MBR Architecture SA

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and co-founder of Sloan School of Music, a musical instrument retailer and music lessons facility in Hagerstown, Maryland, and Frederick, Maryland. We’ve been open for about a year and a half.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MBR Architecture SA?

We needed to build brand new stores from scratch. As a result, we hired MBR Architecture to help us design our spaces.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We were new in construction and MBR Architecture helped us to get our projects completed. They worked with us through the whole build-up process to ensure that we didn’t have any compliance issues — that guaranteed that we were building things to specifications.

MBR Architecture worked to help us design bright, modern, and clean stores. We ended up having a purpose-built 4,000-square-foot facility designed by licensed architects. After a year, they did a scaled-down version of the same thing for our second location.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three people from MBR Architecture, including two licensed architects.

How did you come to work with MBR Architecture SA?

I had been friends with MBR Architecture’s owner, so when we knew what we needed, I immediately reached out to their company. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $40,000. The first project cost around $23,000–$24,000. Then, the second project cost around $10,000–$15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March 2019–July 2021. They finished the first project in July 2020, and the second one was finished in May 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to them, we had stores that were bright, modern, and clean. The fact that our buildings remained in good condition was a clear testament to their good work.

MBR Architecture SA was very helpful in getting our projects completed. Moreover, they sat us down and listened to all of our ideas and business plan. They tried their best to incorporate all the things we needed in our brand new spaces, too. Overall, they did a wonderful job.

How did MBR Architecture SA perform from a project management standpoint?

They were organized and easy to work with. We communicated with them through email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very personable and creative, which allowed them to effectively implement our ideas. They were also able to take the things that we wanted and at the same time, integrate their own ideas that we didn’t know we wanted until they showed us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they had no areas to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Put all of your ideas on the table and see what they come back with — nothing’s too crazy for them.