Architects are many things – builders, artists, therapists – but, a developer? Yes, there is a trend for architects to develop and construct their own projects (the motivation for this is another blog topic). There seems to be a line in the sand between developers and architects. Here’s the stereotype: Developers view architects as a necessary evil in the project, another line item cost, someone who wants to “make a statement;” architects view developers as the necessary evil to gaining a commission, they have the money, someone unappreciative of our art.

Economics is what makes my job possible. If a project doesn’t provide a profit to the developer, it won’t happen. So what is the architect’s role? We are given a kit of parts to work from – steel, brick, concrete, wood – and we mold and transform and arrange the materials to create a functional, visually pleasing building. Architects take pride in utilizing materials in an innovative way. But, what of the financial aspects? Are we to merely design to meet budget?

Your client’s bottom line goal is to make money for the investor. Sure, everyone likes a good looking building, but projects aren’t built for the sake of building art (that’s called sculpture). They’re built to make someone money, directly or indirectly. As an architect, I believe that a major part of our role is to maximize the return on investment. Our expertise, our ability to visualize, our innovation, these can all be used to mold and transform and arrange the bottom line. Whether it be through the use of better materials, higher densities, or shorter schedules.

I believe more architects should think like a developer. They might find themselves with more work.

3 Years At The Same Place (english version) from Ramon on Vimeo.

I didn’t feel much like going, but I know that I’ve got to get out there if I want to keep food on the table.  By the time I leave these types of events, I’m always happy I went no matter how I felt going into it.  I’ve either met someone that I’ve been hoping to cross paths with or I see someone I haven’t seen in awhile, which rekindles a relationship.  Bottom line, its always positive.

Over the past couple of years, the building industry has been pounded.  Architecture and engineering firms are falling away, and contractors are struggling to keep the revenue flowing.  Developers and owners have put their cash in the mattress while banks have locked their vaults.  Faces are disappearing from the crowd and the fringes have been well pruned.  What’s left is the core group…the foundation of the industry going forward.

But, I have noticed there are two groups of folks at many of these meet ups and conferences – the busy and happy ones, and the sour and miserable ones.  The latter are bitter about how the economy has treated them and are waiting for things to come around.  It’s as if they’re standing still dreaming of “how it used to be”.  The former is actively seeking out opportunity and have embraced the changes placed in front of them.  They are not one to stand and wait.  These are the folks that I want to run with, to exchange ideas, and to look forward.

I started my firm over a year ago with this simple concept in mind:  Where will the opportunities lie over the next few years and how can I best position myself to capture as much of them as I can?  Fourteen months in, I am a thriving architect…

Which are you: moving forward or standing still?

Denver International Airport

I am absolutely in love with this design.  I have been a big fan of architect Santiago Calatrava, and this work is signature of his simple, elegant, and honest design.

Well done…

David P Goode Architecture is officially one year old this month, and I’m absolutely thrilled with the results thus far…

Launching an architectural firm in the midst of the worst economy in decades is a huge leap of faith.  I’ll admit, it took nearly six months of waffling back and forth before finally deciding to jump.  Some folks thought I was nuts, others saw the opportunities I did and thought it was genius.

I have been fortunate with the new contacts I’ve made, as well as the old ones I’ve rekindled.  I certainly owe a debt of gratitude to a handful of dedicated fans.  From there the referrals, recommendations, and repeat work have kept me busy on a consistent basis since last November.  While the current clients keep me going, I have new opportunities to expand my network and client base.

The past year has been an amazing experience for me personally and professionally.  While I am certainly working more hours each day than in the past, I have more quality time to spend with my family.  I am a better person for it, and more importantly, so are my kids.  My wife is 100% supportive and is often the wise unbiased observer to keep me in check.  Without her wisdom, I’m certain I would be struggling to find my way.

So, what does the future hold?  Obviously, it’s hard to say with an economy that is uncertain at best.  I believe we’ll continue along as we are for some time.  While loans are tough to get and businesses aren’t eager to expand, there really is work for architects out there.  The key is to be lean and aggressive… But, brute force alone is not a permanent answer.  As my firm moves forward, I’m looking to expand my tool chest to better serve clients.  I’m looking for ways to maintain the foundation of being lean and efficient, without compromising service and quality.

To those who have brought their business to me over the last year, thank you very much!  I’m more excited than ever to see what the future holds.

Frank Lloyd Wright - 1926

Yesterday, June 8th, was Frank Lloyd Wright’s birthday. Well, it would have been if he was 143 years young.  Of course, I wrote an article over at Examiner.com, but over here, its a little more personal.

I am a big fan of Wright.  Yeah, sure is a great architect and all the world adores him.  By the way, if you don’t like his work, tell me why…I’d like to hear from the dissenters.  For me though, its not just the work or the style – which is undoubtedly beautiful – I love the passion…  Wright had a passion for buildings and the art of building.  Although, he did not have a reputation for being easy to work with.

I have a passion for my chosen profession as well.  I love the business and the art of building…from concept to drawings to construction.  The part I am most passionate about is craftsmanship.  The skill required to properly detail and construct a building is often taken for granted.  Any Joe can cut wood, right?  Yes, but not every Joe can cut wood right…or lay a brick, or weld steel.  I’ll admit, I’m no master carpenter or mason.  My skills are decent and maybe with some practice, I could do better.  But, I am the architect and I respect the craftsman.

The passion for the trades and the art of building is reflected in my approach to project and client management.  The underlying foundation is the desire to have a successful project.  Of course, “successful project” can mean different things to many people…is the client happy…is the architect happy…is the contractor happy?  For me, successful means all of us are in pursuit of the best solution for the project while respecting time and budget.  We all work together and if something can be done better – a detail, schedules, specified material – we all get together, talk about it, and make decisions.

Not everyone has this approach (like Wright), and it has lead to thousands of battles on job sites around the world.  It also generates a lot of stereotypes and destroys relationships.  Bottom line, no one wins.  This is not the way to do business and be satisfied at the end of the day.  Ours is a business built on relationships, not how many conflicts we’ve won.

So, on your next project…consider the guy on the other side of the table and appreciate their perspective.  Everyone will be much better for it, including the project.

After months of decline and inactivity in real estate, 2010 seems to be more active in terms of leasing.  One interesting observation is the activity is dispersed over a variety of market sectors, which has property owners thinking beyond their traditional box of desired tenants.  Take, for example, the neighborhood retail center that has filled vacancies with non-retail uses such as churches or libraries.  Office building owners are leasing spaces to schools or urgent care centers.  This stems from the effort to maintain rent rolls and to keep the lenders at bay.  With the non-traditional uses come non-traditional issues that ultimately affect the schedule and, more importantly, the bottom line.  Do you have the right team to address your non-traditional issues?

Property owners should surround themselves and their projects with consultants and contractors that possess a diverse history with their expertise.  With experience comes knowledge.  With diverse experience comes the ability to merge the knowledge to understand how one issue may affect another.  Can your retail architect take on a medical project?  Can your office tenant finish contractor build out a restaurant?  Now more than ever, your team needs to be sharp and be able to think on their toes – but most importantly, that thinking needs to be accurate.  Your team needs to know the building code and construction practices for the proposed uses.  Not just for their own discipline, but each should also have a general grasp of the other disciplines in order to better understand how they interact.  The more the team knows at the outset, the quicker you can reach a more accurate and reality based solution.

For example, what are the impacts to a building when changing from a Mercantile (M) occupancy to a Business (B) occupancy?  What about changing to an Assembly (A) occupancy? There are varying fire rating requirements depending on the size of the building and the proposed use.  What if a significant storage area was required – is your sprinkler system appropriate?  Are the restrooms adequate for the new use, or do they need to be brought up to current ADA/ANSI standards?  The building code defines numerous requirements for each occupancy, and each requirement may trigger additional requirements.  The snowball effect can be detrimental to the budget and to the schedule.  Depending on the condition, the associated cost can significantly alter a pro forma and may even kill a deal.

The right team can help determine what difficulties and obstacles may exist, even before a project moves forward.  A visit to the space should be performed with the architect, engineers, and the contractor to review conditions.  Ideally, this is done prior to space planning.  A good discussion amongst the team can generate a host of ideas that may even enhance the owner’s bottom line.  The group can evaluate costly items up front and perhaps discover ways to address them in a better way.  Two heads are better than one, and potential project pitfalls will likely be discovered, solved, and budgeted for early on in the process.

Perhaps the prospective tenant joins the group at a probable space to convey their needs.  A quick floor plan layout can be established on the spot to get everyone on the same page.  A good consultant and contractor will aid the owner or broker in “selling” the space by engaging the tenant and helping them visualize their potential home.  When a tenant senses the team’s sincere interest in making the project successful, a tenant will likely retain a more favorable opinion of the property.

Owners and tenants are getting creative in order to get deals done.  With tenants in short supply, it is imperative to find every advantage you can for your property.  Your consultant and contractor team should be able to think outside their usual box, or be able to create a new box altogether.  Diverse and experience based knowledge can be a hidden advantage in today’s tight real estate deals.

I have been busy with small tenant finish (1200 to 2000 sf) projects and small design projects over the last six months.  This has allowed me to be  competitive on fees, as well as very attentive to details on behalf of my client.  Most of these projects have been with new clients and its providing me the opportunity I seek to merely show how I do things a little differently.  Thus far its been met with overwhelming success.

As the economy improves, projects will become a little bigger.  When a client looks around to see who they can trust for their new deal…they’ll look to the consultant who has been earning their confidence through completed projects.  I’ll be ready to jump in head first to help…still competitive and with the same enthusiasm.

I equate it to Cardinal’s baseball in the 1980s under the management of Whitey Herzog.  Whitey liked to play “small ball” to win games, and win he did.  He would take a game full of singles and a handful of stolen bases instead of big power hitters and home runs.  I believe the formula for winning in today’s, and tomorrow’s, economy is hitting for singles and earning your runs a little at a time.  Every once in awhile, that home run will come…

The bottom line, you’ll be creating a stadium full of fans by winning with small projects.

The Colorado Component of The American Institute of Architects (AIA Colorado) has declared April “Colorado Architecture Month.” Colorado Architecture Month provides a series of free events, which are open to the public and are intended to celebrate the importance of architecture in people’s every day lives. Architecture impacts how we live, work, play and even eat.

In addition to AIA Colorado, the four local chapters of AIA in Colorado will host or sponsor events and programs ranging from educational seminars on how to work with an architect, to “Doors Open Denver,” to the ever-popular Box City Event, where children experience the design and construction industry firsthand by requesting permits, ordering materials, designing buildings and constructing those buildings into a cardboard city.

“Colorado has both a rich history of incredibly diverse architecture and some of the most celebrated and talented architects in the country,” said Sonia Riggs, executive director of AIA Colorado. “We decided to utilize those assets to provide free opportunities for people to experience architecture.”

A total of nine events are scheduled across the state, beginning on Tuesday, April 6, and ending on Saturday, April 24.

For more information, visit www.coloradoarchitecturemonth.org

In all seriousness, I am a sucker for structural engineering achievements.  Strange, I know, seeing as how I am an architect.  But, the structural engineer deserves more props than they get in a lot of cases (such as anyone as a sub to Frank Gehry).  This was a huge challenge and the engineer should be proud.

…and because everyone else has thrown out their opinions, I’ll take the opportunity to give mine.  I like this building…yes, its excessive and impractical.  It is a reflection of achievement and ingenuity.  The architecture reflects the building’s soaring height and it appears as though it’s poised to rocket towards the sky to pierce the heavens…