CentrAL INC! | Central Alabama Business Journal November/December 2024 | Page 23

SEAY SEAY & LITCHFIELD ARCHITECTS
DREW HALEY SMITH
Architect
SEAY SEAY & LITCHFIELD ARCHITECTS
Drew Haley Smith is the youngest female licensed architect in the United States . She completed all the requirements at just 23 years old , over six years sooner than the average architect . Smith now works with SS & L Architects , a firm focusing on architecture , interior design , landscape design , environmental design and master planning .
I STAY EXCITED BECAUSE every day is different . Some days , I am at the computer , some days on the jobsite , some days sketching with an intern , and some days working with engineers . My favorite days are client-presentation days because they are the “ climax ” of the design process .
I ’ VE LEARNED THE HARD WAY THAT sometimes the “ perfect ” design in your head isn ’ t always the best solution . Asking for constructive criticism early in the process is key .
THE TOOLS OF OUR TRADE are innovative technologies , such as Revit , Lumion , Matterport , Rhino , AutoCAD and Speclink . These programs help us produce our drawings and specifications . However , at the end of the day , the innovative minds behind these programs are the most important .
OUR CLIENTS DO BUSINESS WITH US BECAUSE we strive to be the path of least resistance for them . Our goal is to provide high-quality designs that are tailored to the needs of the occupants . We enjoy taking a seemingly impossible problem and providing a step-by-step solution .
YOU WOULD NEVER GUESS how much trial and error goes into making a design simple . Jimmy Seay always reminds us that anybody can make things complex , but quality designers make things simple .
WE VALUE developing talented individuals with a passion to serve God and serve our fellow man .
OUR SECRET SAUCE IS our people and our unique firm structure . At SS & L , the project manager always communicates directly with the client . This cuts out any middlemen and gives younger staff accelerated learning / mentoring opportunities . Instead of having separate teams for separate phases of one project , our project managers stay with the project throughout the entire process — from Schematic Design to Final Inspection .
CURRENTLY , WE ARE WORKING ON a variety of project types including the 17 Springs Fieldhouse , Jones Hall at Troy University , Wind Creek State Park Cottages and various projects at Maxwell Air Force Base .
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