Movers and Shakers interview with Robert Mechielsen

Published by: Dillon Kivo

Tell us your name and a little about yourself.

Robert Mechielsen(TM) is the Founder with 30 yrs Design & Construction experience CO2 Neutral and Green Design with Studio RMA(TM) Software – BIM – Engineering

Studio RMA(TM) CEO Robert Mechielsen(TM) has raised the industry standard with his development of the First US Carbon Neutral Safe SuperStructure(TM) for construction and architectural industries, corporations, and residential and commercial properties. VERTIKAAL(TM) develops software that can autogenerate building designs.

Defying the odds of natural disaster with impressive aesthetic appeal, these Patent-Pending Inventions that are unique and exclusive to Safe SuperStructure(TM) will last for generations, leaving a legacy for families, future thinkers, and celebrities—building the city of the future, today!

What exactly does your company do?

I have two companies:

Studio RMA(TM) specializes in designing a Safe SuperStructure(TM). These homes are 2 hr. fire-proof, hurricane-resistant, bullet-proof, super energy efficient, and non-toxic. The walls and roofs are made with panels that have a center foam core with wire-meshes at each side, and they are finished with 2-inch concrete on each side. The panels are modular and arrive pre-cut for the house.

VERTIKAAL(TM) develops software that can autogenerate building designs. We purchase the reproduction rights from successful architects, then chop these designs up in digital Lego blocks, ready to be redesigned on a variety of lot sizes. For example, a successful multi-use building in the city of Antwerp can be re-generated on a different sized lot in Boston.

With the current version, we can design an apartment building in one hour with plans and renderings ready for building department submittal. We are working to run the software on a gaming platform where the designs can be manipulated with instant visual feedback and cost estimations.

What were the biggest challenges you have faced and how did you overcome them?

When I started with the Safe SuperStructures(TM), it was hard to get acceptance of the building system. People simply did not want to be a Guinea Pig. Nowadays it’s different, once the structures go up in a certain area more follow rapidly. We also have more traction via the internet. Many homeowners who want our homes are engineers and then spread the know-how in their neighborhoods. We now do designs throughout almost all the States.

What piece of advice do you wish someone had given you at the start of your career?

Do not give up on your ideas, and make sure you have enough money in the bank, because things always take longer than you think.

Who are your biggest influences and people you admire and why?

I have tremendous admiration for Michael Angelo. His independence, his art, and his wisdom are of great inspiration to me. The most interesting I found to be, his belief that the sculpture was already hidden in the stone, all he needed to do is take away what was not needed.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are?

That would be my mentor Ty Drake. He dedicated a lot of his time to engineering with the panels. He brought to the table a lot of novel techniques to build with the panels and streamlined a lot of engineering for the panels.

What do you see as your greatest success in life?

That would be building the Hi’ilani Ecohouse. It ended up being the first carbon-neutral concrete structure in the USA. A lot of things we designed and build for the project were never done before. It was a very exciting journey.