Architecture & Engineering Business Strategies

Business development is everyone’s job. Every employee, regardless of level or title, can and should do their part to propel their firm forward — to new clients, interesting projects, and positive PR. That’s what Carrie Villani and Doug Gonzalez of LERA believe. In a recent Best Practice episode, they talked about how marketing can naturally be incorporated into your workday, helping to grow both the firm and your individual career. Interview TakeawaysShare your network Business development is everyone’s jobKeep in touch with clientsBe consistent in marketingAlign your goals with your firm’sHandle lead inquiries yourselfRemind your network of your expertiseInvolve senior team membersBe upfront about problemsLearn the business of your businessBe the one who reduces stressGrow from withinShow LinksConnect with Carrie Villani on LinkedInConnect with Doug González on LinkedIn Check out LERAConnect with George Valdes on LinkedIn or TwitterConnect with Chris Morgan on LinkedIn Check out MonographFollow Monograph on LinkedIn or InstagramListen and read more about Monograph 

The Bureau of Overseas Building Operations has high standards to meet. The buildings they design have to be secure, functional, and stand the test of time. The embassies and other facilities they design are 50-year buildings. They have to withstand a place’s climate, fit in with the local culture, and confidently represent the U.S. as an open nation. In this episode, Curtis Clay, the OBO’s director of architecture, discusses how the bureau designs buildings that will become legacies—and how they keep the focus on the role the building will serve.Interview TakeawaysDesign resilient buildingsDesign for the futureHire secure firmsSolve problems beyond the briefUnderstand the local contextMake purposeful decisionsGauge when in person or virtual meetings are necessaryBring the private into the publicGo back to basic problem solvingLook at a variety of public sector rolesMake people comfortable in your buildingsSolve for constructability and maintainability before aestheticsShow LinksConnect with Curtis Clay on LinkedIn or TwitterCheck out Bureau of Overseas Building OperationsConnect with George Valdes on LinkedIn or TwitterConnect with Chris Morgan on LinkedIn Check out MonographFollow Monograph on LinkedIn or InstagramListen and read more about Monograph 

In architecture, as with almost any business, the environment you create in your office can make or break your team’s productivity. But with pandemic protocols forcing many businesses to work remotely, meaningful interactions and a positive workplace culture are even harder to cultivate—but still just as important. Colin Montoute, director of architecture at WXY Studio, and managing director Amy Hau, brought their expertise to the table during our latest Best Practice webinar to talk about how they build a positive workplace environment so their employees can thrive.Interview TakeawaysOver-communicate to keep expectations clearGive people opportunities to contributeBe willing to pivot to meet your client’s needsPartner with other companiesBuild trust with your clientsCreate dialogue with your communityHelp your clients plan their architectureEquip your team to succeedAdd value to your firmFrame your conversation around your client’s knowledgeHire team members who will elevate their colleaguesDelegate tasks according to people’s strengthsShow LinksConnect with Colin Montoute on LinkedInConnect with Amy Hau on LinkedInCheck out WXY StudioConnect with George Valdes on LinkedIn or TwitterConnect with Chris Morgan on LinkedIn Check out MonographFollow Monograph on LinkedIn or InstagramListen and read more about Monograph 

An architect’s role by definition revolves around the planning, designing, and construction of buildings. But Rick Joy, principal at Studio Rick Joy, doesn’t see it that way. He believes his role is to create a lifestyle, not a building. It’s taking the setting and landscape into account and bringing the best experience to life with what you design. It’s letting nature and light in and pushing inconveniences and burdens out. It’s talking a client out of building a house on a hilltop and instead down by the pond so they can easily watch their kids swim. In this Best Practice webinar, Rick and his Director of Communications, Taylor Garcia Dickson, discuss how that philosophy shapes their brand and is brought to life through their practice.Interview TakeawaysConnect to the world around youHold live-in workshopsBring diverse perspectives into your officeTune into each otherBe in sync with natureTreat nature as a luxuryCreate a lifestyle, not a buildingEnhance the experience of the projectBring customers around to your timelineStick to the work that makes your firm happyStay in the present of your practiceShow LinksConnect with Rick Joy on LinkedIn Connect with Taylor Garcia Dickson on LinkedInCheck out Studio Rick JoyConnect with George Valdes on LinkedIn or TwitterConnect with Chris Morgan on LinkedIn Check out MonographFollow Monograph on LinkedIn or InstagramListen and read more about Monograph 

Building a strong team sounds simple: put a bunch of talented people with complementary skill sets together in the same room. But in reality, there’s a carefully calibrated science to crafting a team that produces great work. On the latest Best Practice episode, Sara Lopergolo and Oliver Link from Selldorf Architects share their experience handpicking team members and facilitating collaboration. They end up with teams whose members not only work well together, but also teach and learn from each other. Interview TakeawaysClose the loopCheck in, but not too muchHire to fill a needDon’t rush into hiringFind employees who stick aroundSee the big staffing pictureDiversify your staff’s experienceStart projects with a small team Prepare for meetingsCollaborate with clientsListen & learnShow LinksConnect with Sara Lopergolo on LinkedIn or TwitterConnect with Oliver Link on LinkedIn Check out Selldorf Architects Connect with George Valdes on LinkedIn or TwitterConnect with Chris Morgan on LinkedIn Check out MonographFollow Monograph on LinkedIn or InstagramListen and read more about Monograph 

Strong leadership is the secret sauce of strong companies. You may be the most creative and most groundbreaking firm on the planet. But if your teams don’t work well together, if they spend too much time on the wrong parts of the process, and if they don’t keep clients happy—you’ll see subpar results. In this Best Practice interview, Holly Deichmann and Zoe Small, Associate Principals at Diller Scofidio + Renfro, share exactly how good managers can uphold the business: by empowering employees, setting up processes that manage client expectations, and maintaining just the right amount of anxiety to keep everyone on their toes. Interview TakeawaysEmbrace anxietyTake off some of your hatsDiffuse the smallest icebergs firstCap off the creative processGet input early onMake time for actual workBe persistent in your creativityRepurpose, rather than reinventShow, don’t just tellTake time to establish trust initiallyMatch the right people to the right projectPrep clients for their responsibilitiesShow LinksConnect with Zoe Small on LinkedIn Connect with Holly Deichmann on LinkedInCheck out Diller Scofidio + RenfroConnect with George Valdes on LinkedIn or TwitterConnect with Chris Morgan on LinkedIn Check out MonographFollow Monograph on LinkedIn or InstagramListen and read more about Monograph 

A technology-first firm is not one that merely uses the latest technology in their practice. It’s a firm that leverages that technology to allow collaboration in the sketching process all the way through a 3D experience. It’s having designers, project managers, technical architects, and software developers all working together to make things happen in tandem and instantaneously. Mancini Duffy is a firm that takes that collaboration seriously. In this Best Practice webinar, President Christian Giordano and CFO Bolanle Williams-Olley explain how that collaboration works through everything the firm does, including how they support their employees.Interview TakeawaysCreate a collaborative environmentCarry tech into the construction processMeet client expectationsHave a unique selling pointBond with your team to be a good leaderBring in changes graduallyFocus on revenue before optional thingsIncrease efficiency and salariesOffer vacation stipends and flexible hoursAsk for what you want in a firmFind a staffing procedure that works for your firmLook at things as you go and at the endShow LinksConnect with Christian Giordano on LinkedIn or TwitterConnect with Bolanle Williams-Olley on LinkedIn or TwitterCheck out Mancini DuffyConnect with Chris Morgan on LinkedIn Check out MonographFollow Monograph on LinkedIn or InstagramListen and read more about Monograph 

Digital is taking over the working world, and it’s time for your company to catch up. More and more, clients are clamoring for digital-based options, but many businesses are reluctant to shift their policies to accommodate new technology. On the latest Best Practice, Shane Burger, principal and director of technical innovation at Woods Bagot, shares how to accommodate digital culture at your workplace so you can keep up with the competition.Interview TakeawaysMake your data work for youModernize your thinkingBuild an experience with the clientPrioritize your client’s concernsHelp your people connectInvolve everyone in innovationOrganize your operationsCreate a positive community cultureCooperate to succeedPrepare for change nowDevelop your people’s abilitiesReduce your carbon footprintShow LinksConnect with Shane Burger on LinkedIn or TwitterCheck out Woods BagotConnect with George Valdes on LinkedIn or TwitterConnect with Chris Morgan on LinkedInCheck out MonographFollow Monograph on LinkedIn or InstagramListen and read more about Monograph 

Launching an office in a new city requires a solid operations team and a structured plan for growth. Moody Nolan’s New York City office started with four people just over a year ago and now it has 20. The secret to that fast success? Delivering high-quality projects to the clients you have. It’s the best marketing tool to achieve steady growth. In this Best Practice interview, Associate Principal and Director of NY Operations Latoya Nelson Kamdang and Senior Associate and Project Manager Dawne David-Pierre talked to us about launching operations in New York City and how they’ve grown with excellence.Interview TakeawaysFocus on the clients you haveInvolve PMs from the beginningApproach each client individuallyOffer diversity to a big cityLet the larger firm support youJustify staff growthHire senior-level employees firstMerge design into a businessUse office time to learn each other’s processesCollaborate in personShare clients and talent across officesCommunicate when clients’ values are misaligned with yoursShow LinksConnect with Latoya Nelson Kamdang on LinkedIn Connect with Dawne David-Pierre on LinkedIn Check out Moody NolanConnect with George Valdes on LinkedIn or TwitterConnect with Chris Morgan on LinkedIn Check out MonographFollow Monograph on LinkedIn or InstagramListen and read more about Monograph 

Midsize architecture firms face unique threats to their longevity compared to small and large firms. Mega firms seem poised to gobble them up, and it’s hard to compete with extra large firms that offer far more services. There’s also the issue of leadership transition. Many midsize firms that started off small and haven’t given enough thought to how they’ll evolve into the future with new leaders. Without a plan, there is no future. But all is not lost. In this Best Practice episode, Kirsten Sibilia, managing principal of Dattner Architects, discusses how midsize firms can do more than just survive. They can grow with health and vitality.Interview TakeawaysBe proactive against threats to midsize firmsAspire to a variety of workLet go of certain tasks in order to growGauge your success with KPIsUse your website to show who you areUse your website to amplify your brandApproach recruitment like marketingShare information and communicationRecognize marketing’s valueOpen up paths for leadershipCreate peer connections at larger firmsDefine your needs before hiringShow LinksConnect with Kirsten Sibilia on LinkedIn or TwitterCheck out Dattner ArchitectsConnect with George Valdes on LinkedIn or TwitterConnect with Chris Morgan on LinkedIn Check out MonographFollow Monograph on LinkedIn or InstagramListen and read more about Monograph