Any thoughts on where to find decent side work? Are there any web site worth visiting? Craigslist seems to be fairly bad in that most of the posts seem to be for horrible projects.
In the event anyone would like to collaborate, I'm licensed in a bunch of states.
I always got side work by just letting people know that I was available and interested. When on site with a contractor I would chat it up. I would let friends know that I was interested in doing work on my own, etc. I found that people were looking for architects to do the small projects that others would not take. So, I started with a couple of small jobs which led to bigger jobs, which led to bigger jobs, which led to starting my own practice.
The bigger question is, how does your office feel about you doing side work? There are liability issues with your day job office unless you totally seperate the two (ie. zero phone calls, faxes, not using office computers/plotters/etc) and even then, there might be liability issues.
There have been some good threads in the past here on Archinect on this subject.
Last week i walked into an architects office that i pass every day on the way to my 9-5 with a portfolio of work and asked if they needed any help generating visualizations of their current work
A lot of people I know get small jobs through people they know - friends, acquaintances, friends of friends. Also, just chatting up random people at parties, dinners, and restaurants have led to potential jobs. I think the key is just to get out there and network. Go to art openings, events, and parties that are outside the arch world.
I hang out in the Combat Zone in my spare time....make da big bucks....Pimping is much more profitable than Architecture. I do have to give up my Friday and Saturday Evenings!
speak to your banker or account, the most work I've gotten has been referrals through them. Of course it does make you extremely transparent to them but worth it
I saw some guys my age doing housepainting on my way to work today. It's beautiful outside, the sun is shining... and I thought to myself that if work ever got slow and I needed a second job or a summer job, I could paint houses. Those guys looked like they were having a blast.
Right now I'm in front of a computer, sitting in a room with no natural light. It's painted a really ugly hospital green and it makes me nauseous. Bah!
A successful young (35 y/o) architect lectured in one of my pro practice classes. She got married and had a baby right out of UCLA grad school and wanted to start off on her own immediately so that she could work from home. She spent the better part of a year networking w/ all the realtors in prominent south bay/ coastal cities and, after arranging it w/ the realtor, she spent every Saturday and Sunday sitting in open houses of high-end residences. She would talk to prospective buyers- getting them excited w/ what they could do with the house and before she knew it, she was turning down work.
She started off more on the interior design side (redo-ing kitchens & bathrooms, spec-ing furniture & finishes, etc.) and by the time she talked to our class (less than 10 years out of school) she was doing major renovations/ tear downs (multi-million dollar projects) and doing very well for herself. She has great relationships w/ realtors who give her all the referrals she needs and has been able to really pick and choose the types of projects she does.
In general, people seem to trust their realtors and their referrals, so I think it was clever to get in from that side. Also, it was a win-win situation for both because she would get the buyers so excited about what they could do to the house, she'd practically sell the place herself.
it seems like the bottom line is just getting out and talking to people, and not being shy about being an architect interested in doing whatever kind of work might come your way.
i got a moonlighting job once from people whose kids i babysat. it was a pretty cool renovation of and addition to a farmhouse they bought as a vacation home.
architecture schools are another great resource--most of them have job boards where local people will post things like house additions, new homes, even boring drafting stuff, but it will bring in some extra dough.
Jul 7, 07 5:25 pm ·
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Where do you get side work from?
Any thoughts on where to find decent side work? Are there any web site worth visiting? Craigslist seems to be fairly bad in that most of the posts seem to be for horrible projects.
In the event anyone would like to collaborate, I'm licensed in a bunch of states.
Santa Monica Blvd
I always got side work by just letting people know that I was available and interested. When on site with a contractor I would chat it up. I would let friends know that I was interested in doing work on my own, etc. I found that people were looking for architects to do the small projects that others would not take. So, I started with a couple of small jobs which led to bigger jobs, which led to bigger jobs, which led to starting my own practice.
The bigger question is, how does your office feel about you doing side work? There are liability issues with your day job office unless you totally seperate the two (ie. zero phone calls, faxes, not using office computers/plotters/etc) and even then, there might be liability issues.
There have been some good threads in the past here on Archinect on this subject.
Good luck.
Last week i walked into an architects office that i pass every day on the way to my 9-5 with a portfolio of work and asked if they needed any help generating visualizations of their current work
scored.......
are you licensed in new york ?
A lot of people I know get small jobs through people they know - friends, acquaintances, friends of friends. Also, just chatting up random people at parties, dinners, and restaurants have led to potential jobs. I think the key is just to get out there and network. Go to art openings, events, and parties that are outside the arch world.
I hang out in the Combat Zone in my spare time....make da big bucks....Pimping is much more profitable than Architecture. I do have to give up my Friday and Saturday Evenings!
speak to your banker or account, the most work I've gotten has been referrals through them. Of course it does make you extremely transparent to them but worth it
show some thigh, you'll get all the side work you need....
I saw some guys my age doing housepainting on my way to work today. It's beautiful outside, the sun is shining... and I thought to myself that if work ever got slow and I needed a second job or a summer job, I could paint houses. Those guys looked like they were having a blast.
Right now I'm in front of a computer, sitting in a room with no natural light. It's painted a really ugly hospital green and it makes me nauseous. Bah!
outside work is always nice......
wish i was licensed....wtf........ i could have had a few decent projects already........
too many ideas not enough time
b
at the corner at a gas station in any korea town..
you might have to be an alien.
McDonald's fry girl
ultimate "side" work...
A successful young (35 y/o) architect lectured in one of my pro practice classes. She got married and had a baby right out of UCLA grad school and wanted to start off on her own immediately so that she could work from home. She spent the better part of a year networking w/ all the realtors in prominent south bay/ coastal cities and, after arranging it w/ the realtor, she spent every Saturday and Sunday sitting in open houses of high-end residences. She would talk to prospective buyers- getting them excited w/ what they could do with the house and before she knew it, she was turning down work.
She started off more on the interior design side (redo-ing kitchens & bathrooms, spec-ing furniture & finishes, etc.) and by the time she talked to our class (less than 10 years out of school) she was doing major renovations/ tear downs (multi-million dollar projects) and doing very well for herself. She has great relationships w/ realtors who give her all the referrals she needs and has been able to really pick and choose the types of projects she does.
In general, people seem to trust their realtors and their referrals, so I think it was clever to get in from that side. Also, it was a win-win situation for both because she would get the buyers so excited about what they could do to the house, she'd practically sell the place herself.
it seems like the bottom line is just getting out and talking to people, and not being shy about being an architect interested in doing whatever kind of work might come your way.
i got a moonlighting job once from people whose kids i babysat. it was a pretty cool renovation of and addition to a farmhouse they bought as a vacation home.
architecture schools are another great resource--most of them have job boards where local people will post things like house additions, new homes, even boring drafting stuff, but it will bring in some extra dough.
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