How ‘Build or Die’ became a staple of Valerio Dewalt Train

As part of our 25th Anniversary celebrations, we interviewed our staff about our firm history—we of course learned about some great projects and fond memories but also discovered some discrepancies around our firm motto. As it turns out, ‘Build or Die’, has been part of a quarter-century rumor mill among our staff...and leadership. As we interviewed more than 50 VDT’ers, we heard a range of stories that spanned from suspicions of an antiquated joke, to a reprisal from theoretical design, and even misguided inferences of a larger Architectural manifesto. While many of these versions had merit, especially regarding our company culture, they were not the true source of our catch phrase. 

The story actually begins before Valerio Dewalt Train was founded. Two years before the merger with Mark Dewalt and Jack Train, Joe Valerio was running a firm in Chicago with Randy Mattheis and David Jennerjahn. Of course, spreading brand awareness in a pre-Google age required the help of printed-directories, which is why Dave solicited the AIA’s Archipages—the Chicago chapter’s complete list of firms and consultants. While paging through the application form, a section labeled ‘firm philosophy’ left him stumped. He called Joe and Randy over, and they proceeded to look over other firm’s descriptions from past years. Unimpressed by long tales of quality service, attention to detail and aspirations of saving the world with groundbreaking design, Joe instructed Dave to simply write “Build Or Die.” Meanwhile, Mark and Jack had a firm with superb abilities at technical problem solving, along with a culture of serious workers that weren’t overly serious about life. Needless to say, when the two firms merged, everyone was  delighted to adopt ‘Build Or Die’ which ultimately fueled a unique culture that lives on today. 

Despite the confusion behind the origins of the story, one thing remains crystal clear—the spirit of the phrase is shared by everyone at the firm. Architectural theory and passion for design are the foundations of our work that propel our desire to see a project through to the very end. Every designer at VDT is highly devoted to the craft, but interestingly enough, pairs the quality with an innate sense of humor and approachability. 

So let's raise a glass to 25 years of 'Build or Die' and cheers to many more to come!