James Heimler Architects, Inc. brochure

James Heimler Architects JACK OF ALL TRADES

The architects at JHAI have labeled the firm as a “Gumby Operation” because of their flexibility and wide array of skills that keep them on the competitive edge.

ARCHITECTURE LEADERS TODAY

T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R C A P TA I N S O F I N D U S T RY www.architectureleaderstoday.com

west

| green building

JAMES HEIMLER ARCHITECTS, INC. PROFESSIONAL PLANNING, DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION SERVICES

by Joel Cornell

ABOVE: Bizou restaurant interior view. Photo courtesy of James Heimler Architect, Inc. OPPOSITE PAGE: Javier’s Cantina & Grill restaurant interior view. Photo courtesy of James Heimler Architect, Inc.

2 Architecture Leaders Today

While many architects keep a firm hold over a certain niche of architecture, the Award Winning California-based James Heimler, Architect, Inc. maintains such a wide array of talent on hand that their niche tends to stray beyond the field of architecture.

“If our client is looking simply to buy a piece of property,” said President James Heimler, “then we are able to fully advise as a consultant to see if the client’s program is viable on a certain property.” From acting as mere advisers to drawing up multiple sets of construction documents to carrying a project, contractors and all, to completion, JHAI is a “Gumbi operation”, as Heimler puts it. “We can stretch and adapt to any type of project, to any extent that the client desires.

After working for 10 years for architect Robert Marks who worked for Lloyd Wright & Schindler, Heimler eventually stuck out on his own in 1985.

“Over the years,” Heimler said, “we’ve shared our ups and down with the industries we work in, but we’ve managed to stay strong and come out on top.”

James Heimler began his passion for architecture at an early age. From designing houses in the 1st grade and drafting classes all throughout high school, to working indirectly as a draftsman under Robert Marks Architect, Heimler has built up his knowledge base and now the firm to be in a position of very rarely refusing a project; scale, style and budget not withstanding.

“We have turned down jobs,” said Heimler, “but that only really happens when we are able to convince a client they can make more personal changes that would in effect negate the need for a construction project. In one instance, the expansion of a living room was not needed because the client could trade out their large old TV for a new large flat screen which saved the space the client actually wanted. We worked with the client in their house for a few days and discovered a way that total reconstruction wasn’t necessary. They just needed our vision and experience to unveil the unforeseen possibilities. In the end, we didn’t get a million dollar project, but we made the clients dream come true in the best possible way.”

“I tend to view the way we work as a pyramid,” said Heimler. “We start at the base of the pyramid assisting our client in making focused decisions that keep the choices climbing up until we reach an entitled project ready to start construction.

This keeps projects on schedule without

much backing up and helps to keep everyone within our goals of efficiency in process and in life. We work in different capacities, from designing within that whole pyramid to simply using our expertise to help lay down a few bricks, but that versatility has really helped us keep the projects coming in. Whether it’s starting a job from programming, design, getting the permits or though bidding and construction administration, our leadership of managed decision makers help the client get where they want to go, achieving our clients’ dream to fruition. We have honed ourselves into being the local expert each step of the way.”

The mission that JHAI lives by is, “Your Dreams, Our Vision”. If the client’s project is an addition to an existing home, Heimler will personally, “push all of the clients’ ideas through a lens or a microscope to see what that dream could really be. We grind everything down into reality without sacrificing the dream. We refine everything until a final goal is achieved that fulfills both the client’s dreams and the reality of the project, budget and government regulations. That is our vision.”

Currently, with a staff of 26 employees, JHAI has continued with a steady work flow of over 120 projects a year over the last 15 years.

Through years of training of the highest caliber and decades of experience, Heimler has participated in LEED Certified projects of all types, historic renovations, and Feng Shui designs approved by certified masters from China. Currently, they are working on over 150 public school projects, a new charter school on difficult terrain, mixed use retail/ housing projects, a church expansion, and custom housing projects of all types within a wide range of budgets and styles. ALT

green building

| west

Fall 2010 3

1100 H Street NW Suite M Washington D.C. 20005 info@architectureleaderstoday.com www.architectureleaderstoday.com