Timothy O’Brien, Design Leader – Southeast Region, LaBella Associates

In an interview with Invest:, Tim O’Brien, design leader at full-service architecture and engineering firm LaBella Associates, talked about sustainable practices, playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of the Charlotte metro area and surrounding regions, and why the firm incorporates a client-centric approach in its work.

What have been some major highlights for the firm over the past year?

Growth has been exponential, not only in revenue and volume but also in talent and geographic reach. About two years ago, we completed the integration of one of the southeast region’s oldest firms, Odell Associates. This acquisition has allowed us to enter new markets and deepen our presence in the sports, multi-family, entertainment, and healthcare sectors. As a result, we have significantly broadened the markets we operate in from our Charlotte office, which is our second-largest presence internationally.

How have you tackled the diverse challenges presented across multiple specialties, especially considering the economic landscape?

We are exceptionally diverse internally in terms of talent and are very fluid between locations. Our presence spans from Oregon to Madrid, and we recently integrated a firm in Edinburgh, Scotland, spreading our wings even further. Following the COVID era, we learned to share resources in new ways, regardless of whether someone was in a car, home office, or corporate space. This period allowed us to open the floodgates on trading talent without geographical constraints and leveraging our technology infrastructure to connect.

When a project required particular expertise, whether in New York or Ohio, there was no excuse not to include them. This approach has continued even as we have returned to a more normalized landscape, showcasing one of the few positive byproducts of that time. Our growth has been in all parts of the organization, with tremendous bench depth aiding us significantly.

How has your leadership style influenced the firm’s success and client relationships?

I think it is centered around being passionate about what we believe in and standing behind that. Our tagline, Powered by Partnership, is not just a =line. It reflects how we interact internally, with our clients, and with the community. It is a positive force, reminding us to sincerely engage in something meaningful.

We believe we are doing good things in the company of great people, and that sincerity shows. This makes coming to work every day worthwhile. Clients appreciate our transparency — sharing how we derive fees, who is working on their projects, and ensuring the best person for the job, wherever they may be located.

We prioritize open communication with our team members, ensuring they have all the information and client feedback they need. This level of engagement is crucial because we ask a lot of our people — 40-plus hours a week away from their families to serve our clients. We want them to be proud of their work and deeply connected to it.

How do you incorporate feedback from clients throughout a project, and how has this influenced project outcomes?

To do what we do, we need to listen. When you expect someone to trust you in the business environment, you must let them know they have been heard and understood. We then apply our areas of expertise, whether that is structural design, architectural design, or environmental. We know we are experts in certain disciplines, but those need to align with our clients’ goals. It’s about them, at the end of the day.

A decade ago, I realized that authorship was less important than solving the right problem for our clients. We are confident in the expertise we bring to the market and aim to ensure it aligns with the needs of those we serve. Solving the right problem for the client is paramount, and listening is the first step in that process.

How do you incorporate sustainable practices into your projects, given that it is a significant concern today?

Sustainability is intuitive for us in our corporate culture. These are spaces where we have business interests. We are in wind, solar, environmental, waste, and recycling. Culturally, there is a baseline assumption that we must position ourselves as good stewards of resources.

Many years ago, a client asked about pursuing LEED certification for a building and questioned “Why would we not implement such practices anyway?” It is like closing the curtains on western-facing windows when the sun is setting: it’s just logical. Crafting building designs and systems to optimize energy use is in our DNA. And we don’t take this for granted. We collaborate across disciplines, which cross-pollinates our knowledge and practices. Even though we might not do a lot of wind and solar work in the Southeast just yet, we learn from our teams in other regions, integrating those insights into our overall approach.

How are you leveraging technology, especially AI, at LaBella Associates?

We are actively embracing AI’s potential impact and acknowledging its presence. Currently, it is a bit of experimentation. From what we have seen, no one is being replaced yet. AI is becoming a tool to aid rapid exploration, like another team member, but not a substitute for the services our people provide.

We use AI tools to analyze or visualize things much faster than we could. In design explorations, we identify criteria and seek feedback, running some things through AI platforms. It is like brainstorming with an additional team member, though we do not blindly trust these technologies or stop hiring because of them. Instead, we look for folks who can work comfortably with emerging technologies.

So far, AI is more of a catalyst than a disruptor. It provides extra feedback and challenges ideas almost instantaneously, which we believe will have a net-positive effect.

What steps has LaBella taken to increase workforce diversity, and what impact has this had over the past year?

I am very proud to say that our growth has been organic. It has happened naturally, fueled by our geographic reach, range of disciplines, and areas of expertise. This diversity has led to a great cross-section of people within our organization. 

Mergers and acquisitions have further broadened our landscape, or perhaps “people-scape,” as I like to call it. It is truly a delight to see how our cultural diversity enriches our environment. Our strength and diversity on many levels benefit us in many ways.

What are your top priorities for the near term, and how do you envision LaBella’s role in shaping the future of the Charlotte metro area in the coming years?

I see Charlotte more as a region than a single point on the map now. This perspective has evolved over time, especially as we interact with our business partners up and down the East Coast. We continue to observe the connectivity between airports, ports, business centers, and banking hubs, creating a concentric circle around the Charlotte region.

Communities to the north and south, like Rock Hill and Greater York County, are experiencing economic vitality driven by Charlotte’s growth. We also see similarities between the Asheville and Charleston markets, with many of the same players involved. As we connect the dots between these areas, it’s compelling how developments in one region may affect the bedroom communities of Charlotte.

Personally, I am interested in how these dynamics influence our practices in these areas. We do not all live in the heart of Charlotte, so what happens in the city impacts our individual hometown environments on the perimeter. It is an interplay between the urban and suburban that we are mindful of as we navigate between different locations.