At Focus Engineering, our partnerships with our communities, clients, and consultants is priority. We have found a like-minded firm in RAW Design, a full-service – design through construction administration – architecture design firm located in Salt Lake City. Founded in 2012, the firm’s portfolio consists of designs in Health, Commercial, Arts/Education, Residential, and Tenant Improvements. In the past few years, FOCUS and RAW Design have teamed on over a dozen projects.

RAW Design values a collaborative work ethic and the importance of fluid coordination and seeks those qualities in their consultants. Darin Mano, the Principal Architect at RAW Design, attributes the firm’s success to creating unique designs that consider the project’s constructability and materials and how they impact the construction budget.

RAW Design recognizes that good design principals are universal regardless of current trends. “Our firm puts ego aside and places our client’s needs and objectives first,” stated Mano. Mano is particularly proud of the firm’s diversity and community involvement. Darin currently serves on the Salt Lake City Council. He and other RAW Design staff have taught at the University of Utah and actively participate in organizations like the Young Architect’s Forum and Women in Architecture.

When considering design teammates, RAW Design seeks consultants who consider the project as a whole and how their design will impact the project’s overall design. For example, RAW Design wanted to incorporate a wave feature for a swim school design. The RAW Design and FOCUS teams collaborated to come up with a design that flipped the truss system to create an inverted cathedral ceiling that mimicked a wave.

According to Mano, our collaborative partnership has endured because, “FOCUS is fair with their fees, great to coordinate with, and keeps open communication during the design and documentation phases. Perhaps more importantly, FOCUS is quick to respond to any issues arising in construction.”