Practice Management Community Blog

 View Only

AIA Practice Management Digest - June 2026

By Eva Read-Warden, AIA posted 06-01-2026
Financial Discipline How systems, strategy, and everyday decisions shape more profitable, resilient architecture practices Letter from the editor By Eva Read-Warden, AIA, Principal, Arkitex Studio Stewart Brand, in his book Maintenance: ...
0 comments

Leadership beneath the surface: Jeffrey Huber on practice, profit, and discipline

By Jaime Sobrino, FAIA posted 06-01-2026
by Jaime Sobrino, FAIA Editor's note: Coming to AIA26? Join us on Friday for a deeper dive into these topics: Jeff Huber, FAIA is our Practice Management Luncheon speaker! Learn more > Architectural leadership is often visible only ...
0 comments

Why most architecture firms bleed — and what to do about it

By Darguin Fortuna, AIA posted 06-01-2026
By Darguin Fortuna, AIA, Alyse Makarewicz, AIA & Joshua Zinder, AIA Part 1: The problem nobody names out loud By Darguin Fortuna, AIA Architecture school teaches you how to design buildings. It rarely teaches you how to ...
0 comments

Why architecture firms stay stuck in the boom-bust cycle (and how to break it)

By Eva Read-Warden, AIA posted 06-01-2026
By Ryan Sullivan, PE Architecture firms operate within an inherently cyclical environment. Project demand is influenced by broader economic conditions, including interest rates, access to capital, and development activity. While these external ...
0 comments

Getting paid without getting sued

By Eva Read-Warden, AIA posted 06-01-2026
Introduction by Eva M. Read-Warden, AIA, PM Digest Editor As a firm owner it is part of my job to watch the books. How does that Accounts Receivable report look? What is the percentage of invoices that are being paid in a timely manner, ...
0 comments

Practice management content at AIA26

By Emma Tucker posted 04-23-2026
If you are coming to the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design (AIA26) this year (June 10-13 in San Diego), there is an official PMKC event plus many more great sessions to consider! This guide provides you with an inside look at some of the sessions ...
0 comments

AIA Practice Management Digest - January 2026

By Eva Read-Warden, AIA posted 01-15-2026
Survival Skills: Income and Business Development in the Digital Age Exploring strategies to thrive—and not just survive—in an era of digital disruption and economic uncertainty Letter from the editor By Eva Read-Warden, AIA, Principal, ...
0 comments

Passive income for architects

By Jennifer Kretschmer, FAIA posted 01-15-2026
by Jennifer Kretschmer, AIA With the current architect billing index trending downward in some markets and inquiries and backlog decreasing, architects may consider other ways to earn an income. So, what are some possible ways for an architect ...
0 comments

Breaking the mold: One firm's journey to becoming a "Design Collaborative" and why it matters

By Eva Read-Warden, AIA posted 01-15-2026
By Richard Friedman, Founder & President at Friedman & Partners AEC firms often re-examine and refine their mission, vision, or core values. Many firms do this during annual strategic planning, making a tweak here, a readjustment ...
0 comments

The new currency of brand trust: Why architecture firms must adapt in the digital age

By Eva Read-Warden, AIA posted 01-15-2026
By Judy Sparks Walk into any design firm today, and you’ll hear a familiar refrain: “We’ve built our reputation on relationships and doing great work.” And it’s true. Architecture, at its best, has always been a relationship business built ...
0 comments

Change how you think about AI. Change how you think about yourself.

By Eva Read-Warden, AIA posted 01-15-2026
By Kristen Kautz These two shifts are the whole game when it comes to using AI successfully. When I talk about AI, I always start here. My philosophy is that AI creates a “super you.” You are not handing your brain over to a robot. You are ...
0 comments

Introduction to an AIA Trust post: Thinking about starting your own design or architecture firm?

By Rebecca Edmunds, AIA posted 01-15-2026
Introduction by Rebecca W. E. Edmunds, AIA In the current professional landscape, the architecture and design industries are continually reshaped by forces like corporate mergers, acquisitions, and large-scale restructuring. While these periods ...
0 comments

AIA Practice Management Digest - October 2025

By Rebecca Edmunds, AIA posted 10-30-2025
Notes from the field Perhaps you’ve noticed that despite market uncertainties, everyone is busy. Pulling together the latest issue of PM Digest relied on tried and true writers who shared insights from the field on the value of client feedback, establishing ...
0 comments

Collecting, recording and integrating systems and standards into your firm’s culture

By Matthew Szymanski, AIA posted 10-30-2025
By Matthew Szymanski, AIA AIA North Carolina Small Firm Exchange Representative AIA North Carolina Advanced Leadership Program, Steering Committee “Get things in writing” is classic advice for dealing with customers. Our firm recently ...
0 comments

The undeniable value of client feedback

By Rebecca Edmunds, AIA posted 10-30-2025
By Richard Friedman, Founder & President at Friedman & Partners Client feedback is one of the most important and underutilized tools an AEC firm can employ. At my March 2025 presentation to AIA’s Large Firm Round Table Marketing ...
0 comments

Why AI adoption remains a work in progress

By Rebecca Edmunds, AIA posted 10-30-2025
By Rebecca W.E. Edmunds, AIA, MFA, 2026 PMKC Chair, with Google Gemini “ AI is less about automation and more about amplification. Done well, AI does not replace people, it empowers them to do their best work .” – Evelyn Lee, FAIA, ...
0 comments

AIA Practice Management Digest - April 2025

By Rebecca Edmunds, AIA posted 04-24-2025
Recruiting & Onboarding: What's Critical Now Onboarding is a critical part of recruiting and to creating an outstanding environment for new hires to thrive and for firms of any size to succeed. Leaders from across the country in all types and scales ...
0 comments

Recruiting and retaining the talent to take your firm further

By Brian Vitale, AIA posted 04-24-2025
Brian Vitale, AIA. Co-Managing Director & Design Principal, Gensler, Chicago When planning and building a progressive, forward-looking vision for the success of your firm, the first step is bringing together the best industry talent who ...
0 comments

Personality assessment tests: Infusing objectivity & insight into AEC firm team building

By Rebecca Edmunds, AIA posted 04-24-2025
By Richard Friedman, Founder & President at Friedman & Partners Deloitte reports that 80% of Fortune 500 companies use personality tests for a variety of reasons, including recruiting, career planning, leadership development and team ...
0 comments

Virtual onboarding for a distributed practice: Building connection and competency from day one

By Leah Bayer, AIA posted 04-24-2025
By Leah Alissa Bayer, AIA It’s challenging finding great employees to grow with your company for the long term. An increasing labor shortage only complicates the process. So, it’s important to make the right first impression. As more architecture ...
0 comments