by Sunando Dasgupta

There’s an elephant in the room, when one talks about the different components of running an architectural/design business.

Something that’s often left unsaid is the unfortunate fact that many architects start their own businesses after self-evaluating themselves as good designers, with little or no prior knowledge of the elements of successful business practice.

This may be considered similar to a situation where a successful artist decides to start a business selling paintbrushes, without any understanding of production or manufacture.

It doesn’t help matters that, during all the time spent in architecture school, students are always advised to approach architecture from the point of view of an artform, a social and urban intervention, or cultural critique.

And whilst this training doubtless helps sharpen our design skills in our formative years, if you, as an architect, intend to practice and run a successful architectural practice, it’s important to remember that your design skills are completely incapable of enabling you to build the framework for a successful business.

And, although, as architects, we often have legitimate complaints about the nature of fee structures in our professions, temporary client issues and incompatibilities, it’s worthwhile to remember that, as business owners, its our first responsibility to ensure that we spend as much time working on the design and functioning of our company as we do working on the floorplans and axonometrics of a design project.

If, for the next five years, you spent as much time and optimizing your business practices and procedures as you spend on a prestigious design competition, what would your architectural practice look like after five years?

Because the truth is that while Form Follows Function may hold true for architectural design, it certainly does ALWAYS hold true when it comes to the design and functioning of an architectural firm.

An architectural firm may be responsible for designing innovative and original buildings, but if it’s own internal functioning is a daily firefight, it is not too different from the building which has expensive cladding and looks good from afar, but has bad planning, mismanaged services and poor construction within.

So, if you’re an architect planning to set up your own practice, remember that “Form Follows Function” starts with you.

To our fellow design professionals who are hard at work creating the communities of the future.

When SDAARCHITECT set out to design architectural projects years ago we had some ideas about community involvement and the use and appropriation of public spaces.

But even as the architects of multiple projects its sometimes easy to forget the practical extent to which urban spaces truly create the culture of a city.

As architects, it is sometimes easy to forget that individual buildings eventually get absorbed and assimilated in the the architecture of the city, and become transformed by the communities that inhabit the city.

Along with the social gatherings that “activate” public spaces comes a sense of community and a sense of belonging, which makes all the difference in an urban environment.

Of course it’s important to be passionate and rigorous about architecture. It’s important for us to continue talking, thinking and experiencing architecture in all its glory and nuances. It’s important to hone our craft – the craft of design, and work diligently.

But at the end of the day we must never allow ourselves to be distracted from the inescapable fact that we create architecture for people, families and communities – – not for impressive isometric views.

As architects there is no greater reward for us all, than seeing people living great lives and working productively in spaces that we were able to play a role in creating for them.

All this leads me to suggest to all my fellow architects reading this: today, as we shut down our CAD software for the evening, after we return that last call to the sub-contractor, I would propose we go to one of our favorite public spaces in the city – – hopefully with some good people and a cup of coffee.

And for once, let us turn the designer-dial down temporarily; and try to enjoy and appreciate the people around us and the urban spaces and communities we’re a part of.

A personal perspective on Architecture, by Sunando Dasgupta

In every profession, every few years you’ll tend to reach a plateau in terms of how much you love your work and the extent to which you’re invested in it.

Now, this is perfectly natural, its part of the sine wave of long term progress to have dips in your level of engagement.

Usually, the ‘dip’ naturally evens itself out and you’ll find yourself loving your work as you did before.

However, a great way to shake yourself out of those transient, temporary moments of disinclination or lack of motivation is to remind yourself why you love the work you do, and how it has been a catalyst in your personal evolution.

Take this (all too common example) –

You wake up, and you know there are a lot of dreadfully boring tasks you have to do today – – whether its repetitive drawing checking, or reworking a revision for the nth time.

Even the alarm clock seems to be sarcastic and pessimistic as it wakes you up. You go to work and find out that the rest of the week is going to be exactly like today – – maybe worse.

At this point, you have a few options – – you can 1) blame other people – – there’s no shortage of people to blame: your clients, vendors, employees, colleagues, consultants. Blaming other people does work temporarily, in that you will feel a lot better for an hour or two – – but its a very temporary elation (the elation of being more ‘right’) and eventually you’ll settle into the recognition that you have to do the work either way.

2) you’ll settle into that recognition of the necessary work that needs doing, and you’ll save an hour or two of your life. Highly recommended but not always possible, is it.

And as you do that, you can begin to also appreciate all the experiences you’ve had as a result of being in this field.

For example –

The gratification of completing a building project – – not many people will be able to claim that they literally ‘left a mark’ on the face of the urban fabric – – in that respect, architects are a rare breed.

The fact that every successful project is a team endeavour, and a reflection of your ability to coordinate and work with people from vastly different backgrounds and competencies – – every project is, in a way, proof of how well you’ve been able to manage competing concerns and agendas into an outcome that suits all parties involved.

Or it may be the fact that you’re in an industry that never stagnates. Given the rapid rate of technological development, its sometimes tempting to wish things changed slower, but would you really want that?

How quickly would you get bored of your work if it never changed, if you did the same tasks for decades.

In many ways, the fact that the industry changes rapidly means that it forces you to think on your feet and stay sharp to be able to convert the challenges you face into opportunities for growth.

Or perhaps it’s the fact that as an architect, you’re always a mentor to fresh graduate architects and interns, which puts you in a position where you can positively influence the careers of the hundreds of young professionals.

And those are just some of the reasons.

I’m sure, given a moment of reflection, you’ll easily be able to think of all the reasons why, in the long run, you’re glad to be a part of the architectural profession.

And when you look back at all the repetitive work, all the mundane tasks that used to annoy you, you can begin to understand that, as uninteresting as some of that work may be, they’re not dealbreakers – – they don’t take away from how much you love what you do, once you’re able to zoom out and get perspective.

And that’s what ultimately matters.

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SDAarchitect is a full service architectural firm headquartered in Delhi, India, with completed and ongoing projects all over the country.

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SUNANDO DASGUPTA AND ASSOCIATES

In today’s article, we’re going to go over something that’s been on our minds over the years, as we’ve been working successfully with our clients.

Something that’s traditional knowledge is the fact that Architects obtain many of their best commissions through word of mouth, and through referrals from clients who are absolutely convinced that this is the best decision for them.

The way this works is, as an architect, you can complete a project successfully and often your clients will happily recommend your firm to their friends, their family, to co-workers.

Because, as an architectural firm, something we’ve always been grateful for is the appreciation our clients have shown us for our work, in the form of referrals.

And we found ourselves asking, what if more architects and architectural firms were able to more easily understand the fundamentals of client fulfilment so they can naturally implement systems that allow themselves to get more referrals.

And, if you’re an architect, reading this right now, what if your clients not only recommended your firm, but are sure that its the best option for anyone they eventually decide to refer this firm to. What if they were so happy with the services you provided as an architect, as a consultant, as an expert, that they naturally go out of their way to find themselves spreading the word about this firm. And ultimately, what if that could eventually lead to you creating a legion of your own loyal customer evangelists?

And this became the focus for the discussions that ultimately resulted in this article – How, as an architectural firm, can you be able to service your clients better, to be able to sustainably have good relationships with your clients.

And why, if you’re an architect, you must realise how important it is to focus on this now, in addition to your design skills, in addition to your ability to co-ordinate work, this is also a huge area that, if you can convince yourself that this is an area of focus you want to have, then you can naturally be able to see, eventually, over the years you will get more referrals, and that your clients will be happier and get the results that they feel good about working with this firm.

So we summarized our ruminations on this subject into four tenets of customer fulfilment that architects can use as a checklist.

CONTINUOUS CLIENT FEEDBACK

This is interesting because, often I’ve noticed that with younger architects, is that they view client meetings and client communications as an occasional obligation – – however, as a firm that desigs large institutional projects, and hence is completely reliant on a very high degree of client involvement, we’ve learned over the years that one of the best things you can do, as an architect, is continuously maintain lines of communication with your client.

Now, this doesn’t mean you have to always go meet them, necessarily – – in the age of the internet, one can easily achieve this with Skype meetings.

With one of our clients, we have recently been able to achieve just that, and consequently have seen the benefits in being able to shift from in-person meetings, which may sometimes may or may not be logistically convenient, and depend largely on everyones’ ability to set aside the time and space and travel.

And when you’re able to begin to shift to Skype based conferences and clarifications, for all architects reading this, I would highly recommend that you make it a point to communicate with your clients regularly, and perhaps even start to introduce your clients to online services like Skype, Zoom Webinars and AnyDesk – as an easy, natural way for them to clarify points in-person and give their valuable feedback.

SHARING KNOWLEDGE

This is something we recently became aware of, this was one of the factors that led to the creation of this blog.

Because we realised that a big part of the social responsibility one has as an architect is to be able to educate the people you work with, and be able to share the knowledge you have gained in your years practicing as an architect.

What this means is, naturally, as an architect, you have a domain of specialization, and it’s a great idea make it a point to freely share some of the things you’ve learned in your personal experience – – whether it’s your thoughts on design, on urbanism, or even if it relates to specific tips, tricks or methods that you use as an architectural firm (like the one we just shared, about client feedback through webinars).

And the way this improves client fulfilment is – not only does this allow your clients to be easily able to “catch up” with the latest technologies and ways they can streamline their co-ordination with you, hence making it easy for them to upgrade their own methods – – it also helps you, as an architect, to promote a very healthy atmosphere of co-operation and collaboration.

CREATING COMMUNITIES

As an architect, you have the ability to build a community around your firm and clients and people you’ve had good working relationships in the past. What this does is it improves the Standard.

Because the more that you’re able to consolidate the network of people you’re working with into an active community, the more that you’re able to form better working relationships with your existing clients, and help them make good decisions.

“WE-BASED” THINKING

Architects and their clients co-operate together to create better urban environments. And one can easily agree that there are few things more important than the lived urban experience and infrastructure of our modern day cities.

So, as an architect, you must realize that “we-based” thinking is much more than just a catchy slogan, it’s the fundamental reality that architects and their clients are a team, that they have a common goal of improving the built environment in ways that have the potential to create a better future for the people that will inhabit or visit the projects you’re working on.

And this means that the more you’re able to understand and internalize this element of social responsibility that architects and their clients share, the more you’re able to improve your methods and client relationships, and the more you’re able to have an approach that focuses on offering value.

And this realization is a game-changer – once you realize that you can Stop having an oppositional approach to clients, and really Start to appreciate the fact that you’re both on the same team, working towards a common goal of improving the quality of the urban ecosystem, its easy to segue into a mindset where you can being to feel good about your partnership with your clients.

I’m sure many of you, as you’re reading this, have taken positive steps similar to the ones we’ve outlined above.

And, by the same token, since the architectural profession is fundamentally a co-operative system, you can always find yourself improving these four elements of client fulfilment, to get the professional results you want.

The harsh reality of practicing architecture – – and how you can avoid making the biggest mistakes of your architect career.

There are many good reasons for starting your own architectural practice – – and I’ve written about many of the benefits at length, in previous posts.

But its equally important to learn to begin to recognize when your reasons for being self-employed aren’t supported by the reality of architectural practice.

So I felt that it would be the responsible thing to do to caution young architects, in the prime of their career, against mistakes and misconceptions that may lead to you making a decision you later regret.

So why do you want to start your own architectural practice?

REASON 1

I want freedom in how I work. I want to live and work on my own terms, and keep my own hours. I don’t want to have to ask my boss for permission every time I want a day off, or if I need to leave office early. I don’t want someone to dictate my daily schedule to me.

WHY THIS HURTS YOU

There’s an old joke in architectural business circles – “quit your job – – be your own boss – – work your own hours – – any 18 hours a day you like!”

If you want to start your own architectural practice because you think you’ll have to work LESS or because you think you’ll be able to live by your own preferred work hours and schedule, you’re sadly mistaken.

Because when you’re a self-employed architect, running your own company, you still have a boss. In fact, you have several – – every single client of yours is your boss – – and I’m not saying that lightly.

In fact, if you’re an employee in an architectural studio, and you fail to deliver results, you’re largely shielded from negative consequences, because your employer takes the blame, and has to ultimately deal with the client end repurcussions.

If you’re an employee, as long as you’re abiding by the schedule set by the firm, your employer is responsible for making sure the company is cash flow positive and you can get your salary paid on time (or get paid at all).

That’s another schedule the practicing architect has to stick to – – the payment schedules of his/her employees.

So, if you want to start a practice, realize that it means that you’ll have to commit to the schedules of your clients, your employees, the consultants you work with, rental payments of office space, infrastructure and maintenance costs.

All of these have unforgiving schedules, and you’re going to be responsible for maintaining them.

You have to be willing to take responsibility and be willing to deal with everything that can go wrong in the architectural projects you tackle whilst still paying your employees on time, whilst meeting and communicating with your clients when they find it convenient.

So its not an escape from some sense of restraint, its not any idealistic sense of “freedom” – – whilst you do get to “keep your own hours” superficially, remember that you also have to accept and commit to multiple schedules, schedules where any deviation may tank the company or damage a client relationship, or delay a projects completion.

REASON 2

I want to design and be the author and creator of my work. I want to be in complete control of the creative process and the direction I take it in.

WHY THIS HURTS YOU

This is actually a good reason and legitimate to an extent – – so it’s unfair to say its completely fallacious.

But the way this kind of thinking hurts you as a practicing architect is in its incompleteness.

Yes, to be in control of the design process is extremely important to us architects, and as the sole proprietor of an architectural practice, you will effectively “be in charge” – – but ONLY as long as you realize and respect the fact that you’re not the only one who has that privilege.
You’re sharing that top spot with your clients. And since they’re investing the most into the project, it makes sense that they deserve to have a say in the process.

This is something that many young architects really find themselves struggling with, because they would ideally love to have a Howard Roarkian career, the stereotype of the architect as a righteous “lone wolf” who succeeds in spite of his/her clients’ mediocrity.

And yes, although you are technically the expert consultant, you are the primary decision maker – – you still have to remember that its your responsibility to strike a happy balance between your creative goals and what your clients need from you.

As much as architecture is art, its also a service industry founded on win win collaboration. So if you want to start an architectural practice because you just want to be in a position where you can design whatever you want, then you’ll end up limiting yourself to projects where you’re able to successfully bludgeon your clients into agreement.

REASON 3

I don’t like being an employee – – and I hate office politics.

WHY THIS HURTS YOU

Because its another half-truth. To an extent, its an excellent reason to be self-employed – – in fact, many self-employed architects started their own practice because they repeatedly had experiences where they were in jobs where they hated the inefficiency, poor design decisions made due to undue influence, nepotism, favoritism etc.

And if you start your own architectural practice, and you just focus on small projects, you can avoid dealing with ‘politics’. But that leads again, to that issue of scale – – beyond a certain scale of project, you’re going to have to deal with multiple decision makers, boards of directors, committees, chains of command where decisions are endlessly delayed – – and in these situations, you’ll have to learn how to be socially calibrated. Office politics are going to seem laughable in comparison to the politics you’re going to have to acquaint yourself with as a practicing architect.

So if you think that by starting a design practice, you’ll be spared the annoyance of having to negotiate social and professional hierarchies, the complexities of group management and appeasement, and learning to deal with powerful people at different levels of seniority – – – you’re most likely going to end up only doing small projects. If that’s what you want, that’s great. But don’t paint yourself into a corner by thinking you can avoid politics.

REASON 4

I’m underpaid as an employee. As an employer (and captain of my own ship) I’ll be able to pocket a lot more money per hour of my time. My hourly rate as an architect employee is scandalously low, and unsustainable.

WHY THIS HURTS YOU

This isn’t a phenomenon specific to architecture – – I can’t remember the last time I met an employee (in any industry) who complained that their company overpaid them, and they wish they weren’t getting such a high salary.

This happens because architect employees are often not aware of how salaries get determined in industries. They feel that their paycheck or hourly rate is calculated on the basis of how good their work is, and the expertise they bring to the table. That’s true to an extent, but not the determining factor.
In reality, if you’re an employee in an architectural company, your architects salary is a reflection of the exchange value of the service you’re providing, compounded with the relative abundance or scarcity of the availability of that service.

In recent decades, opportunities for architectural education have expanded rapidly, resulting in a large workforce of young architects eager to embark on their careers as design professionals. In comparison, the demand for architectural employees has been somewhat relatively “inflexible”, exacerbated by economic fluctuations that have affected the progress of construction projects.

The market resolves this dissonance by adjusting the average salary of an architect – – and this may be lower than what you feel you deserve, and you may be right in thinking that your expertise should be worth more. But that’s just how the market works. At SDAARCHITECT, we get far more job applications than we’d ever be able to even interview – – and I don’t say that to impress you, but to impress upon you that the market is extremely competitive right now.

Now, if you think you’re going to immediately start earning more money by starting your own practice, that may not work out the way you imagined.
Because you have to remember that, as a business owner, you’re often rewarded for your risk tolerance and your ability to manage cash flow in times of crisis.

In fact, if you’re an employee at an architecture firm, you’re atleast consistently assured a monthly paycheck – – your employer protects you from the uncertainty that all businesses deal with – – delays in payment at the client end, sudden infrastructure or operational expenses, time periods when the company participates in design competitions where success isn’t guaranteed.

Architects who succeed in running a practice are able to do so by being extremely tolerant of financial ups and downs. So if you want to start a practice, do it if you want to challenge yourself and increase your ability to manage risk, at the same time ensuring job security for your employees – – don’t do it just because you think you should get paid more.

REASON 5

I’m better at my work than my boss is. I’m more organised. I’m a better designer. I hate having to work with/under people who aren’t as competent as I am. If I was in my boss’s position, I’d streamline this company so well. I think I should just start my own practice, I’m tired of being held back by the limitations of my work environment/colleagues/superiors.

WHY THIS HURTS YOU

Over the years, I’ve heard this argument so many times that I’ve labelled it the “Wizard Of Oz” fallacy – – a reference to the classic book/movie where the protagonists are initially aware of all the work that’s done “behind the curtain” ie behind the scenes.

The thing is, you may be right. You might be a better designer or project co-ordinator than your boss. You may be more creative, more original, more daring with your design ideas. You may be quicker on your feet and excellent at implementation.

But are you as good at getting clients as your boss is?

Are you better at managing payroll?

Are you better at negotiating with clients, presenting projects to committees, being able to balance the concerns of all the stakeholders of a project – – at the same time ensuring that your office runs smoothly when you’re running around putting out multiple fires.

Are you better at spending all your weekends finding ways to improve how the practice is run, making infrastructural decisions, employee training and delegation, hiring and firing.

Are you better at taking full responsibility for any mistakes your employees may make that may result in delays, increased project cost, building structure or performance issues, or litigation.

Are you better at accepting the fact that you’re the linchpin of this operation, that, if you fall sick for a month, multiple projects may fall apart and your employees may not get paid.

Being a practicing architect means you’re willing to take all those concerns on board. I’ts not just about being better at making a design concept than your boss is. Be careful and aware of the scope of your responsibilities when you decide to start your own architectural practice.

CONCLUSION

This isn’t an article meant to dissuade you from starting your own firm. I made the decision to be self employed decades ago, so it would be very hypocritical to advise against it.

By the same token, over the years I’ve mentored many young architects and seen similar patterns, similar misconceptions.

And I found myself realizing that many young architects – – although extremely talented and hardworking and with the best of intentions – – have an incomplete perspective when it comes to the reality of architectural entrepreneurship.

I hope that this will help you make more informed decisions about what you feel is the right choice for you – – and if you do decide to start your own firm, you can do so strategically, ultimately ensuring that you can have lasting success in your career as a practicing architect.