All posts by : Nicole Horton

Having an up-to-date AV system is essential to your business’s long-term success. Discover when and why you should modernize your business’s AV system.

Designers, leaders and even inclusive design advocates often ask, “How do we balance everyone’s needs when they are very different?” Or, “Who do we listen to when there are competing needs?” These questions come up often because what might support an equitable experience for one group, may also create challenges for another.

Adding new furniture is a great way to refresh your firm, but you may wonder about the schedule. Learn how long it takes to procure commercial office furniture.

In the fast-paced world of modern business, seamless and efficient communication is crucial for success. As technology continues to evolve, businesses increasingly rely on a robust and organized network infrastructure to support their operations. One integral component of this infrastructure is structured cabling, a standardized approach to organizing and managing the intricate web of cables that connect various devices and systems within an organization. When approaching your company’s structured cabling needs, make sure to focus these five things:

1. Scalability

For when your business experiences growth and changes in your technology needs.

2. Reliability + Performance:

A well-designed system helps minimizes signal interference, reduce downtime, and ensure consistent high-speed connectivity.

3. Simplified Troubleshooting

This makes it easier for IT professionals to identify and address problems quickly, minimizing disruptions to business operations.

4. Cost-Effective

Investing in a quality system lowers costs over time with ease of maintenance, scalability, and reduced downtime.

5. Adaptability to Technology Changes

Structured cabling ensures that businesses can integrate the latest technologies and upgrades without the need for extensive rewiring, providing a future-proof solution.

Create Spaces provides structured cabling services. Contact us for help with your system today!

Receive our Newsletter 

To receive our newsletter, including new editions of spaces and other digital content, fill out the form:

Explore the advantages and disadvantages of open office layouts to help you decide if they are the right choice for your own business environment.

In the basement of the BRS Architects office, there is a wall of tightly wound plan sets. They are set stacked atop each other with small tags dangling from the ends delineating which project they contain. A good eight feet tall, these stacks of plans represent only a portion of the projects the company has participated in over the last 50 years. It is an architecture firm’s legacy in plain view if there ever was one. The projects within these pages span everything from commercial and community spaces to retail and government buildings and celebrate 50 years of business. BRS Architects principals Andrew Davis, Trent Koci, Joe Thompson, and Mark Anderson share the story.

As with any good story, you must start at the beginning. In 1974 Billy Ray Strite started an architecture firm in what used to be a turkey coop. He and partner Clinton Yaka cleaned out the old coop, put in a wood stove for heat, and got to work. What began as a small firm between two men in Idaho would grow to a seventeen-person operation covering the western United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. During that time, the firm collected what it regards as family members rather than employees. Principal Trent Koci has personally been with BRS for 37 years; having started there in high school. Many others have made the firm their home and plan to remain for the long haul. 

During the last 50 years, the principals reflected on some of their favorite projects including the JA & Kathryn Albertson Foundation Building, the Arid Club, Barbacoa, and numerous TIs in the 11th & Idaho building to name a few. Each of these buildings has brought something unique to Boise. 

As to projects that currently excite the principals, there are many. Joe Thompson has enjoyed working on the Children’s Museum addition in Meridian because it is so community-focused. Andrew Davis is working on an exciting restaurant in Star that will have multiple different dining and bar experiences in one location. Trent Koci shares how fulfilling it has been to see Spitfire Tacos open for business in Eagle as it took years in the making. Finally, Mark Anderson highlights Stuerman’s Wine and Cigar in Eagle as his recent favorite project to work on. 

Such a diverse group of projects gives a glimpse into how BRS Architects has remained successful over the last half-century. “No project is too small,” says Joe Thompson. “We take very diverse projects from retail and multifamily to government and industrial. I think that diversity is what has helped us maintain the company for so long. We can do a large BSU project or a small restroom remodel if that’s what the client needs.”

Our tagline is ‘Ideas. Advice. Solutions.’ and we take a lot of pride in that. We provide the best advice we can and implement the client’s decisions to ensure their building works for them.

Andrew Davis | BRS Principal & Owner

As to how they approach these different projects, Andrew Davis shares their philosophy. “Our tagline is ‘Ideas. Advice. Solutions.’ and we take a lot of pride in that. We provide the best advice we can and implement the client’s decisions to ensure their building works for them. Whether they follow our advice or not, we want to help them move forward and ultimately provide solutions that leave them with a successful project.” How they approach each project can vary greatly, so BRS pivots when necessary. Based on the client’s experience with building and designing, they will offer a different level of involvement. Ultimately, they determine their client’s needs and tailor their services to fit those needs.

Part of their recipe for success is their team approach. No matter the project type, their approach is to look at it as the owner, the contractor, and the design team in addition to officially being on the architect and engineering side. They collaborate with multiple teams to find solutions that will lead them to a successful project.

And how do they measure success? With repeat business of course! BRS has extremely loyal clients who don’t want to work with anyone else. That is a major reason they have expanded their licensure into so many states. BRS will begin a project in Idaho and then have the client bring them in on an out-of-state project. The same is true in the Boise market. “A relative of mine works at TOK,” says Thompson, “and he says that when digging through the various buildings they manage, it seems like every other one is a BRS drawing.” You just can’t fake that kind of quality.

While there is no question BRS Architects has had a significant impact on the Treasure Valley, what they will do in the next 50 years is yet to be seen. Whatever the future holds, you can be certain that they will continue to tackle diverse projects. After all, no project is too small for some big ideas, great advice, and ingenious solutions from the BRS team.

Receive our Newsletter 

To receive our newsletter, including new editions of spaces and other digital content, fill out the form:

Explore the revolution of small meetings with huddle room AV solutions, maximizing efficiency, collaboration, and communication in modern offices.

How do you decommission 190,000 square feet of office space under a time constraint and move into a new building without disrupting work efficiency? A lot of planning and teamwork.   

When POWER Engineers started designing their new building in Meridian, their Operations Facilities team began the gargantuan task of planning for moving personnel and equipment. Their mission was to move employees from their 120,000 square foot Cedar Point office into their 70,000 square foot Diamond Point office, then into their brand-new building over roughly six months. On top of that, they needed to decommission their old furniture as sustainably as possible. So, they decided to divide and conquer. While POWER focused on moving its people, Create Spaces searched for ways to decommission the furniture responsibly.  

Operations Facilities Regional Manager Rob Womble and his team spent countless hours talking with POWER managers to determine which groups needed space in the smaller Diamond Point office. Those who could work from home did so. The others worked from hotelling stations and temporary seats the Facilities team prepared for them.   

Once the contractor completed a few floors of the new building, Rob’s team started moving employees. “We moved in over a three-month period in three phases. In the first phase we received the second and third floors. Next, we got the fourth, and finally the fifth. It was a slow progression.” Like they did between their old offices, they created spaces for employees to work if their floor wasn’t ready yet.   

“This move was the largest undertaking our team has ever done. I was pleasantly surprised at how smooth it went. Ultimately, there was a lot of planning and valuable input from my team. I’m extremely proud of everybody, not just the core team, but the outer teams all the way down to the individual employees.”  

Rob Womble

As the POWER Facilities team cared for their people, the Create Spaces team identified buyers, recyclers, and non-profits to take 87% of the furniture left behind. In the end, POWER implemented a sustainable decommissioning of their buildings and helped support twenty local businesses and non-profits. One such organization close to Rob’s heart was the Idaho Food Bank. “POWER has supported the food bank throughout the years. I think they’re a great organization and was happy to support them in this way.”  

POWER Engineer’s purpose is “Do Good, Have Fun, Build Success.” Through extensive planning and prioritizing sustainability, POWER Engineers successfully moved their team and lived their values.  They are an inspiring example of how to take a complicated situation, have some fun solving problems, do good in their community, and build success for themselves and others around them. 

POWER Engineers helped support 20 local non-profits, organizations, and businesses:

Receive our Newsletter 

To receive our newsletter, including new editions of spaces and other digital content, fill out the form:

Choosing the right commercial AV system is vital. Here are three questions to ask to ensure you make an informed decision that meets your business needs.

Discover how investing in quality office furniture can boost productivity, enhance employee well-being, and form a creative commercial environment.