About The Mendicant Architect, LLC

Intro

The Mendicant Architect was first formed on March 8th, 2010 by Darrell Smith, AIA, NCARB, CDT. On January 4th, 2013, the company incorporated and is now under it’s current title The Mendicant Architect, LLC. While the founder and owner, Darrell Smith, is a Registered Architect in the State of Texas, he no longer practices Architecture. Instead, Darrell preaches the values of BIM (Building Information Modeling) and teaches Architects, Interior Designers, Structural and MEP Engineers, Contractors, Sub-Contractors, Manufacturers and other AEC related consultants across the city, state, & country how to use BIM-related software programs in the AEC industry.

In his years of experience and service, Darrell has trained over 1,500 students in the use of Revit and other BIM related softwares, and assisted over 450 firms in successfully implementing Revit and BIM (Building Information Modeling) into their firm culture. Darrell is the co-founder of the Austin Area Revit Users Group (AARUG) with Kimberly Petras (Key Studio) and Larry Kleinkemper (Lanmar Services) and has taught at such institutions as the University of Texas (Austin), ITT Tech (Austin), and Del Mar College in Corpus Christi.

As the business has grown over the years, The Mendicant Architect has joined forces with several other services and related software. While The Mendicant Architect, LLC is not currently an Autodesk software reseller, since 2012, TMA has been an authorized reseller for Advance2000® (a Cloud Computing service and complete IT solution). When firms are looking to transition from a constricted site-based infrastructure to the freedom and liberation of a cloud-based network, The Mendicant Architect is there to help. As more and more firms discover the freedom to hire talent from anywhere in the US without the requirement for them to change their circumstances or location and the benefits of the ability to work seamlessly from the office, from home when the need arises, from the job site or consultant’s office, from another city or state, or even from an internet café because you just need to get away, the power of flexible work spaces is undeniable and the Mendicant Architect is here to pave you the way.

While no longer active, The Mendicant Architect strives to offer an assortment of additional services to clients through the connections to additional companies, including a reseller for Assemble® (a Cost and Material Management Software which integrates with Revit and Navisworks), a reseller for UNIFI (a content storage and management system add-on), and the FIRST U.S. reseller and representative for LUMION® (a high definition, high speed, rendering and animation software). Both Assemble and UNIFI were eventually purchased by Autodesk, which ended the relationship as a reseller, but it was an honor to be able to be a part of each of their journeys and to be able to share their capabilities with clients. In addition to the multitude of experiences gained through each partnership, connecting with these companies has been critical in providing the most complete and proper guidance for a client firm’s pursuit of BIM excellence.

Mission

To provide technological mentoring and training assistance and expertise to those in the Architectural, Engineering, and Construction Industry by broadening their vision and sharing the tried and true processes developed and embraced by others in the industry through evangelizing new, productive, and innovative technologies, evolution-izing the industry and related professions with each new paradigm, and assisting in the implementation and training of the new programs, services, and processes to those who do not have the time or resources to do it themselves.

Services

  • Revit, Navisworks, Lumion, and Dynamo Training Classes
    For All AEC disciplines.
    Open or Private
    On-Site or Virtual
    Standard or Custom
  • Mentoring (Always Customized to Your Firm Needs and Schedule)
  • BIM Consulting
  • Content Creation (Families, Schedules, Materials, etc.)
  • Project Template Creation

Mentoring Services can be used to:

  • Train your Staff on a Specific Topics (e.g. Families)
  • Improve Staff Performance and Workflow
  • Evaluate Existing Templates and Guide in Template Creation Tactics
  • Provide Over-the-Shoulder mentoring and problem-solving.
  • Resolve Project-Specific Issues.
  • Provide Improved Workflow Strategies.

Reseller and Authorized Agent for:

  • Advance2000® (Cloud Computing and IT Services)

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Texas – Austin – June 1995
  • Registered Architect. TBAE #18320 since October 2003.
  • NCARB Certified #57954 since December 2000.
  • Construction Document Technologist for CSI since April 2005.
  • AIA Member since February 2009.
  • Worked as a practicing Architect for twelve years prior to entering the Training Industry.
  • Worked as a Plumbing Designer and/or MEP BIM Manager for 2 1/2 years.
  • Previous Adjunct Professor at ITT Technical Institute (Austin).
  • Previous Adjunct Professor at Del Mar College (Corpus Christi, Texas)
  • Autodesk Certified Professional for Revit Architecture, Revit Structure, Revit MEP, & Navisworks.
  • Revit Beta Tester since 2007
  • Navisworks Beta Tester Since 2010
  • As of January 1st, 2020 – Trained over 1,500 students in Revit Architecture, Revit Structure, Revit MEP, Navisworks, & 3DStudio Max Design.
  • As of January 1st, 2020 – Implemented Revit into over 400 firms throughout Texas and the US, from sole proprietor’s to large corporations & everything in between.
  • Trained and consulted for Architectural Firms, Interior Design Firms, Structural, MEP, & Civil Engineering Firms, Landscape Architecture firms, Contractors, Sub-Contractors, Manufacturers, and Other AEC Consultants.
  • Instructed professors & officials from various public and Private Institutions: UT Austin, Texas Tech, TSTC, Texas State, ACC, ITT Technical Institute, Del Mar College, Travis County & Texas Facilities Commission.
  • Consulted and created Revit content for multiple firms and manufacturers across the state and country.
  • Co-Founded AARUG (Austin Area Revit User Group) in November 2011
  • Current Authorized Agent for Advance2000 since April of 2012.
  • Previous Authorized Agent for Assemble from April 2012 to December 2015
  • Previous Authorized Agent for Lumion via Act-3D from January, 2013 to December, 2017.
  • Previous Authorized Agent for UNIFI from July, 2020 to March, 2023.

History of the Word ‘‘Mendicant”

The company name, “The Mendicant Architect, LLC”, has often inspired my clients to ask the question “What is a Mendicant?” or “ Why did you name your company The Mendicant Architect?”

According to the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, the term Mendicant, can mean a “beggar or panhandler”, but when capitalized, means “a member of a religious order (as the Franciscans) combining monastic(of or relating to monasteries, monks, or nuns) life and outside religious activity and originally owning neither personal nor community property; a friar”.

The history of the word traces back to the middle ages (13th Century) to a sect of friars who gave up their worldly possessions and property to preach the word of God. Due to their devout convictions of not holding property or possessions, they became homeless, and lived only on the donations of others for their evangelistic prowess. The freedom of their mendicancy allowed them to be mobile.

The idea of preaching, but not really having a designated office or “home” resonated, and it paralleled what The Mendicant Architect is all about. As a BIM evangelist, I travel all over the United States preaching about the values of BIM. The word also had a history with Darrell as well. Immediately out of college, Darrell Smith formed a band, called The Mendicants. The name was picked in an effort to find a name that was unique, could be Service marked, and had a deeper meaning that embodied our spirit. While not all of the music we wrote was necessarily religious, a good percentage was. The Mendicants evangelized their music and lived only on the limited donations we received. If you are curious, the music can still be heard on MySpace by clicking here . Please be aware… this was from a younger time in Darrell Smith’s life. Some of the lyrics are explicit and not appropriate for younger ears..

Thank You For the Opportunity to Earn Your Business!

The Mendicant Architect truly appreciates the opportunity to work with you and your firm and to assist you as you move forward in your BIM evolution. While I would be glad to send a standard pricing list of my base services, I do offer discounts in many situations and I think you will find that my fees are much more reasonable than my competition, especially considering that almost all of my training is customizable to your firm needs. With my experience implementing BIM in all disciplines of the Architectural, Engineering, and Construction Industry, I think you will find me to be the best value for any services you might need in the future.

If you come across others in the industry in need of services offered by The Mendicant Architect, please don’t hesitate to share my information. As a small business, it is difficult to reach everyone in need with limited marketing and advertising. As a reward for your faith in the services offered by TMA and your willingness to share the services offered with your colleagues and friends, The Mendicant Architect offers a 10% finder’s fee (Based on Net Profit up to $500) for the initial purchase of services provided to those who mention your name as a referral, assuming they are not already in discussions or a client of The Mendicant Architect.

Thank you ahead of time for your time and consideration. I truly appreciate the opportunity to earn your business.

Cheers!