 |
| Friendly City Food Co-op -- Designed by Blue Ridge Architects and constructed by Harman Construction |
The Friendly City Food Co-op just opened in Harrisonburg. While an emphasis on organic foods caters to my wife’s concern for our health, I like knowing that much of the food is from local sources. Locally-sourced food requires less energy, chemicals and “extraordinary measures” to get to my table The money I spend is more likely to be re-spent locally benefitting the local economy and local government. Design and construction work the same way. When you use local contractors, architects and engineers, you get increased accountability and a more economically stable community.
Financing, designing and constructing a building is ripe with opportunities for the participants to manipulate and, in some instances, rip-off each other.Working with people you went to school with, see at soccer games and church or for whom you want to work again, creates a built-in protection against fraud. There still needs to be a disciplined approach to contracts and project management. Familiarity can also create a “good ol’ boy” system that benefits a select group of business persons at the expense of the whole community. But in an area like the Shenandoah Valley, reputations are hard-won and tradespeople and professionals work hard to protect them with consistent high quality, value-added work.
If you hire an architect or contractor from a distant area your fees go to supermarkets, golf courses, gas stations, banks, etc. in another community. The taxes paid by out-of-town experts go to other local governments to fund their roads, schools and police departments.Their donations go to charities that do not benefit the needy in your town.
It’s easy to believe your local professionals can’t possibly have the knowledge, experience and skill to help your business. Often being able to hire a national expert validates that your company or organization has “arrived.” But even if your local architect doesn’t seem to have what you need, teaming a national expert with a local professional is a good way to make sure you get the cutting-edge knowledge with local service and location-appropriate application.
Contact Blue Ridge Architects. You’ll be surprised at the level of experience available right here in the Shenandoah Valley and the relationships we’ve built through 23 years of practice. Through careful team-building we can deliver market-leading expertise delivered with local accountability.
