Good afternoon all,
Prior to the downturn our firm worked closely with developers to create single family communities, with the expectation that we would be first in line for commissions to design homes. At that same time we also started performing reviews of plans submitted by others on behalf of the developer, serving on and in some cases, serving as the full Architectural Review Committee (ARC). Initially we considered this a side business just to keep our name in front of potential clients. Surprising myself and my other two partners, in 2005 we made slightly over $40,000 solely from performing reviews. I wrote a white paper on the perceived opportunities of ARC work and as a result we decided to write a business plan for ARC services. During the next two years we saw income from this initiative rise. By the end of 2007 ARC work had become my full time job.
When the economic bubble burst, ARC work did not save the day for us, but giving that this was just about our sole source of income, we began to put more energies in it and develop a stronger relationship with our client communities.
What has strengthened it the most was our ability, as professionals, to help communities keep values up by keeping inappropriate homes out. We immediately began seeing almost no homes come in for review that were designed by architects, with most submissions coming from the internet, or drawings from folks who had drafting classes in high school and knew the builder. I had one "designer" who had never drawn a wall section much less understood details. And one builder who, after seeing a set of drawings we had prepared for a home, asked it we were just simply using a better CAD program than he had. After an hour of walking him through the plans to show that every line represented the convergence of thoughts on a lot of issues, I think he finally understood the value of an architect.
This led me to being classes for committee and HOA Board members who also began to understand and appreciate the value of an architect. And they understood we could put a halt to low quality submissions in a way that does not alienate, but attempts to educate (while not create liability for the community when the ARC said NO!) In all of our communities, we are now fully supported in requiring drawings be prepared by an architect or qualified professional design firm. (I tried to move the Boards to accept only architect prepared drawings...but we are not there yet...)
During this time, as leader of our firm's initiative, I developed a model that I think can be used by other firms with financial benefit to them and place the architect in a more prominent role in the community. I am also seeing that in our role on the ARC, we can help individual homeowners move toward the objectives of the 2030 challenge and believe with other architects doing the same, we can make significant inroads in meeting those objectives for tens of thousands of homes across the country that without an architect's influence will miss valuable opportunities.
I will add here that I am not selling anything, and do not intend to charge anyone for sharing what I have learned. I presently have over $4 million in confirmed contracts to perform ARC reviews in 14 communities and at age 62 expect to finish my career with what is already on my plate.
There is much too much to share than time or space will allow here, at the present time. But I believe a separate forum within the Housing Knowledge Community discussion group may be of value for those who have an interest. I am attending the AIA Convention next week, coming into DC late Tuesday and attending the Residential Knowledge Community reception on the 18th. I will be more than willing to take time to meet with anyone interested, hopefully including the Knowledge Community leadership, in helping to develop this service as a component of a firm's business plan. Ultimately, I would like to think the AIA will at some point promote this service as one more example of how an architect can be a significant asset to their community.
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J. Richard Alsop AIA
Charette Architects, PLLC
Charlotte NC
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