Residential Architect Magazine: Design

A Shrunken Economy Leaves Architects Struggling to Juggle More Small Jobs

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 01:27:18 EST

Smaller projects mean more client interviews, thinner profit margins, and more jobs starting and stopping.

off the beaten path

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 01:36:42 EST

Think of architectural hot spots, and you think of big cities: Boston, Chicago, New York. Major metropolitan areas thrive on diversity and innovation, but they're also known for pollution, traffic, and expensive real estate, and not every architect wants to live in one. Small towns have trade-offs too. While they're often equated with sleepy provincialism, the appealing flip side is their relaxed pace, sense of human connectedness, and, in some cases, pristine natural surroundings.

partnering with allied professions to bring new ideas to market

Tue, 2 Mar 2010 02:45:19 EST

This panel discussion, "Partnering With Allied Professions to Bring New Ideas to Market," brought together three building industry professionals who have accomplished significant things by combining the forces of diverse fields.

paid in full

Tue, 2 Mar 2010 01:36:13 EST

Midway through year two of the grimmest recession in decades, many architects are wondering where their next projects are coming from.

the new networking

Mon, 8 Mar 2010 03:16:05 EST

There's a lot of hype around online schmoozing, to be sure, and some see it as a trendy Internet time drain. But there's evidence that it can be a powerful professional ally—especially for small firms and independent practitioners, for whom each connectio

field maneuvers

Mon, 8 Mar 2010 03:18:44 EST

When Richard Williams, AIA, designed his own house five years ago, he decided to forgo a general contractor and manage the fieldwork himself. He spent nights and early mornings coordinating the various trades before heading to his Washington, D.C., office.

on thin ice?

Mon, 8 Mar 2010 03:21:57 EST

It's been a little over a year since the housing market hit the skids. The U.S. Census Bureau marked November 2005 as the beginning of the slide, and throughout 2006 new-home sales steadily lost ground, dropping about 20 percent nationwide. Toward the end

diversity how?

Mon, 8 Mar 2010 03:25:11 EST

Donald King, FAIA, a black architect in Seattle, founded his firm in 1989, but he never wanted it to carry the “minority-owned business” banner. Like everyone else, he wanted his work to speak for itself.

breaking away

Mon, 8 Mar 2010 03:31:16 EST

Company retreats bring to mind dull meetings, stuffy conference rooms, and carbohydrate-laden buffets. Employees can usually count on flip charts, easels, or PowerPoint presentations being rolled out at some point, too. And to shake things up a bit, there

the 10-year itch

Mon, 1 Mar 2010 05:25:18 EST

For most architectural firms, it seems that 10-year anniversaries come and go without much ado. If the date's significance registers at all, it's treated as just another day in the routine. And yet, if you look back, there are plenty of reasons for self-c

cloning your practice

Mon, 1 Mar 2010 05:16:12 EST

Michael Woodley, AIA, leads a double life. An avid ice hockey fan, he has season tickets to see the Colorado Avalanche in Denver and the Mighty Ducks in Anaheim, Calif. He's an active member of the AIA and the Building Industry Association in Orange Count

growing green

Tue, 2 Mar 2010 11:32:14 EST

Everyone agrees that environmentally sound building materials and methods are quickly drifting toward the architectural mainstream. Google the term “green building,” and a long list of trade shows and directories pops up. But while items such as flyash co

searching for a safety net

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:03:35 EST

Throughout the recent economic downturn, residential construction has been a bright spot, a boom that overshot all predictions. As low interest rates fueled the speculative housing market, condominium projects have dominated the construction scene in thriving metropolitan areas.

peripheral vision

Thu, 4 Mar 2010 03:33:37 EST

An increasing number of architects, it seems, are getting paid to design Web sites and product packaging and to invent brand identities.

gilding the cage

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:25:35 EST

A 47-year-old architect who owns a six-person firm in the Midwest is worried that her second-in-command is going to leave and start his own business. Her 15-year practice, which she incorporated five years ago, specializes in high-end residential remodeling, so she spends a lot of time training employees and hiring the right mix of personalities.

breaking the circle

Tue, 2 Mar 2010 02:16:47 EST

With partner-level turnover increasingly common, smart firms have devised exit agreements that make things easier for everyone.

shades of gray

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 02:39:52 EST

In Naples, Fla., WCI Communities recently completed a beachfront tower that targets well-heeled buyers in their 50s. Its penthouse is priced at $12 million. In Atlanta, James, Harwick + Partners is designing a subsidized apartment building for low-income retirees that includes a surround-sound theater and a fitness center. And in Sarasota, Fla., the master-planned Lakewood Ranch community will include an on-site assisted-living facility.

diplomatic design

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:38:33 EST

Designing for 120-degree heat, calculating the costs of building in a city without electricity, and making fortresses seem friendly dare all in a day's work for Sorg Associates, of Washington, D.C. There's a lot to investigate when you're designing embassy housing for the U.S. State Department, as the firm has done in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

smart growth

Wed, 3 Mar 2010 03:59:43 EST

The receptionist at a well-known architectural office in Chicago answers the phone with a friendly “Nagle Hartray.” But the proper name—Nagle Hartray Danker Kagan McKay Penney Architects—rolls off the tongue like that of a corporate law firm, offering a clue to its size and ambitions. The architects, who last year had billings of $4 million, specialize in selective types of multifamily housing. For the past decade, the office roster has held steady at 27 employees. But that's about to change.