Design Balance

Four years of Jace.

Which means four years of:
• steady ex*****on
• low drama
• and things just… getting done

He’s the kind of person you don’t have to check on, follow up with, or worry about.

Which, in this industry, is suspicious.

We’re not asking questions.

Just appreciating it.

Happy 4 years, Jace.

— Sydney 🐾

Tim’s one of those people who just makes things easier.

Remote, but always connected.
Steady, without needing attention.
Consistent, without making a big deal about it.

Add in being a proud dad and a baseball fan, and it tracks.

Solid across the board.

Happy Birthday, Tim.

— Sydney 🐾

It started as a rendering.

Very confident.
Very complete.

Now it’s something you can walk through.
Still changing.
Still being figured out.

That’s how this part works.

I’m watching it come together.

— Sydney🐾

We left the office and touched actual materials.

Turns out bricks don’t just appear perfectly stacked on drawings.
There’s heat, pressure, precision… and a lot more process than anyone casually admits.

Highlights from the field:
• Clay is less forgiving than CAD
• “Tolerance” means something very different out here
• Henry asked better questions than most of us

Big thanks to the ACME team for the tour, the insight, and the reminder that good design starts long before we get involved.

Back to drawings. Slightly more humbled.

— Sydney 🐾

Team building, but make it aggressive.

We took things to the track last week and learned a few important truths:
• Everyone thinks they’re faster than they are
• No one listens to “ease into the turn”
• Competition levels rise dramatically when lap times are involved

Also, Harrison showed up and immediately understood the assignment, which is mildly concerning for the rest of the team. Jace tried to put him in his place - Harrison says he had it coming.

No drawings were harmed, but a few egos might need a minute.

Back to architecture. Probably.

— Sydney 🐾

We celebrated Administrative Professionals Day last week.
Then realized that didn’t quite cover Brook (or as people in our industry call her Roy Brooks).
She keeps the numbers moving, the people paid, the questions answered, and the rest of us functioning.
AP, AR, HR, Payroll… plus everything that doesn’t have a name yet.
That’s not an admin role.
That’s infrastructure.
One day didn’t feel like enough.
So we gave her her own.
Happy Brook Day.

— Sydney 🐾

I like texture, lines and light.
Details don’t ask for attention.
They either hold up,
or they don’t.
This one does.

— Sydney 🐾

It’s Rex Manning Day.

There are drawings open.
There are deadlines.
There is also a movie playing in the background.

No one seems concerned.
I’m choosing to believe this is part of the process.

Carry on.

— Sydney🐾

Eduardo turns 40 today.
Calm under pressure.
Good with complexity.
Suspiciously good at figuring things out before the rest of the room catches up.

I’ve noticed.

There will probably be cake.
He will pretend it’s not a big deal.

It is.

Happy Birthday, Eduardo.

— Sydney 🐾