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Ben Bronow, VPFor owners, developers, and public-sector stakeholders accountable for project outcomes, responsibility in architecture and engineering determines where risk ultimately sits. When projects become complex, that responsibility shows up in how teams communicate, follow through, and advocate on the client’s behalf. When ownership is clear, accountability stays concentrated, and decisions move faster. When it isn’t, coordination fragments, intent gets repeated across specialists, and approvals stall between building departments and partners.
RPM Team operates on the principle that ownership of intent, coordination, and momentum must rest with a single accountable party. As a project-manager-led architecture and engineering program management company, it centralizes communication so client intent is captured clearly and translated consistently across architecture, structural, electrical, mechanical, life safety, and other project requirements. With responsibility held in one place, projects move forward without requiring clients to manage coordination, repeat intent, or chase updates.
“Collaboration is a baseline in this industry. What matters is how clients experience those interactions—whether conversations feel frustrating or genuinely productive and enjoyable. That experience has a direct impact on how a project unfolds,” says David Renard, president.
How does RPM Team manage design changes without losing momentum?
That structure also shapes how RPM Team handles change. Since coordination and communication are centralized, design intent can evolve without creating friction or defensiveness. The team approaches midstream changes with patience and calm, treating them as part of the work rather than disruptions, and recognizing that projects rarely move in a straight line.
What role does advocacy play during regulatory review processes?
RPM Team routinely works across planning & building departments, fire departments, public works agencies, and contractor teams, where requirements can pressure designs toward compromise. During code scrutiny, rather than treating regulatory feedback as a hard stop, the team explores alternatives that preserve intent while remaining compliant.
The principle is visible in a mezzanine project for the Blue Man Group. RPM Team identified a code-compliant path that preserved the space's ability to function as a technical production area supporting lighting and show systems. Reviewers initially required the mezzanine to be fully enclosed in fire-rated walls and ceilings. By applying an alternate code section more aligned with technical production use, the team allowed the mezzanine to remain open and functional while still meeting code requirements. The outcome reflected RPM Team’s role as an advocate during review, not merely a coordinator reacting to feedback.
How does internal culture support consistent project execution?
Internally, RPM Team credits its execution to a culture built on long-standing relationships and a low-politics environment. That stability allows teams to step in seamlessly, maintain continuity, and respond consistently when projects face pressure. Internal meetings reinforce this discipline by keeping teams aligned and ensuring challenges are absorbed internally rather than carried into client-facing work.
Looking ahead, RPM Team is focused on adopting new construction technology, particularly prefab, panelized, modular, and pre-engineered building systems. In applicable project types, it evaluates modular and pre-engineered approaches to improve cost efficiency and schedule performance compared to traditional delivery methods. The long-term vision is to operate as a design studio supporting manufacturers developing these systems while helping owners achieve more with the same budget.
RPM Team centers its work on responsibility, maintaining ownership of intent and coordination from design through review. This approach provides clients with continuity and a consistent path to project completion.