Today we’d like to introduce you to Austin Wilson.
Austin, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My story started when I finished Graduate School in 2011 with a Masters in Architecture and a Certificate in Urban and Community Studies from Texas Tech at a program in Houston, TX. During the final semester, in 2010, I began an internship/practicum with Curtis & Windham Architects, located in Montrose. They are High-End Classical and Traditional Architecture Firm and one of the leading firms in the nation. (which was completely opposite from what I studied in university) From that point forward, plus the exposure from the numerous trips abroad to Great Britain, Netherlands, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy and more, I knew that the architecture I grew up understanding and loving was no longer in the forefront. To have the ability to understand how other countries build and design based on traditional and classical principles while applying them to create beautiful structures was now my passion.
I spent nearly seven years with Curtis & Windham Architects, serving in several roles such as drafter, presentations, media editing and mostly as a project manager, being responsible for producing the drawings for elegant architecture, designing small items within the projects and visiting the job site to manage the construction progress. Even though I did not have the formal training like the designers in the office, I was always working in tandem and asking questions to understand why they made certain decisions. It was in this office where the partners introduced me to the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art, a “national nonprofit membership organization committed to promoting and preserving the practice, understanding, and appreciation of classical design.”
At the time, I was only assisting the steering committee in producing events and spreading the mission, now I am Chapter Coordinator for Houston and create the events while developing ideas to expand the Institute. By combining the education I received from Curtis & Windham and the ICAA, I believed it was time to look for a new path to expand my knowledge and become a better designer and practitioner. I knew that residential design was my future, but I needed to be exposed to it at a faster pace in order to be the designer I wanted to be.
During my time at Curtis & Windham, I began to invest in real estate with my in-laws around April of 2015. We quickly found that there can be a business built around the concept and formed a company. Doing this on the side while contributing to my day job was proving to be exhausting and slow even though we invested in formal training and classes to help with the systems. In 2017, I was given an opportunity to enter the real estate investing market full time in order to advance the company at a faster pace. Little did I know that this would be the match to ignite the entrepreneur in me.
At a company meeting with my business partner and Father-in-law, Martin Fingerhut, we were discussing the future of the real estate company and introducing new ideas for cash flow. The conversation leads to finding ways to expedite the estimate process for renovations when we stumbled across the idea of having As Built drawings (drawings of the existing building) to make more accurate pricing documents for lenders. That’s when I had the idea to build a business around the concept of As Builts and applying it as a service to the real estate investing market.
After several meetings with Martin, and my wife Laurel, we discussed our research findings and decided to the best way for success in this new business was to not limit it to one path but to open it to Architects, Designers, Contractors, etc. Being from this market previously, I had all the contacts to get back in with the high-end market of Houston. At the Starbucks on Marina Bay Drive in League City is where Accurate As Builts was created.
Martin and I knew that the company needed to stand out from any competition. Martin, coming from a background in Oil and Gas Pipeline inspection, came up with the idea of using technology to scan properties in order to gather accurate dimensional data for creating drawings. I took the concept and ran with it. After spending a week researching, we both came back to that Starbucks with the idea of using mobile LiDAR technology.
Fast forward two months and we have acquired the hardware, software and developed the systems needed to provide a productized service to Architects, Designers, Contractors, Real Estate Investors, and Home Owners. By utilizing my contacts from the early days at Curtis & Windham and the ICAA, in addition to the Real Estate Investing Network, Accurate As Builts is growing rapidly and continuing to help designers build a better tomorrow.
Has it been a smooth road?
There are always challenges and obstacles in business. Especially when your creating companies at the age of 28 and 30 with little startup funds, transactions that require high capital, a network of relationships to be created/revived all while starting a family (two daughters now).
One of the continuous major obstacles is my love of architectural design, how I am not utilizing it as originally intended and its constant battle with the entrepreneur in me. I believe that creating these businesses with my family and running them on the day to day allows me to continue my training in becoming a better architect and designer.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
My business is Accurate As Builts.
Our company is broken down into two groups. 1) The survey team will scan your entire property in minutes using state-of-the-art hardware and software. The best part, we do not have to go back! 2) We process the data in office and provide you a clean. DWG file for your use.
We specialize in high-end residential projects for architects, designers, contractors, and homeowners. The real estate investing market doesn’t have the same interest, so we are not pursuing at this time.
In order to make it as simple as possible, we productized our service by making common drawings priced per square foot as product levels. This allows the designer or homeowner to understand the cost based on a firm fixture. We also offer several items that can be added in order to customize the service per project because they all have different needs.
We are known for quality and accuracy in our final product which allows the client to do what they do best and leaving this part of their workflow to Accurate As Builts. We can provide high-quality service with less visits to the site, typically faster turn-around, and cheaper than what the architect will charge to do it themselves all without sacrificing quality and accuracy.
I am most proud of the systems we have set in place and the response we have gained from our demonstrations. A frequent comment we receive is “I will never do my own As Builts again.”
What sets us apart from others is the utilization of leading-edge technology and our experience in the field of High-end construction. The application of LiDAR and Laser Measurers with appropriate software enables us to be accurate and fast. Our experience in the field of construction allows us to make better decisions in identifying solutions while navigating the raw data.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Houston is a great city to start a business. It is large and full of possibilities. Especially in my case, the network for high end residential and commercial architecture is vast, and I was already exposed to it.
If someone was just starting out in Houston and wanting to start their own business, I would recommend getting involved in as many networking groups as possible and attending all their events. Exposure in these groups is the fastest way to meet people get projects.
Pricing:
- Floor Plans $0.40/SF
- Floor Plans, Roof Plan, Elevations, Lighting and Electrical: $0.50/SF
Contact Info:
- Website: www.accurateasbuilts.com
- Phone: 832.900.0240
- Email: austinw@accurateasbuilts.com
- Instagram: #accurate.as.builts
- Facebook: @accurateasbuilts
- Other: https://www.houzz.com/pro/austin-wilson-aab/accurate-as-builts
Image Credit:
Austin Wilson, Andre DeJean, Brian Davis
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
