ARCHITECT

TO
ARCHITECT
A GUIDE FOR
ASPIRING ARCHITECTS

First Edition 2016

B.D. NAYAK

B.D. NAYAK ARCHITECTS AND PLANNERS, INC.

PRESIDENT, M.ARCH (MIT), NCARB, AIA, FIIA
 ARCHITECT
TO
ARCHITECT
A GUIDE FOR
ASPIRING ARCHITECTS

First Edition 2016

B.D. NAYAK

B.D. NAYAK ARCHITECTS AND PLANNERS, INC.

PRESIDENT, M.ARCH (MIT), NCARB, AIA, FIIA
Copyright 2016 Bhagchand D. Nayak
All Rights Reserved

ISBN 978-0-9977373-0-1
 Preface
This book is for aspiring architects who do not have
a clear vision of how to start or run an architectural of-
fice. The purpose is to give them an overview of what they
should carefully consider before opening a practice: the
education, experience, licensing, insurance, and social/
business skills they will need; the costs involved in setting
up and maintaining an office while trying to turn a profit,
let alone stay in business; how to procure clients and de-
velop client relationships; the fees for service they must
charge; the types of clients they will deal with; what kind
of staff to hire, and when; how to promote and market a
practice; which target markets to tap into; which software
applications to use and update; and much more.

Architecture is a multifaceted profession that entails

working around multiple social, economic, political, ma-
terial and environmental constraints, in both the office in
which you plan and the outside world in which you build.
As an architect, one must focus primarily on client rela-
tionships. If you have a client, you have a job; if you have
a job, you are in business.

Your success as an architect also depends upon

where and how you conduct your business. The location of
your office and the quality of your presentation of yourself
and your work will help you to land the job. Not every ar-
chitect is adept at running a business, just as someone with
excellent business acumen can be an uninspired architect.
5
So know your strengths, as well as your limitations, and
your interests: a disinterested accountant is rarely a good
thing. Either learn strong business skills or hire someone
to conduct your business on your behalf.

To practice independently as an architect, you will

need to learn many different tricks of the trade: how to get
the job, how to get it done, how to run the business, how to
manage the office, and so on. One tends to learn many of
the nuts and bolts as time goes on, but a keen initial aware-
ness of all a practice involves can get you off to a better
start and help you avoid confusion and panic later on.

I hope that this bookwhich draws heavily on my

31 years of experience as an independent architectwill
give you a solid introduction to what you need to know
before deciding to become an architect, starting a practice,
and running it successfully.

6
 Acknowledgements

First, I would like to express my gratitude to my

familymy wife, Shaguna; my two daughters, Yoshika
Sherring and Taniya Nayak; my sons-in-law, Neil Sher-
ring and Brian ODonnell; and my grandchildren, Vijay
and Curren Sherringfor all of the encouragement, sup-
port and love they have given me throughout my career.

I wish to thank Michael Gebhart, FAIA; Frederick

Noyes, FAIA; and Vernon Woodworth, FAIA for being
such wise, encouraging mentors.

Finally, many thanks to Todd Larson and Jessica

Cole for editing it, and Lauren Saracco for putting it to-
gether.

7
 Dedication

I would like to dedicate this book to the memory of

my father, Deokaran Nayak and my mother, Champabai
Nayak, for sending me to architecture school- the best gift
of life my parents ever gave me.

8
 Contents

Appetite 10
Education 14
Registration 16
Experience 17
Fees for Service 20
Types of Clients 22
Business Skills 24
Partnership 26
Office Location and Presentation 29
Hiring 31
Accounting and Other Specialty Work 33
Client Procurement and Relationship 34
Contracts 37
Building Related Zoning Regulations 40
Employer and Employees 42
Billing 48
Insurance 49
Advertising and Marketing 51
Target Markets 54
Income and Expenses 55
Type of Corporation 58
Practicing Architecture in a Global Economy 59
Building Up Your Clientele 60
Presentation 61
Construction Documents 63
Software 66
Freehand Sketching 67
Keeping Up with the Times and Technologies 69
Sustainability 72
Family Life 74
Conclusion 77
About the Author 79

9
 Appetite
Architecture is not for everyone.

To pursue any profession, you have to really love it

in its pure form, as a discipline. Even more importantly,
you must realize that you are entering into a relationship
with your profession, which entails dedication, lifelong
learning, and adapting to changes in the field. Your test
will be to love architecture enough to enjoy it as a profes-
sion through all of its bumps and bruises, highs and lows,
with the clear-eyed knowledge that what you most love
will certainly evolve.

Architecture should make you feel enthusiastic, en-

ergetic, and willing to carry out your days responsibility
with a smile on your face when you rise every morning. It
should become so much a part of your daily life that, 30+
years from now, you will be able to say, Yes, I made the
right decision.

As with most things of value, love and appetite are

not enough. Architecture also requires dedication, com-
mitment, and a complete understanding of the career you
want to pursue for it will be with you forever, like your
shadow. So it would behoove you to invest some time and
energy now into learning what the field of architecture in-
volves, and what knowledge and vision it requires for you
to succeed in it. Unlike several other professions, such a
medicine or law, architecture has no clear cut paths that
10
usher you through the stages from student to apprentice to
novice to associate to supervisor, as I learned many times
throughout my profession.

After I graduated from Nagpur University in 1960 I

went to New Delhi in search of a job. Since I did not know
anybody in Delhi, I was staying at a Dharamshalaan
inexpensive place to stay, like the YMCA or a youth hostel.
I went for an interview and met a man named Sunil Gan-
goli who was trying to learn architecture and had no basic
architectural education; he was working as a volunteer at
the firm. When he learned that I had a five year diploma in
architecture, he was very impressed. He was kind enough
to give up his seat for me so that I would get the job. In
exchange, I taught him the basics of architecture.

Every now and then I would invite him to meet with

me and talk about architecture. He showed up a couple of
times but then he never came back and I never saw him
again. The person who could sacrifice his seat for me for
the sake of learning architecture as if architecture were ev-
erything for him, had given up. As if is the key phrase
here.

It takes vastly more fortitude, discipline, and com-

mitment to be something you decide to be, day in and day
out, good days and bad, come what may. To express your
deep fascination for the subject and yet not follow it shows
that it is not deeply rooted in your heart. It is better to
make up your mind about the profession before spending a
lot of time in it and then quitting. Keep in mind that time
11
is precious.

Architecture is not the kind of profession somebody

will teach you fully. Your professors can give you the A-
B-Cs of architecture; you must be able to learn the X-Y-Zs
on your own. An academic education in architecture is a
mere introduction to the field. No one can teach you all
you need to know about its aestheticsthe central core
of this professionbecause aesthetics are very subjective:
one may see beauty in Picassos painting, while others
may find graffiti artistically captivating.

Nor is architecture only about aesthetics and art. It

also involves deep, broad, diverse technical knowledge
about such technological and mathematical matters as
structural engineering, for which you must study vector al-
gebra, trigonometry, geometry, building construction and
other related fields. For any architectural project to suc-
ceed, art and technology must blend seamlessly. So when
we talk about an appetite for architecture, we talk about
not only art, but also technology and mathematics.

If you are able to confront these challenges and in-

corporate them with a smile, then you may be ready to
accept architecture as your life partner. In fact- in the be-
ginning especially- be prepared to spend more time with
architecture than with your spouse.

Yet a powerful appetite for the profession is insuf-

ficient as well. It is only a beginning, a jumping off point,
which can propel you toward other necessary challenges.
12
One must prove ones ability and enthusiasm for it through
such activities as writing, design work, and presentations.

Ask yourself now whether you have an appetite for

architecture. Nobody knows your likes and dislikes bet-
ter than you. You are the one who decides what kind of
work you want to associate with for the rest of your life.
Remember, too, that it is not only about the discipline of
architecture. It is also about the environment you will be
embracing and creating, as well as the people with whom
you will associate and collaborate.

You may have to create a stronger appetite for the

field. One way to do this is to work harder in order to ex-
tract its best possible ideas and solutions. Once you see the
outcome that exceeds your expectations, you will feel the
joy this profession will give you. Success definitely breeds
success. Failure, too, has the possibility of engendering
future accomplishments. The secret is not so secretit is
not mysticalbut it does take courage and awareness. If
you are able to boldly observe yourself and others, and
incorporate changes to what you can control, while being
on the lookout for unsavory or untrustworthy behaviors
in others, you can use each disappointment as a tool with
which to teach yourself something useful.

Remember that your strong appetite for architecture

will affect your whole lifenot only your own lifestyle,
but also those of your family, the users of your buildings,
and the stakeholders in your projects. So make sure your
belief in and enjoyment of architecture is unwavering.
13
 Education
To succeed as an architect, you know that you must
identify and test your appetite for the field of architecture,
and be willing to adapt as the profession evolves. Excel-
ling in your general education courses is the first step.

By excelling, I mean that you have both earned ex-

ceptional grades and have been engaged in the learning
process throughout the core curriculum. Grades are im-
portant since they determine your chance to study at a top
architecture school; but most of all, a love of learning for
its own sake is essential for success. Architecture is a mul-
tifaceted profession: when you increase the amount and
type of references that cross-pollinate your work, solutions
are more likely to emerge. Buckminster Fullers Manifesto
for the Genius of Generalists posits that generalists make
the best specialists, because unraveling a problem usually
involves drawing from several sources. Rather than strug-
gling to think outside the box, an ever-widening curios-
ity will help you to be almost involuntarily inventive.

Encouragement from your family is helpful, but not

everyone has that support, and that kind of support has its
limits. While in high school, seek guidance and counseling
to help you follow the right path. Start early, but remember
that it is never too late. Once you have established your
own office, your education and experience will help you to
be a positive role model for your employees, and your cre-
dentials will convey knowledge and expertise to clients.
14
 Architecture school may offer only an introduction
to the profession, but you still must get the best possible
education in it to begin your career. Most of the worlds
best-known architects, including I.M. Pei, Walter Gro-
pius, and, more recently, Frank Gehry, Norman Foster,
and Renzo Piano studied architecture in school. Frank
Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier were the rare exceptions.
But the exceptions prove the rule, which I had to follow
to grow in the profession.

While I was working for Mr. J. Glenn Hughes

Associates, my boss took me to a meeting and intro-
duced me to a client as follows: Mr. Nayak is our De-
sign Director; he is a MIT graduate. The client jokingly
asked where MIT was. Later he said that one of his fam-
ily members went to MIT, and that he was proud of that
person for having done so.

A billionaire once gave me a job, in large part

because he valued my education. Later, he sent his sons
to study at MIT and donated $20 million to MIT for its
Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation.

But please keep in mind that a good education

alone is not good enough to get a job. Other qualities, as
discussed throughout the book, are equally important.

15
 Registration
Anyone with a degree in architecture who wants to
practice it must hold a license to practice. Many who have
the degree but for whatever reason did not or could not get
registration to practice nevertheless call themselves ar-
chitects. That is illegal. A license distinguishes you from
those with merely an architectural education.

With license in hand, you can truly and legally call

yourself an architect. Moreover, you shouldI will say,
mustbecome a member of the American Institute of Ar-
chitects (AIA). This adds to your credentials, uplifts your
reputation, and gives you identification with, and back-
ing from, one of the most prestigious institutes in both the
U.S. and the world. In brief, your degree, registration, and
AIA affiliation will give you a special place in society, as I
learned from experience.

Once I went for a job interview and the person asked

me in one breath Do you have the registration? Do you
have a stamp? Since I had both, without hesitation I said,
Yes, I am a registered architect and I do have a stamp.
Then the interviewer continued the discussion.

Do not call yourself an architect without registra-

tion, and do not practice without the architect stamp, to
save yourself any possible humiliation, and to have a bet-
ter chance of getting the job you are seeking.

16
 Experience

After education and registration, firm experience is
your next stepping stone toward starting a practice. Archi-
tects who begin their practice prematurely are bound to
fail. Before starting yours, you must work in a firm that
will give you experience in many different aspects of the
profession.

Architecture is not only about buildings. It is a mix-

ture of art, human behavior, building regulation, human
needs, relation to the environment, various technologies,
construction practices, materials, and so on. The sheer
breadth and scope of architectural knowledge has no end,
but your time is limited. Do not try to be a jack-of-all-
trades, master-of-none. No one can be an expert in every-
thing.

With that in mind, I will focus on architecture and

business-related activity.

Many young college and architecture school grad-

uates aspire to become big-name architects, or starchi-
tects. I applaud their ambition, but to have aspirations
is one thing, and to achieve them is another. It is not as
easy as picking an apple from a tree. One must work for
it. Sometimes (if youre lucky) success comes more easily,
but for most of us it takes a lifetime, and for some it never
happens.
17
 To begin this journey, young architects must have
a strong role model to listen to, learn from and follow
not to argue with. Not that the senior principals and as-
sociates are always right, but they certainly have made
enough mistakes through their years of experience to be
dependable for knowledge, rightness and good judgment
worth following. When you start your own practice, you
must think more about your clients needs and budgets
than your own ego. Use the earliest stage of your practice
to establish good relations with your clients by providing
high-quality servicethe key to your future success. You
must consistently follow the directions of your clients, not
dictate your thoughts to them, keeping in mind that the
client is the end user of your building design and is paying
you good money for your good services.

As every year passes, I feel stronger and more

knowledgeable for having followed the above principles.

Whenever I go for an interview and people ask me

about my experience, I feel like pounding my chest when
I tell them I acquired 50+ years of experience after gradu-
ating from college, 31 of them in my own practice. After
hearing about my experience, people feel excited to dis-
cuss their projects further with me.

Some ask me why I am still practicing. My answer

is: I am in my prime. I can serve people even better with
the vast knowledge I have spent years acquiring through
practice . These feelings of pride and confidence are why I
went without a salary for three years during the Great
18
Recession; those years made up for all of the doubts and
dark days when I was not sure I could make it.

Of course, I had confidence and pride in my work

before I had results or a bulging portfolio of projects I had
successfully designed. But that came from my heart and
belief in myself, not something tangible like buildings
with my name on the blueprints.

Friends, keep this in mind: nothing beats experi-
ence, and experience helps to build a better future.

19
 Fees for Service
Although architects who have earned their reputa-
tion by winning international competitions or by produc-
ing distinguished works may dictate their terms or fees,
those with small firms working for smaller clients will find
it much more difficult to work out their fee structures, par-
ticularly on a clients first job. I have always noticed that
a new clients perception about fee is in the hundreds, not
the thousands, no matter how big a job is. Furthermore,
everybodys paying capacity is different. You cannot com-
pare a millionaire to a middle-class person.

Here are some tips. Base your fee on two consid-

erations: (1) what is affordable to the client, and (2) the
minimum fee you can comfortably work with, taking into
consideration the approximate time you need to do the job
and your salary requirements, expenses, overhead and de-
sired profit margin. Many times, particularly in the early
stages of a practice, one must focus less on profit than on
simply staying in business. As long as you do not have to
pay for that out of your own pocket, I believe that is the
best fee structure.

In business, not every day is the samesometimes

you win, sometimes you lose. Thats the nature of busi-
ness. What you want to avoid is feeling forced to take on
jobs that either do not excite you or are too demanding for
your present capabilities, or to work with clients whom
you do not respect or trust. When times are particularly
20
good for your business, try to save money for rainy days
to avoid feast or famine cycles. However, when your busi-
ness is going relatively well, you can also take on some
pro bono projects. These will make you feel good about
your service to society and will inadvertently create some
of your best referrals, as I learned.

Only a couple of years after I began my practice,

one young couple came to my office with a baby in their
arms. They told me, Your name was recommended to us
by the Chamber of Commerce. We are going to have an-
other baby, and we want to finish our attic space. Unfortu-
nately, we do not have sufficient funds. Can you help us?
Having come from an underprivileged family background
myself, I could easily relate to their story. So I offered my
architectural services at no cost to them.

Their baby graduated from college, and I still re-

ceive Christmas cards from them every year without fail.

Another time, a senior couple called and said, We

are retired and want to add a porch to our house now that
we have the time to relax. What came to my mind was:
(a) they were living on Social Security, and (b) the archi-
tectural profession has a noble, humane side too. Its not
only about making money.

With that I designed their porch free of charge, and

they had it built. Though it is unfinished on the inside, I
see a smile on their faces when they talk about it. It was
one of the most gratifying moments in my life.
21
 Types of Clients
During your architectural practice you will come
across people from all walks of lifepoor, middle-class,
prosperous, millionaires, and, if youre lucky, billionaires.
You therefore need to adjust your thinking while talking to
a person from a particular class. If you are talking to poor
people, you must think the way they do. When you are
talking to a millionaire, do your best to think like a mil-
lionaire. As an architect, you must be prepared to switch
your mental gear to the particular client situation. For ex-
ample, the size of a bathroom for a poor person will not
be the same as one for a millionaire, nor will the fees for
services.

Since we ourselves come from a particular social

stratum, we cannot always relate to the living standards of
others. Looking at pictures of a class of people you would
like to work with may help you to understand their life-
style so you can better meet their needs. Beyond socioeco-
nomic class, you will also run into people with different
educational backgrounds and temperaments.

Being an architect is a continuous study in empa-

thy. You do actually need to walk in someones shoesor
imagine deeply how someone different than you feels and
thinksto be able to design what that person could con-
struct if he or she had your skills, knowledge, and exper-
tise. After all, the future of your firm depends on quality
clients and their recommendations of you to others.
22
 So decide in your first meeting with the client
whether you want to work for that person. At an initial
meeting with a new client you can generally figure out
what kind of person you are dealing with. The persons
tone of voice, word choice, gestures, and general behavior
may be enough to decide whether or not you want to con-
tinue working with that person. Before starting a project, it
is also important to know a potential clients age, cultural
background and social/professional background, to help
you decide the type and cost of architecture that person
will accept. So be sure to obtain professional and personal
references from that person, if only to avoid possible fu-
ture lawsuits. Choose your clients wisely, as I learned to
do.

During my 31 years of practice I have come across

many different types of clients. Some offered me tea, cof-
fee, cookies, or water. Some even offered me dinner. Some
showed great respect, some treated me like a friend, and
others acted as if I did not exist. While discussing the proj-
ect, one client spoke extremely unkindly about other archi-
tects and even swore. If your potential clients speak ill of
another architect or someone they have hired to do work
for them, they are not people with whom you want to enter
into a business relationship.

23
 Business Skills
Before starting an architectural practice, you must
also know how to run an architectural business. And not
everybody is born with all of the skills they need to run a
business. If you are working for someone, carefully ob-
serve how that architect runs the business.

Architects are usually so engulfed with their current

design projects or prospective client meetings they have
little time for other facets of the business. I strongly rec-
ommend both learning as much about the details of run-
ning a businessas well as hiring financial professionals
as soon as you are ableto advise and help you run the
business-side of your practice. That way, you, the archi-
tect, will not need to know every single aspect of tax prep-
aration and accounting, and can focus on what you know
and love best. Know that to be able to fully concentrate
on your design work, you will have to delegate ancillary
responsibilities.

Deciding which tasks to outsource, which to del-

egate in-house, and which to perform on your own is a
matter of balancing your company budget. While final-
izing which employment positions you want to create in
your office, think about how you will monitor your income
and expensesand minimize the latterso you can keep
your office doors open. You must have sufficient funds to
survive for at least the first two years. You and your family
must be prepared to sustain yourselves in periods of little
24
or no income. You have to prepare for the worst.

The first two years of your practice will tell you

whether you are going to be successful or will need to fold
the business or merge with another. You therefore must
have detailed, clearly delineated and carefully charted
short-term and long-term business plans for your practice.
That way, you can properly forecast the types of clients
you will need to attract and the categories of markets you
will need to target in order to stay in business and ulti-
mately turn a profit.

While you can learn business-related matters in

business school, I believe that nothing beats learning the
tricks of the trade in the field.

25
 Partnership
Whether or not to form a partnership with a fellow
architect is a major decision that will significantly affect
your practice. If you want a partnership, select a partner
who has education and experience on a par with yours and
shares many of your architectural values and visions. If
you have a childhood friend you grew up with and you
have a good understanding of each other, you might con-
sider forming a partnership with that person. In a partner-
ship, you have to delegate duties and responsibilities, so
your partners specialty should not be similar to yours. A
partnership of architects may not work as well as an archi-
tect-engineer partnership, where their distinct duties and
responsibilities complement each other, forming a well-
rounded practice.

If you have a small or fledgling practice, a partner

is undesirable, as it would entail splitting your salary with
someone else, cutting into your profit and/or increasing
your overhead, thereby stretching your financial resources
thin and risking bankruptcy. Later, if you find a trustwor-
thy person you want to work with, you could make that
person your associate by offering him or her a certain per-
centage. After working together for a good ten years, you
may consider making that person a partner in your firm.

In your firms earlier stages, you need to focus on

completing your work, managing your business and build-
ing up your clientele rather than forming a partnership.
26
Remember: a partnership is not only about the work. It is
also about money and percentages of distribution of mon-
ey according to who has worked how many hours, and
who should get the lions share for a project, depending
upon the extent of their role in it. When the time comes to
share the money, one may feel a financial pinch and may
reconsider whether the other partners role is worth the
money relative to the amount of time the partner spends
on the project.

A good time to form a partnership would be after
both partnership candidates have practiced architecture for
at least five years and have become familiar with enough
of the ups and downs of the business. Whatever the pres-
sures to do so, you should not rush into a partnership. It
is a long-term commitment, not a short-term relationship,
and is meant to make each others life easier by supporting
one anothers efforts and taking on separate responsibili-
ties, not to burden each other.

Also be aware that, when you form a partnership,

you are giving up the freedom of being master of your own
house. You and your partner now have shared responsibili-
ties for running the firm efficiently. In this way, a partner-
ship is nothing less than a marriage between two individu-
als. Your agreed-upon commitments and your respect for
each other must be rock-solid.

When I started my practice, I learned of an architec-

tural partnership that had terminated after only one year.
From that day on I never thought of having a partnersh-
27
ip. For better or for worse, I have survived and earned
enough to feed my family and meet their necessities as a
solo operation, and I have always preferred singles tennis
to doubles or a team sport. I would rather have just myself
to blame if something goes wrong.

So its important to know yourself and how you

work. If you work better with another person, choose
wisely. The word distrust should not exist in a partner-
ship. One should not have to look over each others shoul-
der all the time to see that respective duties are properly
fulfilled.

Partnership begins with mutual respect and trust

that both partners will fulfill their respective commitments
without interfering with each others work. If such a con-
tractual agreement cannot be reached, you are better off
working and enjoying your freedomand responsibili-
tieson your own.

28
 Office Location and Presentation

Your architectural office must be easily accessible

by public transportation and within a couple of miles from
a major highway. This is particularly true if, in an effort to
keep your overhead low, you cannot afford to hire highly
experienced, well-educated people. Young employees a
few years out of school are less likely to have cars and
must rely on the bus or train. Employees may be exhausted
upon arrival, or even late for work, if they do not have
convenient access to the office. Although clients tend to
visit their architects offices less often than the architects
visit them in their offices or on their project sites, you must
still locate your architectural office within a reasonable
distance from a major route, for client convenience.

Your office must also be presentable. It must imme-

diately show clients and other guests your firms distinctive
architectural qualities and achievements and the diversity
of your portfolio. It might display models, project pho-
tos and renderings, staff pictures, award certificates, and
plaques against a tasteful, welcoming wall palette. The of-
fice must also be comfortable for clients, job applicants
and others to walk in and sit down in, so well-designed
ergonomic furniture is key. A coffee table with reading
material is another welcoming gesture.

Furthermore, you will be in and out of the office

quite often to go out on project sites, meet with clients,
etc., and you will be so involved with your work that you
29
will not be able to stay away from it, even on weekends.
So you will be relieved not to have to struggle to go to and
from your office every day. Therefore, your office should
be as close to your home as possible, preferably within 10
to 15 miles.

Young architects often like to start their practices in

their homes to save rent money. But this is less present-
able and may give potential clients the impression that you
are financially struggling, unsuccessful, and even amateur.
Besides, it is important to let your home be a home, if only
to give your family the privacy they need without business
intrusion into their lives.

With todays ubiquitous technology and sky-high
real estate, you might be able to start without an office, and
meet your clients at their places of business or use Skype
and other services to conference. Soon, however, you will
want your own space. Every minute you save in commute,
you will either spend for your business or for your family.
You decide whether it is worthwhile for you to save that
extra minute.

30
 Hiring
With or without a partnership, you cannot do all of
the work by yourself. Every project is too complex, time-
sensitive and cross-disciplinary to be a one-person opera-
tion. You will need to hire professionals with diverse skills
to not only help you get all your jobs done on time and on
budget, but to leave you free to concentrate on your prime
specialty, be it landing a client, designing the project, pre-
paring construction documents, etc.

In the early stages of your practice, you may not

have sufficient funds to hire as many people as a particu-
lar job requires. Therefore, be prepared to take on heavy
responsibilitieswhich may entail taking on smaller jobs
you can handle on your own (small houses, small com-
mercial/retail structures, additions, renovations, tenant fit-
ups, etc.) in your practices early years. Otherwise, if a
project ends up being too large or costly for you to deliver
by your clients deadline, you risk losing your reputation
and failing in your practice.

Here are three helpful rules of thumb:

1. Hire when you need help. Let people go only when you
absolutely cannot afford to keep them
2. Make sure you have the best of the best to run your busi-
ness
3. Try not to make a habit of hiring and firing. Make sure
you have the wherewithal to maintain your employees
long-term, and if not, dont create those positions at all
31
until you are able to generate the revenue you need to do
so.

The goal is to nurture your practice in ways that it

grows at a pace you can handle. You will work hard, and
push yourself, but not to the point of exhaustion or burn-
out. Setting daily and weekly goals is key, as is scheduling
short breaks. Not wallowing in errors you made or clients
you didnt sign is key. Being self-aware without overly
self-critical is a lifelong practice. Start now. A balanced
life that includes friends and family, personal and profes-
sional relationships, exercise, healthy eating, and adequate
sleep all contribute to your success. Remember, success is
a marathon, not a sprint, and enjoying each step along the
way as much as possible will attract more clients to you, as
well as help you to more gracefully weather unavoidable
blips along the way.

Build your practice and portfolio based on your

strength, determination, and rate of success. You do not
want to get demoralized in the initial stage of the game. It
is wise to start with a few necessary employees and then
hire more as your practice grows and you begin to take
on larger, more lucrative projects for deeper-pocketed cli-
ents.

32
Accounting and Other Specialty Work

As an architect, you should not try to handle all as-

pects of your profession. To focus on your architectural
drawing, client or collaborator meetings, site visits and
other important work, delegate ancillary responsibilities
to a network of trusted professionals. Laws and rules for
accounting, taxation, Social Security and related matters
are always in flux. Keeping up with all of those changes
would distract you from your architectural work. Hiring
an accountant would be wise, and would come in handy in
case you get an audit from the IRS.

Computer rendering is another specialty for which

you should hire a specialist, given the perpetual change,
upgrade and advancement of rendering software (Auto-
CAD, SketchUp, BIM, Grasshopper 3D, Rhinoceros 3D,
etc.) that you will not have time to keep up with.

As a recent graduate, you might be more knowl-
edgeable about and comfortable with the latest software.
You could freelance your technology services at another
firm, or negotiate a hire, and in that way, accrue and save
funds toward opening your own practice.

Shop around for the best for the least. You will be
surprised they are there. Every star does not shine.

33
Client Procurement and Relationships

Clients deserve your respect and the best service

you can provide. Which means you must always run your
practice with the goal to meet your clients needs, not to
trumpet your own artist-ego. To that end, treat your client
as your collaborator, your co-designer, the one with the vi-
sion that you will manifest in concrete and steel.

Some clients understand the value of architects

work; others dont. It is decidedly easier to work out a fee
structure with those aware of the time and talent required
to design the building. Others believe it costs little or noth-
ing, and may balk at your fee or haggle with you. In this
way, too, clients are like partners: they must be able to
trust and respect you for the relationship to work and for
both of you to fully benefit from it.

You can find good clients through personal acquain-

tances, friends, friends of friends, other clients, social func-
tions, clubs, organizations, chambers of commerce, etc.
Advertising, bidding for public jobs, and entering design
contests are other ways, but word of mouth, networking,
and referrals from present clients are bestand cheapest.

Once you land a client, it is important to give your

full attention to the clients needs throughout the projects
duration. Present the client with the scope of work in writ-
ing, as a contract, before the project begins, answer all of
the clients questions, and get a full picture of the clients
34
likes and dislikes of the project so you can amend it in
accordance with the clients needs. Also, do not begin the
project without a site plan, for the scope of the project may
vary as the project moves forward.

Once you have a client your test of knowledge be-

gins. The responsibility to hold on the project relies on
your shoulders. Understand that the client is rarely a single
entity. If it is a corporation, the board members are in-
volved. If it is a private job, most of the family members
will have a say in the design. Friends may be stakeholders
as well.

Making the client happy is always your goal. To win

clients confidence, you must meet their requirements for
the project. Understand that the client is seldom as quali-
fied as you are to understand the functions of architectural
forms and shapes, or to visualize the ultimate results of the
design process. You are hired as an expert to guide your
clients toward meeting their needs.

Every client will be different. Some will be better

educated than others, and their levels of understanding the
design process will vary. But they will all look up to you to
guide them through the design and construction process.

Many clients expectations of an architect are too

high. From the beginning, be very clear about your role as
an architect. You may need to clarify more than once that
you will do only the design work for the building or
35
home, and will coordinate with the contractors, engineers,
mechanics, plumbers, electricians, fire protection special-
ists, landscape architects, vendors, and other specialists to
make sure they all complete their jobs thoroughly and cor-
rectly. Remember to specify that the client will have to
pay these people separately and arrange separate contracts
with each of them when required.

Clients may also expect you to be available when-

ever they feel they need you, thus will want your mobile/
cell phone number to reach you at any time. Here you have
to draw the line. By all means give them your number for
communication purposes, but make it clear that you are
available at only certain times. After all, you have your
family life, too.

Finally, bear in mind that the client will not pay you
until satisfied with the projects outcome. To reach this lev-
el of satisfaction, you may have to do a number of alterna-
tive schemes. And you must be prepared to do so: you may
think one way, and the client may think another. These are
moments when you will feel frustratedbut that is your
test of patience. An architect who does not have patience
will not succeed.

Architects depend on their clients for success. So

make sure you meet their needs and make them happy. If
you have won their hearts, you can expect further recom-
mendations from them.

36
 Contracts
To establish a good relationship with the client and
ensure that persons understanding of the specifications,
scope and limits of your architectural services, as well as
your fee structure, you must enumerate all of these items
in as much pertinent detail as possible in writing, in the
form of a contract.

For that purpose, visit the project site, discuss the

project requirements in detail with the client, and ask the
client to specify the details of the work in the contract so
that you cannot be held responsible if anything is missing.
Clients tend to blame the architect when things dont go as
planned or meet their expectations. As you move on with
the project after every client meeting, confirm your sum-
mary of the meeting in writing to avoid any disagreements
later. You may want to record your meetings, especially
since the technology to do so is unobtrusive, ubiquitous,
and inexpensive.

The contract must be an American Institute of Ar-

chitects standard contract, which insurance companies ac-
cept. Some of your terms may not be in the AIA contract,
so you can add them. If it is a project of significant nature
(you be the judge on that), the attorney makes the revi-
sions to the contract.

There should be a separate contract between the cli-

ent and the engineer, so you dont have the responsibility
37
of paying the engineer from your account. However, that
may be reasonable if you are working for public agencies
or on government jobs. In such cases, make it clear in writ-
ing that you will pay the engineer after you are paid for
your percentage of the work. But make sure you are not
using this money for any other use other than to pay the
engineer, or you risk going into debt. Also, mention in the
contract that you will not be responsible for the contrac-
tors workmanship or failure of the contractors responsi-
bilities.

When signing a contract, architects often ask for

a retainer (5% to 10% of the final estimated cost) before
starting preliminary drawings. They use the money to pay
salaries and office expenses until the preliminary draw-
ings are approved. However, if the project is stopped, that
money is lost. To avoid those kinds of losses, you should
ask for at least 1/3 of your fee up front instead of a retainer,
and mention in the contract that, if the project is stopped at
any time, the full fee up to that point will be charged.

After completing a projects preliminary drawings,

wait until you are paid for them before beginning the de-
sign development phase.

It is advisable to charge 1/3 of the fee as an advance,

1/3 when the preliminary drawings are approved, and 1/3
when the construction documents are submitted. The cli-
ent may be reluctant to pay 100% at the time you submit
the construction documents. They will feel more comfort-
able to pay once the building permit is issued. However,
38
you do not want to wait until the building permit is issued
to get paid. Therefore, for the clients satisfaction, add a
note that if anything in the drawings needs to be changed
to secure the building permit, there will be no additional
cost to the client.

Site visits incur separate fees. Do not include site

visits in a lump-sum contract unless the number of site
visits is specifically mentioned in it. Otherwise, the client
will be calling you every now and then.

39
 Building-Related Zoning Regulations

Once the contract is signed, check local zoning by-

laws and building regulations, including current safety, fire
protection and other applicable codes. It is also helpful to
learn the latest code regulations from a code consultant-
whos fee is minimal compared to the overall project cost.
Once you have a code analysis, you can proceed with the
preliminary phase of the project.

Do not violate the regulations. They have been

designed and written in the interest of peoples health,
welfare, and safety. Therefore, they are in the interest of
your buildings users and neighbors. If you are designing
an addition to a house, always find out when the house
was built, what zoning regulations it falls under, and if
and when the regulations were changed at any point in the
sites history.

It is always beneficial to show your preliminary

drawing to the building inspector, who will suggest any
changes that need to be made to it in order to secure the
building permit. Never argue with the building inspector,
since he has the ultimate authority to give the final occu-
pancy permit. But by all means ask the zoning or build-
ing inspector any questions you may have about current
codes, to ensure your project fully complies with them.

It is advisable to attend code committee meetings

and participate in the formulation of building codes, for
40
the ultimate protection of the safety, welfare and health of
the owners, occupants and users of the buildings you de-
sign. Keep abreast of the latest construction technologies,
local and statewide building regulations, and building and
fire codes on a regular basis so you dont have to go back
and correct costly mistakes later if an inspector determines
that a finished or near-finished project is not up to code.

41
 Employer and Employees
A firms success or failure depends in large part
upon the quality of the relationships among the employer
and employees. The employer and the employee must de-
velop a long-term working relationship in which they mu-
tually understand their respective duties and carry out all
projects smoothly. Understanding about the depth of an
individuals knowledge will help to develop the project for
its intended use.

As an employer, it is your responsibility to hire em-

ployees whose education and experience suit your busi-
ness needs. Depending on the requirements of a particular
position for which you are hiring, avoid overeducated and
over-experienced or undereducated and under-experienced
candidates. Be wary of candidates who can impress you
with their speaking skills but otherwise have little to offer
your firm. You may or may not ever get the right employ-
ee. But be sure you can find someone who is motivated
and willing to learn, so that you dont have to spend your
office time training or reminding that person.

In the interest of your company budget, avoid hiring

highly educated employees that will command high sala-
ries, unless a particular project requires that kind of exper-
tise. Sometimes you will have to compromise between the
salary your budget allows and the employees education
and experience, or you may have to sacrifice some of your
time to train such employees.
42
 The healthy relationship between the employer
and employee is the key for the successful completion of
a project. Although some of your employees may still be
studying in college, they need to respect your office en-
vironment, which is markedly different from the school
or college atmosphere they experienced. First, they must
not mix up schoolwork with office work. They must un-
derstand that time is money in an architectural office, and
their full attention to their office responsibilities is obliga-
tory. Second, they must also be aware that they represent
your business and that your office image is reflected in the
way they present themselves and the office environment
they help to create. So they must dress as if they are going
to work, not to school.

All employeesintern, part-time student, or full-

timemust have attractive personal qualities that contrib-
ute positively to the office culture and image. By attrac-
tive personal qualities I mean that they are kind and polite,
trustworthy and hardworking, self-directed as well as able
and willing to be part of a team, take responsibility for
themselves and are committed to the project. They must be
punctual, respectful to the principals and co-workers, and
sincere in their words and actions.

Hiring people who plan to make a long-term com-

mitment to your company would be in your best interest,
as well as theirs. Some young employees shop from one
office to another in the interest of earning more money, not
realizing that those who sacrifice more money to help an
architect with a smaller firm to build a practice stand a
43
better chance of becoming an associate or principal in that
office in the future. Beyond education, it is long-term ex-
perience that becomes the backbone of the office, in terms
of producing quality work and leaving clients with the im-
pression of a dedicated, longstanding design team.

To encourage loyalty, ask for input from even your

youngest, least experienced employees and make sure you
give all of your employees credit for their ideas. Sincere
generosity and gratitude go a long way toward boosting
individual employees and overall office morale. Plus, they
are free. As your finances allow, reward people for a job
well done through end-of-the-year bonuses, profit-sharing
options, and 401(k) plans.

In addition to solid teamwork, your firms success or
failure depends upon the leadership qualities of the princi-
pal leading the office staff. The best and most successful
principals make sure all are working together toward the
same goal without continuously badgering their employ-
ees. That type of micromanagement usually backfires. The
principal, as a senior person, can merely guide the em-
ployees toward the common goal, but it is up to them to
act accordingly. Furthermore, that mutual respect for one
another, as both people and colleagues, creates a healthy,
productive work atmosphere in the office. This is in every-
bodys best interest.

If you can design a corporate atmosphere where the

employees feel respected and valued, where there is fun
and camaraderie working as a team, everyone will work
44
hand-in-hand and shoulder-to-shoulder on behalf of each
other to earn their livelihood. If someone does not, you
can fire that person. No task should be deemed too unim-
portant or small. Everyone pulls together to prepare for
meetings, including getting the drawings, furniture, and
other important things in place before the meeting begins.
An employee must be delegated to take proper notes on
the meetings and file them in a proper folder.

In the principals absence, an employee must answer

incoming calls politely and promptly convey the message
to the principal upon his or her arrival. All employees must
treat clients, project collaborators and all others with ut-
most respect on the phone or in person, so those important
people always look forward to visiting the office.

Phone calls and emails must be returned promptly,

for clients and collaborators expect quick answers and
regular communication. One must not keep them waiting.
For clients to make decisions whether to hire you as their
architect, you must help expedite that decision.

There will be times when you may need to spend

extra time at the office to finish important work and ful-
fill your commitment to it. Commitment in business must
never be compromised; failure to keep your commitment
will cost you credibility as an architect. Once credibility is
lost, it takes a long time to reestablish.

Employees should not be allowed to take work out

of the office, including drawings, renderings, proposals,
45
and portfolios not intended for outside distribution. Most
clients like to keep their projects confidential, and if a
project is leaked out of the office, it could damage the re-
lationship. Because the client pays the architect, it is up to
the architect and employees to respect client privacy, in
a continued effort to strengthen and perpetuate the client
relationships on which the firm depends to be successful.

It would be helpful for you to write an employee

handbook or manual detailing your firms policies and
procedures, conduct code, dress code, vacation and sick-
time policies, grounds for termination, etc., so all new
hires clearly understand what is expected of them in your
office. You should also conduct a performance review of
each employee six months after the hiring date to discuss
that persons accomplishments on the job, areas for im-
provement, and personal and professional goals.

Finally, your commitment to employees to pay them

weekly must be honored. They must be paid on a specific
day of a week at a specific time, whether or not you make
any money that week. (If this will be problematic, con-
sider fewer hires until your business grows enough to fi-
nancially accommodate more staff comfortablywhich is
a good idea in general, to avoid exhausting your overhead
and having to lay off staff later.) In return, of course, you
must expect your employees to deliver their shares of your
projects on time.

Your office environment should be friendly, but all

employees must understand their responsibilities, and
46
realize that the client does not pay until the work is deliv-
ered in a timely manner. All employees are expected to be
hard-working and sincere in their work. A firms success
depends on the quality of work produced, and the prob-
ability of landing future jobs depends on the success of
previous ones.

47
 Billing
While we are busy with work, we often neglect bill-
ing. To maintain a healthy bank balance and to be able
to pay your employees and expenses promptly, the billing
terms and conditions set in the contract should be precise-
ly followed, and your accountant or office manager should
send the invoice as soon as the work is done. And please,
whenever you send invoices, make sure that their amounts
are right and that the math is correct. Mistakes can create
bad impressions.

Yet, no matter what kinds of terms and conditions

are set in the contract, the client will pay only when able
and/or willing. This is an unfortunate facet of the busi-
ness, to which there is no easy solution. All you can do is
to make your payment terms clear in the contract. If you
need to sue the client, you must keep proper records of
drawings and timelines of their submittals.

In situations like this, your professional liability in-

surance will come in handy.

48
 Insurance
Do not begin a practice without professional liabil-
ity insurance and workers compensation. These may not
be required if you do only private jobs, but if you do pub-
lic jobs, they definitely are required. You also need fire
insurance, as well as a health insurance plan for all of your
employees.

One mistake, or one accidental fire, can cost you

much more than the insurance premium you pay. If you
cannot afford a particular premium, take out an insurance
policy with a smaller one, but do have some insurance. Do
not wait until a mistake is made to do so. You do not dig a
well when there is a fire. Also, make sure your insurance
company is a reputable one. If you stay in business long
term, it is better to stay with the same insurance company,
so that you are more likely to get some special insurance
deals from it in the future.

While practicing, one cannot predict when things

will go sour. In one instance a client wanted to change a
house from a two-family to a three-family to recieve more
rental income. When he hired me as an architect, he sim-
ply wanted me to do the renovation. While the preliminary
drawings were in progress, he insisted I make a plan for a
three-family, and said he wanted to go for a variance.

When he did not get that variance, he wanted me to

pay the money he had spent on the surveying, for the
49
preliminary architectural drawing preparations, as well
as his attorney fees. He sent a letter through his attorney;
I did not reply. After a few weeks, he sent another letter
through his attorney; again, I did not reply. Every time he
sent a letter, he was paying legal fees. I kept quiet, because
I had professional liability insurance, and I had informed
my insurance company about my clients behavior. This
continued until his attorney called, and I told him to talk
to my insurance company attorney. When the client real-
ized I had professional liability insurance, he backed off.
Whenever someone sues an architect, and if an architect
has professional liability insurance, the insurance compa-
ny provides that architect with an attorney to deal with the
case.

This is but one example of how professional liabil-

ity insurance will save you many headaches and sleepless
nights. Keep in mind that insurance does not mean you
neglect your professional liabilities, building rules, and
regulations, or professional ethics. A professional liability
insurance policy will simply strengthen your morale and
give you peace when dealing with difficult or unethical
clients like the one above.

50
 Advertising and Marketing
In business, any amount of advertising is insuffi-
cient. Just the same, limited financial resources in a small
office restrict advertisement capacity. Nevertheless, you
must let the world know about your existence so you can
land the clientele necessary to stay in business, and keep
reminding people you are still active and practicing.

Budget 5% of your income for advertising and

marketing, and keep promoting yourself. Architectural
work is not something people need every day, but when
they do need it, your name should be visible to them.
Therefore, constant advertising is a must.

A small office may not be able to afford to hire a

marketing specialist. In this case, one can choose among
several effective marketing channels without spending a
fortune. Here are some common advertising and market-
ing methods:

Yellow Pages listings

Ads in local media: newspapers, magazines, indus-
try journals, cable TV, etc.
Press releases or company news blurbs published in
industry journals
Social functions: placing ads in programs or bro-
chures, passing out business cards

51
 Social media: Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter,
etc. Company profiles on Archello, Archinect, Architizer,
Houzz, etc. Promotional videos on YouTube or Vimeo
Company newsletters
E-newsletters, mass-emailed through Constant Con-
tact or MailChimp
Writing and posting a blog about firm projects, em-
ployee profiles, etc.
Membership in a chamber of commerce or a Rotary
or Lions club chapter
Working for Habitat for Humanity to meet people
and make connections
Company brochure mailings or distribution in plac-
es of business
Holiday card or e-card mailings to past, present and
future clients and collaborators
Finding new contacts who were noted or quoted in
newspapers, magazines or industry journals
Posting advertisements in a planning office
Cold-calling
Business-to-business networks
Keeping in contact with contractors, developers and
others you have worked with
A booth or placard advertisement at a home show or
architecture expo (ABX, etc.)

In your early years in the profession, target your

market carefully, and do not spread yourself too thin.

As a young architect I used every kind of available

media to get my name out, focusing particularly on my
52
Indian community. People from the same cultural and
religious groups often want to help each other. Without
support from the Indian Community, I probably would
have not survived. Advertising and marketing are never
enough.

53
 Target Markets

Once you know what types of projects you would

like to design, focus your practice in those areas. It might
behoove you to target two or three different project mar-
kets (residential, commercial, government, etc.) because
one type may be more lucrative than another in a particu-
lar market. Sometimes the housing market and other times
the commercial construction market may be stronger, or
public-sector jobs may become more plentiful, depending
upon availability of government funding. To keep your
practice flexible and responsive to shifting markets and
economies, be as diverse and nimble as possible, rather
than putting all of your eggs in one basket.

The only person who can tell you whether or not it

would be profitable to target a type of project, community,
or town/city is you. Only you can assess your ability to
reach out to a community and learn about its specific proj-
ect requirements.

Since the beginning of my practice I focused on

marketing among Indian communities. After 31 years of
practice I am now getting jobs from the second generation
of Indians whose parents and grandparents supported me.

54
 Income & Expenses

This is the most delicate subject you will be dealing

with every day. You must keep careful track of every hour
of billable time you spend on each project and the fee you
receive for it. In the earlier stages of your practice it may
be harder to estimate the time required to complete the
project. One learns about time estimation and setting of
fees gradually as time goes on. A rule of thumb (for me)
is that a project will take at least 1 to 2 times the amount
of time you initially estimate for its completion. Mistakes
will be made, but they must be corrected. So, initially, you
will have to spend more time on a project to save money
that would otherwise be spent to correct mistakes.

Your investment in your office must keep pace with

your income. To hire someone, you must have sufficient
funds in the bank to run the office for at least six months.
Before starting your practice, you should be prepared to run
the office for at least one to two years without income.

It generally takes about two years to get a good fi-

nancial foothold, and your success or failure may depend
upon the activities that take place within that time.

Before starting a practice, you must think about how

you will sustain your family life without income for two
years. It is therefore advisable not to make a hasty decision
to open a practice. It is no easy path. At times it may be
depressing, discouraging, dishearteningbut this is the
55
test of your strength, endurance, and willingness to per-
severe. If you can overcome these challenges, you will
succeed.

The difference between working for somebody else
and working for yourself is that you will not see the check
coming every week in the latter case. Furthermore, you
may not see it for weeks and months on end. So keep in
mind that you will not always make more than what you
investedparticularly since so many social, economic and
political issues affect the real estate market, hence the ar-
chitecture, engineering and construction industries. If the
economy is good with little fear of layoffs and more con-
sumer confidence, people are less afraid to invest money
in buying or improving their properties or building new,
which helps an architects business.

When your business is going well, you must think

about saving money for unforeseen circumstances. While
you are working for yourself, you cannot take a hefty sal-
ary and enjoy life. You should take just enough to meet
your minimum weekly/monthly expenses. Its up to you
to manage your finances, and to have sufficient bank bal-
ances to run the business for at least six months.

The most important aspect of your income and ex-

penses to look out for is your overhead. To get the work
done, the number of employees you should have depends
on your judgment, based on your financial standing and
your work needs. The number of employees is less impor-
tant than how qualified they are to do the work and how
56
efficient they are at completing it by deadlineyou may
not need as many employees as you might think, which is
an opportunity to save yourself some overhead. Besides,
to hire employees when you most need them and fire them
when the work is done or the economy is bad is not good
policy. It is selfish. It is better to have fewer well-trained
employees with whom you can build good long-term rela-
tions, which in turn will save you the time and money it
takes to train new ones.

I opened my own office in May 1985, and from the

beginning, I have operated it very conservatively. By taking
an architects minimum salary, I consistently saved money
for rainy days and was able to adjust to fluctuations in the
business and the economy. However, during the Great Re-
cession from 2008 to 2014, construction almost ground to
a halt, many construction-related businesses were wiped
out, and money coming in from commissions plummeted
nearly to zero. My savings could not last for the entire
duration of the recession and I ended up working with no
salary for three years.

The lesson to learn here is that in any business or

profession, every day is not the same regarding work load
and revenue, and change is often difficult to predict. Con-
servation of funds is key to staying in business for a longer
period of time. So keep constant vigil on your overhead
and expenses. Always spend less than you earn. Business-
es should not run on speculation.

57
 Type of Corporation
Before starting your practice, consult with an attor-
ney about the pros and cons of different types of corpora-
tions: sole proprietorships, limited partnerships, C corpo-
rations, S corporations, limited liability companies (LLC),
limited liability partnerships (LLP), etc.

Different architects come from different back-

grounds, and therefore have different visions for their
businesses. So some may begin their practices on a larg-
er scale, depending upon the types of projects they take
on, the number of employees they plan to enlist, and the
amount of startup capital they manage to procure. Others
may start their practices on a small scale in a small office.

For a small office, I strongly suggest defining your-

self as an S corporation. As an S-corp, your company is
taxed as a sole proprietor or partnership rather than as a
separate entity like the C-corp. Thus the corporate profits
and losses are passed through and reported on the person-
al income tax returns of the shareholdercalled a pass
through entity to avoid paying taxes twice (once on
company profits and losses and second on your personal
income).

Your recognition as a corporation does carry some

weight in the business world. If you want to do business,
do it the right wayby starting your business on the right
foot.
58
Practicing Architecture in a Global Economy

As such, there should be no inherent limits to your

practice. To reach the highest level of professional perfor-
mance is your goal as an architect. Furthermore, the global
market has broken trade boundaries, and you are in a posi-
tion to take advantage of this situation, either by establish-
ing your office in fast-developing countries or by doing
international business from where you are.

Setting goals is one thing; achieving them is an-

other. To achieve your highest goals, you should take a
realistic approach with a specific time frame in mind. For
instance, when we have a small office, people expect that
our fees will be low. To make a project profitable, I tried to
keep travel distance short (within a 100 mile range). Few
people want to pay more for travel time unless you are an
extraordinary architect.

Smaller firms that dream to become international had
best think of survival first. But no matter what size your
firm is, your persistent optimism and hopefulness about
your work will keep you happy and help you to build the
positive attitude you need to achieve your goals. There are
numerous internationally famous architectural firms. The
best way to know about how those firms became so suc-
cessful would be to talk with the firms director or found-
ing principal. Fame is not a flukeit takes hard work and
many personal sacrifices.

59
 Building Up Your Clientele
Early in your practice, people may think you are
competent in only one or two building types. In the begin-
ning, your practice might build around just those projects.
If that is what you decide, that is fine. However, I urge
you to push yourself and take on a wide range of design
projects as early in your practice as possible. Your profes-
sional image depends upon your dexterity and versatility
in a variety of building forms.

To keep busy, you need repeat clients, such as a de-

veloper, owners of multiple hotels, or the head of a restau-
rant-chain. With these kinds of clients, however, it is more
difficult to dictate your terms. To get such clients, your fee
must be lower, these clients know they will keep you busy,
and in return for that they would want a reduced fee. They
may also recommend your services to others, enabling you
to build up your clientele and hopefully charge higher fees
to new clients. To do so, the key is high-quality service
and respect for all of your clients. It goes a long way.

If you want business, you have to go to the client;

dont expect the client to come to you. If you are a good
architect, the right clients will find you.

60
 Presentation
Your personality and the way you present your work
are essential to your practice, for this is how you leave
your clients with a positive first impression of you and
your work. It is not only about your clothes and car. It is
also about how you talk and how well you present your
ideas and thoughts in order to address your clients design
requirements effectively.

The project plans you present- be they presenta-

tion drawings, construction documents, or models- must
be crisp, precise, well-rendered, and directly related to the
design issues at hand. These materials will make a strong
initial impact on the client to help you bid for a job or at
least pique the clients interest in your services. Once you
give the client that key first impression, it does not matter
how many meetings it takes to get the job approved.

Your presentation should include sharp, clear draw-

ings in sober pastel colors, a detailed but concise descrip-
tion of the project in good legible lettering, and possibly
a 3D model. In short, you should execute a strong graphic
presentation that stands out from those of other contenders
for the job.

Instead of mounting the drawings on a boardwhich

not everyone might be able to see from a distanceit is
advisable to present them in a PowerPoint presentation

61
and highlight their details with a laser pointer. Renderings
in 3D, virtual tours, and physical models often explain a
project better than just drawings as well. However, many
clients may have difficulty visualizing a project in 3D. So
find out your clients comfort level and design your pre-
sentation accordingly.

Your physical self-presentation is just as important

as the presentation of your projects. Your wardrobe, your
hairstyle, your speech, your poise, and your personal hy-
giene are all key to gaining a prospective clients confi-
dence, as they present you as confident, successful profes-
sional. It is also important to have a nice car, as I had to
learn the hard way.

When I had just started my practice, I went to see

one prospective client. Unfortunately I had an old, some-
what rusty Datsun at the time. The client happened to see
my car and said, Oh, you are not making money.

My advice is to lease a mid-sized car every three

years, and to wash it frequently so it will look generally
new, which is good for your image as a small firm owner,
and your car will have fewer chances of breaking down.
You do not want anything hindering you from going to the
client and making a presentation.

An all-around strong presentation is key. Models,

renderings, and 3D virtual tours can hypnotize the client,
and a positive first impression of you can leave the client
with confidence in your work.
62
 Construction Documents
Successful completion of the project depends on the
quality of the construction documents prepared by the ar-
chitects and engineers. In turn, the accuracy of the dimen-
sions and the detail of the drawings depend on the level of
experience of their preparers.

To avoid confusion at the projects construction site,

coordination among architects, engineers and contractors
in preparing construction documents, project information
details and installation details according to current codes
is a must. Everybody intends to avoid mistakes, but they
do happen. Throughout the projects duration, all parties
must check and recheck the drawings for precise dimen-
sions, clear identification of details and section lines, and
code compliance.

When preparing construction documents, make sure

you do not leave anything up to the contractors imagina-
tion to fill in. The contractor builds according to what the
construction documents present. If the contractor starts to
think for you and fill in the blanks, problems will likely
occur, and extra costs will result, which could lead to law-
suits against your design/build team. To avoid confusion,
your drawings must be well detailed with precise infor-
mation on all materials, components and installations. A
checklist of all important items in all of the above catego-
ries is also key, and must be checked carefully by all par-
ties involved as construction nears completion.
63
 To protect yourself from lawsuits, each project con-
tract should include a contingency clause that reserves at
least 5% of the total construction budget to cover for ex-
ternal or unforeseen circumstances, as well as a require-
ment that any extra fees must be approved by the archi-
tect and owner in writing before construction related to
those fees proceeds. To avoid cost overruns, work out your
drawings on a well-defined grid system, avoid dimensions
with fractions on new projects, and work with modular
dimensions.

Also, beware of suggesting something ad hoc to a

client. Once I suggested to a developer that adding a beam
pattern would hide the one beam hanging from the ceiling.
The client asked me to pay for that addition.

An architect must be very careful about what he or

she says to a client, especially after plans and documents
are finalized.

Another small but overlooked and important detail:

ensure that your construction documents have as many
paper layers as possible, so that the deletion of one item
does not erase any others by mistake. Each letter size must
have a clear function: for example, the room names, toilet/
closet names, and identifying materials should not all be
lettered the same size, and should be on separate layers.
When preparing construction documents, be sure to save
your work every fifteen minutes on an external drive so no
essential work and details are lost.

64
 Your construction document must have a cover
page. It presents your document professionally, helps the
building inspector to know what type of document it is,
and prevents the documents first page from being torn
off. The project title must include the sites complete ad-
dress with zip code. The title box must contain pertinent
information about the architect and engineers, including
their addresses, email addresses, and telephone numbers.
The date on the drawing should be either the progress date
or the completion date. When the drawings are submitted
for the building permit, the architect and engineers should
all have the same date. Space on the document should be
provided for revisions, stamps of approval, and notes. For
instance, if the project is not yet complete, you can write
Building Permit Set on the document and let the owner
and contractor know that more information will be added
to the drawings later.

Well-prepared construction documents are as impor-

tant as a good initial design. If a project is well designed
but has poor construction documents, it will be a disaster.
Good design and well-thought-out, well-documented de-
tails and dimensions are the key elements of a successful
end product.

65
 Software
To run a successful practice, it is vital to keep up
with current trends in computer software and upgrade
your office computer network to the latest versions of your
software. These include advancements in mainstream de-
sign applications such as SketchUp, AutoCAD and Revit
which enable faster, cleaner execution of floor plans, el-
evations and renderings than hand drawings. Grasshopper
3D and Rhinoceros 3D computer-aided design (CAD) ap-
plications are often used to create, manipulate and rear-
range meticulously detailed project renderings, plans and
elevations by building generative algorithms for multifac-
eted 3D geometries.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) visually in-

tegrates all aspects of a projects physical and functional
elementsarchitectural, spatial, structural, infrastructur-
al, technological, utility, manufacturers details, etc.into
3D-animated visualizations. They take a client on a virtual
tour through the finished project inside and out, innards and
all, assuring the client that all parts will join, converge and
work well together. BIM also reveals the estimated costs
of various aspects of the project in advance and shares in-
formation about its lifecycle as a basis for down-the-road
repair or redesign decisions.

Many firms also employ 3D printing, which models
faster and cheaper than conventional cardboard or balsa
wood model-building.
66
 Freehand Sketching
Despite the aforementioned advances in design
technology, the skill of freehand sketching is still essential
to be a successful architect. For many of us, it does not
come easy. For some, it is a God-given talent. Either way,
you have no choice but to learn it.

All architecture students learn freehand sketching

in their studies, because, when you actually practice, you
will be sketching almost daily, for you will consistently
need this tool to convey your thoughts and ideas to your
employees, clients, and collaborators in visible, tangible
terms while discussing the project.

Many different media will be available to you for

drawingpencils, colored pencils, pens, charcoal sticks,
cont sticks, pastels, markers, etc. The use of pastel col-
ors in your sketches, plans and renderings explains project
details and nuances better to your clients, because colors
make your drawings more visually interesting, differenti-
ate one structural, spatial or mechanical element from an-
other, and clarify the intentions of each project element in
the context of the abutting or surrounding elements.

While you are explaining your ideas to the client, if

simultaneously you can draw and show the sketches, you
can impress the client tremendously, as I learned from ex-
perience.

67
 One of my clients had reached out to four different
architects for a house design. Until I met her she had not
made up her mind about which architect she would hire.
She asked me if I could draw a sketch and if she liked it,
she would give me the job.

I drew a freehand sketch of her five million dollar

home and because of that, I got the job. For the past twenty
years I have treasured that freehand sketch.

68
Keeping Up with the Times & the Technologies

Architects are often involved with their ongoing

projects, constantly preoccupied with acquiring jobs, and
completing them to spec. They spend their days commu-
nicating with the engineers, meeting with clients, site vis-
its, and working with the contractor. Unfortunately, that is
not enough.

Design technology keeps changing, so, to keep up

with it, you must continue your education beyond archi-
tecture school. It is advisable to attend seminars organized
by your local AIA chapter, manufacturers, as well as many
other organizations, so you can benefit from the firsthand
knowledge the seminar presenters have acquired from ex-
perience and practice throughout their careers.

In your hiring, do not overlook young, recent, grad-

uates. They are usually incredibly knowledgeable about
the seemingly daily changes in computer technology and
the latest software applicationsBIM, Grasshopper 3D,
Rhinoceros 3D, SketchUp, AutoCAD, Revit etc. These
tools can be applied to shape, detail, enhance, improve and
evolve your design ideas.

New design technology has much more to do with

the free forms and shapes of the structure than in previ-
ous eras, versus the conventional way of thinking based on
limitations of practical solutions. In this way, technology
not only opens doors to limitless thinking, but also helps
69
architects to find previously unimaginable solutions to de-
sign-related matters.

Staying current with design technologys latest de-
velopments, and hiring personnel who are well versed in
them as your budget allows, is essential to the success of
your practice.

Besides hiring a young person to use, interpret,

and teach other employees about new technology, there
are several ways for you, the architect, to keep current on
it. Software manufacturers send promotional materials
through email lists (get on them) and through the mail.
They also offer exhibits and seminars in architects and
engineers offices. Take advantage of these offers and in-
vite these manufacturers to give a presentation in your of-
fice, as long as there is no obligation to buy the product.
You might even get a free lunch with it.

Software companies also reach out through webi-

nars; some are live, others can be watched at your conve-
nience. These are free learning opportunities that inform
you of new building technologies you may be able (or re-
quired) to employ in particular projects.

Licensing authorities require architects to complete

a certain number of learning units to keep their licenses
active- and their knowledge fresh. To renew a license, one
must usually have 12 (it may vary from state to state) learn-
ing units per year under ones belt. The AIA offers many
educational seminars that make it easy for architects
70
to report their educational hours as self-reporting learn-
ing units.

Manufacturers, licensing authorities, the AIA, and

the USGBC all encourage you to continuously refresh
your knowledge of the latest developments in architecture
and its technologies so you can become the best architect
you can be.

Furthermore, the U.S. Green Building Council (US-

GBC) has expanded its LEED-related education through
its Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), making
it more feasible for architects to learn about the latest sus-
tainability compnents of design. With knowledge about
eco-materials and best environmental practices widely
available in light of the constant threat of climate change
and environmental degration, architects have many oppor-
tunities to build in ways that create the healthiest possible
spaces and places for their occupants, the neighborhood,
and the city.

71
 Sustainability
As the world moves forward with technology, it has
a profound impact on our lifestyles. Healthy living is the
slogan of the present era. Major steps have been taken to
improve our surrounding environment, but we still have a
long way to go. Unless all countries agree to move forward
together in protecting our planet, soon fewer and fewer
people will be able to enjoy clean water, air, and soil.

Government policies, unless enforced by the author-

ities and followed by the populace, cannot create a sustain-
able lifestyle. Ultimately, environmentalists, city and town
planners, and architects are responsible for sustainability
in our built environment. Their job is to educate the pub-
lic and help them to understand the benefits of sustainable
buildings. Once the demand for healthy living increases as
a result of their efforts, laws will become stricter, govern-
ment will offer more and more subsidies and tax incen-
tives for sustainable construction, and people will see the
benefits of these initiatives.

Global warming, climate change, and their conse-

quencessea-level rise, polar ice-cap melting, more fre-
quent hurricanes and coastal floodingare not problems
of one country, but are a global issue. So governments
from all over the world must come together to save this
planet in a way that will enable everyone to breathe fresh
air, grow food in non-toxic soil, drink and swim in clean
water, and live a healthy life.
72
 To this end, we as planners and architects must com-
mit ourselves to promoting sustainability. We may have
limited roles in saving this planet, but combined contribu-
tions from all of us will certainly help us to build a health-
ier environment for everyone to live, work and play in.
We can begin by specifying sustainable building materials
that have little noticeable effect on construction budgets,
as endorsed by green building standards set by USGBC,
the World Green Building Council, the LEED Interna-
tional Program and other world-renowned organizations
dedicated to sustainable development.

As a minimum, stay informed of the USGBCs latest

qualifications for LEED Silver, Gold and Platinum certifi-
cation for new construction or renovation. That way, you
can design all of your projects within those sustainability
parameters and assure your clients that their buildings will
be safe, comfortable places to live, work, or play. Think of
the future and the generations who will come after us.

73
 Family Life
While focusing on your architectural practice, you
must maintain a healthy balance between your family life
and your professional life. These must go hand-in-hand.
If you pay more attention to one and less to the other, you
will be riding on a cart with two different sizes of wheels.

Unfortunately, I did not always heed that advice.

While both of my daughters were young, I was just

starting my practice and naturally I was consumed with
worries about running the office, acquiring jobs, getting
paid, etc.

I rented a small, one-room office in a decent build-

ing with a prominent address near the highway exit. Even
better, there was a free shuttle service from the train sta-
tion to the buildings front door. Thirty-one years later, I
am still in the same building, but in a larger office. During
this period I also took a part-time job with a contractor 50
miles away, in addition to a part-time teaching job in the
architecture department of a community college.

In the beginning, I spent only a couple of days in the

office due to my outside jobs. After six months I was there
three days a week. After a year, I had garnered enough
business to be in my office four days a week, and was able
to leave my part-time jobs. Soon afterward, my practice
increased, and I spent much more time at the office,
74
including weekends.

While my jobs and the growth of my firm were all

necessary to support my family and put food on the table,
it all came at a large cost to me: not spending enough time
with my family. I most fully realized this when both of my
daughters went off to college. My older daughter, Yoshika,
decided to attend the excellent Rochester Institute of Tech-
nology. As I dropped her off at college and said goodbye to
her for the first time, I could not stop my tears, I regretted
all of the family time I had missed with her. Fortunately,
my younger daughter, Taniya, attended a school closer to
home, Boston Architectural College, so I could maintain
more regular contact with her, though still not enough.
Even after these experience, I continued to chase my pro-
fession without taking much time to spend with my fam-
ily.

Yet I am fortunate that my wife, Shaguna, was ex-

tremely supportive of our daughters over the years. She
took good care of them, drove them to sports practice,
cheerleading, dance, and music classes, and helped me
with my office work day and night. Due in large part to
Shagunas unweavering family support, both of my daugh-
ters have successful careers. Yoshika is Associate Director
of HCP Marketing for the global biopharmaceutical firm
of Alkermes, a leader in the development of medicines for
central nervous system (CNS) disease treatments. Taniya
is a high-profile interior designer and host on Home &
Garden Television (HGTV). Both are happily married, and
Yoshika has two beautiful children.
75
 Similarly, I will always remain indebted and thank-
ful to my family for their unconditional loving support of
me through my 31 + years of architectural practice. I only
wish I had been there more for my daughters when they
were growing up.

76
 Conclusion
In this book I have primarily expressed my obser-
vations on the business and practice of architecture based
on my personal experiences in the field. This information
may be more useful to some than to others. It is not a math-
ematical formula or psychodynamic panacea for success,
but merely my recommendation for starting and running
an architectural practice efficiently, sustainably, and profit-
ably.

In the course of your practice you may find yourself

having to change the course of your business or make cor-
rections in your practice methods based on revenue and
overhead figures, market trends, client feedback, market-
ing effectiveness, competition, or other internal or exter-
nal influences. Along the way always think about how you
could elevate your practice, make a name for yourself, and
keep yourself in the limelight. Without promoting yourself
and your company, you will struggle to survive. Getting
repeat clients is particularly challenging. It would behoove
you to research architecture firms that practice the best
services supported by the best architectural designs and
professional ethics to determine the best ways to hold onto
clients. It is important not to depend on one or a few cli-
ents, but to keep looking for new ones through marketing,
networking, proposal writing in response to request for
proposals (RFPs) and request for qualifications (RFQs),
client referrals, etc.

77
 Never take it for granted that your clients will come
automatically to you. You must have guiding incentives
for them to knock on your office door, including, but not
limited to: a distinctive brand, superior self-presentation,
exemplary service, a well-earned reputation for design ex-
cellence. But most of all, your respect for the client, your
punctuality with projects and meetings, and your steadfast
commitment to meeting the clients design needs in every
way, shape and form are the master key to a sustainable
and even lucrative architecture practice.

Above all, in your growth as an architect, do not

neglect your family. Spend as much time with your spouse
and children as you can, balance your family and profes-
sional commitments so you can give both their due atten-
tion, and support your childrens interests and goals as
they grow up. The love and support your family will give
back to you will help you to maintain your practice in im-
measurable ways.

Best wishes, and good luck.

78
 About the Author
Having been born and raised
in a less fortunate environment, I
always sought to create better stan-
dards of living for people from all
walks of life. I chose architecture,
because it enables me to enrich and
beautify our surrounding environ-
ment in a creative, livable, sustain-
B.D. NAYAK able, socially responsible way.

I began my architectural career in 1955. In 1960,

I graduated from Nagpur University in India with a five-
year diploma in architecture. Then I traveled to New Del-
hi, the capital of India, to seek opportunity in its grow-
ing building industry. I immediately found a position at a
large and well-known architecture officeMaster, Sathe
& Kothariwhere I worked on university structures, ho-
tels, high-rise bank buildings, embassies and schools and
was responsible for presentations of all of the firms major
projects from 1960 to 1968. During this time I returned to
Nagpur University for a one-year condensed architecture
course, and received my Bachelor of Architecture degree
in 1967, as my class valedictorian.

This education and experience qualified me to enroll

at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in cross-registra-
tion with Harvard University, on a two-year scholarship,
which brought me to the United States in 1968. I received
79
my Master of Architecture degree from MIT in 1970.

Upon graduation I began my full-time career with

world-renowned architect Paul Rudolph, FAIA, in Bos-
ton.

Projects I worked on at his firm included the Shoreline
Apartments in Buffalo, N.Y., Southeastern Massachusetts
University (now University of Massachusetts Dartmouth),
and Bangladesh Agricultural University in Mymensingh,
which was financed by the World Bank. However, the war
between Pakistan and Bangladesh halted the latter project,
and Rudolphs Boston office later closed.

From there, I became Design Director for J. Glenn

Hughes Associates of Quincy, MA, where I worked for
13+ years on mostly hotels, motels, restaurants, and shop-
ping malls, including OldeMistick Village in Mystic, CT.
One of my projects won a Downtown Urban Renewal
Project Competition for Manchester, NH.

In 1985, I opened my architectural office, B.D. Nayak

Architects & Planners, Inc., in Braintree, MA. Since then I
have designed numerous hotels, motels, restaurants, shop-
ping malls, multi-family housing, single-family homes,
additions to homes, office spaces, community buildings,
religious centers, and other types of buildings in Massa-
chusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and New York.

While in India, I taught part-time at Nawathe School

of Architecture in New Delhi for three years. While prac-
80
ticing in the United States, I taught architecture at the
Womens Technical School in Boston, Massasoit Commu-
nity College, Wentworth Institute of Technology, and the
Boston Architectural College. I have taught and trained
more than forty students in my office, many of whom are
practicing architects today. I have also served as a thesis
advisor to graduate architecture students at Boston Archi-
tectural College.

My recognitions include the Massachusetts Hous-

ing Finance Agencys Distinguished Small Business Ac-
complishment Award in furtherance of President Clintons
Proclamation Recognizing September 24-30, 1995, as Mi-
nority Enterprise Development Week.

In 2010, I received the Best of Business Award in the

Architects Category from the Small Business Commerce
Association. My Falmouth Plaza Renovation received a
merit award from Falmouth Council for civic beautifica-
tion.

In 2011 I participated in the Shift Boston, Boston

Harbor, International Competition. My entry was among
top 25 participants from 40 states in United States and 13
countries around the world.

I am a member of the Boston Society of Architects

and the American Institute of Architects (Emeritus Status),
and I am certified by the National Council of Architects
Registration Board. In 2015 I was elevated as a Fellow of
Indian Institute of Architects.
81