Page 68 - 2016 FGM Annual Report

clients and build our design portfolio. Smaller projects that bolster our experience in
learning environments, collaboration spaces, student gathering areas, and residence
halls, as well as projects that initiate and/or develop preferred client relationships, will be
of primary interest. Maintaining and growing our network of consultants will allow us to
benefit from information gathered by their business development representatives.

Goal 3: Increase the Higher Ed design expertise of FGM’s staff.
Continue to develop a group of Higher Ed experts in the firm. This involves the design,
project management, and technical skills that are important to Higher Ed projects as
well as an understanding of the decision-making process, the relative influence of user
groups, the multiple stakeholders, and other “cultural” characteristics of colleges and
universities. Higher Ed expertise will be increased both by developing the abilities and
experience of current staff as well as bringing in outside hires when appropriate.

FY 2017 UPDATE: Current staff with Higher Ed experience reflect strong project
management and technical ability, however, there is, on paper, little expertise from a
design perspective. Carol Stolt can be effectively positioned as a designer on smaller
interior renovation projects and efforts will be made to provide Augie Battaglia with
Higher Ed project credentials (e.g. the UIUC Law Building project), however, the latter
will be a slow process and will limit opportunities for FGM to pursue major projects
without a design partner.

Goal 4: Develop a strong in-house design portfolio in one or two Higher Ed building
types. Continue to team with strategic partners for other building types when necessary.
Higher Ed institutions require a wide variety of building types: classroom buildings,
residence halls, libraries, recreation facilities, business schools, etc. Most clients, when
they are seeking an Architect, expect to see numerous examples of the building type
they are planning in a firm’s portfolio. If FGM is to achieve the long term of goal of
designing large, complex projects on its own (without another architect providing
design or planning expertise), we will need to complete several examples of one or
more building types in order to demonstrate our familiarity with the design issues that are
specific to each building type.

The Higher Ed portfolio currently reflects strengths in the following building types:
 Student Housing
 Transportation Education (will be affected by FGM’s role in the successful
completion of the Olive-Harvey College Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics
project)
 Public Safety (in collaboration with the Municipal Practice)

FGM will continue to use strategic teammates with the programming, planning and
design expertise in building types that are not strongly represented in its in-house
portfolio. Potential key design partners include KWK Architects (student housing),
Populous (athletics and recreational facilities), Payette (science facilities), and Perry
Dean Rogers (academic libraries).

Goal 5: Increase FGM’s name recognition in the Higher Ed practice.
To promote FGM within the Higher Ed world, Higher Ed core team should attend, and
pursue speaking engagements at, conferences, write articles for industry publications,
host roundtable events with client groups, and volunteer with industry organizations.
When appropriate, projects will be submitted to design award programs.

FY 2017 UPDATE: The Higher Ed group actively participates in and sponsors events with
industry organizations, including the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP)
and AIA. Past involvement with the APPA organization was primarily handled by Ed