Looking Back, Designing Forward
As we celebrate our 36th year of DAS Architects, we look to our founders, partners, staff, and loyal clients who have made all these years possible. To honor this milestone, we interviewed our partners to reflect on their experiences, the firm’s evolution, and the values that continue to shape our firm.
Thirty- six years ago, the DAS firm emerged through the collaboration of David Schultz, AIA, and Susan Davidson, IIDA. Since then, the firm has completed over 600 projects across the nation and welcomed a third partner, Morris Clarke, to our leadership team who has become an essential part of our firm’s success.
Building the Foundation
Schultz and Davidson founded the Philadelphia based firm in 1990 with a mission to holistically integrate architecture and interior design while exceeding client expectations. They envisioned a design oriented firm specializing in creating unique projects and experiences, with a focus on the hospitality industry.
With both partners located in Philadelphia, they chose the city as their central hub due to its abundance of “superior talent and design resources.” Holding a unique view on architecture and design, the firm has differentiated itself by viewing design through a lens of patron experience. Through brand research and a combined architectural and interior design approach, the design process incorporates each client’s preferences with our designers expertise. The partners found this method of research and application particularly beneficial in the creation of distinctive hospitality experiences.
In the beginning, it was primarily Sue and Dave handling all the design, documentation, and client meetings. Schultz stated, “As we have grown, we now have a combined Architectural and Interior Design Studio with a Director of Operations, studio heads, project managers, a business manager, and support staff!” These roles work alongside one another to promote efficiency and accuracy throughout every stage of the design process. Additionally, the firm emphasizes an open studio environment that fosters interaction and collaboration among everyone, from those who have been with us for 36 years to its newest members.
Celebrating the Journey
Since 1990, our firm has experienced successes that can be attributed to our hard working team and wonderful clients. Our partners shared that their biggest professional achievement has been “building a successful creative design firm.” Working in an industry defined by ever changing societal expectations, these past decades have taught them that “design must be responsive to its surroundings and end user ideals.”
With our clients at the center of every decision, Schultz states “our focus is on carefully listening to fully understand our client’s goals, and concerns. Each and every project is different based on each client’s vision and target market.” Throughout the years, the firm has continued to foster meaningful relationships with clients through active listening. As Schultz shared, “We enjoy our clients and work hard for their success. Clients often become long lasting friends and advocates.”
Lessons That Shaped Us
Throughout the years, the firm has learned to not only celebrate its successes, but also leverage obstacles as opportunities for growth. When balancing creative freedom with business responsibilities, Schultz shared, “Creativity stems from understanding a project’s constraints and challenges. It’s often these constraints that enlighten our creative design and problem solving process.” Additionally, the partners stated their biggest challenge was “finding talented and resourceful designers with a ‘can do’ personality.” With a mission that integrates client forward thinking with design, choosing the right staff has been crucial to ensuring these values are reflected in each and every project.
With decades of experience, the firm has developed a collaborative approach to resolving conflict and navigating design disagreements. Schultz explained, “It would be very rare that we have internal disagreement as we believe in a positive collaborative approach. Since we serve the client, it would also be very rare that we have disagreements with clients. In that case, we would always find a satisfactory solution.”
We Are Optimists We Are Creatives We Are Listeners We Are Collaborators We Are Innovators
The People Behind the Design
Our team prides itself on our talented staff members. Schultz explains, “You’re only ever as good as the team you have, which is why we put so much importance on choosing the right people.” The firm has worked to curate a talented team that emphasizes creativity, innovation, and resourcefulness, fulfilling the DAS approach of designing and building unique projects for clients.
While the shift to remote work was a major turning point for all businesses, the DAS firm embraced the change and learned from the experience. The firm enjoyed the convenience of remote working and continued a flexible in-office work schedule in the years that followed. We believe our best collaboration happens when we are together and will continue to support our staff to make sure they have all the resources they need for a seamless work from home experience.
Our Next Chapter
Looking back on the industry with 36 years of experience, our partners remain committed to the same long-lasting values while continuing to incorporate new technology into our practices. Schultz states that his long term goal for the firm is “seeing the firm continue to grow as a quality design firm, a leader in the industry.” The partners plan to promote the company’s growth by guiding and mentoring our design team, ensuring the highest quality while meeting or exceeding each and every client’s needs.
Working with our loyal clients and expanding our expertise through unique projects has always been one of the most rewarding aspects of building our firm. The partners shared some of their favorite projects to work on throughout the years have been 41° North Hotel, Le Bec Fin, Rats (Grounds For Sculpture), Hyatt Centric, Granary, Harper, Beacon, Cambria, and The Boarding House. While these projects range from luxury hotels and residential complexes to fine dining restaurants, they all share the same signature DAS touch.
We look forward to the upcoming years and are forever grateful to our partners, staff, and loyal clients who have continued to believe in our mission of creating holistic designs that not only fulfill our client’s needs, but exceed all expectations.
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