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Design Matters: Fire Safe Design in Land Planning As development continues to expand into Utah’s Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI), wildfire resilience is becoming an increasingly important consideration in the land planning . While wildfire mitigation is often associated with emergency response or building materials, many of the most impactful decisions happen long before construction begins. For […]

Design Matters: Planning Dry Utilities for Higher-Density Communities As housing affordability remains a major focus across Utah, residential developments are becoming denser than they were just a few years ago. According to Ben Duzett, Site Civil Residential Department Manager at FOCUS Consulting, that shift is changing how communities are designed and making early dry utility […]

Design Matters: The Wizardry Behind the Curtain for Construction Surveying & Staking Before construction staking ever begins, the real work is already underway. Behind each point placed in the field is a process of surveying, modeling, and coordination that quietly shapes the outcome of a project. For Ish Bate, a survey technician in the FOCUS […]

Jeff Rotta is a technician within the FOCUS construction staking department. Jeff didn’t set out with a plan to join the AEC industry, but sometimes the best careers begin with curiosity. After coming across an opportunity at FOCUS, he decided to give it a try, quickly discovering a role that combined problem-solving, exploration, and hands-on […]

Design Matters – From Concept to Permit: What Goes on Behind the Scenes of CAD When a client approaches FOCUS Consulting with a project in mind, many come with a vision of how their future space should look and feel. Whether it’s a custom home, remodel, or residential development, the CAD Services team works to […]

Rylee Hansen is a designer in the CAD services department at FOCUS. Rylee has always been drawn to the impact that design can have on everyday life. With a strong interest in residential architecture from a young age, she found herself naturally paying attention to the details of how spaces were put together. That early […]

Design Matters: Structural BIM Modeling At FOCUS, the shift toward 3D modeling has changed more than just how drawings are produced. It has reshaped how teams communicate, coordinate, and understand a building long before it is constructed. For Scott Dawes, a CAD designer at FOCUS, that shift is as much about visibility as it is […]

FOCUS Consulting has been named Best Building Engineer by the 2026 Best of SLC Awards, a community-driven program that recognizes outstanding businesses across the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The honor reflects both technical expertise and sustained client trust, which remain central to the firm’s approach. A Community-Based Measure of Excellence The Best of SLC […]

Design Matters: Navigating the City Approval Process Every development project begins long before construction crews arrive on site. Behind the scenes, developers and planners work through a detailed approval process with city staff, planning commissions, and sometimes city councils. Depending on the project, this process can move quickly or take several years. Megan Spencer from […]

Design Matters: Digital Resources for the Traffic Curious As Utah grows, so does its transportation infrastructure and its traffic. There are several resources available for the traffic-curious that may not be familiar to the everyday driver. Jason Watson, Transportation Department manager at FOCUS, points to online tools from UDOT that help inform not only drivers, […]