Today we’d like to introduce you to Omar Gutierrez.
Omar, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Colombia. After graduating as an architect there, I moved to Evanston in 2001 and started my professional career. I worked for a couple of architecture firms in the area and in early 2009, in the middle of the Great Recession, I was laid off from my job. I had already started to take the Architectural Registration Exams but found myself suddenly with no job prospects.
A few months of taking odd jobs to make ends meet went by and I witnessed a heinous carjacking incident in my neighborhood. Having some time on my hands, I decided to help the victim raise funds to replace his car and get medical care since he was a low wage worker without health insurance. The fundraising efforts went viral and, to my surprise, I found myself on the cover of the Chicago Tribune three days in a row. A couple of former clients saw me in the press coverage described as an “unemployed architect” and decided to reconnect with me. They were my very first clients in what is now a thriving architectural solo practice specializing in new homes and residential renovations/additions.
Has it been a smooth road?
Being my own boss in the business of architecture has been a test of discipline, perseverance and an exercise in carefully crafting my reputation.
This is a very time-consuming profession and it takes a lot of discipline to find a balance between my professional and my personal time. Building my practice has required a lot of perseverance, going above and beyond on every project to generate enough word of mouth referrals to stay busy. In the end, I am in the service industry and make a living with my reputation. The biggest challenge is ensuring that every client I work with is beyond happy.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I design custom homes, home additions, home renovations and, occasionally, small commercial projects such as dental offices, retail establishments and small-scale restaurants. My strong suit is residential architecture, though, which has been my passion for as long as I can remember.
All of my business comes from word-of-mouth referrals from clients who know me to be efficient, resourceful and creative. I am very proud to be able to choose my clients to not be known as a young, “inexpensive” architect but rather as a great architect who will come up with innovative solutions.
Being a solo architect, I provide a “white glove” service that sets me apart from most other practices I know. It is me, and only me, who is with my clients from the moment we meet until the day I photograph the work and gift them with professional-quality photos of their new spaces. Every step of the process is performed by an experienced, licensed architect and not given to an intern to work on. No details get diluted in a team so nothing falls through the cracks. I get to know my client’s homes better than even they do, which allows me to provide them with creative ways to improve their quality of life.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
This city is the perfect place for a business like mine. People here value good design and make for a very dynamic environment for anyone in the profession of architecture. There is a reason I chose Chicago to start my career. There is a lot of history here, architecturally speaking, and people are proud of it. Being exposed to all the great architecture we have here makes for better clients and a very fulfilling practice.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1425 Brummel St. Evanston, IL 60202
- Website: www.ogutierrez.com
- Phone: 847-903-4067
- Email: omar@ ogutierrez.com
- Other: www.houzz.com/pro/ogaguse
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