The (Not-So) Secret of Our Success: Collaborations
If you’ve heard the adage ‘nothing succeeds like success’ you might have wondered what creates the environment for that success. Although many factors have contributed to our growth, I would say that collaborating with other professionals has been essential to delivering luxury projects year after year. We work alongside the most creative and innovative architects, interior designers, landscape architects, specialty designers, subcontractors, and vendors.
It’s important to get a great team in place from the beginning. In my experience, when the participants are all invested in the process, the result is the best possible project. In April we will be hosting an event with New England Home during Boston Design Week that spotlights this kind of collaboration for a home in Jamaica Plain. J.B. Clancy, partner at ART Architects, and Katie Rosenfeld, Principal at Katie Rosenfeld + Co., and I will be on a panel moderated by NEH Editor-in-Chief, Jenna Talbott. I love talking about the creativity, energy, and craft that goes into a project like The Sunflower.
One proposed iteration of the project by ART Architects
PRO NE Panel in March
I moderated another panel with four of the top residential smart home/integration companies for the March PRO New England meeting. It took place at Chatham Interiors in SoWa and was attended by more than 90 PRO NE members and guests.
KCB works on projects with these companies and it was the first time they had all been on a panel together: Greg Brett, simpleHome; Ashley Jacobson, System 7; Michael Oh, TSP Smart Spaces; and Alexa Centeno, Systems Design Integration (SDI). I introduced the panel by saying that when thinking about smart home technology, although it can be a luxury item, it is also a practical thing. There’s a lot of reasons beyond having a fancy high-tech house: there’s health, energy conservation, remote monitoring for anyone who travels, and security. I recommend that my clients and collaborators consider all the aspects of home technology at the beginning of a project because it’s a lot easier and economical to make decisions on paper or when the walls are open. We might assume that wireless products don’t need wires, but in fact, the proper infrastructure is key for audio, video, computer networking, security, lighting, automated window treatments like shades, and HVAC. It can be frustrating not to be able to add these components and systems once construction is completed.
Companies like TSP Smart Spaces, SDI, System 7, and simpleHome also have architectural design teams that work with our team to make sure that everything incorporated into the project is functional and aesthetically aligned. They all have beautiful showrooms around Boston that I like to visit and encourage clients and my team at KCB to visit.
Playing Well Together
We know that teams succeed when everyone understands their role and makes their critical contribution to the whole. As Bill Belichick famously said, “Do your job.”
Communication is without a doubt the most important element in making sure we all “play well” together. I am fortunate to work with extraordinarily talented people who are happy to check their egos at the door. Excellent communication is the rule within the KCB team, too. We all love what we do and are proud of the level of craftsmanship we provide on every home it’s our privilege to work on. A shout-out to the fantastic men and women of KCB. Thank you.
KCB Team meeting | Photo by Corey Nuffer
Another shout-out to our trade partners – electricians, painters, HVAC companies, vendors, and more. If you want to know specifics, follow @cradockbuilders and @cradockwoodworking, and @cradockfinishing on Instagram because we tag our partners all the time. They are integral to our success and to the satisfaction our clients feel day to day in their newly built or renovated homes.
Finally, none of this would be possible without visionary and trusting clients. For more than a quarter century, we’ve worked with loyal and generous homeowners who value what we value. We look forward to many more collaborations with inspired and inspiring clients, colleagues, and KCB team members.