A CONVERSATION WITH PRESIDENT SANDY GOODMAN

WHO IS CRGA DESIGN? 

CRGA Design is a comprehensive architecture, interior design, and planning firm dedicated to healthcare facility design. They are one of the leading healthcare design firms in the Mid-Atlantic region and have completed projects across the country. They have several large-scale projects undergoing design and construction, including a new 188,000-square-foot, orthopaedic specialty hospital and outpatient facility in Pennsylvania, a new ten-story outpatient facility in Maryland, and a new women’s and children’s center in North Carolina.

CRGA is a federally certified Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB), an MBE/DBE/SBE certified by the State of Maryland Department of Transportation, and a Small, Women-owned and Minority-owned Business (SWaM) certified by the State of Virginia. Their 30-person staff reflects the values of their leadership – they are passionate designers that believe creating sustainable environments to improve lives is a special calling. Five of their staff are Lean Six Sigma Black Belts, which allows them to continuously improve their internal processes and note opportunities that might not otherwise have been seen.

Sandy Goodman, CRGA President

Firm Leadership CGRA Design is led by two principals – Sandy Goodman, IIDA, CHID, LEED AP, EDAC, LSSBB, and Rolf Haarstadt, AIA, LEED AP. Sandy, who has been the president of the firm since 2015, states their approach succinctly: “Because we’re nimble, it’s easier for us to make timely decisions and stay on the leading edge of our industry.”

CRGA DESIGN + CONCERT

Sandy and Rolf were introduced to Concert last year and after a brief presentation proclaimed: “I have been waiting for this product for 10 years!” When asked about their current use: “It simplifies things and it adds authenticity, and peace of mind.”

A common need for clarity

Oftentimes a file from years ago is requested and someone needs to verify you have the “final” document. Sandy is that someone. As majority owner, and the person who was there from day one, Sandy often fields requests for documents. She is responsible to authenticate that the document was truly the final. But where is it and how was it filed? What was it named?

Concert solves the problem

Clear, documented, and permanent, Concert gives Sandy confidence she is sharing the appropriate files. It allows you to indicate exactly what it is for, who it is for, and why you are saving it. “That gives that authority to that electronic document. That’s what I loved about Concert and what they were bringing to the table.” This also means ANYONE in the firm can find information in the future – not just the person who has worked at the firm the longest.

Concert offers authenticity and security

The authentication and security of the intellectual property gives CRGA Design more ability to control the process and the transition from design to collaboration to construction – and what the owner gets at the end of the project. “When Concert shared this with us, we said YES!”

This is further validation of CRGA Design’s innovation and an important next step in their use of design technologies. “We are future thinking and we see and recognize the importance of this [technology] and the potential capabilities of it going forward.”