Getting to Know: ACADIA DRAFTING
Acadia Drafting is a team of experienced drafters who work with a wide range of residential and commercial clients. Acadia Drafting is known for their work on custom-built homes, residential renovations, commercial plans and industrial shop drawings. This interview was held with the two founding Project Managers of the business, Max Merchasin, and Deep Sahota. An instructor at George Brown College, Max Merchasin is an integral member of Toronto’s design and construction community. Known for their personalized service, on-time delivery, and exceptional results – Acadia Drafting is continuing to grow their reputation in Toronto and across Canada.
Please introduce yourselves:
Max: My name is Max Merchasin. I’m the owner and operator of Acadia Drafting. I am in charge of everything regarding customer relations and the sales part of the business.
Deep: Hi there. I am Deep Sahota. I am in charge of the design and architectural part of the business. I’m responsible for coordinating between all of the consultants that we work with.
What does Acadia Drafting do?
Max: Acadia Drafting is a drafting and design firm. We do architectural drawings, and we source all of the proper permits that a client will need before starting construction. We also have companies that outsource their CAD rendering to us and other companies that we do shop drawings for.
Deep: We mostly focus on homeowners, architects and the residential sector of the industry, but we also have commercial projects that we are involved in.
How did you start Acadia Drafting? What inspired you to start a business?
Max: We knew each other years ago. We studied together and we had good energy and flow. We saw that we had success when working together and that we were becoming more successful than other people we knew in the industry, so we decided to pursue that.
How involved are your clients?
Deep: It depends on the client. Some like to be very involved and some don’t. It also depends on the project. If it’s residential or a custom built home, the client will usually choose to be very involved. That way they’re able to witness each and every step of the design process.
Max: At the end of the day, what our clients really care about is the design itself. They want to ensure that the design they had in mind is something they’re being fully consulted on. When it comes to the structural part, engineering and making sure the design is up to code, that is our responsibility.
Can you talk about custom homes, additions and renovations? What differentiates these projects?
Max: There’s not much difference. At the end of the day, it’s all about the construction process. There’s a small difference with renovations, where design usually does not play as much of a role – if there’s already a structure in place. With additions and custom homes, those involve a lengthier design process. There’s more of an emphasis on design.
What are some things that you find clients are not aware of regarding your line of work?
Max: The number one thing is timing. I find that the more I talk to our clients the more I realize that people believe that a project can be done within a couple of weeks. It’s important to understand that the process takes time. It can take up to four weeks just to get a permit, and that does not include the time we need to do our work.
You spoke about companies that outsource their CAD work to you, can you explain further?
Deep: Not every company has the equipment or resources for in-house drafting, CAD work or renderings. And they may not want to invest in constantly evolving software, machinery, and new computers. That’s why they can outsource to a company like ours.
Max: Not every business has enough work to justify an in-house CAD technician. That’s why it makes sense for them to outsource to us. We can finish the project quickly and for a reasonable price.
Can you talk to me about one of your current projects?
Max: We’re working on a luxury clothing store in the middle of downtown Toronto.
Deep: The owner leasing the space has a designer and a design they want to go with. We are getting the building permits for them and we’re also making sure that the design complies with the interior building code.
Max: They are going with a very new building concept. Of course, the Ontario building code doesn’t dictate anything that’s outside of the box. So we have to find inventive ways to ensure the design complies with the Ontario building code.
What sets you apart from your competitors?
Max: We don’t just do building permits, we also do drafting for shop drawings and detailing. So we have a very broad knowledge of construction but we are also very detail oriented.
Deep: Because we started on our own, without a path laid out for us, we’ve learned how to really think outside the box. We are able to find better solutions.
How else are you involved in the design and construction community?
Max: I also teach at George Brown College. One of the reasons I do that is because I want to ensure that the future of architecture and construction is in good hands. I want to make sure that the students who are coming out of George Brown are the ones that not only understand construction on paper, but truly understand the practical application as well.
Acadia Drafting can create drafts and drawings for all your CAD needs. We have experience with a variety of custom projects, including new builds, additions to existing spaces and complete renovation projects.
Call Acadia Drafting today for a free quote and advice about your next project.
Acadia Drafting
www.acadiadrafting.ca
1 (855) 561-4392
[email protected]
