Architecture & Engineering Business Strategies

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 

The idea of a $20 billion budget can make your head spin. But in the right hands, that kind of funding can accomplish a world of good. That’s exactly the mission of Angel Dizon, Managing Director of the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations. While the government may get a bad rap from time to time, there’s a steady revolution happening from within the OBO department. Angel joined us on Best Practice to explain how an embassy is so much more than just a building, how his team goes about solving complex problems, and why working in government leads to more opportunity than meets the eye.Interview TakeawaysRecognize what you can accomplish with a billion-dollar budgetRemember that US buildings are symbolicThe Embassy EffectMake a positive social impactEducate others on the true meaning of architectureCreate buildings that can last for decadesHire people with passion and perseveranceIdentify future drivers of the built environmentThe professional perks of working for the governmentThe power of peer-to-peer collaborationRedefine “good enough for the government”Seek employees with a good attitudeShow LinksConnect with Angel A. Dizon, III on LinkedInCheck out the Bureau of Overseas Buildings 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 

You own your career trajectory. Whatever field you’re in, you have the power to make your work stand out, so clients take notice and want more. It takes a little daring and a strong stomach for risks (and the inevitable failure), says Gregg Pasquarelli, founding principal at SHoP architects. In this Best Practice interview, Gregg explains why as long as you pick yourself up and learn something from every project, you’ll keep advancing your business—and your industry—at the same time.Interview TakeawaysKnow the financials of your industryTell a compelling story Blow up the last 10%Get some skin in the gameTake risks to expand your opportunityGo the extra mileDon’t say “We can’t!”Do it yourselfPull the positive from failuresMitigate risk by doing a good jobSet aside time to rechargeGet your ideas out thereShow LinksConnect with Gregg Pasquerelli on LinkedIn Check out SHoPConnect 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 growing number of firms are combining two major responsibilities into one role: chief operating officer and sustainability director. It’s a lot to juggle in a small firm, let alone a quickly growing one spread across multiple cities. But Allen Schaffer, COO and Director of Sustainability at Moody Nolan, has handled the two roles for almost two years now as they’ve expanded into new markets. In this Best Practice interview, Allen discusses the ways the two roles overlap and how they differ, how the firm is managing growth, and how success all comes down to having a plan and communicating.Interview TakeawaysFind the overlap in operations and sustainabilityJuggle the differences between two rolesLook internally for operations and sustainability rolesEngage in responsive architectureStrive for structured growthLean into diversityDeliver solutions to clients and your teamMonitor and adjust to stay on budgetUse communication to stay on trackCreate strategic plans for sustainabilityFind consultants who challenge youCare deeply and look for others who do tooShow LinksCheck out Moody NolanConnect with Allen Schaffer on LinkedIn Connect with Chris Morgan on LinkedIn Check out MonographFollow Monograph on LinkedIn or InstagramListen and read more about Monograph