Client Value and High Performance Design
The debate over how to gain respect, status and market share for architects is seemingly endless and perhaps not surprising since the profession represents a very diverse constituency in size and focus of practice.
The notion that respect, status and market share can be gained by legislatively enhanced practice acts (based on our role as protectors of life safety) seems less productive than a focus on broader value that can be provided regardless of the nature of a practice.
From my perspective practices that focus on purpose providing value which resonates with clients regularly achieve respect, status and market share. The following is an example of what I mean by a practice's purpose which drives client value. It comes from my definition of High Performance Design (any design which meets a high percentage of this criteria).
Purpose and Value in Architecture
- Awakens and inspires the human spirit
- Transforms the user enterprise to a higher level of performance
- Makes the place /object better, including its context
- Accomplished with minimal essential , sustainable resources
- Affordable to user, enterprise and society
Awakens and inspires human spirit
This is probably what most of us as designers are most attuned to, and is the focal point of most of the professions' design awards programs. It is about shaping intellectual and emotional response to an environment or object through manipulation of all the tools of form (i.e. light, color, materiality, shape, formal reference etc.)
The value it provides to clients ranges from personal inspiration and pride to iconic status and brand identity, and from being very ephemeral to being very quantifiable.
Transforms the user enterprise to a higher level of performance
This is often the principal value sought by institutional and corporate clients who in creating a building are making one of their largest commitments of capital. It is about shaping an environment that enhances the activity which the environment is intended to house, through manipulation of spaces, order and form to optimize such things as serendipitous interaction, appropriate light, sound and contrast, systems of movement and sense of well-being or belonging.
The value this provides to clients ranges from improved productivity or creativity, reduced product time to market, increased customer satisfaction, reduced staff turnover, and even the ultimate Wall Street goal enhanced stock price.
Most institutions and industries have (before and after) metrics to quantify these kind of benefits. Astute designers can help their clients utilize the design process itself as a tool in making cultural shifts within their enterprise to achieve these benefits.
Makes the place/object better including its context
This should be a prerequisite for any environmental intervention and is a benefit sought by most (though not all) clients. It is about recognition of the value in the attributes of the place (and its variety of stakeholders) and designing a change which, on balance, improves the sense of place through adding a needed emphasis, complementing an existing fabric, bridging an urban gap, adding clarity, humor, light, etc.
The value this provide to clients may be somewhat indirect through providing value to community. Some clients may see this as beneficial to their enterprise, others not so much. Done well it is likely to enhance real estate value, but often for the community more than the project. Quantifying the benefit is difficult because it tends to be very long term.
Accomplished with the minimal essential, sustainable resources
This is an important area of value delivery that seems under recognized in delivery of built architecture. While the "green" aspects of this (sustainable materials, energy and water conservation) receive a reasonable amount of attention and resonate with a significant client base, the broader aspects of resource minimalism such as elimination of design/construction waste through integrated design, parametric optimization and simplification, materials optimization etc. are under recognized. In an industry where estimates of waste are well in excess of 30%, this is a critical arena for value delivery, and would likely resonate with a broad range of clients.
Affordable to user, enterprise and society
The value to be delivered here is a very important one to all clients. If they cannot afford the design solution proposed, no matter how magnificent it is a failure for them. Or if society cannot afford the environmental cost of the solution it is also a failure. But the success value is in finding that creative solution which solves the client's intent within their means, which in most cases may be straight forward, but in many may include finding new ways for clients to accomplish their goals which allow matching their programs to affordability.
This can be the real magic of design and provide extraordinary value. Architects who can consistently do this are delivering value resonating with most clients.
------------------------------------------- James Jonassen FAIA Seattle WA -------------------------------------------