeping lines of communication open.  

Integrity -
Another vital sustainable business practice at this time is our personal and industry-wide professional integrity. In hard times, it becomes that much more vital to work hard to produce sound design solutions. We must check ourselves constantly, refining our methods, while remaining open to new ideas. I recently had a discussion with a client regarding another firm they used who was not willing to adapt to sustainable trends and new technologies (BIM, video conferencing, etc). Our client informed me that this lack of flexibility on the part of the other firm was making it difficult to maintain a strong working relationship. We must be willing to bend a bit to the latest technologies in the industry even when the economy is tight, or we will break.  

Relationships – A Team Approach
Finally, for business to remain viable for the long-run, firms must tighten up their relationships throughout all aspects of their business. Firms must remain tight knit within house, as well as maintaining quality relationships with clients and the community. Perhaps the best way to get across my point on this sustainable relationship is to give an example of a process we recently went through with one of our retail clients. They brought their entire design and construction team together at their headquarters to discuss their prototype for 2009, and to express their interest in gathering input from all of their valued suppliers. They invited their architect, us as their MEP engineers, two general contractors, and their lighting and HVAC suppliers. The point of the entire meeting was to layout their plan for the year and gather valuable input from the entire team in order to ensure they received the best upfront value while balancing their long-term maintenance and energy costs. What a great example of building quality relationships while at the same time bringing value to the table for each member of the team.  

Conclusion – Stay positive and keep moving forward 
I am optimistic about future prospects, but I remain cautious. Better times are on the horizon, whether we see them now or not. Economies have cycled throughout history, and they will continue to in the future. I look forward to a return to the days of prosperity, but in the mean time through tight markets, we must all buckle down and ride this thing out together. We must maintain strong relationships across the board, while cultivating new ones. We must persist as professionals, shining a great light for our industry, while solidifying our industries value for clients and the community. We must establish and maintain open lines of communication everywhere possible. I truly hope, in these times more than ever, each of us can pull ourselves up by the boot straps, work hard, work together, and look at 2009 as a chance to build sustainable relationships that are valuable for today and many years to come.   

To see more in-depth thoughts on sustainable design, see my recent article written for Retail Construction Magazine by visiting the PE-Services' Blog.   

-Trent Beighle, President, PE, LEED AP

Originally published in Commercial Construction Magazine, March/April 2009.