On the Front Lines
by Jonathan McGaha | April 28, 2013 12:00 am
Chesapeake, Va.-based RRMM Architects’ Principal and Director of Design, Jaime Garcia, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, did not want to be an architect when he was younger. Spending his formative years growing up in Colombia, South America, Garcia’s father was an officer in the army and the Garcias frequently traveled. During the summer, Garcia would spend time with his uncle, an airline owner. As he recalls: “My uncle had girls, and they never wanted to go flying with him so I did. I love, love, love flying. I thought I was going to be a pilot.”
Becoming an Architect
Fate took Garcia in a different direction when he moved to the Washington, D.C. area after graduating high school at age 16. “I started studying and really didn’t know what I wanted to do,” he explains. “I met a fellow from Bolivia and he was a draftsman at an architectural firm in D.C. He convinced me to take an architectural drafting course.” Garcia always had an interest in art and after taking the course and meeting professional architects, he enrolled in architecture program at the Catholic University of America in D.C.
Upon graduation, Garcia worked on a number of large international projects with the D.C. branches of firms such as HDR and DMJM before it became AECOM. After moving to the Hampton Roads area of southeastern Virginia, Garcia was lead designer and project manager at HSMM for three years before joining RRMM . In 1999, he joined RRMM as a lead designer and associate. In 2006, Garcia became a principal with RRMM and now is the director of design.
Life on the Front End
As the director of design, Garcia is primarily responsible for projects from the very beginning. “I see projects from the start and then after several iterations, we have the design pretty much nailed down. Then I pass the project along to a project manager who, in turn, produces a building,” he says.
RRMM Architects is an architecture firm with more than 80 employees. The firm also owns a design-build company, RRMM Design-build. This year the firm will be celebrating its 25th anniversary. The firm has five primary studios targeted towards K-12, special projects (including multifamily and higher education projects), national retail, Department of Defense and an interior design studio.
With more than $16 million in annual revenue, Garcia believes a large part of RRMM’s success lies in its collaborative approach towards design. “We have a principal involved in the beginning to the end of each project as a contact point,” Garcia explains. “Because of our design-build experience, we like to bring in early in the process our consultants, the owner, and when applicable, the contractor. Doing it that way avoids a lot of potential projects and minimizes change orders.”
Collaborative and Courageous
While working in a collaborative environment, Garcia appreciates and gains inspiration from architects who are bold and take risks. A number of his influencers include Richard Meier, Frank Gehry, Peter Eisenman, Oscar Niemeyer and Santiago Calvatrava. He appreciates how some of his influencers were leaders in bringing BIM and computer modeling technology to the architectural practice, while some of his other heroes are known for their breadth of work and tenacity.
A particular project that Garcia is proud of is Building P-851, First Naval Construction Division Headquarters on the Joint Expeditionary Base in Little Creek-Fort Story, Norfolk, Va. Garcia is fond of this project because he was able to stay with it from the first design all the way to the end of the project.
In addition, for creating a military structure, his team was determined in getting their building design across versus creating a rigid military structure. His team had to work through levels of bureaucracy to get design ideas approved. However, the design team prevailed and created a unique military building. Garcia explains: “I loved that for a military installation we were able to combine metal and brick in a dynamic way [to] create an iconic structure. I also love the great sustainable features that this building has, including a photovoltaic array on the south side, and on the north side we have light monitors that capture the northern lights and flood the building with natural light.”
The 28,331-square-foot building contains a number of sustainable features. Features include a rain collection system, as well as zero irrigation. Every paved area features porous pavers that cut down on water run-off and pollution. The building’s sustainable achievements were enough to earn LEED Gold certification. The building also speaks to Garcia’s views on the versatile and cultural nature of metal, as he says: “When entirely clad in one material, [like metal], a building has an almost sculptural quality, especially if the building is a homogenous color, elegant yet very inviting. With metal, you can reflect the surrounding environment.”
In addition, to metal’s reflective and aesthetic properties, Garcia has worked on projects that involve recladding and transforming existing buildings. “We have been very successful in recladding buildings in metal because first you infuse new life into a new building and fix a plethora of existing problems,” he says.
Marching Forward
As Garcia continues to work on the front lines of design, he views the future of architecture as one where, “It’s a reality you have to keep up with the continual change in the technological market.” According to Garcia, architects are often shut out of certain markets, such as the residential market, because the increase and availability of simplified drafting programs allow homeowners to create a design vision that may be poorly executed by the builder. In the commercial sector, mass customization and pre-fabrication have become prevalent. For architects to gain leverage in both the residential and commercial markets, they must promote their knowledge and training towards the consumer
Arch Connect
What kind of music do you listen to? Reggae, salsa and rock
What do you do on weekends? Usually we work so hard that I try to catch up on house projects, in the summer I like to take short trips with my wife and catch the occasional golf game.
What’s your favorite app on your phoneor tablet? Google Maps and Place Locator
Where is your favorite place to vacation? Anywhere in the Caribbean or the Pacific coasts of Central/South America
What historical figure would you mostlike to have dinner with and why? Abraham Lincoln, because he rose from nothing on his own merits. He was self-educated and achieved great things between the Civil War and abolition of slavery. In my eyes he’s a leader’s leader.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received as an architect? Be courageous, don’t be afraid to try new things.
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