If anyone is so kind enough to respond, I was just wondering: How long did it take you to make partner in a firm, and how did it happen? Just curious to hear some stories/inspirations.
B. Arch: 1978
Intern: 1978-1982 (got licensed here)
Grad School: 1982-1984 (non-arch degree)
Senior Professional Staff at two firms: 1984-1988
Self-employed: 1988-1998 (1-man firm)
Hired in as Principal of mid-sized firm: 1998
While not always the case, partners generally are folks who have the ability and the willingness to bring profitable work to the firm.
barch - 93
worked 1 year between...
march - 96
pa/pm at 3 firms - 96-04
founded own firm 04 (still a partner)
if i had stayed at my last stop before opening up shop, my guess is that i could have been a partner by 08 (this was a 120+ firm at the time). they had just recently done a round of architectural principals, so they weren't eager to 'add on' right away.
in general, i'd say it's much harder to become a full partner/principal these days unless you absolutely can bring the work in. seen at least 6 principals/associate principals in firms (including my old one) laid off in the past 3 months, precisely for this reason. to be a designer type partner, you've really got to have an amazing track record right now - just hit after hit after hit.
also, it's much easier becoming partner in a large firm than any other type - much more turnover (surprisingly) at the top, so more chances to sneak into an opening. almost impossible at a small (>10) or even midsize firm unless it's insanely profitable or extremely in debt. or you marry the partner...
I just got lucky, my partner was my best friend from undergrad and asked me to come join him as a partner.
Previously I had been in a 20-ish person firm for ten years and would have been there probably ten more at least before partnership opportunities arose. I wasn't pursuing that anyway, was just happy to be an associate, but I think outed is right that it's hard t move up in medium sized firms. Where I was, the partners (except for the firm founder) were all only 8 years older than me.
Graduated in 2008
Joined another industry in 2011
Drafted into the Union Civil Defense League in 2017
Quarantined in 2019
Begin working again in 2021
Laid off during invasion and placed in interment camp in 2023
Died of SuperAIDS in 2025
i slept with an existing partners daughter and got her pregnant and then voila, corner office with tivo! boo ya and that my friend is how babies are made
Well, this went from serious to a joke in less than six posts. Pretty good. SuperAIDS....effing hilarious! At least according to ur predictions Unicorn, we survive past 2012.
And Aquilla...what can I say. That's EXACTLY how babies are made!
Hell....in Architecture who has time or energy for making ????unless your name is Sarah, Strawberry, Liberty Bell, Steven Ward or Tree Killer....sorry if I missed anyone.
Started working in an office at 18....go-for guy in Bean Town
left the profession cause of the oil crisis middle 70's
Studied Landscape Architecture and Art for a year and University...
knocked around for a couple of years fishing...and camping....and living the good life...trailing cows and such things. Went back to work
in the 80's for an Architectural firm.....worked on passive solar houses and schools....then my next job was a womens state prision...and well I wasn't interested in Cowgirl Prisoners...so took a
couple of Trips down the Colorado River on rafts and figured out that my life belonged in Arizona....Worked and went back to school...
grew tired of intellectual bull shit and left school Worked for a couple more years in Arizona.... moved back East ....worked for six months then the 90's Crash happened knocked around cutting wood and being a happy individual doing small projects here and there. Landed in an office for one of Bruce Goff Students....enjoyed the time but the pay sucked wind..and he didn't want to invest in a computer. Moved on to a firm with computers then sat for my exam passed it in Arizona...re-registered it in New England. Established a partnership with a long time Architect who said he wanted to retire...but he really didn't want to work but wanted to keep making money....so after one year we did a banana split....he took his clients and I took mine....so now I be looking back a few years wondering how long will it be before I can retire and go live back in Arizona and work on small projects....and paint, drink tall cold ones and of course just carry on like one of those ole people in a golf cart community. Time line is not important it is what you do inbetween the time you start into this profession and the time you leave the profession.
snook... is your real name chris mccandless? LOL
now you're really living! Eels reference
sounds like you may have been living the good life especially the camping and fishing part
i think the wisest decision one can make in the field of architecture is not to put too much emphasis on it and not take yourself too seriously unless of course you like being a drone
Jan 23, 10 4:57 am ·
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making partner
If anyone is so kind enough to respond, I was just wondering: How long did it take you to make partner in a firm, and how did it happen? Just curious to hear some stories/inspirations.
undergrad degree '91
work at other ofcs '92-'03
grad degree '04
self employed '03 - '05
hired '05
partner '08.
B. Arch: 1978
Intern: 1978-1982 (got licensed here)
Grad School: 1982-1984 (non-arch degree)
Senior Professional Staff at two firms: 1984-1988
Self-employed: 1988-1998 (1-man firm)
Hired in as Principal of mid-sized firm: 1998
While not always the case, partners generally are folks who have the ability and the willingness to bring profitable work to the firm.
barch - 93
worked 1 year between...
march - 96
pa/pm at 3 firms - 96-04
founded own firm 04 (still a partner)
if i had stayed at my last stop before opening up shop, my guess is that i could have been a partner by 08 (this was a 120+ firm at the time). they had just recently done a round of architectural principals, so they weren't eager to 'add on' right away.
in general, i'd say it's much harder to become a full partner/principal these days unless you absolutely can bring the work in. seen at least 6 principals/associate principals in firms (including my old one) laid off in the past 3 months, precisely for this reason. to be a designer type partner, you've really got to have an amazing track record right now - just hit after hit after hit.
also, it's much easier becoming partner in a large firm than any other type - much more turnover (surprisingly) at the top, so more chances to sneak into an opening. almost impossible at a small (>10) or even midsize firm unless it's insanely profitable or extremely in debt. or you marry the partner...
I just got lucky, my partner was my best friend from undergrad and asked me to come join him as a partner.
Previously I had been in a 20-ish person firm for ten years and would have been there probably ten more at least before partnership opportunities arose. I wasn't pursuing that anyway, was just happy to be an associate, but I think outed is right that it's hard t move up in medium sized firms. Where I was, the partners (except for the firm founder) were all only 8 years older than me.
Graduated in 1979
Licensed in 1983
Partner in 1989 of a 10 person firm.
left in 1993 and started my own firm.
Graduated in 2008
Joined another industry in 2011
Drafted into the Union Civil Defense League in 2017
Quarantined in 2019
Begin working again in 2021
Laid off during invasion and placed in interment camp in 2023
Died of SuperAIDS in 2025
i slept with an existing partners daughter and got her pregnant and then voila, corner office with tivo! boo ya and that my friend is how babies are made
Well, this went from serious to a joke in less than six posts. Pretty good. SuperAIDS....effing hilarious! At least according to ur predictions Unicorn, we survive past 2012.
And Aquilla...what can I say. That's EXACTLY how babies are made!
Hey, making babies makes the world go round!
Hell....in Architecture who has time or energy for making ????unless your name is Sarah, Strawberry, Liberty Bell, Steven Ward or Tree Killer....sorry if I missed anyone.
Started working in an office at 18....go-for guy in Bean Town
left the profession cause of the oil crisis middle 70's
Studied Landscape Architecture and Art for a year and University...
knocked around for a couple of years fishing...and camping....and living the good life...trailing cows and such things. Went back to work
in the 80's for an Architectural firm.....worked on passive solar houses and schools....then my next job was a womens state prision...and well I wasn't interested in Cowgirl Prisoners...so took a
couple of Trips down the Colorado River on rafts and figured out that my life belonged in Arizona....Worked and went back to school...
grew tired of intellectual bull shit and left school Worked for a couple more years in Arizona.... moved back East ....worked for six months then the 90's Crash happened knocked around cutting wood and being a happy individual doing small projects here and there. Landed in an office for one of Bruce Goff Students....enjoyed the time but the pay sucked wind..and he didn't want to invest in a computer. Moved on to a firm with computers then sat for my exam passed it in Arizona...re-registered it in New England. Established a partnership with a long time Architect who said he wanted to retire...but he really didn't want to work but wanted to keep making money....so after one year we did a banana split....he took his clients and I took mine....so now I be looking back a few years wondering how long will it be before I can retire and go live back in Arizona and work on small projects....and paint, drink tall cold ones and of course just carry on like one of those ole people in a golf cart community. Time line is not important it is what you do inbetween the time you start into this profession and the time you leave the profession.
snook... is your real name chris mccandless? LOL
now you're really living! Eels reference
sounds like you may have been living the good life especially the camping and fishing part
i think the wisest decision one can make in the field of architecture is not to put too much emphasis on it and not take yourself too seriously unless of course you like being a drone
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