Your Architecture Career: How to Build a Successful Professional Life

More Praise for Your Architecture Career

"Your Architecture Career provides important information and helpful tips for those launching a career in architecture, emerging professionals, and experienced architects. Topics include starting and progressing in a career in architecture, excelling in a career position, and the process of starting a firm with much detail."

—Lee W. Waldrep, PhD, author of Becoming an Architect: A Guide to Careers in Design

"Many times, I have sat at a table opposite Gary Unger as he led a team through an innovative design, beginning with a goal. In Your Architecture Career, Gary leads you through your most important design to your most important goal—your career as an architect."

—Joel Rollins, AV technologist and futurist, host of The Week on rAVe Radio

"In Your Architecture Career, Gary Unger presents unique insights collected from a successful career as the founder and leader of Stamford-based architecture firm CPG. The practical guidelines within this manual would be invaluable to anyone hoping to follow Gary’s lead in having a successful and fulfilling professional life."

—Doug Winshall, founder of ClearRock Properties

Copyright © 2018 Gary Unger

All rights reserved. Copyright under Berne Copyright Convention, Universal Copyright Convention, and Pan American Copyright Convention. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Allworth Press, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Unger, Gary, author.

Title: Your architecture career: how to build a successful professional life/Gary Unger.

Description: New York : Allworth Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., 2018. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017058989 (print) | LCCN 2017059319 (ebook) | ISBN 9781621536352 (ebook) | ISBN 9781621536345 (hardcover: alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Architecture—Vocational guidance.

Classification: LCC NA1995 (ebook) | LCC NA1995 .U54 2018 (print) | DDC 720.23—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017058989

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-62153-634-5

eBook ISBN: 978-1-62153-635-2

Printed in the United States of America

Dedication

I dedicate this to my mom, who passed away at 101 while I was writing this book.

To my dad for encouraging me to pursue the practice of architecture and to convince me to stay the course during my dreadful freshman year at Washington University.

To Mom for taking an extreme interest in my career when I started my firm by asking questions about each new client, about our design concepts and new ways of working.

I am so grateful for my family’s considerable sacrifices to provide the funds that allowed me to finish six years of architecture school debt-free. Dad was an accomplished planner and treasurer of Prudential Insurance Company, and he surely needed to use all his skills to keep me in line.

To my wife, Betsey, for giving me the encouragement to start my own venture and for helping me for the first 10 years set policies and employee programs that have endured the test of time for our 35 years.

I would also like to recognize very special employees who have passed and played major roles in the firm’s success:

Dennis Tardy

Karina Saari

Dean Forst

Roger Morris

Carl Mirbach

A Note to Readers

This book is intended to inspire:

•Students in their last two years at a college or university studying architecture and interior design

•Seniors or recent graduates who are looking for their first job in an architectural or interior design office

•Those who are already working at an architectural or interior design firm or at a company in a corporate real estate or facilities management capacity

•Everyone who is considering starting his or her own architectural or interior design firm

•Clients who might find inspiration and understanding from the ideas I share

•Realtors, owner’s reps, project managers, and all other project consultants

I also hope this book will enable professionals to make their journey in architecture more successful, more enriching, and, most important, more profitable.

If I can just reach one student, one architect, or one owner, inspiring them to have a more satisfying career, then I will consider this book a success.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Debunking Three Myths about Architecture and Architects

Part I. Finishing School and Getting a Job

Chapter 1 | Completing Architecture School

What to Focus On During Your Last Two Years

Impressing Your Professors so They Will Remember and Recommend You

Networking with Classmates, Alumni, and Professors

Chapter 2 | Deciding on a Career Path

A Summer Internship before Your Last Year

When and How to Start Looking For a Full-Time Job during Your Last Year

Job Search Checklist: What Should You Look For in a Firm?

Chapter 3 | Landing Your First Job

Preparing Your Résumé

Your Job Search Should Include Six Parts

What to Wear to Interviews

Where You May Be Interviewed

Questions You May Be Asked

Questions You May Want to Ask

Following Up

Deciding among Offers

How to Handle a No

Part II. Starting and Excelling at Your Job

Chapter 4 | Making the Best Impression

Do Not Come In Like a Bull in a China Shop

What Goes Around Comes Around

Finding Your Niche

Project-Based Firms vs. Task-Based Firms

Go for the Extra Credit

Being a Disruptor

Entrepreneur vs. Intrapreneur

Mentoring

Planning for the AIA Exam

Chapter 5 | Building Your Reputation

Personal Marketing

Work Relationships

Part III. Architecture Is a Team Sport

Chapter 6 | Managing Handoffs

Envisioning with the Client: First Handoff of Information

Programming: Evaluate Existing Conditions

Programming: Preliminary Staff and Special Use Space Needs

Sample Program Document

Location-Building-Site Comparison Checklist

Area Analysis

Test Fits

Setting an Achievable Schedule

Preparing an Appropriate Budget

Reviewing Lease or Sale Documents

Storyboarding

Reassess Scope and Contract after the Initial Phase Is Complete

Schematic Design

Design Development: Developing the Approved Concepts

Final Code Review

Design Handoff for Production of CDs

CD storyboard

Construction Documents

Construction Phase: Bidding

The Punch List

Move-In

Close-Out

Chapter 7 | Day 2 Services

Staying in Touch with the Client

Data Management for Owned or Leased Facilities

Portfolio Management

Workplace/Facility Management

CAP X Services

Part IV. Moving On Up—From Intern to Architect

Chapter 8 | RFPs and Proposals

RFPs and Proposals

RFIs and RFPs

Responding to an RFP or RFI

Presentations

The Basics

Chapter 9 | You Got the Project

What Is Your Firm’s Role?

Finalizing Your Architectural Contract

Building the External Team

Part V. Reassessing Your Career

Chapter 10 | Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Evaluation: Asking for a Raise or Moving On

Updating Your Portfolio and Résumé and Preparing for Interviews

Chapter 11 | Purposely Not Included—No one wants a Chapter 11

Chapter 12 | Taking the Plunge to Start Your Own Firm

Starting with a Blank Canvas

Best Advice I Got

A Daunting Number of Interrelated Tasks-References

Marketing: Creating a Portfolio

The Importance of Metrics

Repeat Business vs. New Business

Disrupt or Be Disrupted

Mentoring

Think 360

Vendor vs. Strategic Partner

The Value of Being a Strategic Partner

CAP X Budget Planning: What Is It?

Managing Cash Flow

Managing Risk

Using Technology

How Good Is Your Workflow Process?

Importance of Internal Sharing

Setting Up the Office to Scale

Interviewing

Ethics

Responsibilities to Staff

The Work Environment

Working with Family

Is It Possible to Have a Perfect Client?

Part VI. Time, Money, and Luck

Chapter 13 | Numbers Matter

Learning from Others

Initial Staffing

Finance 101 for Architects

Industry Metrics

Tracking the Life of Your Architectural Dollar

Calculating Employee Hourly Rates

You Won the Bid—Time to Negotiate the Contract

Setting Up the Project in a Management System

Rolling Up the Numbers

Project Setup for a Potential Project

Project Setup for an Awarded Project

Project Close-Out

Time Can Be Your Best Friend or Your Worst Enemy

Do Not Try to Trick the Staff

Project Profitability

Firm Profitability

Part VII. Closing Thoughts

Chapter 14 | Spectacular Failures

Blueprint for Savings

Template for the Perfect RFP

Standard Documents

Chapter 15 | Nagging Concerns

Education

Fleeting Services

Workplace Strategy

Programming

Long-Range Planning

Rentable Area Calculations

Cost Budgeting/Estimating

Project Management

Chapter 16 | My Two Best Jobs

Caudill Rowlett Scott Architects (CRS): 1968–1974

American Express: 1974–1980

Chapter 17 | Predictions for the Future of the Profession

List of Terms

Bibliography

Suggested Readings

Resources

About the Author

Index

Foreword

I wish this book were available when I was in school. It would have made my last two years in architecture school much more productive and my initial search for the best job so much easier. The concepts presented represent clear thinking with practical experiences for all to follow throughout their career to maximize their potential for success.

Most self-help books are read, then put on a shelf, never to be opened again. Your Architecture Career is a book that should be kept close by for easy reference. What is nice about this book is that it is well organized for the reader to follow as their career progresses.

It is a great reference book for those just starting out and impresses upon the student/intern/architect the importance of being aware of their career opportunities. It is easy to come back to chapters to review specifics, to share ideas, or test one’s own development.

I think of this book as being similar to current Kickstarter programs designed for those bringing a new product or service to the marketplace. We all need a boost when we are starting out—Kickstarter programs give entrepreneurs the financial boost they need. Your Architectural Career gives professionals the career boost they need with tried and tested ways of working to succeed in the world of architecture.

I describe how the process of architecture and interior design is similar to a relay race and how important handoffs are for both the individual and the firm. Being a good team player is being a great architect. The other theme I describe is the benefit of being a strategic partner with your client—not just a good vendor.

I will definitely recommend this book to schools, students, interns, architects, and firm owners as a guide to helping professionals enjoy and prosper in this wonderful profession.

—Gary Unger

2018

Introduction

To each new employee we bring into the firm, no matter what level or discipline, we give a detailed orientation of our processes, procedures, likes, dislikes, and most of all the unique ways in which we deal with our clients.

Since our business divides into three primary parts, so does our orientation to new employees:

1. Business Practices/Professional Practice

2. Marketing and Client Relationships

3. Design Goals

This book deals primarily with items 1 and 2—Business Practices / Professional Practice and Marketing and Client Relationships. In my mind, each of the three parts is weighted equally, and if one or two parts are weak, the entire firm will suffer.

The curriculum in most architecture schools focuses on Design with minimal academic time spent on Professional Practice in the last semester of the final year. This is a huge problem for firms looking for talent that can grow quickly into management positions.

I decided to write this book because I could not find a book on Professional Practice that I could use in my business that approached these issues from the point of view of the student, the employee, and the business owner. When I searched for books used by universities in their professional practice courses, I found that schools used books that were out of date or completely off message, and some did not even use a textbook. They relied on professors’ notes from personal experience.

Your Architecture Career is a comprehensive guide, full of tips for recent graduates, interns starting out, and owners of architectural businesses, that offers a better chance to excel and rise up quickly through the ranks in a very tough profession.

I include tips that will help you succeed. Look for the TIP graphic. Yes, it is true that experience is one of the best teachers, but sharing with you what I learned from the jobs I have had, as well as thousands of projects done by my firm, will help jump start your career.

I have written this book from the perspective that few are taught to consider the process from the client’s point of view. This book will give you a competitive advantage by helping you understand how your client thinks and what your client needs.

For seven years, prior to starting CPG Architects, I was the client. I was Director of Worldwide Planning and Design for American Express. Only when you are on the inside can you appreciate the difference between the needs, attitude, and responsibilities of the architectural firm and the corporate person responsible for facilities. The architectural firm has one client, whereas the internal corporate project manager often has multiple clients.

The book is also about helping architects understand that when you have options, you should first try to think them through from your client’s point of view. I write about the importance of acting as a strategic partner to the client, not just being a good vendor.

It is important that even those whose primary focus is on the design aspect of the profession take the time to understand and appreciate all the other steps involved in getting the work, managing the client, dealing with time, and finally, handling the money.

I hope this book is also valuable to other prime project players such as realtors, owner’s reps, project managers, facility managers, and, yes, even your clients. It is only when each group understands that the practice of architecture is a team sport managing a series of handoffs, just like a baton is handed off from runner to runner in a relay race, that you will appreciate and respect the idiosyncrasies of one another’s business.

It is exciting to be sharing my experiences and knowledge with you. I welcome your feedback and appreciate the opportunity to offer all I have learned from my own work experiences and interviews with other architects and related service providers, as well as the insights I have gained from reading numerous excellent books, which I refer to from time to time.

Debunking Three Myths about Architecture and Architects

(There are many.)

Having preconceived ideas usually makes it difficult to think about new ideas with an open mind. Clearing the air about these myths will give you a better chance to follow through with testing new personal growth concepts. I have prepared responses to often-shared myths. While others may have different experiences, I hope thinking about the positive possibilities in architecture will make it easier for you to pursue your dreams.

MYTH #1: YOU CAN’T MAKE MONEY AS AN ARCHITECT

False! You can make a great living as an architect, either as an employee or as an owner. You might not make as much as the very few that hit home runs in the dot-com businesses, or those we hear about who create start-up ventures that get sold for huge numbers of dollars, many even without a revenue stream.

You can make an excellent living, have loads of fun, put your kids through college debt-free, and have a healthy retirement. For all those who hit home runs by going public or selling out, we know there any many more that go bust. These entrepreneurs are the type who will keep trying time after time.

I can tell you from experience: it just takes a little planning, personal goal setting, and loads of luck to have a very comfortable life in the field of architecture. The ones who hit the home runs have also had some luck.

Plan the course. This book will help you understand how to make the best of your options, realize opportunities, and take advantage of luck that comes along.

MYTH #2: YOU NEED TO BE AN ARTIST TO BECOME AN ARCHITECT

False! I am definitely not an artist, and I can tell you, firsthand, most architects are not artists. Do not mistake what I am saying. Being able to draw well will give you a leg up against the competition. But it is not a requirement.

My first-year freehand drawing professor spoke plainly with the bright-eyed freshmen. His desire to shock us worked; he came right out and said to the entire class, If you are not an artist, you should forget about being an architect. I was devastated and ready to quit. It was only because my father drove from Houston to St. Louis and talked me out of quitting that I was able to stay the course and have a wonderful career. I was never as talented a freehand artist as many of the others, but I persevered and eventually succeeded in many other aspects of the curriculum.

MYTH #3: ARCHITECTS NEED TO WORK NONSTOP TO BE SUCCESSFUL

False! It is true that most architects work crazy hours, but it does not have to be that way. Now that I have been around the business and clients for many years, I think there are many ways to offset the prime reasons architects work long hours:

1. Most architects starting out feel they need to do too much themselves. For the three prime parts of the business—marketing, design, and finance—the architect needs to find temps, consultants, or trusted employees to share the workload. Trying to do it all yourself is a surefire way to fail.

2. Most projects start too late, causing schedules that do not allow for the proper amount of time for each set of tasks and resulting in projects that run on overtime.

3. Projects that start tasks out of phase often result in the redoing of previously prepared steps. We call this churn. Churn kills profitability, induces stress, and causes mistakes. Architects should prepare and maintain the project schedule to maintain sanity.

4. For many designers, the design process is never over. It is admirable to want to explore all options to produce the perfect solution, but if the design phase is not properly managed, the loss of time will be felt in all the succeeding phases.

One of the primary goals of this book is to help you to master the business part of the profession so you will have a balanced work, family, and personal life.

PART I

Finishing School and Getting a Job

CHAPTER 1

Completing Architecture School

WHAT TO FOCUS ON DURING YOUR LAST TWO YEARS

Most course curricula become very specific in the last two years of an architectural or interior design program—without a lot of room for electives. Here are three things I encourage all students to focus on during their years in school:

Additional Elective Courses

Despite the rigors of the required design/thesis lab courses, I recommend taking as many professional practice or business administration courses as you can fit in. This will be your last and probably only time to be exposed to the foundation of the business of architecture. Not all of you will become primary designers in the firm you choose to work for, so having more than a basic understanding of the specifics of the business will be useful. For example, it is necessary to learn all you can about finance, marketing concepts, proposal writing, presentation techniques, time management, and project management.

Courses on Creative Writing

Architects need to write more than they think they will. It is imperative that architects take as many courses on creative writing as they can fit into their schedule. If there is a course on email writing, I encourage you to take it because the state of email communication in business today is pathetic. It is one thing if you are writing an email to a friend asking to get together