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As our cities grow, trees and vegetation are removed and surfaces are covered by pavement and buildings. Rain cannot soak through these hard (impervious) surfaces as it did before development, and as a result, more run-off is generated and more demand is placed on city storm drainage systems. In addition to the extra water volume, […]

Seth Vance has always enjoyed iterative, creative, and artistic processes, he just wasn’t sure what direction they would take him. “Some family friends I knew when I was younger were successful landscape architects, which is how I learned of this field,” he states. “Since I’ve always enjoyed sketching and being creative, it felt like a […]

Understanding culture and municipality requirements; meeting tight deadlines Landscape Architect Alan Weaver’s nearly four-decades-long career began with a degree in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning from Utah State University. In the time since, he has worked for private developers, a landscape architecture firm, and multi-disciplinary firms in both Utah and Atlanta. Before joining Focus, he […]

Concepts, Creativity and Sketching go Hand in Hand A few months ago, Seth Vance, our Assistant Department Manager for Land Planning, shared an article with everyone at FOCUS titled “3 Reasons You Should Start Drawing Now.” The article highlighted the benefits of hand drawing vs. digital renderings and how sketching affects the way landscape architects […]

UDOT Region 2 ACCESS Website Streamlines the Process Working within a government entity’s timeline isn’t always at the rapid-fire pace that developers want but FOCUS Site Civil Multi-Family Commercial Division Manager Eric Winters sees that as part of the bigger picture when working with the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT). Eric and the rest of […]

Although he originally planned on working for the Bureau of Land Management or the Forest Service, when Trenton Smith started pounding stakes at FOCUS, he never looked back. “I love being in the field,” Trenton discusses as he talks about the things he has enjoyed since entering this line of work. “Developing both soft and […]

Congratulations to two of our survey crew for becoming Certified Survey Technicians! Certification as a survey technician is official recognition by the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS). Bryan Economy, Survey Department Crew Chief, joined Focus in 2016. He earned his certification in December 2018. Clients and colleagues appreciate Bryan’s leadership and problem-solving skills. He […]

Each January, Focus holds an End of Year meeting where we look back over the year we’ve just completed and celebrate our achievements and milestones as a team. Celebrating our victories also helps us look forward and stay focused on the things that matter most. In our most recent End of Year meeting, we recognized […]

Trends and Technologies in Drone Surveying What is that UFO in the sky above the empty lot in the new development? Don’t call out the FBI just yet – chances are you’ve spotted a commercial drone working in tandem with a surveying team to get an accurate read of the land. Focus Engineering & Surveying […]

Answering the Steep Challenges of Multi-Family Residential Eric Winters not only has a long title – Site Civil Multi-Family and Commercial Division Manager – he has plenty of skill, expertise, and dependability to go along with it. As our multi-family residential specialist, Eric manages between 15-20 active projects all over the spectrum of completion, from […]