Where is this place?

Advantage - Publicity

Disadvantage - Price Tag

There seems to a trend in my city to bring in firms from even out-of-state. Seeing this pattern made me furious and I lashed out to the perpetuators…even though I’m retired I did so in defense of those still practicing and the local economy. I reached out to those practicing to join me in the fight and not a single one responded to me. I learned 2 things: 1) There is probably reason for local concerns not wanting to work with local architects, being limp and non-responsive to community concerns is chief among them. 2) Bringing in good architecture may inspire a competition of sorts creating examples of what is possible for others to follow…floats all boats.

I agree with Carrera, out of town bigwigs suck, they take funds that should remain within a community and take them out of that community.   I think the larger problem are these national/multinational general contractors that come into a community and siphon all the funds to their corporate headquarters wherever that might be (right into some CEO's hooker and coke fund).  The design professional fees are nothing compared to what the builders take away from a project.  It is sad when local contractors and design professionals are going bankrupt while these huge corporate conglomerates just rake it in...but then again, that is what is happening to all industries across the board.  

Depends on perception.  I remember back in college my professor going on and on about this stuff.  It creates a uproar...  but does tend to result in the local profession 'stepping up' a bit.  A good example is major public architecture like the Louvre.  It's almost intentional that the French government uses outside 'star' talent.  That usually has the effect of shaking up French architecture community.

On a local front.  Without any research, I think it helps attract businesses, people and helps the economy.  Denver (where I am) has been doing this for awhile.  Given the relative small size of the downtown, it really goes a long way to have a few gems.

i think there are 2 different things here;

1) starchitects.  i believe people often hire the well known architects to create some sort of iconic building, which is good for publicity and can be sort of an element of pride for a community

2) out-of-town architects.  buildings don't often come from local businesses, or even local developers anymore.  in fact, buildings are often owned by anonymous organizations like an REIT with multiple investors, and only managed by local people who are typically not the business operating in the building.  if you own a business, sounds to me like it's getting increasingly difficult to own the building your operate out of.

you have walmarts and starbucks and mcdonalds surrounding you.  each of these companies have developed construction standards and like to work with the people who develop and are familiar with those standards.  i believe that is often why architects and contractors come in from out of state.

What you are talking about in point 2 curtkram is basically 'corporate mentality'.  They have a comfort level and relationship with a particular architect.  So when they build something, without consideration for local context or location, it's a cookie cutter all across the nation.  There is ton of that in residential and corporate retail.  That sort of stuff, I do think seriously detracts from a 'sense of community'...  I personally find it annoying that you could knock me out, send me someplace in suburbia, when I wake up I'd have no f'n idea where I was or even what region of the US.  Suburban Atlanta, Chicago, Omaha... looks the same because it is the same.

Ok, the flip side.  People generally feel comfort with the known or expected.  There's hesitancy with the unknown or different.... when faced with a choice between different and what they know, they'll buy and spend their money where they know the expectations..  Take Walmart or a branded restaurant:  You'll spot that building a mile away and know what's in there.... you aren't looking for an adventure or 'trying something different' most of the time.

Curtkram, you provide 2 solid explanations that I agree with totally. But my example was local building owners/businesses stepping over the local architects to go out-of-town and even out-of-state for their architects. I’d like to open the discussion up a little wider – excepting Curt’s 2 categories is there this 3rd in your community? If so, why do think that is happening?

Maybe it’s just happening where I am so I’d like to know if you guys are noticing it where you live. I have my ideas as to why but there is no point on posting them if the problem is not widespread.

Looking again at Curt’s 2 categories makes me shutter about small local practices. How in the Hell can you build a practice when you don’t live where they live?

If so, why do think that is happening?

Part of what I've noticed over the years is a change in the way people see things.  They seek specialist.  Whatever building they are doing, they aren't googling 'architect'.  They are googling 'architect + school' .  Then they research.  Who's winning awards, who's name is getting the most hits, and on and on.  Who's pictures look the shiniest. They convince themselves 'that' architect would be the best fit because of what they've found.  

Add to it is a lack of fear of dealing with vendors across the country.  Amazon, Newegg, mail order stuff.  They did the front end research to set the expectation of what they should look for and who has what they want at the best price.  So the idea of doing business over long distance isn't foreign. 

Another add is the rise of the owner provided CM; That's become a standard trend.  Why have a architect do CA when you have this person?  So, local isn't important since they aren't regularly going out to the site....

What they haven't understood is that no matter how freaking special they think their building is, 95% of it is hardly unique; studs, drywall, hallways, bathrooms, offices, programming, conceptual designs, etc. 

The only 'locals' that call me are the ones that know me personally (network) or rinky dink small projects where they just looked for someone near to them.  The medium sized projects cast a broader net like anyone in a hour radius.  The large projects seem to cast a very wide net.  The huge projects go even farther.

Thanks a lot for your replies, have complemented my perspective. 

 (: 

Mightyaa, so you are saying that you get most of your work by that net casting from outside your community? It doesn’t matter how big you are – what percentage of your work comes from inside your community vs. outside?

It used to matter who you knew more than what you knew that brought in work. Are you saying that has reversed? I guess you are. It looks like creating websites so to be captured by casted nets is the new “Rain-Making”. If that’s the case architects have a lot of work to do. In my community there are still only a small percentage of firms that even have websites and most of the sites I’ve seen are crap. Interested in your continued thoughts.

As per curtkram: starchitects are often retained for fundraising purposes, having a 'celebrity' attached makes it easier to raise money (museums, etc.) or sell condos (triple-lux res).

In the same vein, out-of-town architects are used because the money is coming from out of town and selections are often through social connections. So-and-so used Heywood J. Blomee, so we'll use him, too.