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Stearns
Design Build
By REBECCA WATTS
Stearns Design Build operates under a unique business model. Rather than following
the typical residential construction model, the company operates upon founder
Hugh Stearns’ personal philosophy. So far his plan is working. Honesty,
openness, superior craftsmanship, a strong commitment to the environment, and
a business formed around its employees earned the company first place in the Newman
10 awards last month.
Stearns said, “Business is art. It’s an expression of your values
and I think that what happens is that you have a set of values and whatever model
you create is a reflection of that.”
The company saw their sales increase by almost 150 percent over the last two years
because of Stearns’ values. Stearns Design Build is a full-service design
and residential building contractor specializing in building homes in sync with
the surrounding environment. The company is three weeks away from completing one
of the first net-metered solar powered homes in the Brazos Valley located in the
Rainbow Acres subdivision.
Stearns’ approach to building and remodeling is different than most. He
evaluates the entire lot site, incorporating trees, sunlight and the natural ebb
and flow of the land. Stearns uses as many of these elements as possible in helping
homeowners decide upon the placement of the home on the lot. Using the direction
of the breeze throughout the year, eves, and strategically placing windows in
the home, Stearns maximizes the amount of natural energy available and uses the
natural elements to conserve as much energy as possible. But what’s most
important to Stearns Design Build is that the inside of a home flow seamlessly
with the outside area.
Stearns said, “A sense of place is very important to me and that includes
a nice space connected to the interior and the exterior space. This goes back
to our projection of values.”
Stearns did not plan on making a career out of building. Stearns Design Build
was supposed to fill a six month gap between graduating college and attending
graduate school. However, Stearns found he enjoyed the work immensely. He put
graduate school on hold in order to service his customers. Though he graduated
from Texas A&M University with a degree in psychology, he was intrigued with
the idea of making abstract philosophy applicable in his own life and gradually
worked the idea into his business.
“I think it was more of a slow turn,” Stearns said of integrating
his philosophy into his business model. “We’ll grow a little bit and
feel like we’re losing a little on our values. It was a slow awakening.”
Integral to Stearns’ building concept is durable materials, and he takes
pride in high levels of craftsmanship. Because of this, Stearns believes that
pricing a home per square foot is misleading. Stearns said price per square foot
does not take into account the craftsmanship of the home nor the quality of materials
used, energy saving appliances, or alternative energy sources. He added that the
job description for home builders has become more of a sales job than a construction
job. Some home owners are not necessarily interested in durability because they
often sell their homes before durability becomes an issue. However, Stearns points
out that responsibility for our modern style of living rests with us.
“We recognize that we are in a modern world in which mechanism happens,”
Stearns said, “but we are encouraging responsibility for that.”
Stearns emphasizes the role of the designer or architect in the building of a
home. Because building is a fluid process, Stearns believes that designer or architect
should be flexible about the design of the home. Whether something unexpected
arises or the homeowners just didn’t visualize the plans, Stearns makes
every attempt possible to ensure a designer is on hand to make any changes necessary
to achieve the owners’ desired vision of their home.
“No matter how good a designer you are, once it becomes 3-D, something is
going to change during construction,” Stearns said. “It’s kind
of like a sculpture. If you’re rigid about it, you miss out on a lot of
opportunities to be creative and make something better.”
From the office manager to the project manager, each of Stearns Design Build’s
11 employees plays a critical role in building or remodeling the home. But Stearns
doesn’t believe in job descriptions. Rather than limiting an employee’s
duty to a specific set of tasks, Stearns assigns pods. Pods are a group of related
tasks that Stearns said can sometimes be performed better by an employee not directly
involved in that aspect of construction. They are each capable of performing overlapping
duties.
“If you create this sharp permeability, it’s not organic,” Stearns
said. “We kind of structure the company around the personalities within
the company.”
Stearns applies his building concepts to his vision for the community and through
several community organizations works to make the Brazos Valley a representation
of that. He is president of the Brazos Independent Business Alliance and is a
member of the community radio station board, the CPAC committee, and the Green
Task Force for College Station. In 2001, he established Brazos Progressives, an
organization aimed at enhancing the quality of life for all people in the Brazos
Valley. The organization formed shortly before the September 11 terrorist attacks
and made its debut by organizing a healthy outlet for articulating the concerns
of citizens. The organization continues to hold events annually.
Though Stearns would eventually like to relocate his business to the downtown
Bryan area, a place he said is representative of his idea of community, he is
currently located in Suite 219 in College Station at 2151 Harvey Mitchell Parkway.
Above all else, Stearns said Stearns Design Build is his passion. “This
has been my passion for a long, long time,” Stearns said. “For me,
this is everything I love, all wrapped into one. Our company is small and we have
a nice family here.”
For more information on Stearns Design Build, visit
www.stearnsdesignbuild.com
or call (979) 696-0524
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