Our Firm
VAI Architects Incorporated (VAI) was formed in 1985 by founding architects Guillermo A. Vidaud and son William Vidaud de la Vega. Over the years, we’ve collaborated with many nationally renowned design professionals and have amassed a substantial portfolio of signature and first-of-their-kind projects.
Headquartered in Addison, Texas, our leadership brings a unique balance of individual expertise in architecture, real estate, and building construction. Our firm places an emphasis on responsible design that delivers exceptional aesthetics with an unwavering regard for function, budget, constructability, compliance, and sustainability. We believe excellence is achieved through professionalism, collaboration, and client service. We have received numerous professional acknowledgements and design awards over the years, and are also MBE, HUB, and S/DBE Certified.
Definition of
Success
We believe that client satisfaction comes from the quality of design we deliver, and that success comes from performing services that nurture long-term relationships. Our firm is especially committed to its ongoing client relationships and frequently viewed as a trusted advisor to many legacy clients, some with which we have maintained working relationships spanning over thirty years.
Mission
Culture
Owner Biographies
William Vidaud de la Vega
William Vidaud de la Vega was born in Havana, Cuba and raised in Texas. He is both a licensed Architect and Real Estate Broker. After graduating from Texas A&M University he managed high-rise commercial mixed-use construction while continuing his studies at the University of Texas at Austin. As the firm’s Principal in Charge of Business Development, William is responsible for establishing and implementing business development goals, identifying marketing pursuits, cultivating teaming alliances, developing winning pursuit strategies, and assuring that positive Client relationships are maintained and expectations continually exceeded.
Russell Himes
Russell Himes joined VAI in 1989 and serves as the firm’s Principal in Charge of Contracts and Finance. He is an architectural graduate of the University of Texas in Arlington and experienced in all aspects of design contract management for private, municipal, state, and federal government clientele. Russell is in charge of the firm’s overall finances, risk management, and oversight of contractual commitments. He provides valuable support to project teams in the areas of fee proposals, contract compliance, and facilitating a smooth project administration effort from start to finish.
Barton Drake
Barton Drake joined VAI in 1990 and serves as the firm’s Principal in Charge of Design. He is an architectural graduate of University of Texas at Austin, and the licensed Architect responsible for developing and directing the firm’s architectural design activities. Having begun his career in construction, Barton’s diverse technical background enables him to better deliver well designed projects that are on time, within budget, constructible, and cost effective to maintain. He typically remains involved throughout the project design process, ensuring design integrity from the initial programming and design concepts through construction close-out.
Jeff Simcik
Jeff Simcik joined VAI in 1998 and serves as the firm’s Principal in Charge of Technical Production. He oversees technical CAD/BIM production, quality assurance, and construction phase administration programs for the firm. As a licensed Architect, he has been able to capitalize on many years of experience in the construction industry to further enhance VAI’s internal architectural design and technical production processes. Additionally, Jeff has an extensive background with building codes, construction methodologies, and technical production technologies that add value to the firm’s project implementation and built outcomes.
Contribution to Industry
Our firm and its leadership routinely contribute to the design and construction industry through mentoring, event sponsorships, committee involvement, and industry-wide advocacy. Among the many organizations with which they have been involved are the American Institute of Architects, Urban Land Institute, Society of American Military Engineers, Greater Dallas Planning Council, DFW Topping Out, Construction Management Association of America, DFW Minority Design Professionals Council, Texas Association of Health Care Facility Managers, Regional Hispanic Contractors Association, Society for Marketing of Professional Services, and others.
Contribution to Community
Since inception, our firm and its leadership have been involved with numerous community-oriented organizations such as the Dallas Catholic Charities, Association for Independent Living, Dallas Association for Retarded Citizens, AIA Dallas Latinos in Architecture, Regional Hispanic Contractors Association, Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Society, DART Art Advisory Committee, Dallas Transportation Coalition for the Mobility Impaired, and many more. Additionally, we have routinely contributed to such local charities as Soup Mobile, MOSAIC, Our Friend’s Place, CANstruction Dallas, March for Respect, Citizens Development Center, Heroes for Children, Jonathan’s Place, United Way Dallas, Wounded Warrior Project, Leukemia Lymphoma Society, North Texas Food Bank, Hearts and Hammers, and more.
Commitment to Diversity
VAI truly values team diversity and has maintained an impressive record of continually seeking out and developing successful working relationships with Minority and Woman Owned (M/WBE) companies. Our successful utilization of Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs) recently earned VAI an Outstanding HUB Participation Award by the University of Texas System’s Office of HUB Diversity and Federal Small Business Programs.
Collaboration
“We at VAI strive to achieve excellence through the professionalism we exhibit, which is greatly enhanced through thoughtful alliance. The unique synergies that have resulted from collaborating with companies of like goals and complementary strengths have proven invaluable to our Clients. We are advocates of thoughtful alliance, as evident by the exemplary results achieved on many successful projects.”
Our office has found that the synergies resulting from strategic collaboration have repeatedly provided tremendous value to our clients. We have worked with some of the nation’s leading designers on innovative and often first-of-their-kind projects integrating the latest practices and technologies in the areas of education, health care, research, transportation, and more. We strive to foster cooperative working relationships that are respectful of individual authority and responsibility. In doing so, we’ve consistently delivered well-designed and coordinated projects on time and within budget.
Working in strategic collaboration, VAI has served as Lead Architect-of-Record on notable projects exceeding $100M in value. We’ve also collaborated in the capacity of Associate Architect with other lead professionals in advancing initial design concepts into high quality CAD/BIM technical construction documentation. Considering our leadership’s unique expertise with both design and construction, we are proud to have earned a favorable reputation among fellow designers and construction contractors for delivering complete, accurate, and thoroughly coordinated CAD/BIM technical construction documentation. Our QA/QC processes continue to provide tremendous benefit to our strategic allies through our continual involvement and peer-level review for design clarity, completeness, compliance, and constructability.