i work for a firm that does everything - from institutional to scientific to churches and synagogues to museums to infrastructure to high-end residential. we all move around to different projects. no problem. i've been working on a athletic facility project for a couple years - but also do residential sidework. i would consider it a problem if i didn't work on varied projects.

I run a small office and love the variety of scales in the types of work we have, Just my personal choice but i think the change in scales is a great way to work and see problems from a different perspective.

I switch projects types and types of construction all the time within my firm. As a younger person, this is invaluable to me to help me find my niche and get as much exposure as possible. I would think that this reward would outweigh the anxiety you may have. Go for it - the new stuff is probably not as foriegn as you think.

i've done it too. i think the things that i found most invaluable are to listen and to ask questions. don't be afraid to ask questions about the things you don't know and listen to those who know better than you. do it. strawbeary's right. it's probably not as foriegn as you think.

The main thing I learned was that I enjoyed another scale of project much more than the ones I was used to. More than I thought I would. It's a challenge to make the transition, but you wouldn't be where you are if you didn't enjoy the challenge.

Moving to a small residential firm from a big institutional one can be a little daunting at first. You'd think there'd be some "easiness" factor because you're switching to a smaller project type. But your role on the projects will probably be more comprehensive (you'll probably be doing the whole project - the whole design, CD set, CA...), and the firm's role on the projects will absolutely be greater (small firms often use few or no consultants. You usually need a greater knowledge of mechanical system specifics, lighting, etc. and you might need to do your own structural calcs.) Small projects tend to include drawings that tell the contractor how to build them stick by stick. Did you do framing plans on big institutional projects? I never did, so when I switched it was a whole new thing. The time frame of some residential projects can be as short as a few weeks from design to complete CD set. Meanwhile the firms that specialize in them can be so small that they have no support staff, so you'll be taking out trash and running to buy paperclips in between drawing sections. But, all in all it is not an impossible or unlearnable thing, and can be nice because of the total involvement, shorter project timeframes, etc.