Nothing like this great social experiment that we call the United States of America has ever happened before in the history of the world. This greatest of countries was conceived on a set of principles, and founded by men and women of great integrity.

Throughout my life I’ve tried to emulate the Founding Fathers, and model the sense of integrity they possessed. These were leaders that inspired confidence and trust. They were honest and forthcoming. They held firm in their belief that they were part of something that was bigger than themselves. They were not motivated by mere self-interest.

I am not motivated solely by money. Instead, I am interested in creating value for our clients that is commensurate with the compensation that we receive. The end product is always high quality, and essential details are given proper attention, because what we design is important. I am motivated to create enduring, safe, effective and productive control buildings, so that the industries we support continue to thrive, and this country can continue to flourish.

Petroleum, coal, oil, mining, transportation, utilities—these industries are the backbone of our country’s economy. Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution they have elevated the standard of living for millions of people. So we are dealing not just with the livelihood or safety of the operators. If the industries were to become dysfunctional, everyone in America would be affected.

One of the reasons BAW Architecture has been in business for 30 years working with the top-level players in these industries can be boiled down to one simple phrase: I’ve got your back.

You can trust that BAW will do whatever it takes to get it right. And that means get it right the first time. That does not mean over-design. That does not mean delivering something elaborate. And it does not mean expensive. It means we design with your long-term best interest in mind, and execute at the most minute level of detail to ensure unsurpassed quality. As though the control building were our own. Because in a way, it is.

I really believe there is a market for people like us, because I know there are others out there who think the same way, who value the BAW way of doing business. We are looking for the right kind of people to work with. We won’t create a faceless, soulless bunker—not for all the money in the world—because we employ best practices, and ensure quality of life for your operators. It’s not only the right thing to do, it also pays off for you in the long term. Our clientele value that commitment. We want to collaborate with—and are reaching out to—people who share our values.

One thing I am not looking for is accolades. It’s not the kind of business where you get a lot of pats on the back. We design control buildings for industries dealing with heat, pressure and flow. So it’s not exactly Frank Lloyd Wright, and we aren’t submitting designs to competitions. In fact the best thing that can happen to us is, when a project is completed, the people on the client side were so engaged, and the design exceeded expectations so well, that they sing the praises of the building, and take credit for it in a way, almost like they designed it themselves.

True satisfaction comes for us when the building instills such a sense of pride that everyone wants to work there.

This is a tremendously challenging industry. The stakes are very high. When we step in we offer the necessary knowledge and expertise to get the project done, but also the endurance and tenacity to withstand the pressure cooker. Above all, we create a sense of trust among all involved, because without trust you have nothing in the end.

It’s a battle of sorts, but it’s one that’s inspiring to fight, because the principles of the Founding Fathers get to inform our work every day. When BAW expresses integrity, we become part of the story of this country as the Founding Fathers would have it written. And that is an immense privilege.

 

Brad Adams Walker
Architect, President and Founding Principal
BAW Architecture