Reimagining Structural Engineering
An invitation to Build Differently with EVOLV
It’s just after sunset – the sky is purple and blue, and a sliver of a moon is hanging just up and to the right of the Jefferson Hotel over the James River.
From my vantage point on the rooftop, the sun set directly behind the Altria Theater – the old Freemason “Mosque” as locals know it.
There are murmurations of birds – airbrushing organic graffiti patterns over the lingering sunset… swooping, creating patterns, disappearing and then forming new shapes above the twin spires. How do they communicate? How do they move individually as one entity? Collectively they create, spontaneously in the moment. Never the same pattern – a once in a moment creation.
I can’t think of a better analogy for our collective awareness that, if we tap into, results in creative collaboration. We may not know exactly what we are creating- we may not know the end result, but that is not our job. Our job is to stay in the moment. To connect. To belong. To create together.
When I started EVOLV last year, the only things I knew were:
1. I was really burned out, and
2) whatever I set out to create would probably end up looking a lot different than what I thought.
Hence the name EVOLV – the name is both a call to action and a nod to the changes that I’ve had to make and will need to continue to make personally and professionally in order to collaboratively create.
As for the burnout, I’m sure you can relate. Our industry is deadline driven and profitability is directly tied to productivity per hour. There is a constant pressure for more growth/revenue, but in my experience, the work was lacking meaningful purpose. Simply put, doing more just for the sake of doing more wasn’t cutting it.
The pressure to get projects in and out the door quickly also has some other unintended consequences, such as:
ambulance chasing: we chase every job because we are afraid of saying no, lack clarity on our purpose and/or we are operating from a place of lack instead of abundance. Ambulance chasing leads to transactional relationships and a devaluing of the very service we are offering.
over-promising and under-delivering: our intentions are good, but we are spread too thin to follow through.
missing the mark: we throw projects together at the last minute instead of taking time to proactively and intentionally communicate, design and create projects that are impactful, rewarding, efficient and responsible. Mistakes are made. Important details are missed or not coordinated resulting in delays and cost overruns during construction.
Structural Engineering is a highly technical discipline.
At the same time it is both an ART and a SCIENCE– a nuance in design that can only be accessed with experience. And because the design and construction of buildings still involves humans, I would argue that structural engineering is highly relational. Think about the last project that you had that went less than stellar. Are there problems that could’ve been solved with communication? I’d be willing to bet so.
So, what is the value proposition of EVOLV? Does the world need another structural engineering firm? Well, if that is our only purpose, then no. There are other options. But what about a structural engineering firm that wants to leave people and the built environment better than we found them? I think the world needs that and that’s why I created EVOLV.
It’s been an intentionally slow start. I’ve spent a lot of time getting clear on who I am, what I want EVOLV to be and what infrastructure needed to be in place before we were ready to go live. So, I’m really proud and excited to officially extend the invitation to build differently together.
We are a boutique firm – what you will be getting is highly creative, individualized attention backed by decades of experience. In the coming weeks, months, and years I am looking forward to continuing the conversation with each of you. What do you need? How can EVOLV help you get there? Not every project will be a fit, but when our vision and values align, we can create an amazingly better outcome while living our own integrity.