Building in Indian Country is about community planning and development. Growing up in Chinle, Central Agency, Navajo Nation has allowed me to recognize firsthand how culture & traditions, history, language, economy, and the landscape are important when working with Native American communities. As community planners, we value input, guidance, and share ideas ensuring comprehensive understanding towards the success of building culturally sensitive and community driven projects.
“LET’S LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE…LISTEN TO THE LAND…LET GO OF WHAT WE MAY KNOW AND EMERGE WITH KNOWLEDGE…IT’S A GIFT” – Johnpaul Jones, Cherokee
Richard K. Begay, Jr.,LLC is a Native American-owned architectural firm specializing in client-focused development and growth offering professional services in areas of architecture, planning, and interior design along with marketing and business development. At Richard K. Begay, Jr.,LLC, we believe our expertise in providing sustainable architectural design and planning services will help crystallize and reinforce a client’s vision and goals by meeting budgets, schedules, and creating memorable places while remaining sensitive to the environment.
We bring a wealth of resources and experience to our clients – not only are we sensitive to thoughtful design, we offer cultural facilitation, pre-design, design development/construction documents, and construction administration services to our partners and clients. We feel each project among our K-12 education, higher education, civic, cultural, corporate, and residential partners is an opportunity for personal and professional development leading to lasting relationships. Therefore, we value each opportunity with transparent communications, expertise, and integrity.
Vision:
The idea behind Richard K. Begay, Jr.,LLC is to provide outstanding service that exceeds the client’s expectations therefore enabling better productivity, better learning environments, efficient use of materials & systems, increased pride and ownership – and just as important, a deeper appreciation and awareness of the environment we live in.
“…the design and construction was of, and returned to, the earth – cyclical process that could continue.” Richard Begay, Diné College Design Story Book
Here at
3308 Studio.Work.Shop, our studio comforts clients, partners and guest with the process of an integrated architectural practice....the openness caters to creative project collaboration and discovery of self awareness thereby extracting the fluid dynamics of teamwork among our K-12, higher education, civic, cultural, corporate, and residential partners. Communication is the key to our success!
We work for our clients. Our approach is simple: we listen! All work is base on listening to clients, enabling our team to thoroughly understand needs, goals, and requirements –and to take those values as framework for developing conceptual models. It is truly exciting to see the client’s reaction as their ideas and sketches are synthesized into realistic and effective design solutions by technology and tactile exploration. In shop, we investigate materials and build models, verify color samples, analyze lighting schemes & study shade / shadows to ensure the best solutions are functional, cost effective and appropriate to region, building type, and culture.
Our client’s are unique therefore the project’s design is unique – we take each opportunity as priority. Our goal is to offer outstanding client service on each project creating memorable experiences, celebrate diversity in cultures and landscape, as well as uphold our commitment as design professionals
Approach to Community:
“As a member of the community’s team, we listen, listen, and listen some more; our team members will work side by side with stakeholders, community members, educators, and prominent elders with preserving and embracing the Community’s values ensuring a framework that will guide and determine the needs of the community”
Our team believes in an open, participatory approach to planning and design. We will work with our partners and with community’s stakeholders & user groups to understand the needs and goals –and to shape a work plan on how to implement those goals towards the overall vision. The open approach will help discover what is important and help prioritize the project’s needs accordingly. This process will systematically translate as the foundation towards meaningful concepts, ideas, and plans.
Our focus sessions or team meetings will initiate dialogue on where and how to start - it begins with developing a clear understanding of goals, community use, philosophy and needs. We listen carefully to core representatives so our team fully understands the diverse range of requirements. Our purpose is to understand and allow the momentum of the process reveal relevant information and to satisfy as many requirements while working under a specified budget and within the project’s timeframe – all to ensure an appropriate solution for the community.
The process progresses logically from general objectives to a specific study using community participation for information and guidance. This collaboration encourages involvement and creativity by all participants during the process. The dialogue will ensure incorporation of values pertinent to community members; such as history, traditions and language – cultural values which are vital and honored.
Competitive Edge:
Richard K. Begay, Jr.,LLC is a small firm with large firm capabilities AND with one goal in mind –exceed the client’s expectation. Due to size, each responsible member of the team provides a dedicated commitment and personal service in meeting a client’s needs. Our designers work with clients & partners early in design; and throughout the production phases and eventually into construction administration ensuring a streamlined collaborative process and team approach on building consensus at each phase. Our team takes pride & ownership of projects by staying on the project from beginning to end – a value we offer compared to other firms where consistency may be lost due to a ‘departmentalize’ structure.
We are competitive yet affordable with our fees. Clients receive better value at a reasonable fee compared to large firm’s overhead. Richard K. Begay, Jr.,LLC,’s team members are talented and have valuable knowledge & experience to offer. We provide this value to our client’s and partners without the ‘corporate structure’.
Richard K. Begay, Jr.,LLC, is a 100% Native American owned firm; Owner, Richard K. Begay Jr is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation –Central Agency and has certification as (100% Navajo Owned Business Entity with Priority One Status under the rules of Navajo Business Regulatory Department, Division of Economic Development). As a Native American owned business, the firm has a competitive edge over non-Native American firms in meeting Navajo Preference, Indian Preference, and/or Native American Preference, Minority Business for projects requiring ‘preference status’ under tribal or minority business procurement rules and regulation.
Partnerships: We embrace partnerships (Architectural, Engineering, and Construction firms) with the goal of establishing long-term collaborations and relationship dedicated on providing services, whether a small or large budget, to K-12, higher education, civic, cultural, corporate, and residential partners.
Keys to Success:
· Provide a value deeply rooted in open communications. Communication is the key to success.
· Use of technology (computer software program Building Information Modeling, Energy Modeling) aimed at facilitating communication of the product. (Renderings, High-Performance data, Walk-Thru, Daylighting Metrics, Site Adaption)
· Utilize a constant team approach at each phase of the project ensuring consensus/buy-in. American Institute of Architect’s Integrated Project Delivery
· For culturally sensitive designs, implement a community-focus process aimed at building consensus
