Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Crittenden.
Hi, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m a native Texan and proud Texas Aggie. I’ve always been curious about the world and passionate about design. After nearly 10 years of experience working for other design firms, where I was fortunate to learn the nuts and bolts of restaurant design, as well as larger hotel and senior living projects and project management, I came to realize I enjoyed working on the small to medium-sized projects where I could really get my head around all the details. I especially loved restaurants because of the opportunity to create a unique, personal, and often intimate end-user experience. Space planning, finish material specifications, lighting design, millwork, and myriad other details all contribute to the look and feel, which along with the food, service, and music, create a unique and memorable experience of place.
My wife, Barbara, and I have been regular customers of Gloria’s Latin Cuisine since the Greenville Avenue location opened in 1998 before design had really entered their restaurant equation. One day in October of 2003, while chatting with the manager over dinner, he mentioned Gloria’s was planning a new location in Colleyville. I didn’t even know where Colleyville was but shared that I was an aspiring architect (I was still in the process of taking my licensing exams) and had been involved in designing a number of restaurants, including Mi Cocina and Razzoo’s Cajun Café. I gave the manager a business card (from the firm at which I was then employed,) and about 10 days later, I received a voicemail from the owner of Gloria’s, Jose Fuentes.
I went to one of the principals at my firm, who is still a friend and mentor, and I told him about the opportunity. I asked him, “Before I call him back, am I representing the firm, or am I just Matt Crittenden?” It was a small project relative to the other work the firm did, so he responded, “Why don’t you do it on the side? I’ll seal your drawings if you need me to.” I called Jose back, Gloria’s hired me, and about 8 months later, in July 2004, Gloria’s Colleyville opened.
Gloria’s then came to me for a renovation of the Addison location, and then another new location in downtown Fort Worth, on 7th St. I was working really long hours, full time, and moonlighting the Gloria’s projects. My wife was pregnant with our first child when I took on the Colleyville project, and by Spring of 2005, with one Gloria’s project completed and two others in various stages of design or construction, I now had a one-year-old daughter, and I had to decide which path I was going to follow. I made the leap of faith in March 2005, quit my secure full-time job with benefits, and founded MSC Design. The rest, as they say, is history.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have certainly been challenges along the way. I’m inherently cautious, so perhaps not the most likely entrepreneur. I reached out to colleagues and mentors for advice, and I put certain resources in place right away, like a good accountant and bookkeeper. However, I quickly realized there were many things I did not know about running a business. One of the best lessons I learned was that I don’t have to (and I don’t want to) do everything by myself. Part of what I enjoyed working at other firms was the camaraderie of the people I worked with, working together as a team to achieve goals and having others to bounce ideas off of who contributed their own ideas to make the projects better.
Initially, MSC Design was a home-based business, so I began engaging independent contractors who worked remotely to assist with drawing production and other tasks, and then I brought on a part-time administrative assistant to help keep me organized, keep the office supplied, and handle things like license and insurance renewals and other such “I don’t want to, but we have to (as a business)” kinds of tasks. In 2017 we moved into a commercial office space and since then our team has grown to include full and part time employees as well as independent contractors. It has not always been smooth or easy, but it has all been worth it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Architecture is one of the fine arts, along with painting, sculpture, music, literature, and drama. However, unlike painting or sculpture, which are constrained only by the size of the canvas or space they occupy; or music, which is only constrained by time; Architecture must also be safe, habitable, keep water and the elements out, and comply with building, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, health and accessibility codes. Doors must hinge open, so walls must be plumb and level. Ceilings have to be at least high enough to stand. Floors must be level and meet the coefficient of friction for slip resistance.
Sometimes all the rules with which the design team must comply can seem overwhelming or creatively stifling. Knowing that each one of those rules was put in place for good reason; the health, safety, and welfare of the people who occupy the structures we create, I prefer to look at them as an additional design parameters that just add some complexity to the problems, we are challenged to solve on each project…
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I’m happiest when spending time with the people I love doing things I love to do and/or sharing with them in the things they love to do. My son and I recently took a trip to Rome. The impetus of the trip was to see a band he had missed the opportunity to see when they came through Texas in September 2022. He is a drummer, and music is his passion. He appreciates my passion for design, and I appreciate his passion for music. I love to travel and experience the history and culture of other places, and I have tried to instill that same curiosity and appreciation of the world in my kids. While on the trip, we shared great music, experienced amazing architecture, both modern and historic/ancient, and enjoyed excellent food. I appreciate all of those things individually, but it was experiencing them with my son that made me truly happy. We made memories that will last a lifetime, and they are tied to a specific place and time.
Contact Info:
- Website: mscarchitecture.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msc.design/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=msc%20design
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mscdesign/?viewAsMember=true
- Other: 469 855 3800
