January 1st, 2024, was a momentous occasion at Architecture Design Collaborative (ADC)! We didn’t just usher in the New Year; we also officially became ten years old. Like some of the most renowned structures we’ve contributed to, our company is only getting better and more distinguished with age. To understand where we are heading, you have to understand where we have been. Ten years have flown by; let’s rewind the clock to when we laid the foundation of ADC!
Celebrating a Decade of Design Excellence with Architecture Design Collaborative!
For 10 years, we have served the entire nation with innovative designs and structures that have improved communities and the lives of those within them at Architecture Design Collaborative.
As we continue to grow and build our company, stay on the cutting-edge of architecture, and improve our relationships with customers, some of whom we have worked with for eight years, let’s revisit our humble beginnings and celebrate how far we have come.
“We have been in business for 10 years now, so our goal is to continue building our brand. You know, we have seasoned professionals working with really young design professionals, and that creates a unique collaborative dynamic. We want to continue to grow off of that while adding new clients and fresh, new staff to the team. We want to keep on flourishing and growing with the same mindset.”
– Corey Demanty, Principal, ADC
ADC president Craig Chinn started the company after leaving a large architecture firm in 2014. The firm offered partnership several times, but Craig kept turning it down, knowing he was destined for something else.
The last time Craig turned down the offer, his wife asked him why he didn’t do something different, so he started ADC with Chris Weimholt and Corey Demanty.
“ADC started almost ten years ago with a small group of people in a tiny office where we used boxes as desks. So it’s pretty remarkable how far we’ve come. There were about four people in the beginning. Our first client was in general growth properties, and over the years, we’ve added quite a few different developers to our client list.”
– Corey Demanty, Principal, ADC
When they founded the company, they understood that culture would set our firm apart because when people love what they do, love where they work, and love who they work with, it produces the best results.
“I’d say one thing that separates us from other firms is our interior culture. In the office, we laugh, we like to participate, and we like to do design charades. We’re extremely collaborative and constantly getting everybody together. We don’t have a hierarchy. Everyone sits side by side, regardless of title.”
– Craig Chinn, President, ADC
Craig, Corey, and Chris were friends for years before forming ADC. They’ve been friends since about 2002. Craig and Chris actually went to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and graduated together. When Craig started the company, he brought Corey and Chris in to manage the residential side while he handled the retail and commercial side.
“We worked at big firms for years and brought our experience with big clients to ADC. Craig bringing me in to start the company was a great opportunity. It was important to have a say in our direction, our culture, and the team we’ve built. That’s something special about what we’ve built at ADC. Everyone has a voice.”
– Chris Weimholt, Senior Principal, ADC
By coming together, assembling a team of all-stars, and creating an inspiring culture that drives innovation, we have completed countless projects we are proud of. Let’s take a trip down memory lane to see some of the structures we’ve designed that line it.
Highlights Over the Last Decade with Architecture Design Collaborative
Our work at ADC in the affordable housing sector is a shining example of the work we do to give back to our community.
Through innovative designs, we have spent a decade and counting making a difference in people’s lives by providing crucial assets and resources to communities nationwide to help residents get on their feet and, in some cases, help with health care, family services, or even education for children or early start programs for kids.
“Two exciting projects we worked on are The Lake House and a project in Santa Cruz. The Lake House is located near MacArthur Park in L.A. and is a five-story housing project for the formerly homeless, serving 67 permanent supportive residents. It’s a cool project with two roof decks and really cool amenities in an area that really needs affordable housing. The project in Santa Cruz is another affordable housing project with potentially a brewery or brewpub downstairs and retail spaces. It’s got a very cool roof deck with the bridge. So architecturally speaking, there are a lot of different products on the building, different materials. It’s a big and exciting project for the city.”
– Corey Demanty, Principal, ADC
We work with all the different groups and parties and bring them together for a successful project for clients. Especially with affordable housing, it can be difficult to pull off because it’s a huge collaboration between the community, city, or even the county. But we are proud to be the glue that keeps those pieces together.
“ADC covers a lot of different services. We span from residential to commercial to retail and everything in between, and we’ve grown in our services from where we started to where we are today because our clients have taken us down the path of doing interior design, exterior excavation, courts, and all sorts of different things from where we started.”
– Craig Chinn, President, ADC
On the commercial side, one of the coolest projects we have worked on at Architecture Design Collaborative is a complete mall renovation where we did a $36 million renovation that included everything on the inside and everything on the outside.
During this project, we touched every component that customers and tenants would see and worked closely with the community and local artists. From better flooring to better wall paint to new handrails, we gave the entire building a facelift so everyone who goes to the mall would experience a refreshed space.
“It feels good when you work on a project that impacts an entire community, and we’ve done that with both commercial and residential projects, from food halls to multifamily developments. It’s why we do what we do, and it’s what we will continue to strive for as we forge new paths ahead.”
– Craig Chinn, President, ADC
Do You Want to Be a Part of the Architecture Design Collaborative Story? Apply Today to Be a Part of History!
At Architecture Design Collaborative, we have spent 10 years serving communities with innovative residential and commercial designs and crafting a better world. We are thrilled to continue for many more years!
Do you want to be a part of something special? Visit our Architecture Jobs page to apply today, join our team, and make a meaningful difference in the world!
