This article was written by architect Timothy Ung of JourneyofanArchitect.com. It is being republished here at EntreArchitect.com with permission from the author. Enjoy! Almost 40 tips for Starting an Architecture Firm After obtaining my license as an Architect in New York, I brainstormed several long term goals and decided to start a personal blog, develop design projects, and learn everything that I could about starting an architecture firm. So I purchased several inspiring books … [Read more...]
What Was I Thinking?
Four Lessons in Telling the Truth
My First Assignment Many years ago, before Annmarie and I started our residential architecture firm, I was a project manager with Kaeyer, Garment & Davidson Architects in Mt. Kisco, New York. I worked very closely with the senior partner at the time, Dick Kaeyer. My first assignment as Project Manager was a major addition and renovation project for a church and facilities in Yorktown Heights. Dick designed the project and I developed it through construction drawings. Then, in order to … [Read more...]
4 Simple Marketing Strategies for Residential Architects
Marketing Strategies for Residential Architects Have you listened to my interview with co-founder of SALA Architects, Dale Mulfinger, FAIA over at EntreArchitect Podcast? It was a fantastic discussion about how SALA was founded and the journey to where Dale finds himself today as a principal at the firm, a teacher and an author of several books published by Taunton Press. If you haven’t yet listened to the episode, you can subscribe to the podcast at iTunes or listen directly from the website … [Read more...]
Culture is Critical for Success at Your Architecture Firm
A Culture at Your Architecture Firm Will Make or Break Your Firm As your small firm grows beyond its infancy of the sole practitioner and you develop a strong team, the culture of your firm will evolve. The different personalities and experiences brought to your firm will mix and a firm culture will develop; with or without your guidance. You are a busy architect seeking your next contract and working hard to complete the current projects on the boards. You just need to get the work done. … [Read more...]
The 21 Rules for
Success in Architecture
The following is a compilation of my professional practice lecture on the last day of class. Instead of recapping the course or giving a final exam, I share with my students a presentation titled Advice as You Finish School and Start to Practice. I present a series of statements followed up with a brief explanation. Advice as You Finish School and Start to Practice... 1. GET STARTED ON YOUR CAREER PATH You can start earning AXP (NCARB Architecture Experience Program) hours right … [Read more...]
How Project Accounting Will Transform Your Architecture Firm
Take the Time to Examine Project Financials—You Won’t Regret It Your projects have many moving parts, and sometimes tracking their financials might seem overwhelming. You might not get all the information you want or maybe, you don’t even bother to determine the profitability of each project because it would involve too much time. It’s completely understandable, but if you want to get serious about boosting your firm’s efficiency and profitability, you need to start monitoring your project … [Read more...]
Do Good While Doing Well
Benefit Corporations for Architects Recently, I have been chatting with numerous members of the design community about Benefit Corporations (or B-Corps) and have been met with an equal number of blank stares. The Benefit Corporation movement is gaining momentum daily; 34 states plus the District of Columbia have legislation authorizing B-Corps, while 6 additional states have legislation pending. [1] What is a Benefit Corporation? The Benefit Corporation is considered a hybrid of a … [Read more...]
Architects Are All The Same
Clients see us as all the same. One architect is just like another. We are all expected to be wonderfully talented designers. We are expected to know the codes and technical details required to construct safe and healthy buildings. In the eyes of our clients, we are all the same… unless we do something to stand out from the crowd. My firm does it differently than the rest. One example is our pre-design process. Before we design, before we sketch our first line, we perform a process of … [Read more...]
Every Architecture Project
Has Four Corners
Begin with Intention Effective project execution is associated with successful achievement of design intent, high-quality construction, profitability and efficiency. Effective management indeed rests in part with a project manager’s ability to deliver a quality project on time and within the approved fee. But profitability and efficiency of design and production are not the only markers of successful project completion. Successful project delivery relies on the manager’s understanding of the … [Read more...]
How To Outsource To a Remote Team as an Architect Sole Practitioner
How To Outsource To a Remote Team as an Architect Sole Practitioner Working as an architect sole practitioner has its perks. The freedom and flexibility of working alone, without accountability to a staff or employees is appealing to many small firm architects. What happens, though, when your marketing and sales systems start kicking in and your success brings in lots of new work; so much new work that you can not get it all done on your own? It may be time to consider growing beyond … [Read more...]
How To Start An Architecture Firm From Scratch
How To Get Noticed When No One is Watching “How do I get noticed when I am first starting an architecture firm? I have no portfolio of my own to show clients. How do I get that first solo project?” I receive emails and see questions over at The EntreArchitect Community Facebook Group on a regular basis asking these or similar questions. I’ve shared articles at this blog in the past on how much it may cost to start your own firm and how Annmarie and I launched Fivecat Studio with no … [Read more...]
10 Ways An Architect Can Make More Money
This is an edited repost from deep in the archives. Originally published on the week of this blog’s relaunch on December 12, 2012, this article has been the most popular week in, week out. Leave a comment below or post your thoughts over that The EntreArchitect Community Facebook Group and share your tips and tricks. How do YOU make more money? To successfully complete a project, an architect is responsible for making thousands of critical decisions. To complete the development of a … [Read more...]
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