FLOW DESIGN ARCHITECTS
About
At Flow, we believe in making people's lives better, easier & simpler. We believe architecture and design can do that and in doing so make a better world.
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
Flow Design has a 4 step process used for every single project. Prior to that design process first we do a consultation. A consultation will help us and the client understand the timeline, scope and budget for the job. After a proposal/contract is drafted and approved, the four step process begins. 1. Define 2. Envision 3.Design 4. Document. For more information email us and we will share a sample document we use to explain our work.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
We are licensed architects in MA, ME, NH & FL. We have graduates with Magna and Summa Cum Laude degrees in architecture from the Boston Architectural College. We are also a Minority Business Enterprise with architects and designers from over 7 countries representing the most diverse architectural office we know of.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your services? If so, please share the details here.
We have three levels of services, Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. We explain them in our intro document. For more information emails us at [email protected] or [email protected]
How did you get started in this business?
Back in 2008 Darguin Fortuna and Marcos Severino begun their architectural training at the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo. In 2009 and 2010 both of them came to Boston and continue developing their skills in architecture. They both set out to create a diverse architectural practice that represented them as unique minorities and empowered young talent from diverse backgrounds to thrive and grow as indivuals and as designers. Clients from a diverse range of places come to flow for such rich background of design ideas and design repertouir.
What types of customers have you worked with?
Private home owners, developers, hospitals, and owners of startups in a diverse range of markets and fields.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
SALEM, MA, June 28th, 2019 – During the last several months, I have been involved in several events regarded as the top of our industry in architecture and design. The NCARB summit in Atlanta and the 2019 AIA Conference in Las Vegas are some of them that come to mind. During these events I became aware of the self-evident and almost laughable lack of diversity among the top representatives, board of directors and general audience present.
The laughable part is that almost in all of the events I attended, CEOs and board members themselves acknowledge the issue. AIA 2019 President, William J. Bates, although a minority himself, mentioned such issue in a very provocative way. A similar conversation took place with NCARB’s CEO Michael J. Armstrong during the NCARB summit last year.
I acknowledge and give credit to the mere fact that the community is aware of the problem at hand. It has taken decades to get to this place, a place where we can openly say there is an issue when looking at the board of director’s photos and such. Now what? Are we stopping here?
Since non minority architects and designers are acknowledging the problem, I thought it made sense for a minority architect to take the ball closer to touch down. We have learned that the decision to become a designer, architect or engineer takes begins to emerge very early in once life; almost too early to be fostered and fueled at times. This is why, when middle school art teacher Michael Eder of the Boston Collegiate Charter School in Dorchester, MA contacted me regarding his desires to have an architect teach young middle school and high school students about architecture, I was thrilled.
The look in their eyes was remarkable. Their faces alone described what perhaps their thoughts were. “I can relate to him. He looks like me, was raised like me and he is an architect.”
In May, 2019, I also became involved with a rather appealing opportunity to bring architecture to my now home town of Salem, MA. IM|MIGRATION, took place in the Point Neighborhood were I had the chance to work with community officials and change makers such as artist Stephanie Benenson, NSCDC CEO, Mickey Northcutt and others. This event had an architectural minority team representation that cared. We were more interested in chatting with young adults than anyone else. They played with our models and asked us about architecture and design. Most of them, had never met an architect at all. Now because of us, they had and we looked like them and lived in the neighborhood. This is us becoming the change we seek.
Every semester I get an email from the Boston Architectural College asking if I want to continue to teach and to do portfolio reviews and such. Often, my answer might be the first one they get; A bold YES.
Why? Well, maybe I am tired of the sameness we see in our built environment. Maybe as the owner of Flow Design Architects, I pursue and desire such diversity around me. Maybe I know there is power in diversity. Maybe I think we have had it. At last, I personally just want to help others who have very little chances and opportunities or simply can’t find them.
I think the AEC industry has had a hard time finding us. They have their reasons. We need to find ourselves and help each other. We need to be bold, loud and be present.
Flow Design is a visual, art and space design studio serving public and private clients. The studio is rooted in creative and innovative ideas that can solve some of today’s challenges regarding space, art, form and culture while merging the lines between architecture and art. Darguin Fortuna and Marcos Severino both founders of Flow are from the Dominican Republic where they initiated their education in architecture. They both hold a Bachelors of Architecture NAAB Accredited Professional Degrees from the Boston Architectural College and have over 10 years of educational and professional experience in the creative industry of design.
“For more information about our services, contact Darguin Fortuna at 978-818-5109 or [email protected]”
What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a pro in your area of expertise?
SALEM, MA, August 27th, 2019 – During my over 10 years in the field of architecture and design I have come to find myself competing with other professionals almost every single day. These at times tough qualification wars have lead me to some degree of frustration. Why? Well I barely compete for something I myself would not hire me and my team for. I have very high standards and expectations of everyone I work with and even the architects I admire or have admired over the years barely make that cut. Client’s often times do not know what those qualifications are or should be because for the most part they are not in the industry. They cannot compare apples to apples and services. They see all the proposals and can only quantify or qualify one thing, price.
Price is perhaps the worse qualifier of an architect or firm. Price alone does not cut it. This is why I have begun to draft a short checklist (in progress) to help potential clients and the general public understand what architects do, can do and should be able to do and what that entails.
General Architect Selection Guidelines:
o Are they licensed in your State?
o Are they insured?
o Do they have an office and staff members or is it a one man operation from their home office?
o Are they experts in my project type (specialists or generalists)?
o Who are the team members I will work with and their qualifications?
o Does the firm have a process and workflow to educate me and ensure quality and efficiency?
o Is the firm on top of trends and advances in technology?
o Does the firm have references they can provide?
o How long has the firm been in business and/or their team in the industry?
o What are their values and mission and do they resonate with me?
o How responsive and prepared is the team?
o Can I trust them?
o Will I like working with them?
o Are they passionate about their work and eager to share?
o Do they value craft, design, and research?
o Are they versatile and have a rich architectural repertoire where all projects are rich in their own unique ways?
o Is the architect familiar with the permitting and construction process?
o Is the architect interested personally (why?) in working with you and your type of project?
Some of these questions can be answered with a simple YES or NO. If the professional answers NO to any of them, one should question why. Always proceed with caution. Flow Design Architects is not responsible for the selection of any architect or for the use or not use of this material. This is a general guideline document used internally and it is intended to help and guide but does not guarantee any results.
Flow Design Architects is an architectural design studio serving public and private clients. The studio is rooted in creative and innovative ideas that can solve some of today’s challenges regarding space, art, form and culture while merging the lines between architecture and art. Darguin Fortuna and Marcos Severino both founders of Flow are from the Dominican Republic where they initiated their education in architecture. They both hold a Bachelors of Architecture NAAB Accredited Professional Degrees from the Boston Architectural College and have over 10 years of educational and professional experience in the creative industry of design. Darguin Fortuna is a registered architect in Maine, Florida and Massachusetts and holds an NCARB certificate which allows for licensure in all States nationwide.
“For more information about our services, contact Darguin Fortuna at 978-818-5109 or [email protected]”
What questions should customers think through before talking to pros about their needs?
General Architect Selection Guidelines:
o Are they licensed in your State?
o Are they insured?
o Do they have an office and staff members or is it a one man operation from their home office?
o Are they experts in my project type (specialists or generalists)?
o Who are the team members I will work with and their qualifications?
o Does the firm have a process and workflow to educate me and ensure quality and efficiency?
o Is the firm on top of trends and advances in technology?
o Does the firm have references they can provide?
o How long has the firm been in business and/or their team in the industry?
o What are their values and mission and do they resonate with me?
o How responsive and prepared is the team?
o Can I trust them?
o Will I like working with them?
o Are they passionate about their work and eager to share?
o Do they value craft, design, and research?
o Are they versatile and have a rich architectural repertoire where all projects are rich in their own unique ways?
o Is the architect familiar with the permitting and construction process?
o Is the architect interested personally (why?) in working with you and your type of project?