In 1992, a fledgling architectural firm first known as Aldrian Guszkowski was formed. After Chuck Aldrian’s retirement in 1998 and the firm’s move to the Village of Wauwatosa, it was re-branded AG Architecture, reflecting the names of Steve Alexander and Gene Guszkowski. But Gene and Steve first began working together in the 1960’s in an earlier generation of the firm, likewise John Cronin, Cindy Lofy and Tracey Schnick were part of the team prior to the 1992 start date.

So as we begin to celebrate AG’s 25th Anniversary, we want to honor these team members who continue the legacy built beyond the 25 years, generations of a firm that designed innovative multi-family apartments and developed a foothold in the world of retirement communities. While much has changed, AG’s commitment to its clients and providing a high level of service is a constant that will be continued by future generations of the firm.

TRACEY SCHNICK | Principal – Director of Architectural Services (28 years)

Tracey started in the engineering department

  1. What have been the biggest changes in the firm or the industry/project work from then to now?

A big change in our firm and the architecture industry is the number of women. When I started with AG there weren’t many female architects; today the AG team is about 37% women.  We are fortunate to work with many other women in leadership roles both as colleagues and clients.

Another big change is that drawing and lettering used to be an art. You could tell who drew what just by glancing at a sheet! Now drawings are generic within a firm.  And with the implementation of Revit we’re seeing that not only can you not tell the difference between drafters, there is a consistency in drawings from firm to firm. The industry change has also led to a greater level of detail in drawing sets. Computers have certainly affected our drawings in many ways!

  1. What has been a constant with the firm or with the industry/project work from then to now?

A constant in our firm is a commitment to quality service, design and listening to clients’ needs. We have never been an arrogant firm; we aren’t architects who think we know what our clients need better than they do. We believe in collaborating with our clients and working together to develop a design that best suits their specific needs. Likewise, another significant constant is that we have numerous long term clients and development consultants that we have worked with for many years. I believe this is due to the good service we pride ourselves on and our commitment to architecture that meets clients’ needs.

As far as the industry, I think our clients for the most part still ask for the same thing—a building that serves their residents the best. Our clients continue to have a commitment to providing great service to residents, providing them with a high level of care and respect.

JOHN CRONIN | Principal (30 years)

John started as a draftsperson

  1. What have been the biggest changes in the firm or the industry/project work from then to now?

The culture of our project delivery has evolved with time to better serve our clients. In the early days (the late 1980s), we were one big office producing drawings for multiple projects. Today our office is comprised of project teams in order to maintain a level of continuity with the personnel connected to a project. These three studios provide consistency for their respective clients. Since the late 1990s, we have also refined a unique project delivery system that is very conscious about the quality and consistency of information for the building owner. To the benefit of the client, it establishes realistic budgets very early in the project process and allows us to track changes in scope and budget.

  1. What has been a constant with the firm or with the industry/project work from then to now? 

A constant we can be proud of is the longevity of our team members. We have been through a lot over the years, including two periods of economic turbulence, and there are many who have started with us and worked here through the thick and thin. In our industry, this means that AG is not a jumping off point for a career, a position to help get to another organization. AG is place people like to stay and grow. In fact, those who have left have often returned after experiences in other firms. I believe we have a higher retainage percentage than the average firm. We offer a culture where people are comfortable working with each other which is also a strength for the clients. Client projects benefit from the level of knowledge and process experience their team brings to the table. Our long-term clients have a sense of comfort due to their familiarity with a team and that team’s experience with their community, communication style and business objectives.

CINDY LOFY | Principal (33 years)

Cindy started as an assistant bookkeeper

  1. What have been the biggest changes in the firm or the industry/project work from then to now? 

As with all industries, the biggest change is technology. Not only is it about getting up to speed on different tools and platforms, it is the rate of change and the expectations that come along with it. Each year brings something bigger, better and faster. This means that everyone wants information and solutions faster. Clients and team members can e-mail and text and they expect answers within minutes. All of this has impacted how we do business and definitely changed the construction industry. There is a distinct need for a paper trail to verify all correspondence and decisions as with the speed of change has also come the desire to blame or even sue teams when things don’t turn out the way people expected.

  1. What has been a constant with the firm or with the industry/project work from then to now? 

Our service to our clients. We try to give our clients the best service without nickel and diming them far beyond the anticipated project costs. Because of this service we have been able to continue to have a stronghold in the local multi-family market as well as maintain our position as national experts in the design of senior living communities.

STEVE ALEXANDER | Senior Principal (49 years)

Steve started as a draftsperson making $3.25/hour

  1. What have been the biggest changes in the firm or the industry/project work from then to now?

Due to the technological advancements, the complexity of our projects has changed dramatically. There are so many systems now that support building functions and patient care. In years past, we were just dealing with nurse call systems. Likewise, the expectations in finishes, square footages, layouts and amenities have all been elevated. Because of these changes construction is more complex which requires more details in our drawing packages. A drawing set for a full CCRC (over 200,000-sq.ft.) was around 45 architectural sheets in the early days compared to over 124 architectural sheets for a CCRC approximately 380,000-sq.ft.

  1. What has been a constant with the firm or with the industry/project work from then to now?

In the late 1990s we developed a schematic design process to benefit the client that we still use today. While the process has been refined over time, it continues to provide clients with realistic project costs much earlier in the process. This has become a tool that allows AG to bring certainty and predictability to the construction process. This helps AG to continue to achieve the things that have always been most important to us, giving the extra effort to successfully serve the client.

GENE GUSZKOWSKI | Senior Principal (50 years)

Gene started as a print boy – running errands and making blueprints. That’s how he learned his way around Milwaukee

  1. What have been the biggest changes in the firm or the industry/project work from then to now?

The speed and ease of communication, in my opinion is the single biggest change that has transpired across the past 25+ years. Just think, back in 1992 we didn’t have the internet, few people had their own cell phone, and if I’m correct we didn’t even have voicemail! All of which has been both a tremendous advantage and a huge burden simultaneously! It means that our client expectations, in terms of both responsiveness and communication have grown exponentially. Both of which put a real burden on the importance of quick and accurate responses on our part.

As a corollary to that, there is the constantly changing pressures created by the ever sophisticated software used to perform our services. It has created a real conundrum of young interns who are extremely proficient in the use of these dazzling new tools, but not yet experienced enough to truly understand how buildings are actually constructed.

  1. What has been a constant with the firm or with the industry/project work from then to now?

The true constant has been our emphasis on providing dedicated service to our client base.  We have continued to build a long list of long-term relationships with providers around the country. We do so because of our ability to work collaboratively with our client base to provide vision, to build consensus and to bring certainty and predictability to the construction process.

Stay tuned for more AG fun facts as we continue our 25th Anniversary Celebration!