For Seattle-based LMN Architects, community is at the heart of everything they do — from their diverse portfolio of civic-centric projects to the ongoing design research of their in-house Tech Studio.
LMN Architects also instills collaboration and multi-disciplinary thinking into their office culture. “LMN operates as a single studio in a single office, meaning that our staff have the opportunity to work across multiple project typologies and gain experience from a variety of leaders in the office,” LMN Partner Stephen Van Dyck says. So what else can a new LMN employee expect on the job? In Archinect's latest “How To Get A Job At ___”, Stephen Van Dyck got in touch to share some tips for applying to the practice.
What positions are constantly in-demand at your firm?
We are on constant look-out for interns, architects, interior designers, and urban designers across a range of experience levels. We’re looking for people who are curious and passionate and who will be a good fit with the culture of the firm. We also keep our eyes open for design technologists to work with our in-house R&D group, Tech Studio. Tech Studio helps us explore and deploy emerging technologies for digital design and fabrication.
A candidate’s ability to speak thoughtfully about their design process is important to us. We want to see that a candidate can be self-reflective about their strengths and weaknesses.
When meeting with a candidate, what are some ways that they can make a positive first impression during the interview?
A candidate’s ability to speak thoughtfully about their design process is important to us. We want to see that a candidate can be self-reflective about their strengths and weaknesses. We want to hear about who they are as a person, as well as understand their career and life goals. Asking informed questions about our office is another thing we respond well to—we want to see that people get what we’re about and want to be part of it.
What do you want to learn most about the candidate during the interview?
We’re looking to see what kind of collaborator they will be, and how they might fit in with project teams. We want to learn about their approach to, and thoughts on design, and how they demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills. We also want to see a level of drive and motivation. Being comfortable taking initiative is important. Culture fit is important. Our ideal candidate is someone who will be a good teammate; someone who can work with everyone across the breadth of the firm.
What is the most common mistake that candidates make when applying to your firm?
Lack of care with presentation materials, such as a poorly written introductory email, CV or portfolio will count against an applicant. Successful candidates will be representatives of LMN, so we want to know that a person is thoughtful and detail-oriented when representing themselves.
What makes a strong CV/portfolio?
Showcasing a wide range of skills and a diversity of interests is a great way to demonstrate your interests and your talents. We also want to see clarity about a candidate’s previous roles and the work they performed on past teams; don’t make us guess what you did on a project.
We also want to see clarity about a candidate’s previous roles and the work they performed on past teams; don’t make us guess what you did on a project.
Demonstrated facility with both manual and digital design processes is a huge plus, as is experience using models and fabrication to inform design decisions. We’re a very hands-on firm, so we get excited about candidates who showcase their abilities in making.
How important is an applicant's educational background?
It’s important in the sense that we seek a diversity of educational backgrounds, and try to keep the firm balanced with a variety of perspectives.
What kind of training do new hires undergo when they first start?
Each new hire is assigned a sponsor who works with the new LMNer to get them acclimatized and helps to make introductions to the whole office. We also lead new hires through a series of workshops focusing on our office resources, including our intranet, library, collaboration and design software, and our fabrication shop, as well as sustainable design best practices.
Do you have an internship program? If so, briefly describe.
We have a robust internship program that supports the holistic education of young designers. We have a strong community of mentors and interns that assist in preparation for exams, as well as a breadth of learning opportunities available to the office throughout the year, many of which are led and managed by staff. We try to balance the assignments of aspiring staff so they can accelerate their learning and meet AXP requirements in a timely fashion.
What are three words that your employees might use to describe your firm?
Collaborative. Future-forward. Balanced.
How does your firm promote inclusivity and diversity in your work environment?
We concentrate on assembling diverse design teams and fostering diverse perspectives. Since our projects all serve the public to some degree, we know that a diversity of perspective in the design process is critical to our success, so for us inclusivity and diversity are central to our business model.
What additional social activities do you do as an office?
We host a weekly happy hour on Thursdays called Beer Share—it’s a time for staff to share their adventures and interests with the firm, and get to know their coworkers in a super informal environment. We have an official LMN soccer team, plus LMNers have formed several other interest groups to take advantage of life in the Pacific Northwest. We have groups that enjoy hiking, rock climbing, running, playing volleyball, sailing, and biking together on a pretty regular basis. At the end of the year, we throw a big holiday party that includes a silent auction to raise money for local organizations. A lot of the items up for bid are fun social events, like bowling or karaoke or pub crawls, hosted and attended by staff from across the firm. We also have an annual office ski-trip and a big picnic in the summer for staff and their families.
If a candidate had the choice between you and another firm, what argument would you use to win them over?
LMN operates as a single studio in a single office, meaning that our staff have the opportunity to work across multiple project typologies and gain experience from a variety of leaders in the office. We’re also a very collaborative office: everyone on the design team partakes in the design process. This starts day one on a project and continues throughout the project’s duration. Making is a critical part of our design culture, and our project teams are actively engaged in physical (and digital) fabrication. We build models, mockups and sometimes final building components.
How do you see your firm growing in the next five years?
We’re currently growing to meet the demand for our design thinking, and anticipate that we’ll stay busy well into the coming years. Our diverse project portfolio includes a variety of architectural and urban design disciplines, from public to private, both local and national. This diversity keeps our office nimble, and the comprehensive breadth of our work means that we are relatively stable across economic cycles.
Interested in joining LMN Architects? Check out their Archinect profile to see if they have any current listings. To see more active listings from hundreds of firms, browse Archinect's Job Board.
2 Comments
The SMIA list has raised up to scrutiny, finally, the fact that there are too many firms that are willing to run on toxic abusive bullshit.
LMN won the AIA Firm of the Year award in 2016 - it seems like a super cool place to work! I'm happy to see a firm that values its people get coverage and accolades - and their work is excellent too!
I enjoy Archinect but it is interesting how obvious it is from the photographs in Archinect that people in Architecture working in their profession, simply are NOT ALLOWED to work beyond the age of FIFTY. This condition is a violation of the law that forbids Age Discrimination. Who do you think is responsible for doing something as evil as that?
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