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." 

Top di'velept design Projects

Project Location

Flynn/BEC Headquarters Salt Lake City 

Promontory Apartments Salt Lake City

Art West Townhomes Salt Lake City

LaraDean Townhomes Salt Lake City

Redemption Bar         Herriman

VWard Self Storage Vancouver, WA

Phig Self Storage         Philadelphia, PA

700 Block Storage Salt Lake City

Crane Residence         Virgin Islands

Noorda Residence Draper