Small Project Design

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  • 1.  Architects' Extinction

    Posted 11-15-2010 10:20 AM

    I have been following this thread with interest and would like to throw in a couple of cents.

    Every project, even the arrangement of the furniture in a room, has an architect.  What varies is the level of attention, skill and experience that the architect brings to the task.  At some point on the scale from flower arrangement to master plan, those in charge of the money decide to get professional design help.  In some cases the law says they have to, although they can evade that by hiring an engineer, some of whom seem to be willing to stamp anything on their desk for a modest fee.  The profession of architecture, the exercise of specialized skill obtained through education and practice, will be extinct when no more projects rise to the level of needing a pro.  Because we are in the bust phase of a construction boom, many fewer architects are in demand than were, but the demand is not zero and likely never will be.

    The small projects that most of us do tend toward the no-architect end of the scale, where buyers perceive less value added by professional help.  That means that they will tend to call on us infrequently and demand low fees when they do seek us out.  Barriers to entry for new firms are comparatively low and architects as a type are notoriously independent minded.  This leads to a perpetual over supply serving a chronically soft demand.  While not strong, that demand is not likely to ever be zero, so even the small office practice probably does not face extinction.

    What could the AIA do to make the demand curve intersect the supply a little closer to the small end and make life more fun (and better paid) for those of us who work there?

    Some ideas:

    1. Forget about trying to limit competition or increase demand through the licensing laws.  This kind of rent seeking should be beneath us and, anyway, it is unlikely to succeed.  The more you try to use the law to force people to do something that costs them more than they think it's worth, the cleverer they will be about evading the you.

    2.  Concentrate on ways to make potential clients believe that the value added by professional design help is worth the cost.  This can be done in two ways-- change perception through marketing and publicity and, much more promising, actually improve the value added.  This the AIA could do by spending more time and resources on directly helping the proletariat of our profession to be better at what we do.  We could use more and better technical information about design, codes, law, business, marketing, etc.  We need some unvarnished information on how people who don't hire us (but might) see us.  One idea is our own version of Wikipedia for architects and designers where we could share experiences with materials, techniques, business problems, etc in a systematic rather than random conversational way.  Another possibility is a version of Consumer Reports for building technologies and materials.  Perhaps a little more of our dues money going to direct involvement in strengthening our skills and knowledge and a little less to happy talk about sustainability on Capitol Hill would be in helpful.



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    Christopher Carley AIA, LEED AP
    C. N. Carley Associates
    Concord NH
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  • 2.  RE:Architects' Extinction

    Posted 11-16-2010 07:39 AM
    I couldn't agree more with Mr. Carley. He is articulate and poignant without a long response. I have been trying to communicate a similar message in my quests. Dear AIA let's sharpen our focus as Mr. Carley has requested. Let's focus on what's really important.

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    Lee Calisti AIA
    Principal
    lee CALISTI architecture+design
    Greensburg PA
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  • 3.  RE:Architects' Extinction

    Posted 11-16-2010 07:58 AM
    I have to disagree with the approach of romancing clients into liking us. It hasn't been working very well for decades now. The laws are set up to benefit the contractor, realtor, but not us. Each builder trade has far more lobbyists than we have and they ensure a sweet deal for each of their professions with little competition from us. We have given up so much ground over the years thinking like romantics. We think people, Americans at that, will simply see the light if we explain it just right. These are people who view our fees as eating into their tile budgets.

    People may resent paying extra for nothing, but with us they are actually getting something. Here's an example of something for nothing: People are required to pay a realtor fee for buying a house, unless it is sold by the homeowner. I designed a house in 2005 that sold for way more than any other in our neighborhood and still stands as the highest price earned. It was a renovation and still out priced all new construction. The realtor did not bother to show the house except to one caravan. She was certain this house would never sell because she was absolutely sure it wasn't traditional enough and it was too expensive. A buyer drove by the house and fell in love at first sight. They went to the realtor's office and she was too busy with a client to show it, so she told them to go look at it on their own. The builder happened to be there, invited them inside, and sold that house in less than an hour. 

    The realtor got over $20K for a fee, I got $5K, and the builder (who put too much $$ into the house) only made $10K. What's wrong with this picture? MY design sold the house! It was MY handiwork that attracted the client, not the smooth talking from the builder. Why did some agent who hated the house to begin with, get 4x as much as me? It's the law to use the agent in this case, so no one questions WHY they get $20K, but the creator of the wonderful building gets a fraction of that and no one seems to bat an eye? It's because the law is what the law is, no matter how ridiculous and this is how people see the fees. They pay what they are required to with no question about the amount. Why do I pay the creator who is not required? If the creator were as important as the agent, then the law would make me pay them too, right? Our laws create the perception of importance, of value. Now designs are so unimportant to people. How many times have you received a call for house plans for sale? In your average person's mind, designs are only worth a couple hundred dollars thanks to plan books and realtors are worth thousands thanks to the law.

    If it was required to use us for residential work in metropolitan jurisdictions, no one would bat an eye either (it's happening in the State of NY among other places). The difference is that no one can justify a realtor's earnings considering their (lack of) professional requirements, but they do see a difference between our design ideas vs a typical builder's design ideas, not to mention 6 yrs of college, 3 yrs internship, and a 40 hr work week worth of exams. Yes, some may try to get around laws, but the amount of business this would generate for our lousy profession might surprise us. It would compel all these residential designers to get licensed which only improves the overall level of competence in the homebuilding industry, not to mention OUR numbers. More students would stick with Architecture if it had a perceived future. 

    The fact that homebuilding makes 35% MORE GDP than Commercial and the fact that it takes hundreds of houses to equal a commercial building in value, I'd say most of our buildings are currently being designed by amateurs. America needs us to take over home design, we need the work, and everyone will benefit in the end. I think a multi-pronged approach is necessary and the law is one of the most important. Educating the public via websites, commercials, events, etc. are valid methods of explaining our value, but they are just not the same. Nothing compares to a real life scenario, a real personal problem that is solved in an elegant way by a professional. I never get tired of hearing, "WOW, I never expected it to turn out like this." That's when the lay person really gets our value. 



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    Eric Rawlings AIA
    Owner
    Rawlings Design, Inc.
    Decatur GA
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