Looking Back & Looking Ahead

As the year winds to a close, it is again time to reflect on all that has happened in 2023. As always, I am grateful for all the people I am?surrounded by, including my family, friends and business associates. Time seems to fly by these days; I believe it must be a product of getting a bit older. The winter days may feel dreary and dark but before you know it, the days will get longer, and Spring will once again be back.

I personally kick off the holiday season with Studio21 Architects’ Gingerbread Design Event; this year was our ninth year of gingerbread housebuilding with kids from the Downers Grove community. Seeing children of all ages creating their own gingerbread masterpieces never gets old, and it certainly warmed my heart to see the familiar faces of kids who have grown up taking part in this event—founding members, if you will. This year, we decided to expand upon the gingerbread fun and hold a second event for grown-ups. I had a blast at both events and am already saving the dates for 2024’s grown-up and kids events (December 6th and 7th!).

Racing was a huge part of my summer months; it was a busy season for the Studio21 Architects racing effort, starting with the races at Homestead and Sebring in Florida, and ending with a win at Road America at one of several 60th anniversary Formula Vee events. One of my highlights of the season, besides?competing against my son at many races, was sharing the experience of racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with my brother. In July, we partook in a racing event in Joliet—one that’s very dear to my heart—DuPage Pads’ Drive for 195 Race to End Homelessness. Each racing team fundraises for the cause, to which the Studio21 Architects team raised over $5,000. It was an intense relay race for our team, but we still managed to finish in a strong second place. We had previously won the last four races we had entered at this event...as you may already know, I have quite a competitive nature and hate to lose!

At the Studio21 Architects office, we managed to stay busy this year, despite high interest rates and exploding costs for building supplies. We worked on a wide variety of projects, including multifamily residential projects, single-family homes, additions and renovation, and some commercial projects as well. The common denominator between all these project types was the wonderful clients we got to work with and their appreciation of what we designed for them. On the Design+Build end, our Construction Manager, Paige, successfully brought two projects to the finish line in 2023.

What to expect in 2024? I do expect to see a decline in interest rates and building material costs; these two are major factors in the cost of building a new home. Unfortunately, I believe that added regulatory changes will continue to add to the cost of construction. Looking forward, we aim to continue onward and upwards. I believe that it starts with education; we can always continue to learn.?We plan to focus our efforts on the Design+Build sphere, where we feel we have found a niche by offering a personalized, concierge experience for our clients. In 2024, I am attending the International Builder Show again in February, and then in March, I will be headed to the end of the world, to New Zealand*, for a Master Mind event with architects from all over the globe.

*Emma's Note: As a Kiwi myself, help me convince Bill that he needs to bring me to New Zealand as the tour guide!!

As we start this new year, I wish everyone a happy and healthy 2024.

— Bill Styczynski