About TFI Lava

Trusted guidance through complex environments.

TFI Lava is a technology design and advisory firm built around a simple principle: complex environments deserve clear judgment.

01 — Who we are

An independent voice — bringing clarity to early decisions.

Lighting, audio, video, and acoustics shape how people experience space. The decisions behind those systems are made under pressure — incomplete information, competing priorities, real consequences that show up months or years later.

Our job is to help you navigate that complexity with confidence.

We act as an independent, experience-driven voice. We bring clarity to early decisions, protect intent through construction, and make sure the technology ultimately serves the people who use it.

Not the spec sheet. Not the budget line. The people.

Experience that informs judgment

Decades of work across eight sectors.

The principals of TFI Lava bring decades of hands-on experience designing, delivering, and supporting technology-integrated environments.

Performance venues & theatres
Educational facilities & schools
Control rooms & mission-critical environments
Manufacturing & industrial facilities
Churches & faith-based spaces
Hospitality & experiential environments
Corporate boardrooms & workplaces
Touring productions & live events

The work spans early concept design, detailed technical development, construction coordination, system commissioning, and post-occupancy evaluation. We've worked inside organizations and alongside architects, designers, GCs, integrators, and owners — which is how we know what gets stuck where, and why.

How we serve the team

A partner, not a vendor.

Our goal is to stabilize the process — not control it. Reduce friction. Clarify decisions. Protect outcomes for everyone in the room.

Owners
Independent technical representation
Architects & designers
Collaborative design partner
General contractors
Clarity, coordination, risk reduction
Integration teams
Stewards of design intent and system performance

We stabilize the process — not control it.

Independent by design

That independence isn't marketing. It's how the work works.

TFI Lava does not sell equipment. We do not represent manufacturers. We do not compete with integrators.

That independence is how we're able to give you unbiased judgment, honest feedback, and clear recommendations — especially when the trade-offs are unavoidable.

Clients trust us because the guidance is rooted in experience, not incentives.

What success looks like

When we've done our job well.

Owners feel informed and protected
Designers see their intent preserved
General contractors experience fewer surprises
Integrators can execute with clarity
End users experience spaces that simply work

Not louder voices. Not more complex systems. Just better.

Meet your TFI team

Two principals. Decades of practice.

David McCauley

Principal

Bill Swaringim

Principal · Growth & Operations

The most impactful design decisions are often the least visible — and the most enduring.