Commercial design trends nationwide are shifting toward sustainability and wellness-forward concepts, but demand for such projects here is limited by the costs to implement them, says Steve Roth, principal at Architects West Inc.

To help overcome financial constraints, some firms are offering alternative design solutions that can help push projects off the page into reality.

The challenge is engaging building owners with creative design solutions for a final product that incorporates wellness and sustainability in a market where budgets drive the majority of a client's design choices, Roth says.

"We don't have a lot of clients coming to us saying that they want to design for wellness or design for sustainability," he says. "They'll embrace it if there's low or no cost, but if it comes at a premium, they usually decide to not go for those concepts."

The bottom line for project budgets is they aren't keeping pace with skyrocketing construction costs in the last few years, Roth says.

"It's really put a pinch on building owners, and it's very difficult for them ... to afford the same things that they used to be able to afford," he explains.

Despite financial constraints, Architects West is committed to defending modern design principles on behalf of clients whether they're interested in sustainability and wellness or not, Roth says. 

"We are very interested in designing for wellness, for example, so we incorporate that into our design work whenever we can on all project types."

One low-cost option to integrate wellness and sustainability in a project is through natural light.

"(Natural light) is a simple passive strategy that's easy to incorporate and really doesn't cost the client anything, but is of enormous value in virtually every build," he says. 

Also gaining traction with clients is a phased approach to projects, that gives owners a way to plan ahead for what they want to include in the design of their buildings by spreading out costs over time.

Phased approaches work best for clients who, "want the whole thing, but they can afford only a part of it," he says. 

"If they're able to obtain some more funding down the road, they can easily add on, or we can create a shell space in portions of the building that can be finished later," says Roth. "It's a way to get the square footage upfront at a minimal cost, and then as time goes on, finish it out as needed."

Solar energy plans, for example, could work in a phased approach due to the significant up-front costs to purchase and install equipment, he says.

"While (solar energy) is a great concept, it doesn't often get incorporated, so as a compromise ... we install the infrastructure to support future solar panels," he says. "Whatever we can fit into a client's budget that is sustainable we try very hard to do that."

Roth, a 30-year industry professional, says throughout his career, technology and building materials have improved and now offer more options for clients who have come to expect low- or no-cost products that have zero maintenance and long-lasting durability.

"We try to target products with a high content of recycled material in the mix," Roth says of the improved building materials. "There are quite a bit of cost savings for an owner operating their building with some of the new systems that are available." 

LED lighting, improved flooring options, and upgraded exterior cladding products are the types of targeted products the company uses to help owners achieve their design vision and align with sustainable and wellness design principles at Architects West.

"Carpet is a big one as most carpet manufacturers these days will use some measure of recycled materials to make their product," he says. "We can specify low volatile organic compounds in concrete mixes. Whatever look we may be going for, there are now multiple options to achieve those looks."

Roth declines to disclose Architect West's annual revenue. 

To maintain steady year-over-year revenue and employee growth at Architects West, Roth says the company plans to continue investing in its staff and is working to secure a third consecutive Best Places to Work award.

Later this year, the company plans to form an artificial intelligence task force to better understand how to leverage the technology for upcoming projects as well.

"This is a profession of understanding people. We work with each client to help them see clearly what it is that they need," Roth says. "The drawings and the buildings are the results of someone's dream and vision or need and our job is to understand that ... and try to help that person achieve it in the best possible way and in the best possible form."

Recently completed and ongoing projects the company has designed include the Cornerstone mixed-use building in Coeur d'Alene, high school improvements in Ione, Oregon, and the Martin Luther King Community Center in Pasco, Washington, in addition to shopping centers, car dealerships, and financial centers in the region and around the globe.

Architects West is a 50-year-old employee-owned company that provides architectural services, landscape architects, and interior design services. The company has 32 total employees who work in two offices in Coeur d'Alene and Spokane.