Houston’s Hottest Design and Build Firm is All About the Bayou City: How a Love for Houston Drives Construction Concepts

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Houston is dynamic and ever-changing. New restaurants are springing up every day. There’s more and more entertainment all the time. It’s true what they say: If you build it, they will come.

The Bayou City’s very own Construction Concepts is responsible for  building a number of the outstanding new additions.

Construction Concepts’ 2018 portfolio is enough to make you do a double take, with projects such as the upscale Doris Metropolitan steakhouse, swanky Victor lounge, bright and airy Villa Saint-Tropez restaurant, classic Tex-Mex icon Ninfa’s On Navigation, Steak 48 upstairs dining expansion, and more. It’s quite the list.

And then, there’s the promising horizon: the much-anticipated Truth BBQ on Washington Avenue,  the new Common Bond at the Heights Waterworks, the new Ninfa’s at BLVD Place, Sticky Chicken in Sawyer Yards and the new Bosscat at Highway 99 are just some of what this custom design and build-out firm is working on now.

You could say Construction Concepts has hit the big time. But that would be missing the point.

“As large as we’ve grown, we’re still a mom-and-pop shop,” Construction Concepts founder Josh Weisman says.

This is not just a family-owned business. It is a proud Houston business.

“I was born and raised here, and just about everybody on our team was born and raised here,” Weisman says.

“We take what we do very seriously and want to give the client and the city something to be proud of. We’re very proud of Houston.”

Construction Concepts offers turn-key design and build services, or can work in partnership with an outside architect and design team.  They’re team players, and they cater to every client’s needs — with all the knowledge and experience they’ve amassed over two stunningly productive decades.

Construction Concepts is determined to honor the company motto with every project: on time, on budget.

The firm has built quite the reputation as it’s built distinct restaurant after distinct restaurant, gyms, spas and co-working spaces. But Construction Concepts has always stayed true to its core, and always will.

Weisman is proud of designing and building projects all across Houston, in different neighborhoods and with different vibes and aesthetics. Construction Concepts can execute any vision, but one drive remains the same.

“We want people to have an exceptional experience when they visit one of our venues,” Weisman says.

Dream Projects in a Dynamic City

Victor was one of Weisman’s favorite projects this year. “We were given the opportunity to completely bring new life into the Zimm’s Bar and Lounge, a very well-known and established fixture in the Montrose community,” he says.

The firm went for “Baroque-chic” with fashion-forward touches such as custom brass inlay in the walls surrounded by plush blue fabric, a custom DJ booth made to look like Louis Vuitton luggage and a new liquor display handcrafted out of antique, 18th century wood imported from a French castle.

“When the project calls for it, I like to bring in as many artisanal products as possible to give it to a unique look and feel,” Weisman says.

Weisman has a soft spot for materials made in Construction Concepts’ own fabrication shop, from millwork to steel to wood. “Our clients don’t want a cookie cutter look. As a result, we create many of our own custom designs by hand in our shop, he adds.”

Projects such as BCK and Acqua Med Spa are near and dear to Weisman, since Constriction Concepts was trusted with complete freedom to create that “wow factor.”

“When we have the freedom to go beyond just a plan on paper, it allows our team to really showcase their talents and our experience in the industry to marry form and function in a way that exceeds expectations. It’s definitely a fun, hands-on project for all of us to get involved in,” Weisman says.

For BCK, Construction Concepts took the unique Glass Wall restaurant in The Heights and completely gutted and remodeled it. Think custom steel beams, a wood handcrafted bar and hand-stitched supple leather banquets.

Acqua Med Spa showcases Construction Concepts’ breadth outside the restaurant industry and highlights their luxury commercial services. This was another occasion where the firm was allowed to let its imagination run wild, this time in a completely different direction.

“Our expertise comes into play when the client wants to be very creative, but you still need the space to function as it is intended to. We make sure the vision fits the brand,” Weisman says. In this case, that called for gleaming, luxurious and spacious exam rooms and a glamorous, neutral palette of beiges and creams and whites.

Each and every project shares the commitment to aesthetics, flow and functionality.

A number of the hottest new venues are asking for the exciting trends Weisman’s honed in on.

“What I’m seeing is a lot of black, dark colors, brass, striking metals. More soft textures and sleek edges. Greenery, I think greenery is definitely coming back,” Weisman says. “And, of course, rich, hand-crafted elements.”

Construction Concepts — Weisman and his team— is there to hold your hand as you go through the process. “You get a lot of personal time and energy from me when I take on a project. I am your go-to guy from start to finish,” Weisman says.

Helping Houston

As much as Construction Concepts builds relationships with its clients, it also builds relationships with the community. After about 12 years of charity work, Construction Concepts founded BLDit, or Building Lives & Dreams in Texas. The firm picks children’s charities to contribute to each quarter.

“We went out to Brookline Elementary earlier this year and built an entire playground for them along with compost and an outdoor theater area. I think it’s really inspiring to these children,” Weisman says.

While building the playground, they learned from the school principal that, for many of the children, the only food they received was at school.

“That really hit home for us” Weisman says. “So now we make a dedicated effort to reach out to schools to assist kids who don’t get a chance to eat during the weekend.”

This year they also partnered with Kid’s Meals for their summer Juice Box Challenge, and the company’s annual holiday party benefitted B.I.G. Love Cancer Care to provide ongoing support for cancer families at all four local cancer hospitals 52-weeks a year.

This is how Construction Concepts operates. It wants to make Houston a better place. Sometimes that happens through a hip new restaurant project. And sometimes that means reaching out to help in the community.

Construction Concepts isn’t just a Houston-based company. It’s a company that is all about Houston.

For more information on Construction Concepts, its services and its exciting new projects, click here.