What’s in a Partnership? – From Guest Blogger Bob Sisson
Triad Architects has been a great partner for the Columbus Catholic Diocese for over a decade now. Brent Foley, a St Charles Graduate, and his firm have worked on many projects with us over the years, they always keep in mind the delicate nature of what we do and how we do it. Working with us outside the scope of design and Architecture is a must, creating a design with momentum for fundraising, onboarding contractors, and developing successful teams that can deliver a project all before we can even say yes is not an easy task, but Triad does this all well. Meetings in the evenings to accommodate parish counsels are the norm, and in a diocese so vast in geography this may mean getting home fairly late in the evening.
In the Diocese, it is extremely important that we see our vendors as partners rather than just a method of achieving a desired goal. Being a little out of the normal, the Diocese maintains buildings for a great length of time. This can provide unique challenges to design and construction that don’t always exist in other places. There are buildings in our diocese more than 175 years old at this point and we not only have to take great care of them but must take great care in the design of our renovations and new structures that land on the same campuses as well.
I have always appreciated Triad’s willingness to listen, teach, assist, and motivate, sometimes even when we are discussing a project that they are not even involved with. Brent Foley possesses an innate ability to speak the language of anyone in the room. Often, I have witnessed him bridge that gap between two team members that may not be understanding one another. It is this kind of listening and understanding that can keep a project going in a positive direction. I also love the way Brent works to bring along young architects, allowing them to ascend toward solutions without just correcting them at every turn. The understanding of how to teach, and that people learn more from finding the answer on their own rather than being told is powerful.
I truly see this partnership lasting well through my retirement. Thank you, Triad, for being more than a business partner, you are family!!
