04/14/2026
Designers are storytellers.
Last Thursday, Matt Langston, PLA, FASLA, President of Landworks, joined a unique panel at a Home Builders Association of Greater Charlotte Land Development Council event, "Communication 101: You, I and Us," alongside fellow panelists Michael Foess (Montrose LLC), Michael Kissel (Mattamy Homes), Hy Nguyen (DPR Design) and Emily Powell (Kolter Homes).
The topic? How better communication between builders, developers, designers, and engineers can make or break a project.
Matt on the design process:
"As designers, we're really storytellers. You get an idea for the design in your head — if you can't tell that story through the plan documents and explain it adequately to the client or the city, and if you can't explain it to the contractor so they can build it, you're not really doing your job."
He went on to address one of the challenges of the land development process:
"A lot of times [designers] think that they’ve explained [the project], but when you look at the plans, they’re not telling the story. They are not conveying the critical information that will help the project be a success.”
The best plans don't just get approved. They get understood by everyone who touches the project from entitlement through construction.
A special thanks to the HBA of Greater Charlotte and the panel for bringing different perspectives on the industry together. It's great to work with each of you.
