59 years of Legacy
In 1966, Jack Bloodgood founded the company that would later become BSB Design. Originally starting as a single-person endeavor in Des Moines, Iowa, Jack believed that every person deserved to live in a home designed by an architect.
Over the decades, the founding principle of what makes a home has remained constant. It is a place that nourishes us mentally, physically and emotionally. It is not only a physical shelter, but a place where our memories can reside. But, with time, how the home meets those needs has changed. Whether it is the types of spaces, size of the home, amenities and proximities, building materials, transportation, the list can seem profound.
Carrying the Torch
Carrying the torch of pushing forward-thinking architecture, the Innovation Lab was founded to help garner the brilliant minds at BSB Design and propel them into solutions that help BSB Design deliver the best products to our clients and ultimately (and most importantly) those who dwell in the spaces we create.
Created as a system to democratically collect ideas, the Innovation Lab:
- Prides itself on listening to employees who want to voice their thoughts and ideas through gamified submission portal and internal design competitions.
- Taking a cross-disciplinary approach to design, including neuroscience, biophilia and computer science.
- Helping the underserved through philanthropic missions such as Aböd, Joppa and the Abundant Village.
(wo)Manning the helm
I like to think my journey to this point in my career was founded in my childhood. I was raised in a rural community where I would spend my time building tree forts hidden in the woods, but also drawing “scaled” house plans on graph paper (I still have some of these today). The home that I spent the bulk of my childhood was partially designed by my dad and input from my mom, and I can close my eyes and fondly remember every detail of that home and how it was built for our family. That feeling of “home” is something very near to my heart and I have always been drawn to architecture, chasing the dream to make that feeling available to anyone.
Flash forward to my early professional career. While I worked at a handful of other companies prior, I joined BSB Design in 2018 as a multifamily job captain for the Charlotte office. While at BSB Design, I have undergone a series of professional shifts to best align with my strengths and passions and using them to best serve BSB Design:
- 2018: Joined BSB Design
- 2019: Became Innovation Lab leader in tandem with job captain role
- 2020, fall: Became licensed architect in NC (also NCARB certified)
- 2020, winter: Became National Multifamily BIM Manager
- 2023: Became National Director of Innovation as full-time role
Designers and architects have the strength of critical problem solving. Where my mind lies is at an intersection of the scientific method and the design process. How can I continually apply the structure of the scientific method to AEC innovation? I thrive in the realm of “what-if” and relish the moments of “aha!” Being given the opportunity to lead our Innovation Lab efforts has been a breath of fresh air and I am here to help motivate our staff to embrace the growth-based mindset, think ahead and test ideas that will tip the avalanche.
Charting the Course Forward
In the upcoming weeks, the BSB Innovation Lab is going to start posting on a regular basis. You’ll hear more from me, as well as our other Innovation Lab champions Jeff Mulcrone, Devin Sigman and Brendon Good. We will start to pull back the veil and take a deeper look into why our Innovation Lab works the way it does, how we are embracing a cross-disciplinary approach, and highlighting our philanthropic projects. We will be sharing articles, short-form and long-form content to ignite important conversations in hopes of being stewards of thought leadership.
I hope you will feel inspired by our BSB team. I look forward to enlightening conversations and developing relationships with those who also want to see positive change and growth in the AEC industry.
