Mark,
We are the AIA and it's our job to promote the organization and this will in turn promote us. I've been competing with residential designers for several years in the same area and here's some advice that has helped me run many of them out of the market areas where I practice:
I have found that placing yard signs in front of ALL of your projects, regardless of scale, scope, or grandeur, creates recognition. When I hand out a card in my area, 9 times out of 10 people say, "I see your signs everywhere." Well, I have one in front of my house which happens to be across the street from a school. My favorite builder has one in front off her house on a major road. They've been there since 2005. I make a point of putting Eric Rawlings, AIA, LEED AP on all of my signs along with my company name and this has led many builders, agents, and homeowners to assume AIA means you're a licensed Architect. Sure this isn't the whole truth, but I'm not correcting anyone.
Reduce your scope of services to reduce your fee and not your worth. Find out what it is that is necessary to get a permit in your area and try not to over do it. As an Architect, you should have no problem providing ideas and solutions that exceed the understanding of someone that didn't bother to go through the process of getting licensed. Providing more drawings than you need does not make you more valuable or professional in the eyes of a homeowner or builder client. Many of us have a hard time understanding that concept as we often provide a set of drawings that is considered normal in the commercial world, but overkill in the residential world.
About 90% of my work last year came either directly or indirectly through a builder or agent. Many of us hate on builders and agents. Mostly this is because they have made themselves valuable and necessary, while we've managed to do the opposite. When a builder can buy a catalogue design for about $1500 and it's normal to repeat that a 100x, that means design is only worth about $15/ house. You can't even buy a door knob or pay a guy to sweep up for that price. I have managed to convince several quality builders to pay me to design unique, one of a kind spec houses. These houses have a reputation for selling faster and for more than average. A mass produced house creates no sense of urgency in a buyer, but a unique house does. This is valuable to builders and agents. Now I have agents sending builders and home owners to me because my houses have a history of selling well. When we just design houses for homeowners, no one knows what the market place thinks of our skills. Only a sale can be used as a comp for an appraisal, so our NEW homeowner houses are appraised by judging the market sales of other NEW houses. The only kind of house that can qualify as a NEW sale is a spec house. HOMEOWNER COMMISSIONED HOUSES ARE NOT SALES!!! If you're not designing spec houses in your area, then your homeowner's appraisals are being based on those who are designing and building spec houses in your area...and we all know what that normally means.
The AIA can't force people to value us, we must do that. Requiring Architect's stamps on all residences means we must design ALL of the spec houses. When 1.3 million of the 1.6 million houses at the top of the boom (2006) were spec houses, then how do any of you think for a second we'll be able to facilitate this? Maybe because I live in a state that is mostly rural, I get it. You're never going to convince all of the building dept's across states like GA to require our stamps on residences when there are so few of us. We have to quit expecting the AIA to wave magic wands and begin understanding that WE are the AIA and the organization is only as good as those of us that promote it and ourselves. If we want people to value us, then we must make ourselves valuable and learn how to insert ourselves into an industry that we have managed to alienate. I rarely meet Architects that are designing spec houses, yet this is the majority of the housing industry whether we like it or not. You can't put a market value on homeowner houses until they sell as a USED, DEPRECIATED item. If we don't start designing a lot more spec houses that generate NEW sales data, then I say we're doomed to wonder constantly why we are not valued in the housing industry, why HGTV doesn't feature us more, why builders and agents make more money. We can't all be designing nothing but high end millionaire and billionaire houses and wonder why people don't think of us first. It's not easy getting traction designing nice spec houses, but we did this to ourselves. We did more to alienate ourselves from the industry than anyone else. If you can't figure out a way to provide your services to the housing type that makes up 80% of the housing industry, then is it really the designer, the builder, or agent that's at fault? My web site is easy to find and all of the projects with a number at the beginning of the project name are spec houses. I'm clearly not the most talented of us, but I'm over here shooting fish in a barrel, so all of you can too!
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Eric Rawlings AIA
Owner
Rawlings Design, Inc.
Decatur GA
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-16-2013 17:39
From: Mark Bufalini
Subject: AIA dues
I do agree that the use of an architect should be required for all construction projects. I believe that the AIA should do whatever it takes to secure legislation to protect those of us that went to school, did our internship, and passed stringent tests to become licensed architects. Here in Texas, the AIBD has allowed people to practice "architecture" without the skin in the game that I gave. All of my competition for jobs and for pricing is against these individuals and those that call themselves "residential designers". When interviewing for jobs, clients will say that they interviewed several architects and list off people that I know are not licensed to call themselves that. I correct them and explain the difference, but when they have a bulk of work behind them, it is hard to deter them from consideration. Plus, the proliferation of these individuals who work for pennies on the dollar force me to their level and cut my prices to even be considered for the job.
Our professional organizations, not necessarily the AIA, but the state and national accreditation boards have allowed this to happen. We are necessary just like an accountant, engineer, lawyer, etc. and their organizations have protected them. It is time that we get the same protection and support so that our profession can have the same status and level of compensation.
I would heartily support the AIA in whatever measures they feel they can take toward these goals. I am to the point where my licensing, education, experience and creativity are inconsequential to securing jobs and if it doesn't make a difference that I am a real architect, then it certainly doesn't make a difference if I have AIA after my name.
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Mark Bufalini AIA
President
Collaborative Design Group-Architecture & Interiors, LLC
Houston TX
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-15-2013 22:33
From: Mark Robin
Subject: AIA dues
I believe the use of an architect is a blessing not a punishment. As long as the Institute emphasizes "value" no obstacles to providing services will be overcame. The need is not to extort but to protect the public health, safety and welfare.
I understand that in states where services of a architect are required during the construction phase improvement are already been measured. This results is a blessing not a punishment.
It makes sense to me that the total legislative efforts of the AIA should be to pass the necessary legislation so that no construction in this country can be permitted without the services of an Architect.
To be frank, value is not an obstacle for architects it is need. Need can be a good thing.
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Mark Robin AIA
Mark Robin Architecture
Nashville TN
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-09-2013 19:33
From: Mark Robin
Subject: AIA dues
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Mark Robin AIA
Mark Robin Architecture
Nashville TN
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Once again the AIA is evolving to sustain us in the future. In our history has any other such efforts improve the profession. If so, why would such mannerism be employed
From my perspective as a small project practitioner, the only way to elevate our lot is to make our services a requirement. The services of other professions like medicine, accounting, lawyering are used through need, not value. Firms need accounts to figure taxes, partnership filing, etc. To obtain eye glasses one first must see an ophthalmologist. What I am saying is the the total legislative efforts of the AIA should be to pass the necessary legislation so than no construction in this country can be permitted without the services of an Architect.
The level of services that should be required should provide an sustainable life for architects. Morover the benefits to society and the better built environment with make our value obvious. As things are now the Institute will continue struggling trying to sell value while "need" is what can sustain us.
Original Message:
Sent: 04-02-2013 18:04
From: John Haley
Subject: AIA dues
This message has been cross posted to the following Discussion Forums: Housing Knowledge Community and Small Project Practitioners .
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John Haley AIA
John Haley, Ltd.
Highland Park IL
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I am a sole practitioner and have been an AIA member since 1976 (with the exception of a few years in the early '80s). I agree with the previous comments recently posted regarding the dues structure. I sent my dues for this year at the last minute. But it will be the last year I will do so unless the dues structure is radically altered to reflect the fact I and other practitioners such as myself can no longer afford this expense.