Successful Leadership as an Architect Late one winter night, under a bare bulb in an empty under-heated DC university dorm room I read Leadership Is an Art by Max De Pree; a book that influenced my approach to leading others from that night forward. Earlier that day, our hosts at the 1992 American Institute of […]
21 Rules for a Successful Life in Architecture
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a guest post by architect Kevin J. Singh. Kevin is an Associate Professor of Architecture in the School of Design at Louisiana Tech University and has served as Director of the Community Design Activism Center (CDAC) since joining the faculty in 2006. He currently teaches courses in community design, […]
The Ultimate Guide to Streamlining Your Architectural Production Process
This week’s post is written by David M. Sanders, AIA a residential architect based in Capistrano Beach, California. David has generously shared his own system for preparing the ultimate set of construction documents. You may learn more about David and his firm at his website. Send him an email and say thanks for sharing such […]
The Results are In!
The Entrepreneur Architect Business Trends Survey 2014 Earlier this year, we asked the Entrepreneur Architect community to share details about who they are, what they do, where they do it and how they are getting it all done. The information gathered from the Entrepreneur Architect Business Trends Survey is informative, interesting, somewhat surprising and at times disturbing. More than […]
Entrepreneur Architect Business Trends Survey
We’re taking matters into our own hands. We’ve all been talking about the many issues that we need to address in the profession of architecture; the identity crisis, the financial crisis, the licensing crisis… The list goes on and on. For years architects have slowly surrendered responsibility for much of the design and construction processes […]
10 Rules for a Powerful Brand in Architecture
When Annmarie and I launched Fivecat Studio in 1999, we knew that we wanted to give our firm a unique identity. Every other firm in the region was named for their founders. Another “Smith and Smith Architects” was not what we wanted to be. (No offense to any Smith and Smiths out there.) Our plans […]
Conversion Rates for a Small Firm Architect
The last fifteen years has been one wild ride for Fivecat Studio. We have survived two recessions, several natural disasters and a major terrorist attack within 40 miles of our front door. The confidence level of our clients has been riding the roller coaster of an uncertain, unpredictable economy. Project conversions have been up and […]
How I Started My Own Architecture Firm (Part 1)
I always knew I would someday have my own firm. I’m a born entrepreneur… quite literally. Dad’s a retired auto mechanic and he taught me entrepreneurism early. As a child, I watched how he bought old Corvettes and flipped them for a profit. When I was 13, I started doing the same. With savings from […]
The Inevitable Priority Shift
Every residential architecture project starts months, maybe even years before a client ever approaches an architect. Our potential clients have saved their money and prepared a budget. They have considered how long a project takes and has a clear expectation for completion (even if it is most likely unrealistic). They’ve been dreaming of their finished […]
This Old House Needs a Major Renovation
Today, I am sharing a few ideas which started in last week’s newsletter (Have you subscribed yet? If not; go here now.) I’ve been thinking about our mission here at Entrepreneur Architect and how we must become an influential force for change in this profession of ours. We have some very big problems to solve […]
You Should Q.U.I.T.
I decided to become an architect when I was 10 years old. I made the decision and never looked back. Another career was never even considered. Every step to become a licensed architect was calculated and scheduled for the result that has become my reality. I have always looked at this as a gift. I […]
Build a Debt Zero Business
For the first four years, Fivecat Studio could be found at a basement studio in our little cottage in the woods of Chappaqua, New York. The space was just large enough for one Dell workstation, a couple of book shelves, a desk chair, a telephone, five cats and me. Each morning I would eat breakfast, […]