Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Slagle.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Scott. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My grandfather owned a plumbing and air-conditioning shop in the Texas Panhandle, and I spent most of my summers as a kid there working alongside my dad and family. It gave me a passion for the built environment and also taught me about helping others through a service industry. I had also always enjoyed art, drawing, and Legos, so architecture seemed like a natural fit to find a mix of it all. After graduating from the School of Architecture at Oklahoma State University, I came to Dallas for work. I worked for eleven years at a larger firm doing commercial architecture and interiors and developed my knowledge of the architectural process. I eventually grew a desire to do smaller work that could have a more direct impact on local communities, and I was also noticing that so many of my friends in the design industry did their most creative work when they were doing little side projects, whether it was photography, graphics, blogs, etc. So I decided to venture out and start Sidebar Collaborative as a small design studio that could work on a smaller scale to help more people, as well as collaborate with talented individuals to help provide more design services and opportunities for clients.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We started with only one small residential addition project and one small restaurant floor plan and had to build our way up from there. We have been very fortunate that those two projects have led to most of the 40+ projects we have been involved with over the past 5 years.
Design is problem-solving and is inherently a time-consuming process regardless of the project size. So it was also difficult at times to balance the time it takes to solve and execute a good design with the need for keeping costs low on smaller projects. Each project we have done has helped us to continually improve our process and efficiency.
Another challenge is that we have found that most homeowners and small business owners that have an architecture project often times have never been through the process before or even really know what an architect does. They often think we just provide drawings and don’t realize all of the other items involved with the process. It often becomes an educational process for each new client to help them understand the ins and outs and how we are there to help them manage that process. We’ve learned it’s all about good communication, clear expectations, and teamwork.
Please tell us about Sidebar Collaborative.
At Sidebar we design commercial and residential architecture and interiors. We are most known for our work with local restaurants and our residential remodels/additions. Although we do larger projects, we really love working with small businesses and people that have a passion for their craft and seeing their communities grow. Being a part of their team and helping them to reach a portion of their goals is a highlight for us. Since we are a small business, we go through many of the same challenges that our clients do, so we understand the need for flexibility, efficiency, and cost-effective solutions. That understanding allows us to be more nimble than larger studios and to adjust our services to fit each client and his/her specific needs more effectively. We are most proud of the fact that we have numerous repeat clients and one hundred percent of our work has come from referrals. We have had the opportunity to serve the community in a very direct way, and we have become a part of a great network of people that aren’t just clients, they are our neighbors, friends, and family.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My family was in the mountains of New Mexico, and after a day of fly-fishing, my dad reached deep into the water alongside the bank of the river and pulled up a rock. He turned it over and on the bottom were all kinds of large fly nymphs and strange looking bugs that lived on the bottom of the rock in the water. It blew my mind! I was very small, and it was the first time I remember realizing how many layers there are to our world. I thought that was so awesome.
Contact Info:
- Website: sidebarcollab.com
- Phone: 214.405.9613
- Email: info@sidebarcollab.com
- Facebook: sidebarcollab
Image Credit:
Nicholas McWhirter
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