Marc McCollom Architect

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the president and owner of a hair salon based in Dallas, Texas.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Marc McCollom Architect?

We hired Marc (Owner) to do some interior and exterior design work for our building.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Marc and I went through a thorough consultation process. He sketched floor plans for me upon our first meeting and went on to build two physical models and 3–4 floor plans based on those sketches. We combined some of those designs and models together to create the final architectural plan for our building. 

I requested a second story, which Marc incorporated into the schematic design. He only produced a plan for the interior space without walls or windows, seeing as our business was located in a commercial space. I then put him on retainer and we started working on the construction process.

What is the team composition?

I only dealt with Marc. He has a draftsman working with him, but Marc himself built the physical models.

How did you come to work with Marc McCollom Architect?

I came to know of Marc by word of mouth. I got to know him to make sure that we could work well together. From that first meeting, I knew that he was going to be the guy that I wanted to hire. His attention to detail was spot on.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent $650,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The design project for our commercial space lasted from March–November 2006.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Marc listened to and fulfilled my requests. His architectural design was so classy and timeless that I’ve not had the need to remodel or update our interiors since 2006. I am still in business today, and people continue to be blown away by the design of our salon. 

Marc exceeded my expectations and really took my business to a whole new level. I was so pleased with his services that I’ve gone on to use his services for the remodel of my house. 

How did Marc McCollom Architect perform from a project management standpoint?

Marc was very hands-on. He visited the job site 2–3 times a week to make sure that things were being built the way that he designed them, and that impressed me. We communicated through phone calls and face-to-face meetings.

We went a little over budget, but that was more my doing than his. I just couldn’t do without some of his designs, and I wanted them added to the final schematics. I had to come up with the money because they were so exquisite, and I just had to have them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What truly impressed me about Marc was his attention to detail and his conscientious integrity to the project and to the design. There were no cutting corners with him; if he designed something a certain way, he made sure that it would be built that way as well. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Marc is old school, and until my most recent project, he still did his drawings by hand. I don’t necessarily see this as a negative thing, though, as traditional methods are sometimes the best way to do things. He has learned to embrace CAD, SketchUp, and computer-aided models whenever he sees an advantage in using them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take the time to understand him and his process.