Architects Designing Practice
“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something.”
- Neil Gaiman
Why don’t architects design their practices, or at least put as much design work into their practice as they put into their projects?
If their practice was a building, many have moved in while the footings were being poured. Even when there is some semblance of completion, the practice still requires serious alt’s and add’s along the way and doing construction whilst still in the building is always fraught. Others move into their practice based on someone else’s plan. That’s totally fine, it’s a known quantity, but perhaps that’s not exactly the nuance, character and personalised fit they were looking for?
So what if architects were instead to treat their practice as a design project? After all design is what they’re good at, right? It’s not likely then that your practice will look like the one next door. Should they even?
What might you do if you were to design your practice?
First of all, what’s your Brief? Is your Brief generic or has it accounted for the unique skills, characteristics and requirements of the Principals? Do you need assistance writing your Brief? Who might you be able to ask to help? Have you a list of questions to interrogate and test the Brief?
What research and precedents are relevant?
Turning to the creative work. How many options can you come up with as realistic starting concepts? Try for a minimum of three.
Test these against the Brief. Does the Brief need to be adjusted. Do you need new options or is there a hybrid to work with?
What questions are you now asking?
What don’t you know and where might you need help? What consultants should you engage to inform your design process?
I could continue, but everyone’s design process is a little different and it should be clear what I’m getting at.
Here are some last thoughts to consider.
If this was a design process, you would rarely go with the first thing you thought of. You would iterate and evolve the design as you test and aim to improve upon what you have until it meets and surpasses the brief.
Architects pride themselves in creative solutions to difficult problems, such as designing a house for a steep site. What are the difficult problems that you might need a creative solution for?
When a design isn’t working you would rarely give up. Work on it until it does work.
What might you not be able to see? Who can you call upon for feedback and critique?
Architects are seldom finished working on the house they designed and moved in to. Keep working on your practice design, evolving and experimenting.
How might you consciously design your practice, rather than work in an improvised one?
Michael is the founder of unmeasured, supporting architects in their practice through coaching, workshops and community.
Helping architects find their desire lines in practice.
