Architecture & Engineering Business Strategies

Latest Episodes:

Alloy Development: How to Build as an Architect-led Developer in NYC (w/ Alexandra Militano) Aug 23, 2021

Show notes

Real estate developers often keep their eye on the bottom line—for them, it’s all about how a property can make money. Architects, meanwhile, focus on design, but rarely have control over the built environment. But it’s possible to do both. Alloy Development is a hybrid architecture-development firm. Director of Construction Alexandra Militano joined us to explain how they’re equally focused on design impact and property value.

Interview Takeaways

Make design a priority in development
Balance design and construction knowledge to cut back on adjustments
Bring out the best in a location
Invest in amenities
Treat the community as a stakeholder
Learn real estate development by doing it
Cultivate investors
Add to the five phases of architecture
Understand the client’s frustrations with time
Build relationships at the construction site
Use a construction manager to bridge gaps

Show Links

Check out Alloy Development and follow them on LinkedIn
Connect with Alexandra Militano on LinkedIn
Connect with George Valdes on LinkedIn or Twitter
Check out Monograph
Follow Monograph on LinkedIn or Instagram
Listen and read more about Monograph

Olson Kundig: How to Foster Design Culture in the Firm (w/ Alan Maskin and Jerry Garcia) Aug 16, 2021

Show notes

There are many ways to grow an architecture firm, and many values that can guide you along the way. But one quality in particular will allow your firm to grow and evolve far into the future: generosity. In this episode Alan Maskin and Jerry Garcia, principals at Olson Kundig, told us how the spirit of generosity has influenced their growth over several decades and runs through their team today.

Interview Takeaways

Design your office to reflect who you are
Create space for group discussion
Keep crits alive in the pandemic
Make education a priority
Look for passion in design
Pay attention to the elephants in the room
Bring in experienced architects
Don’t try to do it all
Grow to accommodate interesting projects
Business-focused leadership relieves a burden
Use crits to learn in real-time
Encourage design evolution with crits

Show Links

Check out Olson Kundig
Follow Olson Kundig on LinkedIn or Twitter
Connect with Alan Maskin on LinkedIn or Twitter
Connect with Jerry Garcia on LinkedIn
Connect with George Valdes on LinkedIn or Twitter
Check out Monograph
Follow Monograph on LinkedIn or Instagram
Listen and read more about Monograph

OJK Architecture: How To Transition Firm Ownership (w/ Leah Bayer and Kate Conley) Aug 11, 2021

Show notes

For an architect hoping to own their own firm one day, there are two paths available. One is the traditional path: starting your own firm from scratch. The other is to buy an existing firm and transition into its new owner. This second option is less talked about, but with the rate of Baby Boomers retiring, it will become more and more important to the future of architecture. Leah Bayer and Kate Conley recently took that path, and created a new partnership at the established firm OJK Architecture.

Interview Takeaways

Map out a partnership
Balance strengths and weaknesses
Get to the important work faster
Create a buyout plan that works for both parties
Find paths for new owners
Shift firm culture
Use tech to build a remote culture
Welcome asynchronous talent
Make more spaces for conversation and collaboration
Stay local even when you’re remote
Continue relationships with founders
Feel legitimate as a fully remote firm

Show Links

Check out OJK Architecture
Follow OJK Architecture on LinkedIn
Connect with Leah Bayer on LinkedIn or Twitter
Connect with Kate Conley on LinkedIn
Connect with George Valdes on LinkedIn or Twitter
Check out Monograph
Follow Monograph on LinkedIn or Instagram
Listen and read more about Monograph

Rossmann Architecture: How to Run the Business Side of Architecture (w/ Shane Balcom) Aug 06, 2021

Show notes

Shane Balcom joined Rossmann Architecture in July 2020 and hasn’t looked back. Since Balcom’s arrival, the Ottawa-based firm has seen its revenue triple and the size of its team double, thanks in part to the leadership principles the managing director has brought to the table. In a conversation with Monograph’s Best Practice co-hosts Chris Morgan and George Valdes, Balcom discussed the role company culture plays in the health of a company’s bottom line, how routine has created a needed sense of stability, and the best practices he’s instituted to make Rossmann a thriving firm.

Interview Takeaways

Streamline decision-making to help increase revenue
Culture is an essential part of company growth
Vertical leadership structure is still important
Use weekly one-on-ones to create stickiness
How retaking control in project management shapes strategy
Institute a ‘forecast rhythm’ to help with planning
The value of staying consistent
Transparency and respect go hand in hand
Understand the role work plays in people’s lives
The power of delegation
Pay incentives can help bolster company culture
Source ideas from everyone

Show Links

Check out Rossmann Architecture Inc.
Follow Rossmann Architecture Inc. on LinkedIn
Connect with Shane Balcom on LinkedIn
Connect with George Valdes on LinkedIn or Twitter
Check out Monograph
Follow Monograph on LinkedIn or Twitter
Listen and read more about Monograph

Saltmine/Harvard GSD: How to Design an Architecture Firm Today (w/ Jacob Reidel) Aug 03, 2021

Show notes

The common issues that architects struggle with -- getting paid, project control, long hours -- have been around since the dawn of the profession. There are traditional ways of working that have remained in place even as the world rapidly changes. But Jacob Reidel of Saltmine thinks it’s time to embrace a different way of practicing. His take? Firms should close the loop between design and outcomes, build teams that focus on customer success, and accept that design doesn’t have to be king.

Interview Takeaways

Dive deep into architecture subjects
Trace present issues to the past
Embrace different ways to practice architecture
Close the feedback loop between design and outcomes
Bridge the gap between design, delivery, and sales
Design doesn’t have to be king
Expand your professional vocabulary
Make a path for researchers
Connect the dots with a customer success team
Make room for customer success in practice
Tie performance bonuses to NPS
Use data to measure building performance

Show Links

Check out Saltmine
Follow Saltmine or LinkedIn
Connect with Jacob Reidel on LinkedIn or Twitter
Connect with George Valdes on LinkedIn or Twitter
Check out Monograph
Follow Monograph on LinkedIn or Instagram
Listen and read more about Monograph

ARCHITECTUREFIRM: How to Lead the Design of Award-winning Projects (w/ Adam Ruffin) Jul 30, 2021

Show notes

Your firm can’t deliver incredible projects without a great team working in the wings. Building and leading a team is an art form in and of itself. It requires transparency, setting clear milestones, and providing room for talent to grow. Adam Ruffin is doing just that with his two partners at ARCHITECTUREFIRM, a small design firm that is split between two locations and adeptly managing remote work. Adam shared how they are creating a unified vision while being physically separated, how he approaches leadership, and the steps they’re taking to develop a formative culture while growing the business.

Interview Takeaways

Learn to do things at a small scale first
Develop one office voice
Save costs with tech tools
Question iteration
Let the sense of place shine
Hire people you like and give them room to grow
Work with a business director
Spread company information however you can
Form partnerships with vetting and teamwork
Take initiative if you want to move up
Create normal tiers for growth
Explain the process to clients and use feedback

Show Links

Check out ARCHITECTUREFIRM
Follow ARCHITECTUREFIRM on LinkedIn or Twitter
Connect with Adam Ruffin on LinkedIn or Twitter
Connect with George Valdes on LinkedIn or Twitter
Check out Monograph
Follow Monograph on LinkedIn or Instagram
Listen and read more about Monograph

Randy Deutsch FAIA: How to Think and Adapt like an Architect Jul 28, 2021

Show notes

Buildings are more than a design made real. They are a collection of data. Firms that leverage that data in their organization will be able to adapt and grow and thrive in the future. But the key to doing so doesn’t lie in the technology tools themselves; it lies in the people in your firm. Architect, author, and professor Randy Deutsch explained how becoming a data-driven company is important for survival. It all starts with building a culture that empowers people, lifts up “superusers,” and puts human needs before technology.

Interview Takeaways

Welcome superusers
Relieve anxiety with new org charts
Become information intermediaries
Create a new model for the profession
Seek change in startups
Shift culture during economic downturns
Make things, don’t just design them
Embrace automation
Focus on the problem to solve, not the technology
See people as humans, not tools
Adapt by looking to the future and the past
Put people before data

Show Links

Check out Deutsch Insights
Connect with Randy Deutsch on LinkedIn or Twitter
Connect with George Valdes on LinkedIn or Twitter
Check out Monograph
Follow Monograph on LinkedIn or Instagram
Listen and read more about Monograph

Building Science Fight Club: How to Manage Technical Risks (w/ Christine Williamson) Jul 23, 2021

Show notes

Favor technical knowledge over soft skills
Become more open-minded
Accept embarrassment as part of the job
Choose between good options
Draw to communicate design intent
Negate risk by understanding the technical stuff
Embrace continued professional development
Slowly expand your building science vocabulary
Learn how projects are financed

Show Links

Check out Building Science Fight Club
Connect with Christine Williamson on Instagram
Connect with George Valdes on LinkedIn or Twitter
Check out Monograph
Follow Monograph on LinkedIn or Instagram
Listen and read more about Monograph

Voyansi: How to Build a Teaching and Learning Culture (w/ Libo Li) Jul 21, 2021

Show notes

Imagine your company’s operations working so smoothly that it’s like you’re a hive mind. Sharing data and knowledge. Anticipating next steps. Solving problems with surgical precision. As COO of Voyansi, a building intelligence firm, Libo Li helped create a data-centered operations program that looked a lot like that.

Interview Takeaways

Make better decisions with building intelligence
Use tech tools to free up time for connection
Build data-centered operations
Build a hive mind
Evaluate and own your solutions
Stick to small, surgical fixes
Give people the right tools to fix a problem
Capture reality in 3D
Map unknown space
3 intuitive tools for redesigning operations
Share knowledge across your company
Give permission to fail through iteration

Show Links

Check out Voyansi
Follow Voyansi on LinkedIn or Twitter
Check out Libo’s new company, Katalyst DI
Connect with Libo Li on LinkedIn or Twitter
Connect with George Valdes on LinkedIn or Twitter
Check out Monograph
Follow Monograph on LinkedIn or Instagram
Listen and read more about Monograph

Idan Naor Workshop: How To Run a Boutique Architecture Firm in NYC (w/ Idan Naor) Jul 16, 2021

Show notes

When you start your own architecture firm, you’re in for the ride of your life. You quickly need to learn how to put together a successful team, partner with the right clients, and save money for a rainy day. Idan Naor learned all of this through trial and error when he started Idan Naor Workshop. The passage of time has allowed him to appreciate good advice and follow his intuition.

Interview Takeaways