As 2022 comes to a close, we often take time to reflect on the year. We thought we’d check in with everyone here at RDS, asking some questions to see what they thought of the year here at work. Some of their responses are below. We encourage you to ask your family and coworkers these questions and enjoy the conversation that ensues.

As we reflect on our year at RDS, we thank all of our clients for their trust in us! We love creating home designs and know that you have choices when it comes to finding the right partner to work with you. Thank you for a busy, interesting, exciting year of design.

Funniest memory from 2022?

Jim—We’re always having a good time, it’s hard to pick just one!

Hylas—The NARI golf outing continues to provide a great networking event for the industry, and time to blow off a little steam. The ‘dress up’ in ladies’ attire for the 10th Hole tee shot is always a favorite. Donning floppy hats and long flowing skirts never looked better!

Jeremy—During one of our Lunch-N-Learns, we had someone shadowing us while he was on summer break. At lunch we were discussing our careers, including where we went to college and what we thought about the schools we attended. Everyone had a good chuckle when we realized living away from our parents was one of the top priorities for selecting our respective universities. In hindsight, I would have preferred to go to OSU rather than OU for undergrad, however, if I did go to OSU, I would have to live with my parents, and that was a non-starter at 18.

Most interesting design from 2022?

Jim—The next one! Each design presents a unique set of challenges to pull together the ideas and pictures the clients have along with the square footage and/or zoning parameters to make everything work well and within budget.

Hylas—What began as a limited kitchen remodel, blossomed into a full house renovation and update for this 1910 original home in the city of Delaware. Stunning and contemporary finishes seamlessly contrast the historic nature of the original house. A new pool, pool house and carriage house rounded out the renovation.

Jeremy—The design that was probably the most interesting for me so far was one where we designed a detached garage using the design elements from the existing mid-century style home. The existing home was designed using a hexagonal module. Essentially, there are no 90-degree corners in the existing house.

Best comment from a client this year?

Jim—Various clients and builders letting me know that they really enjoyed the team member they worked with and that person’s ability to solve their design problem.

Hylas—“Kathleen and I really enjoyed meeting you and felt you truly wanted to find a solution that worked for us. You spent more time talking with us at the house and trying to understand our needs than anyone else we met with.”

What do you like about working at RDS?

Jim—Working with my daughter 😉 and of course the entire team!

Erik—The opportunity to learn something new every day. Lunch & Learns: Construction site visits allow us to see designs come to life.

Hylas—The flexibility and encouragement to grow and develop. The changing nature of each project keeps things interesting and exciting. An owner that values employees as team members and creates the glue that binds us all together.

Jeremy—What I like most about RDS is that Jim, Dominic, and Hylas continue to provide guidance and answer my questions when it comes to designs. It’s nice to actually be learning something and to be gaining more and more confidence in my abilities. Also, instead of just saying this is how things are done, they are open to some of my ideas and ask for my input on certain topics. For instance, we are currently working on a way to make drafting using SoftPlan more efficient for our projects and I feel like that I am able to contribute to making the process better. I also enjoy working here because we are providing a much-needed service given the current world circumstances, especially when it comes to the housing shortage.

Dominic—I like the variety of projects and Jim keeps things moving smoothly.

Lunch and learn trip to visit a project in process!

As 2022 ends and 2023 begins, we’d love the opportunity to work with you, creating the home design you have been waiting for. Contact us here to get 2023 off to a fantastic start!