Category: collaboration
It All Comes Together
At Mosaic, our overarching goal is to make our clients’ visions a reality by creating custom-built living and working environments they will love. We want the journey to fuel their ambitions, with a seamless, integrated approach they can trust will deliver on all counts.
Close the Loop
The best leaders are those who follow through. At Mosaic, we live by an unwavering commitment to finish what we start, and always close the loop on action items. Our Team is intentionally comprised of people with multiple talents and backgrounds. One thing we all have in common is our focus on client satisfaction when clicking that “complete” box or crossing off an item on our to-do list. And, we bring that drive to our clients. We follow up. We don’t miss details. We go the extra mile to ensure no open items exist, and no tasks are left undone.
“Closing the loop is one of the most impactful Mosaic Actions,” says one Mosaic leader. “We take responsibility to make sure that all tasks are completed and agreements are met.”
We’re always looking for action-oriented professionals to join our growing Team. If you’re interested in learning more, reach out to us at hiring@mosaicconstruction.net.
Contributing to a Positive Environment
At Mosaic, we know we’re better, together. When rowing in the same direction, projects run more smoothly, challenges are more easily overcome, and expectations more clearly set and surpassed. A positive attitude isn’t optional on this Team, it’s in our DNA.
By cultivating a positive environment, where everyone feels welcome and supported, we achieve a happier, more engaged workforce—who in turn pay it forward to enhance the overall experience for our clients as well.
More than a lofty ideal, creating positivity is a daily practice at Mosaic. From bringing enthusiasm to a challenging task, to showing interest in the lives of our Team, clients and trade partners, we continually focus on setting up a positive environment which increases collaboration and partnerships to achieve our goals. We award a ‘Trade of the Month’ each month that recognizes and rewards a trade partner for going above and beyond on one of our projects, and bond with the companies that are responsible for the successful completion of the project. By creating positive experiences for our trade and vendor partners, our clients reap the benefits.
“Another way we ensure success is with our positive outlook,” says one Mosaic construction professional. “We’ve been there before and approach difficult situations with calm leadership; our clients sense this and are then at ease too. We address challenges with firm conviction and endless resolve to mitigate any issues that may arise, all while maintaining a productive project experience.”
Would you like to share your enthusiasm and skills in our positive work environment? Email us at hiring@mosaicconstruction.net to explore the possibility.
Do It the Right Way
The Mosaic Team is unwavering in our commitment to excellence, bar none. We do things “the right way” using our experience to drive consistency, quality and efficiency in every facet of our work. It means being prepared and adhering to proven processes to eliminate mistakes and stick to timelines; it means always working with integrity as we deliver on client needs.
We hire for this fierce work ethic, which helps us win client praise and loyalty. We do right by our clients’ projects time and time again, using a well thought out plan, effective expectation-setting, and clear and consistent communications throughout our relationship.
“Our commitment to doing things the right way sets us apart in the field for a few reasons,” says one Mosaic Team member. “We focus on getting it right the first time, which saves our clients both money and time, and being consistent in this approach builds integrity and trust.”
Does our integrity-oriented work ethic sound like a good fit for yours? Connect with us at hiring@mosaicconstruction.net to discuss the potential.
Communicate the Story
Telling a great design-build brand story comes easy—when you have a rich history, strong culture, and extensive client recommendations.
We know that compelling narratives are important to align project leaders and ensure we always bring the collective best work from our Team. Across all project types, our Team of highly skilled, design-build professionals know why they’re here and how they fit in. And they’re proud to do both, thanks in part to our compelling brand story.
We also know that differentiating ourselves in the industry adds credibility and inspires client confidence in our work. Communicating the story gives them a transparent view into who we are as Team members, and allows us to develop relationships—not just initiate transactions. We believe that transparency throughout the design and construction process is paramount to a successful outcome. By communicating openly, honestly and on a timely basis, we problem solve together and build trust with our clients and trade partners. We set realistic expectations regarding the project schedule, upcoming changes to the project impacting both cost and timing, and check in with our clients on a regular basis to ensure they are satisfied with the progress.
We have a rich history of being a referral-based company and our story gives clients a front-row view into how our past experiences helped us get where we are today. We intentionally deliver a better experience than our clients expect, and complete each project as if it was our own office, business, facility or home.
That brand promise is central to the story we share amongst ourselves, our clients and trade partners. It is not a pitch; it’s a way of letting our clients know we understand their needs and will help them articulate what they want to accomplish.
“Many of our clients are repeat customers,” says one Mosaic professional. “No matter how difficult the path, our clients know we do what we say and always make it right, and by working with us, they add to the chapters of a great book we’re helping to write, together.”
Interested in contributing your voice to our industry-celebrated story? Get in touch at hiring@mosaicconstruction.net.
Anticipate Needs
Being proactive and anticipating client needs keeps all parts moving like a well-oiled machine. Our attention to detail not only keeps budgets and schedules in check—it keeps client accolades rolling in, and Team pride rising.
As leaders in our field, it’s in our DNA to anticipate client needs and bring ambitious visions to life. By foreseeing potential obstacles, we limit surprises and ensure expectations are both met and exceeded.
This focus on anticipating needs means we are always thinking ahead, ready to equip clients with solutions for situations that haven’t even occurred, and questions that have not yet been asked. It also means we listen carefully to their vision and concerns throughout the process, ensuring continual understanding and ability to shape exceptional outcomes.
Delivering a successful project requires our project management and trade teams to leverage their past experience to keep a project moving forward and on track. By asking questions and thinking outside the box, we are able to anticipate situations that may have a cost impact, design change or schedule delay. For example, since our cannabis clients only have a certain amount of space to use to grow their product, we developed a tiered racking system for vertical grow opportunities that allows clients to double, triple and even quadruple their product output. By anticipating needs, we help our clients achieve their desired outcomes.
“Anticipating needs is critical for proper planning and allows for ample notice to trades and clients alike,” says one Mosaic Team member. “By doing this, we bring a heartening mix of confidence and attention to detail that satisfies trade partners, and inspires client trust.”
Are you interested in sharing your talents and knack for proactive solution-finding with our Team? Email us at hiring@mosaicconstruction.net to discuss mutual opportunity.
Building Relationships is in our DNA
We don’t just build spaces – we build relationships. As one of our core values, and a stated Mosaic Action that our Team members consciously model on a daily basis, building relationships guides us in creating the expert and focused company we are today.
We build relationships and trust to create a shared vision with our clients, our trade partners and a strong culture and work environment for our office Team.
Our clients know that when they hire Mosaic, we take extreme ownership of all project details. They work with us again and again, and make referrals because of the quality of work we provide, the respect we show, and the trust they experience. Our clients know they can rely on us 100% and can count on us as a resource and consultant long after project completion.
Taking the time to foster relationships also empowers us to address the challenges inherent within our industry. After all, having a strong bond helps us proceed through tough situations together—and come out stronger on the other side. For example, there have been challenges obtaining many different materials for our projects due to the global pandemic and supply chain disruption. The strength of our relationships helps us source other product options to keep the projects moving forward.
“When you trust who you are working with, you can rely on each other to get the job done,” says one Mosaic Team member. “It leads to a smoother overall process when all stakeholders are being upfront and honest, and putting in their best effort.”
As we have expanded rapidly over the past few years, we’ve become even more conscious of building relationships within our Team. We enjoy getting together for our bi-monthly board meetings, sharing experiences and ideas, brainstorming, reflecting, and connecting as a Team. We also start many days with a morning email titled, “The Morning Boost,” a carefully curated, thoughtful quote to get us going each day.
If you would like to become our next Team member sharing your knowledge and celebrating with us, email us at hiring@mosaicconstruction.net. We look forward to connecting with you!
Mosaic’s cohesive Team starts here: Building relationships and learning from one another
Building relationships is one of Mosaic’s core values that our Team members model consciously. As we have expanded rapidly over the past few years, we have become even more deliberate in building relationships within our Team. One of the vehicles we use to build and foster relationships is our bi-monthly board meetings. They are a touchpoint for sharing experiences, reflection, ideation and of course, connection.
As recently as three years ago, Mosaic’s Team used to meet in our 10-person Conference Room. Today, with Team members throughout the country, and a roster of more than 25 people, we have become more intentional around building relationships with one another and sharing best practices. Now, when the company gets together, we typically gather over Zoom—and our agenda continues to focus on the actions that hold us together, including building relationships and our other Mosaic Actions.
Building strong relationships benefits both our clients and our Team members. To ensure our Team benefits from the experience of our peers, in our bi-monthly board meetings, we share procedures and priorities, and creative solutions from the field. In these meetings, we communicate the story of our successes—and analyze the places where we can improve. We anticipate needs, close loops, and bring it all together for our clients and our Team members. As their trusted design-build partner, we often accompany clients to zoning or permitting meetings, even when out of state, so all questions and concerns can be answered and explained. We are involved early in the site selection process and will attend site walk-throughs with clients while they are considering an asset location, or in the due diligence phase to provide expertise and added value to their decision making.
If you would like to be our next Team member sharing your knowledge and celebrating with us, email us at hiring@mosaicconstruction.net. We look forward to connecting with you!
Design Construction Concepts completes Prairie-style oasis for color and design expert
Designers speak a common language of color and space, proportion and balance. When they collaborate and share their unique expertise toward a collective vision, it all comes together into a beautiful, functional design with lasting value.
That was evident throughout our collaboration with Kirsten Gordon, owner of Bloom Magic Weddings, an award-winning floral design shop that is sought after for its stunning creations and personalized approach.
Kirsten chose Design Construction Concepts to help renovate her home’s primary bathroom suite to better reflect the Prairie-style architecture of the house, which was designed by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright. Rather than gutting the room to merely replace outdated fixtures, Kirsten was looking for a return to form, incorporating the classic Prairie-style principles of open, horizontal space, natural light and purposeful ornamentation.
It was equally important, however, that the new bathroom not become a time capsule of early 20th century American design. It had to reflect Kirsten’s personal style and include the modern conveniences homeowners have come to expect, while also retaining value for decades to come.
As Kirsten is an expert in color and creating sensory experiences, we followed her lead to conceptualize a room that would be beautiful, functional, durable and of lasting quality.
Just as she does with her floral designs, Kirsten created a color palette that would support an atmosphere that is both luxe and natural. Her inspiration included an oil painting of a sunset, a recurring motif in her worldwide travels, from which she extrapolated hues that would create the desired energy and ambiance.
From this master plan, we collaborated on different materials, from lighting to tiles, faucets to overall finishes, to bring the project to life. The vanity and mosaic tile feature wall were selected as the focal point of the room, creating a collage of color and character offset by brushed bronze accents on the medicine cabinets, towel bars, vanity accents and faucets.
Design Construction Concepts reimagined the room’s floor plan to create a more open and functional space, while also providing new storage options. A full-steam shower, freestanding soaking tub and heated floors round out the room, creating a cohesive, relaxing environment that is as functional as it is beautiful.
We not only helped Kirsten bring her vision to life, we did it with the finest, most durable materials, on time and within budget, creating what is now one of the finest rooms in the house.
Stipulated Sum Agreements Make Us the Right Builder for You
Our goal as a design-build firm is to create value for our clients through outstanding service-delivery and building trusted relationships. One of the many ways we achieve our goal is how we structure our contracts. Our clients want to know what they’re paying for, and we are able to clearly spell that out by providing stipulated sum agreements.
What is a Stipulated Sum?
Also referred to as a lump sum contract, a stipulated sum requires a builder to agree to provide specified services for a fixed price based on labor and material costs. The builder is responsible for executing the job properly and will provide its own means and methods to complete the project. Specifically, we use stipulated sum agreements with our multifamily and commercial projects, and they allow us to better define the scope and schedule of projects.
“The Mosaic Construction way is to be a client-first company in which we anticipate needs and focus on relationship-building,” said Singer. “We’ve always led with this approach, and our clients understand the value of that.” – Ira Singer
Why We Use Stipulated Sums
Mosaic Construction uses stipulated sums so that our clients know what they’re getting, and we know exactly what we need to deliver. Our contracts are predictable and easy to manage and benefit our clients in the following ways:
No Hidden Fees
One of Mosaic Construction’s key differentiators is that we never stick our clients with hidden fees, compared to cost-plus-fixed-fee and other contracts. “Our fees are transparent compared to other contractors,” said Ira Singer, Principal of Mosaic Construction on the This is the Real Estate Investing for Cash Flow podcast. “We have no incentive to say, ‘Okay, it’s going to be this much money for cost.’ Stipulated sums are integral in forging trusted relationships with our clients.”
Predictability
Our clients value the predictability of stipulated sum agreements, especially since they reduce risk and give them more confidence. With an agreed upon sum in place, our clients are not liable for any cost overruns. “We formulate construction based on our time and our investment to manage that project and steward it,” added Singer. “Whatever the cost of the project, our timeframe for completion and our fees will remain the same. In this respect, both parties are incentivized to stay on schedule and finish the job on time.”
Better Collaboration
We find that stipulated sum arrangements foster a greater degree of collaboration between Mosaic Construction and our clients. We are able to execute tight project management and more efficient communication to ensure that both parties are adhering to the scope of work. “The Mosaic Construction way is to be a client-first company in which we anticipate needs and focus on relationship-building,” said Singer. “We’ve always led with this approach, and our clients understand the value of that.”
The design-build methodology supports our goal because it allows us to streamline the construction process, which ultimately benefits our clients and our management team. “We view our projects as investments in our clients’ growth and development,” added Singer. “We never think in terms of being one and done; rather, we create an atmosphere where our clients can focus on business development, while we do the best work possible for them.”
