ChiefArchitect

Featured Customer - Michael Leach. He won our Design Contest – Outdoor Living Spaces in June. Here are a few of his great designs, but check out his website for more: www.mtldesigns.net. Keep reading to learn more about Michael! I’m Michael Leach, of MTLdesigns, LLC. I started my company “officially” the winter of 2015. I have designed a few houses in the past, using AutoCAD, but I had a full time “day” job, family to raise, etc. and I just never got going with this passion. I have always loved architecture; all my vacations for the last 25 plus years have always included checking out the local buildings and houses. My career path kept me in the design world, but not designing houses. I got into 3D modeling on pharmaceutical and chemical plants, which then led me into a lead designer position for the new class of aircraft carriers. The CVN78 and 79 in Newport News VA, all using BIM software (Catia). I moved to Missouri in 2013, and last year an acquaintance asked me if I would design his “downsized” ranch, and being a 3D BIM guy, I researched software which led me to Chief. I like Revit, but am not designing skyscrapers, so I really didn’t need to pay such a crazy high price to design houses. I chose CA, because it was easy to use. Yeah there is a huge learning curve, but I grasped the tools pretty quickly with my experiences (and I am still learning). A lot of people can look at a 2D drawing and most of it looks like a foreign language. They can see the label “LIVING ROOM”, but really need to focus to see the walls, doors, etc. They don’t have that spatial concept. When I show them camera views, it’s like reality hitting them. Especially in the kitchens. It has caused changes, but to me that’s a good thing. I want to give the homeowner what they dreamed of. I also chose CA because of the rent to own option. So I purchased, designed the ranch, and been using CA ever since. I then decided to push my company and make it legit. I got the bigger desktop, the LLC licensing, all the legal tax stuff, website, etc. This is what I love to do. The hardest thing is getting the name out there, especially when others in area have been in residential design for 20 plus years and are known. The goal is to do this full time, for the rest of my working life.  Do what you love to do, and it won’t seem like a job. Michael Leach MTLdesigns, LLC www.mtldesigns.net Republic, MO. 65738 (417) 719-5195