Designing a Better Architecture Business
How might you improve your architectural practice by using (architectural) skills and thinking you already possess? Here’s a half a dozen ideas…
When designing a project, throughout the design process it’s likely you’ll iterate through a multitude of options. Options for the overall design and then options for each element of the project as it progresses. Bring that same design thinking and process to the way you run your business and any other work. When facing any decision in your office think of at least five (ten is better) before picking one and identifying the preferred option.
When a design concept doesn’t work, you wouldn’t stop working on the design and give up. Instead you come up with another approach. When something isn’t working in your office, don’t give up altogether. What’s another approach? Think of every operational aspect of the office, as a design iteration, an experiment. Eventually you’ll find something that works. Then continue iterating and keep making it better.
In design, a constraint is usually an opportunity. Something to be embraced and leveraged to generate a more creative solution in your design process. It is something to be overcome by utilising it to make the design better, rather than compromised. How might you embrace that same thinking in the constraints you face in your business?
When designing a building, architects are brilliant at coordinating specialist advice. Indeed bringing in the Consultant frees up the time to do the work that matters to them and are especially good at. Don’t hesitate to engage a suitable consultant to help you with your business, or employ someone with those skills to free up time to do the stuff you’re good at and enjoy. Books and blogs are super helpful and a good introduction to concepts and strategies, but it’s unlikely you’d design a complex structure based on advice from someone’s blog.
Architects are trained to think around corners or understand the implications down the track about a decision made now. Project your decisions ahead, better still project your business ahead, consider the future implications of the decision you’re making now. There are tools for this, don’t be afraid to adopt them.
Architects are the ultimate skill stackers. Architects already combine a breadth of skills to undertake a range of responsibilities in their projects. What other skill(s) might you add to become invaluable to your target market? Consider that this may be something you may want to learn personally, have a staff member learn, or add to your practice through strategic employment.
How else might you reframe your thinking to make your practice better?
Michael is the founder of unmeasured, supporting architects in their practice through coaching, workshops and community.
Helping architects find their desire lines in practice.
Photo by Алексей Васильев on Pexels
