Q&A with Tyrone Yang and Brian Salazar
Tyrone and Brian, why did you decide to team up to form E+AH?
TY: I think our collaboration has been an evolving process, incremental steps, rather than a single decision. We have been collaborating for a few years now, working together on proposals, project work, and presentations to architects and owners about healthy buildings. We could benefit by teaming up to combine our strengths.
BS: First, I enjoy working with Tyrone. We have many complementary skills and both exhibit a willingness to learn from the other. These are valuable qualities in any long-term relationship. A formal partnership makes sense because of the way sustainability and wellness are intertwined. We have more ability to breathe through as thought leaders in this industry if we team together.
What is the most rewarding part of your work?
TY: That’s a hard question! There are a lot of fun parts to the work. The constant learning and constant challenge of growing a business are certainly very engaging. Maybe the most rewarding part is working with Brian and our other colleagues, and improving myself from seeing how they do things differently.
BS: Selfishly, I enjoy driving by buildings/projects and saying to myself, “I helped make that.” I also reflect on how the process we go through with our clients helps make their spaces better. We push for transparency throughout the design process. I think in the end this gives our clients and their constituents the security of knowing that their space was not haphazardly slapped together, but that every detail was considered and documented. I think this is truly important.
Have expectations changed surrounding healthy buildings pre- and post- COVID times?
TY: Definitely, yes. We’re seeing increased demand for healthy building certifications, but we’re also seeing awareness of these issues with the general public—the people who use buildings daily—not just with architects, scientists and experts. For instance, there was an article in the New York Times recently talking about how parents are putting CO2 sensors on their kids’ backpacks to monitor whether air quality at their schools is adequate.
BS: Yes! There is an expectation at the end-user level that companies are doing absolutely everything they can to make office spaces habitable and safe again. Now, I think building owners are willing to spend a little more in the short-term to ensure tenants return to work again! If that means changing air filters more frequently than normal, then so be it. I also think that building owners and CRE managers are looking for some level of consistency in their approach. Programs like WELL and Fitwel give our industry something to rely on in terms of practical, measured consistency in our approach. These programs also allow for, and encourage, design flexibility and creativity. That’s why we align with these programs to help others in our industry navigate through all of the raw data out there and distill that information into real on-the-ground strategies.
What challenges do architectural consultants face today? How do you approach those challenges?
TY: Consulting is fundamentally a relationship business, so, to borrow an old adage, if you’re going to grow this kind of business, people need to “know, like and trust” you. Although I’m an introvert and I like to have my quiet thinking time, I also like getting to know people at a deeper level and develop the kinds of working and personal relationships that come from connecting and working with people over a period of years.
BS: I think just like any consulting position, there are two value propositions that need to be explained to the client simultaneously: 1) the value of the program or analysis that is being considered and 2) the value added by the consultant in question. Finding ways to differentiate ourselves from our competition is an ever-increasing challenge, but I think we have faced it head-on with this partnership. We have expanded our service offerings in an effort to create a real platform for growth. After having run Entegra independently for 14 years, it’s refreshing to have a colleague to rely on, to provide critical feedback, and whom I know is an absolute expert in his field of study. Having that level of confidence in our own team makes it easy to extol the virtues of our skill sets to clients, and I think that gives us a winning edge.
What perspective can you provide clients with WELL and LEED certification?
TY: I think one unique perspective that we contribute is our deep understanding of how buildings and projects impact the people who use them. I’m a licensed architect, but I also have a Ph.D. in research psychology, so I like to understand the research around how buildings can impact people’s health. In a similar way, Brian has had an established career consulting on health and sustainability, and some of his work has included community engagement in the design process — giving voice to people who may be impacted by projects, informing them, but also helping to show including their perspectives could make the project better and the process smoother.
BS: Given my background in design and project management, I think some of my experiences resonate with clients a little differently than many traditional “engineering-based” sustainability or wellness consultants. I treat every build-out as if I were the project manager or developer. Because I know what speed bumps they will likely experience on any given day, I know when to push a certain initiative or ease off the gas a little. We work very hard to understand their pain points, because we have lived them!