i'm reading thomas friedman's 'the world is flat' right now and i just started wondering if outsourcing is effecting architecture practice here in the U.S.? does any kind of low-level work, like cad stuff, get shipped out to india or china? if not, is the possibility there? do you think that i, as someone beginning his MArch in the fall, should do anything differently (in terms of summer jobs or electives or anything else) than someone beginning their MArch 10-15 years ago?
I touched on this subject a few weeks ago: http://www.archinect.com/forum/threads.php?id=P18511_0_42_0_C
To answer your question...our profession has become more diversified. I have friends who are doing everything from CAD monkey-Furniture designer/builder-theatre stage designer.Sure the profession is changing, but not more than others.
I worked at a firm that outsourced the CDs to a $60mil building to Manila. It will happen more and more. Design and management are the only two things that will need to stay in the US.
we outsource almost totally. in fact, one of my projects is finishing up CD's at the moment and it is the first set of CD's done in this office in 14 years!
we also have a china office...and all of our presentation books and such for projects come from that office.
Here in NYC, there is a small rendering company run by 2 Chinese guys who have very affordable fees and decent quality. Apparently they run the business and get the clients in NYC, but have people overseas in Asia do the actual work -- or so the story goes. So watch out, all you fancy graphics lovers.
you really ought to be more worried about insourcing ie foreign architects coming to your town and willing to work for much less than you can. personally, i d like to see some economists jobs and new york times columnists jobs outsourced.
Architectural Record did a big write up on this 2 or 3 months ago. Its been here and the ones who are going to suffer most are the mom and pop architectural firms who aren't up with the times. It is just another way to cut costs. It can be used for evil and good.
the firm im currently workin for right now in princeton nj outsources alot of cad work to what we in the office refer to "the bolgarians." A design is first developed and then the phone call is made to the bolgarian office followed by the sending of the cad files. With in days we recieve woking drawings (sometimes need to be touched up) but the price is cheap and they work for little above nothing.
May 30, 05 9:53 pm ·
·
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.
outsourcing and architecture?
i'm reading thomas friedman's 'the world is flat' right now and i just started wondering if outsourcing is effecting architecture practice here in the U.S.? does any kind of low-level work, like cad stuff, get shipped out to india or china? if not, is the possibility there? do you think that i, as someone beginning his MArch in the fall, should do anything differently (in terms of summer jobs or electives or anything else) than someone beginning their MArch 10-15 years ago?
I touched on this subject a few weeks ago:
http://www.archinect.com/forum/threads.php?id=P18511_0_42_0_C
To answer your question...our profession has become more diversified. I have friends who are doing everything from CAD monkey-Furniture designer/builder-theatre stage designer.Sure the profession is changing, but not more than others.
i know architects who have their CDs done in Bermuda, where its much less expensive, apparently.
I worked at a firm that outsourced the CDs to a $60mil building to Manila. It will happen more and more. Design and management are the only two things that will need to stay in the US.
definitely...a project I was on got quite a bit of help from the Phillipines
we outsource almost totally. in fact, one of my projects is finishing up CD's at the moment and it is the first set of CD's done in this office in 14 years!
we also have a china office...and all of our presentation books and such for projects come from that office.
maybe take some business or management courses?
mickmack--may i ask where your office is located and what size it is? is it a corporate type?
we are in NYC...
20 people or so....
but very very established firm.
(wouldn't go so far as to call it a starchitect now...but definitely was at one point!)
Here in NYC, there is a small rendering company run by 2 Chinese guys who have very affordable fees and decent quality. Apparently they run the business and get the clients in NYC, but have people overseas in Asia do the actual work -- or so the story goes. So watch out, all you fancy graphics lovers.
you really ought to be more worried about insourcing ie foreign architects coming to your town and willing to work for much less than you can. personally, i d like to see some economists jobs and new york times columnists jobs outsourced.
Architectural Record did a big write up on this 2 or 3 months ago. Its been here and the ones who are going to suffer most are the mom and pop architectural firms who aren't up with the times. It is just another way to cut costs. It can be used for evil and good.
the firm im currently workin for right now in princeton nj outsources alot of cad work to what we in the office refer to "the bolgarians." A design is first developed and then the phone call is made to the bolgarian office followed by the sending of the cad files. With in days we recieve woking drawings (sometimes need to be touched up) but the price is cheap and they work for little above nothing.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.