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AEC Firms Struggling to Stand-Out in Over Saturated CO Market

The_Unfound_Door_Saunders Construction
Saunders Construction (Photo: The Unfound Door)

Denver, CO —  Amidst the current Colorado construction boom, architecture/engineering/construction (AEC) firms struggle to keep pace in their marketing efforts with the current development. According to the Downtown Denver Partnership’s 2016 State of Downtown Denver Report, there is $2.5 billion of investment under construction or planned for Downtown Denver, on top of more than $634 million of investment in 2015 that included 15 projects. In order to stand out amidst the competition and acquire a stake in these investment opportunities, firms need to find a means to capitalize on how they market their current projects.

Unfound_Door_Group_14One method includes shifting towards a more creative content marketing strategy. In a technology-driven era, still photography of building projects is no longer a viable means of marketing. Just as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and 3 & 4-D modeling has revolutionized how buildings are designed and built, video technology, drones and a demand for engaging imagery has changed how buildings are documented and marketed.

In order to meet the needs of the thriving development in Colorado and emerging market trends, Ely Hemnes opened The Unfound Door. This creative consulting agency specializes in photography, videography and creative content branding for AEC firms. “Traditional architectural photography with still images and proprietary limitations no longer serves market needs. Experiential and project lifestyle photography with a combination of candid and static photos along with videography documentation allow owners and developers to really experience a project,” commented Ms. Hemnes, CEO and Founder of The Unfound Door.

Ms. Hemnes approaches creative content marketing much like the pre-construction process, where pre-planning helps all parties involved to be clear on project goals and ensure projects are delivered on-time and on-budget. Ms. Hemnes serves as a creative resource manager on the front-end of projects, a producer on-site during projects and a quality assurance manager on the back-end. Her team engages AEC firms in a comprehensive pre-planning process to clearly communicate and explore their creative vision. Once goals and priorities have been established, Ms. Hemnes is able to match her team’s creative resources based on the particular project needs. On-site at photography and videography shoots, Ms. Hemnes takes on a producer role, ensuring all angles and shots are captured, with the ability to provide additional creative input. Post production activities include a quality assurance procedure to ensure the vision of a project is met, necessary changes are made and that the project is delivered on-time and on-budget.

Experiential photography and videography are an achievable means for Colorado AEC firms to effectively market their current projects and position themselves to be awarded new projects in this competitive construction marketplace.

Images photographed by and courtesy of The Unfound Door

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