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justellus
Joined: 22 Jan 2009
Posts: 203
Location: World Wide
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 Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 10:13 pm Post subject: What is the Optimum Model for Design Firms and Society? |
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Seeing the current panorama of the economy and how it is affecting us as designers, new questions come to one's mind..... is the society we live in really working?
What do you think as a designer and citizen - Is the current economic system as we know it functioning optimally, based solely on money and the accumulation of wealth, and on making a few rich by our borrowing and spending ourselves to death?
Has not greed on the part of a few, hungry for a profit, began to destroy the values we once held as a nation?
Is not the current model of society and an economy based solely on the accumulation of wealth and money creating more harm then good?
This is not an intent to promote Socialism by any means, but if you feel there must be some other way to bind our energy for the common good, have a look at this link -->>
http://fireside.DesignCommunity.com/topic-24432.html
What is needed is a primary change in thinking. This should help us as designers realize there are alternatives that will work both for societies of designers, as well as for society in general.
The idea of an asset based society (or groups of designers working together in this case) where all contribute toward the common good can be seen as the solution. Certainly thinking in these directions should do much to help us re-formulate the values system we implement as our modus operandi.
Once everyone is thinking of the common good, rather then promoting individual practice or a self-vested interest in promoting a service, then we will be on the right track towards building a constructive community of designers and a society that places value on it's common assets, rather then on creating and hoarding individual wealth, as is the case in the current system we live under.
Thus, once we all are able to pursue our aspirations without the selfish need of thinking of only money and profit, then we will all be better individuals and be contributing towards a better society.
In another topic around here on Work sharing, certainly cunning marketing is being used to promote a system that will benefit the people offering the service, and is thus more an offer of service, then a debate on helping architectural firms, and thus such a discussion seems in reality not to be a discussion, but an offer of services and promotion of a companies interest in promoting it's services, rather then an exchange of ideas on what will benefit offices. The more publicity such a company offering this service gets, they more business they get. So in reality, it is only shrewd marketing and clearly an offer of a service, under the cover of being a discussion on the value of work share......
So, if this topic flies, give us the work, and we will set-up a team for you as well, and offer also a proposal for these services. If this is really what your firm wants, we can handle it. Serious. We would like to offer the same service in this case for those firms burdened by heavy over-head.
In any case, work share is a concept that may work but it is only sending jobs that local employees desperately need overseas in many cases, as such companies frequently offer these services at lower rates. It may drum up work for the people offering the work share service, even if they are country based, but represents a loss of faithful employees and of local talent.
In my view, there is nothing that can substitute having someone immediately on hand with the head architect, coordinating working drawings and details. Anytime any team member has a question, he can immediately work with the team in finding solutions. If drawings are developed away from constant supervision, this could lead to projects with details also that are not properly coordinated with drawings being developed by the main team architects. And for architects to sit long hours in front of their computers discussing projects and details from a distance, and trying to explain what is needed to a remote team can be very time consuming also, as each project is unique.
In the end, the greatest argument is to favor keeping American jobs, rather then continue with the escalating chain of outsourcing to other countries which ends up further contributing to the crisis being faced in America.
Certainly companies want to think of their over-head and maximizing profits, but at the same time we need to start thinking also about changing our way of thinking.
And just simply cutting everyone's pay to a minimum wage is also a very foolish attitude. Indeed it would save jobs however, if everyone agreed to such a plan. But it would only highly undervalue many employees that are worth much more then a minimum wage, and would thus be very offensive for such individuals to be placed in such a situation contrary to their acceptance.
Another option is having people work in the company but on a job per job or contract basis, if permitted by local country or State regulations. Or they can be paid a minimum wage for basic hours to perform basic tasks, and additional compensation on a per job and productivity basis. There are various ways to do it without flat sending everyone out on the street or setting a minimum wage for all.
Certainly offices need to start to think of down-sizing, but in creative ways. Perhaps even giving employees some creative knowledge of how to draw in business for the company, and training in this area would help. Everyone benefits when the company is doing more business. Or even hiring experts to come into the company and work directly on building up the client base, as this marketer is attempting to do by offering her work share idea. But there are other ways for marketers to build up the client base of your office.
Another possibility would be to have many companies join a large joint pool and share projects among offices - they share the projects and the profits. Thus, when one company has more business then another, it is all equally shared. The members who at one time have more business at another may have less, so a pooling system would benefit all. And a pooling system combined with a contract basis system for regulars, combined with a basic wage for employees, could spell a significant savings for firm, and more security for employees. |
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Richard Haut
millennium club
Joined: 18 Apr 2004
Posts: 1187
Location: Nice, France
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| Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 1:11 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | panorama of the economy |
lousy view, isn't it ?
in basic terms, what you appear to be talking of is Lean Management.
for an architectural practice to survive (and it is now a question of survival for many), certainly a practice has to become more efficient and to be able to function with less manpower and finite resources - getting rid of waste.
contracting and outsourcing can play their part, but many practices have discovered that their ability to control the quality of work can be affected.
what matters is finding the right work for the right client.
the vast majority of firms merely go round and round their existing contacts again and again - or scramble after everyone else for the best known projects.
well, it's alright for firms like Foster or Hadid, isn't it ? Is it ? Both have won work through my services - and I hope that they will do so again.
success, like genius, is 90% perspiration.
if a practice really wants work, I may be able to help.
Richard Haut
Tel: 0033-6-72 31 83 86
_________________
Richard Haut has worked with the architectural profession for over 25 years and produces the weekly Richard Haut's Competitions, which has given architects details of many thousands of projects for which they can apply across Britain and Europe. |
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ArchitecturalMoldings
Joined: 02 Mar 2009
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 9:46 am Post subject: |
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They draw it, we stamp it 
_________________
Enhance your next project with exterior architectural trim from Decoramould.com.
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Will not crack or crumble like concrete.
Simple to install.
PM for more information. |
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justellus
Joined: 22 Jan 2009
Posts: 203
Location: World Wide
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| Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2009 4:25 pm Post subject: |
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How many firms around here have outsourced and made it work?
What about work-sharing? Is it nothing more then another form of outsourcing, or "we design it" they draft it", "we stamp it"?
Can this really work?
From my own personal experience, outsourcing projects to far distant firms can lead to a nightmare of coordination, including loosing control of the project details. It is best if either the architect develops the details, or has someone on hand develop them next to the architect and within an easy reach.
When it comes to modeling, rendering, or simply drafting of standard details, or producing study views, presentations, or cad work which follows typical office details, this works. But having an outside team work developing project drawings and details from a distance leads to many problems that designers must be aware of. It can lead to confusion, project delays, incorrect detailing, incorrect design resolution of details, incorrect interpretation of details, incorrect application of design decisions and many other related problems. So every project needs an experienced architect who knows what he is doing and is actually designing the project, designing and coordinating the details, making design decisions as they progress, and developing the details either himself or in direct coordination with a team on hand.
Anyone around here with any similar experiences?
And I would like to know more Richard on your offers. Can send a pm with info, thanks. |
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mx2
millennium club
Joined: 18 Jan 2006
Posts: 1977
Location: Miami, Florida
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| Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2009 9:08 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | for an architectural practice to survive (and it is now a question of survival for many), certainly a practice has to become more efficient and to be able to function with less manpower and finite resources - getting rid of waste. |
What has always surprised me is seeing the waste in just about all firms that stems from one major invention...the computer.
Most of the architects-of-record, firm owners, or any company primaries were schooled in the more traditional methods, practices and knowledge. Most of them drafted by hand, studied construction in school and were all licensed a few years out of college. They know the business of architecture very well.
Then came along CAD. The notion of outsourcing stems from this as well. Copy/paste is the anti-Christ I say...it is the dumbification of architecture, a great source of O&E insurance premium hikes, and has significantly skewed young designers sense of scale. But my real problem is the fact that many firm principals are completely disconnected from CAD that they often rely on the entry level for the facts of productivity.
Some case in points/misconceptions/problems; many drafters like to try their hand in 3D, buying into BIM such that a task could increase by 10x the regular manhours without a principals knowledge of such an attempt; lineweights (color), layer management, linetypes, viewports, etc, etc all tools for increasing speed are 90% mis-used and actually impede drafters from working effeciently; CAD is so precise that it is often assumed to be accurate about its information when in fact the drawings could be way off and often are; one cannot draw what one does not understand but with copy/paste many ignorant try and it goes unnoticed; CAD is not a good design tool but it is a great testing tool for design; and so on...
In my humble opinion, these issues are a microcosm of the greater issues of certain large societies; there's too much information, products, marketing available (non-solicited as well) that there is little focus. It's a lot of angst shepharded in multiple directions all the while assuming that the inability to multitask is a weakness so we multitask more to a point of ineffectiveness. Our paper economy would work better should it be simplified and the selling of bundled deritives for speculative "gambling" should be prime examples of why leaving complex tasks in the hands of others that the first group cannot comprehend is ludicrous! If everyone cannot understand something, it's time to sit down and explain it or get more involved to avoid the insane waste....
The best poised to succed are those who have a foot in both doors...the past and the future.
mx2.5
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*Art of Architecture: The conscious use of skill and creative imagination in the production of an aesthetic building.
*Science of Architecture: The calculated use of technical skill and knowledge in the construction of a functional building. |
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