Joel Prater

Joel began his career in the architecture industry when he joined us in 1998. During his tenure, he has successfully led multiple efforts that have shaped the landscape of organizational tools and processes, including an updated Project Agreement system, the generation of our internal Opus Project Library and the initiative to standardize and template our proposals and interactive presentations.

Joel’s role involves assembling data from various sources, and through his work, he has demonstrated how having the visualization process in-house sets us up for success. This advantage has allowed for inconsistencies to be more clearly identified in the project documentation from different disciplines and can highlight items that still need to be resolved. This allows the verification of design intent and the ability to make changes before material is put in place, reducing rework in the field. An example of this is while working with our interior designers on a real-time visualization of a space, it became apparent that the design was not meeting expectations. He was able to redesign the space in real time, with our development partner "looking over his shoulder," resulting in a solution more consistent with their vision.

Joel is an impactful and creative leader who is known for his visual storytelling and for delivering the best possible graphics to enhance a project. With vast knowledge of 3D visualization and strong digital skills, he has established himself as a trusted team member within Team Opus and is known to stay "cool and calm under intense pressure." This ability, as well as his work ethic, has driven him to deliver 198 renderings, four animations and three interactive designs among 75 projects since 2021.

Joel engages in many activities while away from work, including camping and hiking, riding the countryside on his motorcycle and fix-it projects that could be a house project or rebuilding a computer. He also enjoys making things such as furniture or sculptures by asking the question: what do I have on hand or what can I find and adapt?