Teammates Matter: Allen Skillman
When your last name is Skillman, it’s hard not to find yourself in the construction industry in some way.
For Allen Skillman, he’s found himself in the construction industry in just about every way possible. Born and raised in Richmond, Allen grew up with an appreciation for historic architecture and within a family of naturally talented builders, designers and carpenters. As a young man, Allen would commute from Richmond to Northern Virginia to work alongside his great uncle in his construction business. There he had the opportunity to work on many historical Washington, D.C. properties including the Daughters of the American Revolution building, the Jordanian compound and many more. It was in these formative years that he acquired not just the skills of the trade, but a passion for the process.
Allen brings nearly three decades of experience to the RIC team, from framing to design work to property investment and remodeling, he has the kind of breadth of experience needed for the wide variety of projects we take on. In addition to loads of experience, Allen brings a detail oriented eye and great organizational skills needed for a successful project manager. He says he thinks of himself as “a conductor or stage manager for the challenging ballet that is renovation work.” Coordinating subs, materials, inspections, crews and client communication within a strict timeline is where he excels.
For Allen, joining the RIC team was an opportunity to execute designs done within the same team. He appreciates the consistency and communication of a vision to everyone involved. This design/build process allows his teams to be more organized from the outset. Allen especially enjoys the home addition process; making a house work better for its current family, while honing in on its architectural intent. “We’re always speaking to the history of the home,” he says. “It’s nice to see a project go from design to end product and to think about what the original architect thought and would have done.”
While additions may be his pet projects, he says that “at the end of the day, they’re all my babies. You’ve got to like every single project you get involved in, or you’re in the wrong business. You have to treat them all like they’re the most important project - a bathroom remodel is as important as a whole home renovation.”
Outside of work, Allen’s growing family keeps him busy as do his outdoor hobbies including canoeing, fly fishing and hiking. We are so grateful to have his experience, honesty and drive on our team and are looking forward to another amazing year together!