At AMDG Architects, we are driven to improve—continually growing, learning, and refining our craft. Recently, a group of our team members had the opportunity to step away from the office and into the reality of construction, visiting an active job site for a project we designed. This experience was more than just a field trip; it was a hands-on learning opportunity, aligning with our commitment to mentoring, professional development, and collaboration.
The project—a 32,000-square-foot classroom and gymnasium addition at St. Robert Catholic Parish & School in Ada, MI—is one that is particularly meaningful to us. As a repeat client, we first worked with St. Robert in 2018 on renovations to the school’s entryway. Now, we are honored to help them expand their facilities to serve Pre-K through 8th-grade students, as well as a variety of faith formation programs and parish events.
This site visit, organized and led by John Vandercar, Architectural Designer, and supported by Bill Hladio, Senior Project Architect, allowed our team to gain a deeper understanding of how their designs come to life, seeing firsthand the engineering systems, material applications, and construction processes that shape a building. More than that, they saw how the collaboration between architects, engineers, and builders ensures the design vision is executed with precision.
A huge thank you to First Companies for welcoming us onto the job site. Special appreciation to Dillon Love (Site Superintendent) for investing his time and imparting his expertise. Our team greatly values the full-spectrum collaboration we have experienced with Dillon and the other First Companies team members – Josh Reynolds (Project Manager) and Keith Miller (Project Superintendent).
Reflections from our team:
🔹 Irene: “ As a young designer, site walks help in bridging the gap between understanding what you drew and its constructability. It reveals the weight of intentional design; someone is going to put in the labor to construct every line you draw, so your design has to be buildable, and it has to make sense. It is deeply humbling and makes you have a lot of respect for construction managers and skilled workers in the field.”
🔹 Mackenzie: “It was great to understand the process more and see all the work being done.”
🔹 Brendan: “It was nice to see our work on the computer being built!”
🔹 Alex: “The site walk was a great learning experience. Seeing the level of detail and coordination required on-site gave me a new appreciation for the work we do in the office.”
At AMDG, we believe the best design happens when we understand not only the why but also the how. Experiences like this reinforce our culture of continuous learning, ensuring that our team is always improving—for the benefit of our clients, our partners, and the built environments we create together.
