The Firm 1 Belief & Practice – from Dana Cuff Architecture: The Story of Practice How Does Firm Size Effect You? – articles from Architectural Record May, June, August ’02: Parts I, II, & III Start Your Own Firm – from Handbook of Architectural Practice, Chapter 5.2 by E. Moreno

Beliefs & Practice The development of professional architecture has hinged upon the link between espoused beliefs and the circumstances found in everyday architectural practice. – The office is really a “studio” (espoused belief) says the partner, but the partner has to “take-control” (reality) this is not a studio, but a bureaucracy. For example there is a clear connection between the emphasis on design and the distaste for management of office activities as well as a loss of other marketable skills – Architects are trained as designers; design gets “master value” in the office; their professional identity depends on it; yet it is scarce in practice (reality) and is hoarded by those in charge – Design (art) vs. Business (management) At some level architecture is understood to be a collective artistic activity more like filmmaking or theater than novel writing, painting or sculpture. – In school students work by themselves, rarely in groups, and are directed by a single instructor.

Beliefs & Practice Architecture is inextricably bound up with individuals other than designers, particularly the client/patron – Architects have remained independent from those it serves (professionals promote individualism) and autonomy as reflected in design process and maintain the “service ideal”; downplaying the “profit motive” (artist). As a result the architect has been accused of not taking the service model to heart and the architect complains of inadequate compensation Architects sometimes have denied the significance of other actors’ roles in design – Professional autonomy allows other necessary skills to fall to other specialists promoting the emergence of new professions By devaluing the conditions that frame the creative process, a spectrum of constraints and opportunities are overlooked and removed from the architect’s control

Affect of Size on Practice “smaller size is better for culture but not as good for benefits & HR” How does profitability affect creativity? – “No problem if you have a plan” – “It’s hard to make a profit when you care about design” Cost of hiring You don’t have to be a large firm to do good architecture Small: 87% 1-19 people Medium: 8% people Large: Jumbo: +150 “Recent grads like small firms to get diversified experience” “large firms give exposure to multiple project types in various stages” Small firms are able to react quickly to change, but may not be able to hire quickly for big jobs Large firms have enough people, they may react slowly and have a hard time keeping high work flow

Firm Size & Culture Culture determines how firms behave as organizations: whether they are satisfying places to work, what kinds of projects they pursue, and how their clients will be. The environment that reflects the values, commitments and interpersonal attitudes of the people in the organization Young people without families tend to be more interested in income and paid time off than benefits Large firms offer seminars, IDP programs, leadership growth RNL Design w/200 employees, offers travel perks to villa in Provence region of France Controlling burnout – flextime Small size allows for principal design control Matrix System: resources are allocated from entire organization Studio System: Same team stays with the project from beginning to end Is too much time spent on design?

Starting a Firm Tools to Succeed – Marketing & Image – Contract negotiation – Agreements – Build relationships – Hire and manage staff & consultants – Work effectively with contractors & consultants The Business of Architecture – Financial Considerations: The main reason firms fail is under capitalization – 1,000 new firms annually; only 25% last 3 years – Decide on the type of firm you want to be – Get only clients that can help you realize this firm type – Listen Hard – Risk Management – Lear how to say “no” intelligently

Assignment How Does Firm Size Effect You? – articles from Architectural Record May, June, August ’02: Parts I, II, & III The Architects’ Office – Chapter 9 Professional Practice Starting a Firm – Chapter 5.2 Architects Handbook of Professional Practice