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WHAT DOES COLLABORATION LOOK LIKE? Thompson and Conly love great design and share a commitment to top- quality work, sustainable building practices and carbon mitigation. They enjoy building a diverse workforce and are committed to communicating that in their culture’s messaging. As a majority woman-owned firm, which is somewhat unusual in design/build, Thompson says there have been many clients who have sought out their team because they are women. “We’d thought about merging our businesses for several years and 2022 was the year we finally did it. We felt confident to make the move. Our businesses were thriving and we had solid industry relationships. The timing was right.” “Ultimately, they select us because of our work,” Thompson says. They do still like to highlight this fact in their marketing because it helps to distinguish them, but what really sets them apart is how well they all collaborate and communicate with each other and their clients. “There’s a real connection that forms,” she says. Overall, the co-founders believe in the advantages of integrated design, which means from the get-go the whole team is involved – builder, designer, engineer, subcontractors – the whole kit and kaboodle. This helps to save time and reduces errors. Plus, you get the added benefit of years of experience weighing in to create a top-notch solution. Collaboration at its best. “Design/build is the best option, not just for us, but for our clients too,” Thompson says. “It’s not like the traditional competitive bidding process. Rather, we’re estimating throughout the process which brings everyone together from the beginning. In turn, this builds trust and brings in more accurate pricing, as well as beautiful design solutions for the clients.” Since starting the firm a mere few months ago, Thompson says some of the most important skills she’s learned have to do with collaboration. “When like-minded people come together you just seem to make better decisions for
not just the company, but the whole staff,” she says. “And, as a leader, while I maintain a high standard, I think I am seen as fair, approachable, and a good listener. I try not to micromanage and nitpick. We’re like a family.” Thompson also works to manage expectations. “I often have to tell people news they don’t really want to hear (e.g., budget, costs, project deadlines) in little bits and often to manage expectations – for employees and customers, alike,” she says. And, while COVID-19 did have some impact on how everyone is coming together, it hasn’t stopped them from meeting in person. “It’s hard to telecommute to the construction site,” Thompson jokes. “However, we do many of our meetings with vendors via video conference now. And we also notice that the pandemic has changed our mindset and that of our clients. People are more willing to Zoom for a meeting.” She shares that one of the best parts of coming together as one firm was that she was finally able to take a real vacation – one that led her to Italy for a month. “I knew I had my partners and the entire team to rely on and everything ran smoothly,” she says. “Honestly, I probably worked a total of eight hours in four weeks. Sheer bliss. It just goes to show – we’re stronger together.” “When like-minded people come together you just seem to make better decisions for not just the company, but the whole staff.” THE NUTS AND BOLTS. So, after collaboration, what’s next? What’s important to the team at Juniper Design + Build? Thompson says that having employees commit to them is a top priority. They strive to treat people well, be kind, and to give good benefits. “We’re a small company, so we try to have regular conversations with everyone to make sure they’re happy and talk with them about their goals, ideas, and whatever else they want to bring up,” she says. She admits that they do this with varying degrees of success, but she sees that when people feel engaged and they’re heard, they’re happier and stay on. And, there’s also generous vacation and holiday packages, and PTO See REAL CONNECTION, page 8
HEADQUARTERS:
Peaks Island, ME
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:
19
YEAR FOUNDED: 2022
OFFICE LOCATIONS: 1
MARKETS: Residential
SERVICES: Design-Build
TROPHY CASE: Juniper
Design+Build’s trophy
case is getting crowded.
Most recently the firm
was honored to receive
awards from the AIA
for its Woods + Water
project, and from Fine
Homebuilding as the
builder of Evergreen
House, their 2020 “Best
Home of the Year.”
© Copyright 2022. Zweig Group. All rights reserved.
EMBER 19, 2022, ISSUE 1457
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