Today we’d like to introduce you to Roddrick West.
Hi Roddrick, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
It was all a dream – until I learned how to bring it to life. My imagination has always been a vivid one since I was a child utilizing Legos, building blocks, and Lincoln logs to bring the visions in my mind to reality. Or my heavy interest in puzzles – seeing the final image and putting the pieces together. These skills pushed me to see the built environment differently and understand how to put the pieces together to achieve my vision.
6th grade is when I started my first business – I loved jolly rancher suckers, and one day my mom notified me that “this is the last bag I’m buying for you.” I still wanted them, so naturally, I had to figure this puzzle out. I recalled that every time I brought a sucker to school, someone would ask me for one. Puzzled solved, bring 2 suckers to school, and sell one on the walk home! Jolly Rancher suckers for days and a blueprint created to achieve monetary goals.
When it comes to my fascination with the built environment, I knew that I wanted to build and develop the world around me. The best way to accomplish this was to train and become an Architect enabling me to understand how a building comes together and contributes to its surroundings – emotionally and functionally. Knowing my path, I began interning with DISD and Dallas Community College Architects in high school which exposed me to the practices of facility maintenance and design. Allowing me to learn under Architecture greats like Clyde Porter, FAIA.
To further my training, I graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with my bachelor’s in architecture and went to work with HKS Architects. While with HKS I worked in Dallas, Miami, and London studios primarily focused on Hospitality projects but also touching Healthcare, Education, and Commercial work. Opening my eyes to different project types and cultures with projects completed in the US, Brazil, Mexico, and Caribbean. Projects of note being Lopesan Costa Bavaro, The Ocean Club Four Seasons, Park Line Palm Beach, and Four Seasons Sao Paulo.
Never forgetting my desire to develop my own project types and businesses, I ultimately left HKS to begin my own Architecture practice and develop my own projects. Today I am a licensed Architect, Owner of RW Studio, Co-Owner of Tequila With Friends, and actively working with community members and boards to shape the built environment that shapes us.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Outside of leaving the corporate systems/support and having to everything on my own – the biggest challenge to overcome was understanding the value of my work. It has taken me years to understand that the services I provide are not a common set of skills. Through years of training and project experience, the practice of Architecture and the production of drawings and services have become second nature, which gave me a false sense that my skills were not unique. As a result of believing my skills were not unique, I undervalued my work. The more I come to understand the value my work has – the more fulfilling my work has become.
We’ve been impressed with Roddrick West Studios, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I specialize in connecting the dots and utilizing my multidisciplinary skills to draft plans to execute a vision. What Architecture, Development, and Entrepreneurialism all have in common is one must envision the end goal and “work backwards” to create the necessary plan of attack. As mentioned earlier I have a very active imagination coupled with my training as an Architect and my upbringing under very successful entrepreneurs and business leaders. This along with other attributes not only allow me to think outside the box but also the proper way to execute said vision – i.e. who do we need to speak with or what procedure must me follow to get it done.
I am known for being an Architect and Co-Owner of Tequila With Friends. As an Architect – focusing on hospitality and commercial projects, but also experienced in education, residential, and healthcare-related work. Architect are not only charged with designing and creating blueprints but also being a psychologist of sorts. Understanding the client’s needs through consultations and interpreting those needs into thoughtful design with the end user in mind. By hiring RW Studio, one could expect a loose fun environment where your thoughts would be heard and built upon through creative exercises. RW Studio delivers conceptual packages to assist our clients in securing funding and communicating their vision as well as the creation of blueprints and the necessary documentation to get a project permitted and built.
What’s next?
The future holds substantial growth for both RW Studio and Tequila With Friends. Both are in heavy growth stages with Tequila With Friends soon to release our Reposado and Anejo expressions and RW Studio bringing in more projects creating pressure to hire more talent. I see a future to which RW Studio is the go-to choice for individuals and organizations looking to deliver projects that involve outside-the-box thinking – ensuring the design created has soul and speaks to the environment surrounding the project.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rw.studio
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/rw_studio_designs?utm_medium=copy_link
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RW-Studio-105763285301308/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roddrick-west-aia-03498186
