With one of Houston’s most elegant buildings as its headquarters, CIVE, a design-build firm in Texas, sees visitors arriving nearly daily to take a tour and enjoy this veritable feast for the eye from outside and within. This firm, one of the nation’s most promising, is famous for bringing science and technology together through architecture, and President and CEO Hachem Domloj understands that the praise for its headquarters is not mere flattery. “We had to do our best for our office,” he says, “with a Wow! factor for everyone walking in.”
Recognized as a commercial real estate icon, Domloj was part of the team responsible for America’s first multi-story 3D-printed residence, making him a visionary who enjoys being challenged by the industry and his team. “Construction is a science,” he says. “We look at how we can perfect it through new technologies.”
Completing his thesis on robotics in construction for his master’s degree in Construction Engineering and Project Management, Domloj discovered that 3D printing in construction has come a much longer way than most people realize—all the way from the 1930s. As it happened at the time, he discovered that Cornell University was conducting a research project in the field. The young student wasted no time getting involved.
As a member of one of three teams, which included two university professors and a German technology fabricator, Domloj set off to learn as much as he could on the subject. Their efforts culminated in a roughly 6,000-pound 3D construction printer, the largest volume printer to date in America at the time. “It was amazing,” he shares. “It changed how we think about dealing with new technology, how we can make construction and design better and different.” He emphasizes that the goal is not only to build better but to improve processes to achieve optimal quality and cost.
CIVE was also responsible for building “the largest cement terminal in the world at that time. I believe it’s still the largest in Houston,” says Domloj. “That was our first marine project—our first heavy industrial project that we’ve done and our first over-$100 million project.”
Since then, CIVE has continued its drive for improvement, crossing its next Rubicon in the form of virtual construction. With this technology, the team can analyze each project’s resources, needs, and demands in-depth well before the construction process even starts.
Introducing the technology into its process on its 20th anniversary at the end of 2023, the company’s virtual construction department in Beirut, Lebanon handles the virtual building process of each project. By virtually constructing every building before groundbreaking even starts, the team can identify challenges and solve them before large amounts of money and time are wasted on performing corrections in the field.
“Right now, we are one of very few companies in the U.S. [that do virtual construction and design],” says Domloj. The CIVE design process also includes harnessing augmented reality, complete with 4D simulations where the element of time is incorporated into the simulation, and 5D functions that incorporate cost and cash flow into the overall calculation process, rendering detailed scheduling and budget reports to identify any areas that need improvement.
To ensure that its projects stay within budget, CIVE is also developing an AI add-on that draws from its large database. It provides costs in real-time as the design process progresses, allowing designers to reassess their choices while they work to help them stay on course, significantly cutting down on the traditional lengthy amendments phase and improving project flow.
As a natural innovator, Domloj started the firm in 2003 following being laid off and receiving an out-of-the-blue request for post-tension foundation designs. This became a process he first researched thoroughly before taking on the job and completing it to exacting standards. A couple of decades later, this service remains one of the company’s leading offerings.
What started purely as an engineering outfit developed into a full architectural design service company when clients realized Domloj’s design talent. Making a name for himself before striking out on his own, the leader is also well-versed in retrofitting failing communications towers in situ following destructive weather events, saving them from collapse. These days, his talents are largely directed toward more creative pursuits.
At the moment, he says, there is a lot to be excited about, like projects underway in the Middle East and the possibility of realizing a big dream of helping to rebuild Syria and Lebanon
This is because good design truly matters in every respect at CIVE. With its ability to expertly blend Eastern and Western sensibilities to create a unique signature, the CIVE team infuses every project with its quintessential sense of place. “I love architectural design. I love interior design. I have passion for that,” Domloj says with a smile. The firm’s designs connect people to natural elements, imbuing its buildings with a sense of calm.
Driving this is Domloj’s design ethos that emphasizes infusing warmth into spaces that wrap their occupants in comfort—all while being highly functional and energy-efficient. Comparing his economy of line to the French concept of the beauty of simplicity, he refers to elegance residing in the essence of how well an architectural design balances structure, space, and the flow of natural elements.
He also enjoys being part of his team’s creative process—especially in kinetic design. “I love design. Whenever we start on kinetic designs, I go and sit in the architectural department.”
Growing up in a multi-generational household with an engineer uncle, Hachem Domloj is not your average licensed civil and structural engineer. Blessed with an enquiring intellect and fine sense of observation, this visionary pioneer draws development and design inspiration from great depths of contemplation, from the richly textured life experience he has accumulated—a time that has been as interesting as it has been exciting.
While his humility is undeniable, Domloj is a worldly man in the best possible sense. As a youngster, he took the time to make a personal study of the exquisite architecture of his beloved Lebanon on visits across the country, a thought exercise that underscores his characteristic precision and fine attention to detail. Considering him a hopeless romantic would be erroneous, however. Nominated for a second time as Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst and Young this year, following being a finalist in 2019, he undeniably has a head for business. Resilience and daring permeate his artistic sensibilities.
Today, Domloj and his team continue forging the future of design in and beyond the United States. It comes as no surprise that this team is proud of its ranking as one of Houston’s fastest-growing companies and its position on the Inc. 5000 for four consecutive years, alongside other prestigious metrics. “We are one of the largest civil construction engineering companies in Houston,” adds Domloj.
The company stays on top, he says, by remaining forward-thinking. Hiring in part for this ability, Domloj appreciates his team’s talent for looking ahead of the curve.
“I want them to be ahead of me all the time,” he says. “I really appreciate all the effort and dedication they have, not only in their work, but in how they believe in the company and how they believe in my leadership.” For a company led by a man intent on a future focus, looking ahead to improve construction as we know it becomes a mandate—one as clear-cut and fresh as its designs.
