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If Rip Van Winkle, AIA, awoke today with no knowledge of the near collapse of the economy last year, and he decided to start catching up on news of the profession by checking architectural record’s Top 250 Firms list, he might be skeptical of the rumors that we’re in one.

In the current troubled economy, a powerful one-two punch has stung architects searching for work. First, there are few openings at firms, many of which have laid off workers in droves in recent months while also imposing hiring freezes. Plus, competition for those few spots is fierce, as tens of thousands of out-of-work architects do battle with thousands of recent graduates. Illustration © A. Richard Allen But among those who aren’t enrolling in graduate school to ride out the storm, unemployed architects are hardly acting cowed. If anything, they’re redoubling their efforts to find work — including, of course, prepping

If the new federal stimulus package fulfills one of its promises—greening the built infrastructure in the United States—it will generate a huge amount of work for architects. Even while the depressed economy means fewer new construction projects, there will be meaningful work in building assessment and subsequent renovation, especially in the public sector. Much of the energy analysis of existing buildings will relate to HVAC systems and therefore be more in the domain of engineers than architects. But owners may still see architects as their first point of contact for any work related to their facilities. And architects can deploy

Intensification of collaborative practices within the office may result in novel outcomes that can significantly enhance cost-effectiveness as well as project quality. 

Building trust, goodwill, and respect among all the multidisciplinary players is also essential to integrated project delivery. How do you do that? “Transparency, openness, and a willingness to share information,” states Jim Summers, an associate in the Boston office of Burt Hill, “will enable the change of focus from individual to project.” Their team members will spend a significant amount of time together to understand a clear scope of responsibilities, design objectives, degree of risk, and bottom line; this “fleshing out” is part of the discovery process resulting in a contract that supports a unique work flow. Summers is amazed

Slumps in the construction economy are good times for firms to rethink many things, including the philosophies that underlie their design work and the way they collaborate with consultants. One strategy that potentially accomplishes all of these things, according to consultant Barbra Batshalom, executive director of the Boston-based Green Roundtable, is to “green” your practice. Many U.S. firms are already encouraging staff to earn LEED certification and research sustainable materials, but she believes this is not enough. Truly greening your firm requires a substantial restructuring of firm culture and design processes. Illustration ' Edel Rodriguez The economic slump may allow

According to Batshalom, most firms that have already begun greening themselves have still not internalized the “all-green-all-the-time” philosophy she espouses. “They’re getting their staff LEED accredited,” she says, “but they don’t understand the management ramifications or the internal commitment they need to make as company in order to do it efficiently and cost-effectively.” The 80-person Portland, Oregon, firm SERA is approaching the “all-green-all-the-time” goal. About 80 percent of its projects are now aimed at LEED certification. In addition to working with mechanical engineers early in design, the firm has hired one to work in-house. According to SERA associate principal Clark

During economic downturns, when construction slows and competition for projects intensifies, architects may work so hard at attracting new jobs that they neglect their existing client base. Instead of taking their all-important repeat clients for granted, architects should be doing all they can to prevent them from being wooed away by competing firms. One key to this lies in improving the interpersonal relationships between architects and owners, even when they’re between projects. According to Seattle-based AEC consultant Theodore Sive, design professionals are good at satisfying the technical demands of their complex jobs. However, he says, “When they get focused on

Training the doers “The core of our program,” says Sive, “is instilling in architects and engineers a sensitivity that it’s their responsibility to understand how clients perceive them and want to communicate.” This requires getting cooperation from the entire staff. Firm leaders should communicate this, not only through instruction but also by example. Sive and Strong have adopted the motto, “Be a magnet, not a stick.” If leaders show sensitivity to their staff, their “internal clients,” they will, in effect, pull people toward following their example. This works better than “bludgeoning” them into compliance. Care in internal communications also expresses

When the Hudson Bay Company began sending traders to the New World in the 17th century, it developed protocols for managing a distributed workforce that are pertinent today. The small headquarters staff in London chose independent adventurers capable of self-sufficiency, but they provided mentoring and training. Importantly, the company stayed in communication — as best they could when annual letters to and from the traders arrived by schooner. The lesson learned? “We call it the balance of trust and control,” says Cliff S. Moser, AIA, operations director of the Los Angeles firm Cadforce, which facilitates communications between U.S. architecture and