This week on Small Studio Snapshots, we sit down with the Seattle-based practice goCStudio, founded by Jon Gentry and Aimée O’Carroll in 2012. The team fills us in on how being a small business allows them to create close relationships whether it be with a client, a craftsman, or the photographer of their next project.
How many people are in your practice?
Three.
What originally motivated you to start your own practice?
We wanted to be able to pursue the type of work that we were most interested in, some of that being more conceptual and self initiated with more ability to collaborate with other like-minded designers and artists.
We were also motivated by the idea that we would be more directly engaged with our community and to have closer relationships with the owners we are creating projects with. As a smaller practice there's more direct face-time both for our client and for us, as young architects working directly with owners and makers.
What hurdles have you come across?
Patience is important—we are 4 years into this and we recently published the first project that we started in 2013. The sheer time it takes to realize projects and build a portfolio in order to get new clients and work is a big challenge. One way that we offset that is to initiate small projects that we can design and build ourselves over a much shorter period, The sheer time it takes to realize projects and build a portfolio in order to get new clients and work is a big challenge.which serves as a way for us to showcase the kind of work we want to do.
Setting up the infrastructure of running a business took some time to figure out. We found it is essential to have close connections to other small businesses and mentors in our community who can recommend and advise on the business side of things—this is how we initially found our accountant, tax advisor, and attorney.
We maintain a close relationship with three other small practices here in Seattle, we get together a few times a year, have drinks, share notes and experiences, and always cap the year off with a fun holiday party! It is also a great way for us to have a continued stream of work as we have become a small referral network—when one is too busy they will pass work on to the others.
Is scaling up a goal or would you like to maintain the size of your practice?
Yes, we would love to grow the business over the next 5-10 years. Since we started the business, we have always shared our studio space with other designers, engineers and photographers who we often collaborate with on our projects. As we grow the business we hope to maintain this multi-disciplined workspace.
What are the benefits of having your own practice? And staying small?
We will be the faces they see at every meeting and be with them throughout the projectHaving all your fingers and toes in all your pies. We love being intimately involved in all the projects and closely connected to all the owners and builders we work with. When the timeline for a project can be several years, the relationships you create during the process are very important and often extend beyond the completion date of the project.
On the flip side, for projects that are on a shorter timeline, as a small studio, we are able to make decisions and develop a design direction very quickly. Small and scrappy is often how we describe ourselves to clients as they are considering an architect. It is important for clients to know that with a smaller practice there is much more engagement with the people leading the design; we will be the faces they see at every meeting and be with them throughout the project.
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