A small firm, while offering many opportunities for design exploration, requires a certain amount of discipline and structure to operate smoothly (and successfully). Even before I went to architecture school, i was biased to some degree by my upbringing. The son of an electrician and building inspector, the grandson of a plumber and the great grandson of a mason, I was thankful to have a great deal of hands-on experience with construction while growing up. Summers and winters off from school were spent working for several local contractors and learning the nuts and bolts of the trades and how they interact in the field. I have always felt that this both helped and hindered my development as an architect; it wasn’t until a few excellent professors challenged me to think outside the box in studio that I really learned to rationalize the realities of building with the theories of design. This balance has helped me to become, in my opinion, a better Architect.
A voracious reader since I can remember, I have always turned to the printed page when I was looking for a solution to a particularly fussy problem. One of the things I hope to accomplish is to review some of the many books on construction, architectural design and business that I have collected over the years and offer some insights on how they have impacted my practice.
The disconnect between designing and building is greater today than it ever has been. Historically, the architect was known as the ‘Master Builder’; today the profession has been marginalized by plan houses, design-build firms, contractors offering ‘design’ services and many other forces. Working smoothly with contractors and building departments and knowing codes as well as modern and proper construction methodologies can go a long way in adding value to your firm.
I often joke that there are three things that they never teach you in architecture school:
One is how to draw, read and write upside down. The second is marriage counseling.
The third is how to run a practice. A large percentage of the 100,000 or so architects practicing in the United States are either in a small firm (less than 10 people) or a sole practitioner. Everyone has to take a professional practice class in architecture school, but most of the time is spent on learning about contract documents rather than sound business practices. A guest speaker when I was in college told us that a successful firm needs a good designer, someone who can put the nuts and bolts together to make it work, and someone who can run the business. These may all be the same person, or it can be several people, but those are the three major pieces that must be addressed. Hopefully this will become a forum where these topics can be discussed. I’d like to offer some insights on all of these subjects in one location, and would like to try to create a repository of tips, tricks and bits of useful information.
I have always wanted to teach, but the opportunity has never presented itself. Along that vein I finally decided to start this blog; not to instruct but to share some of the things I have learned over the years in the hopes that it could help other architects or students in their professional pursuits. I would love to hear from anyone out there with any questions or thoughts about the profession!
The Practical Architect 