"The Mad Dog signs around the perimeter of our property have proclaimed "We're building more than buildings." And indeed they have done just that, holding up their excellent reputation for quality work. We have been most fortunate to have Mad Dog manage our renovation project and work on all its phases... thanks Mad Dog for honoring the fact that we're not just any business - we are a church..."
As founding members of the Miccosukee Land Co-op our first design/build projects were our own homes. Early collective works included heavy timber residential construction, custom millwork packages, architectural stairs, prefabricated hot tub kits and a geodesic dome. So different were the designs, materials and methods that in 1974 the Leon County Chief Building Official changed the original name of MD Construction on a building permit to Mad Dog. In 1977 we incorporated the name Mad Dog Design and Construction Company and the rest is history...
Before long the name Mad Dog became synonymous with energy efficient design. By 1980 Mad Dog had begun creating energy efficient communities. We designed and built over two hundred and fifty homes within our award winning residential neighborhoods, Blairstone Forest, Sunrise Community and Twin Lakes. We literally had a stable (a converted barn on the Twin Lakes property) of designers and draftsmen working daily on new models for immediate construction. (Acquiring building permits was different back then!)
Interspersed among the hundreds of homes in our residential communities were scores of custom homes we designed and then constructed on our clients' land. Among them were Betty Barber's Earth Shelter/Berm House which was featured in Mother Earth News and Fine Home Building's compilation of 24 top solar designs. Tom Barr's "Onion" home and Chuck Mitchell's passive solar home were featured articles in Rodale's New Shelter magazine. Additionally, as part of our alternative energy explorations, Mad Dog received a federal grant to design and construct a solar heated, wood drying kiln.
Our house raising work parties at the Co-op were the forerunners for much of our community work. The Chaires Elementary School playground, a house for WFSU Public Television's auction, the Miccosukee Land Co-op's community center and swimming pool, a gazebo at Tallahassee's Lake Ella, a house for troubled youth at Disc Village, the dining hall at the YMCA's Camp Indian Springs, a maintenance facility at the Tallahassee Museum, many Housing Foundation volunteer projects and Habitat builds have all involved our coordination - most often with many eager volunteers, tools in hand, awaiting instructions!
Beginning in 1984 with converting the old Joe's Spaghetti House/Seafox Lounge into an office building, commercial construction projects gained more and more of Mad Dog's attention. Although initially we were not providing commercial construction documents, we were frequently becoming the owner's chosen representative. It soon became evident that our clients were looking for a single ally to coordinate their entire projects.
Soon after we began providing commercial clients with complete Design/Build services, we joined in the development of two commercial office parks, Governors Park followed by Commonwealth Office Park. Mad Dog received proclamations of appreciation from the National Park Service, the U. S. Department of the Interior, the Florida Archaeological Council and the Florida Governor's Office for our key role in the discovery and preservation of De Soto's winter encampment at the Governors' Park site.
Today, whether as the General Contractor or the Design/Builder, our name is associated with projects as far away as Charlotte, North Carolina and as diverse as The Moon Musical Hall and the Tallahassee General Aviation Terminal. With each new project, we meet the challenge of providing innovative, efficient methods to deliver a quality product.
Although the foundation of Mad Dog's reputation is directly related to our responsive service to our clients, Mad Dog and its associates are recognized as community leaders and contributors. Mad Dog's selection as the first Tallahassee business to be recognized as a "Volunteer of the Year" by the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce is indicative of our belief in the integration of business success with civic responsibility.
We look forward to many more years of providing quality project management services to our clients, with practiced thoroughness, integrity and responsiveness, as we continue BUILDING MORE THAN BUILDINGS.