Finding a Groove

As it celebrates 10 years since its inception, Salt Lake-based architect di'velept design has carved out a unique niche for itself and finding success nationally in the multi-family and self-storage facility markets.
By Brad Fullmer

Salt Lake-based di'velept design has broken the mold for how an architectural firm finds success. As the firm celebrates its 10th anniversary, founder Jarod Hall couldn't be more satisfied with how things have shaken out the past decade.

"I'm so happy with where we're at, where di'velept is as a firm," said Hall, 44. "We're more of a lifestyle firm. I enjoy a lifestyle of working from home, [and] spending more time with my family, while also doing great projects. The growth in front of us is exciting."

"It's a different sort of story," admits Hall, a Vernal native who wasn't quite sure about a career after graduating from Uintah High School in 1999. He attended then-Utah Valley State College (now UVU) for four years and worked part-time for a painting contractor while in school.

"That got me interested in architecture," said Hall, noticing how the buildings he was painting were designed and what he liked and didn't like. He would interact with architects from time to time and started envisioning what their day-to-day schedules were like before deciding to jump to a new career path. He ultimately earned a Master of Architecture from the University of Idaho in 2008 and landed work at a large Salt Lake-based architecture firm, where he learned the ins and outs of the craft from 2008-2013. Hall quickly proved his mettle at the firm and worked under former Principals Steve Crane and Boyd McAllister in the K-12 studio.

"He was really great—he got right in there and figured out what to do," said Crane, who moved to St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands after retiring in 2017. Today, Crane resides in St. George, and is working with Hall on some projects. "The partners really liked him. He was a good designer. Now, he's got me working for him!"

Hall eventually decided to launch di'velept design in late 2014, and by early 2017 was actively trying to grow the firm.

Firm Buoyed by Success in Self-Storage, Multi-Family

In early 2015, Hall and a friend, Jeremy Larsen, were hired to design a self-storage unit in Vancouver, Wash.—a 100,000 SF, three-story building. Success on that initial self-storage project has led to a fruitful relationship with a couple of developers who have built dozens of projects in more than a dozen states, including the Pacific Northwest, Texas, New England, Florida, and Hawaii, in addition to Utah.

In 2016, Hall recognized potential opportunities in the burgeoning multi-family market and started making inroads with some smaller developers. To date, the firm has designed 18 multi-family projects that are either finished or under construction, with another 80 projects they did master planning for—projects that will advance to full design once market conditions are more favorable.

Approximately 50% di’velept’s annual revenues are from townhomes and apartments, 40% from self-storage facilities, with commercial office and retail projects, including restaurants and bars, comprising the rest.

Remote Control;

Work-Life Balance

On that initial self-storage project, Larsen lived in another state, so they quickly learned the nuances of remote collaboration. Since that 2015 project, the firm has been all remote, all the time—with Hall's residence serving as di'velept's de facto office. In 2017, Ethan Barley joined the firm as an architect, working remotely initially from Washington, D.C., then 29 Palms, Calif., and now Portland, Ore. Larsen and Hall became partners in 2018 before Hall bought him out last fall after nearly seven years.

Other staff members, their titles and locations(and their start dates) include:

Tyler Froelich, Architect in St. George (June ’21)
Kayla Sharp, Office Manager in Vernal (March ’22),
Stephanie Davis, Architectural Designer in Berrian Springs, Mich. (Dec ’21)
Rebecca Ruby, Project Manager in New Market, N.H. (June ’22)
Marin Smith (June ’18) Architect in Newport News, Va., a part-time architect.

Hall hires and keeps self-starters; people driven to succeed professionally.

The firm has a standard weekly online conference call—“The Meeting”—and Hall said he spends at least 3-4 hours daily on various video calls, whether collaborating with co-workers or a client.

When the pandemic hit in March 2020, it barely caused a ripple in di'velept's work routine. "March was scary for everyone, but by April we were as busy as we ever were in our lives," recalled Hall, with staff more than tripling at one point to 12 (one part-time) through 2023, before scaling back to its present size.

"The pandemic made technology more up-to-speed," said Barley. “[Remote work] has gotten easier the last couple of years."

Their digital collaboration prowess explains the firm's ability to design projects seamlessly nationwide; it's licensed in 20 states, Hall said, with plans on gradually adding to that number.

Crane said Hall helped him design two dozen homes in St. Croix during Crane's time on the island. "He's been my partner in crime," said Crane. "He does all my drafting, all the electronic drawings. It's been a good relationship."

Work-life balance is a primary draw for staff members, said Barley, and Hall makes it work with a calm leadership style that allows people to thrive on their own while offering necessary support and collaboration to keep a project on track.

"He is one of the most even-keeled, steady people I know," said Barley. "He's good at listening to everyone and keeping up with concerns. He was a good project manager before he started di'velept. He's good at tracking things through, which is what the job requires."

Hall insists that one architect be dedicated to a project from start to finish, with others contributing their talents as needed.

"One of the things I find important, […] is the leadership of a project stays on it the whole time," said Hall. "They all have different skill sets, but I want one architect running the project the whole time."

Current projects include a 175-unit LIHTC multi-family project with affordable 2- and 3-bedroom units and two self-storage buildings in Hawaii. Hall believes it's just a matter of time before the multi-family market breaks loose again, given the need not only in Utah, but a dozen other bustling states.

"Growth is not slowing down," said Hall. "By the end of this year, maybe mid-next year, multi-family should be back, unless there is significant change in interest rates before then. We're optimistic in the markets we're in but always looking for new projects. Ten years is great, but we're just getting started."