The Collaboration War Chest: How Networks Drive Innovation

In the life cycle of buildings, people come together to collaborate. At times, there is alignment of interest and enduring trust is built. We spoke with two people who are currently working together on a residential project in Westchester, New York.

John Patrick Winberry is a principal at the Up Studio, an architectural design practice based in Long Island City, and Brian Hyla is the owner of APEX Construction.

Let’s call it what is. We’re building a friendship. I know that if I’m ever in a pinch, I can call on any one of those relationships, and say, “Hey, can you help me out with this?” So I strive to have that war chest of collaborators, because our industry is so small.

–Brian Hyla

The built environment is littered with compromise. Every step of the way. It’s, oh, this eight inch plank isn’t available. It’s got to be seven and a quarter, okay? But what does that mean to the kind of the jointing as it hits that threshold? And it’s just that constant compromising that’s happening. Collaborating with somebody that can have that give and take, is what we’re finding to be the most successful for us in our built work.

–John Patrick Winberry

What I don’t think this industry really pushes home is the sheer amount of time and effort it takes to put projects together. It’s a builder’s fault too, because we’re trying to cater to the client, and our biggest drive is to get that project done in a time frame that works.

–Brian Hyla

We have so many design tools that are radically improving what we can deliver for our clients, but I still think there’s a disconnect in construction. Being able to replicate the virtual models with 3D printing, that’s really interesting to me. A lot of the time people will tell us, I don’t think I can build that. That actually might be going away pretty soon. 

–John Patrick Winberry