Hello everyone! I am new to these forums. I've been wondering, does anyone know of any job opportunities of working as an Architect (design or otherwise) but as entirely remote?
Is this something viable to do? I'm super interested in working remotely but I also love Architecture, and I'm wondering if I can have the cake an eat it too.
Thanks for any info you can provide :)
archi_dude
Nov 25, 17 11:42 am
I think those opportunities are only ones you make for yourself. One boss had a response to that request that probably summed up most employers attitudes towards it. "When the cat is away the mice do play."
newguy
Jun 24, 21 3:49 pm
always nice to have a boss who literally views his employees as his prey
randomised
Nov 25, 17 1:52 pm
How remote are we talking?
James Aleister Barcelona
Nov 25, 17 2:46 pm
I tried getting commissions and projects from this freelance site (Upwork) during the three months I was in South America to no avail. Either my hourly/per-project rate was too high for them / I was delusional and had no idea about what hourly rate is ideally workable, or most of the clients there were dirt cheap. Every chance you get to put yourself out there and meet prospect clients, do it.
thisisnotmyname
Nov 25, 17 4:10 pm
We will permit certain people to work remotely, mostly mid-level and upward. They are people we know to be productive and efficient, and they are usually doing a discreet part of the project, like specifications, that lends itself to solo work outside the office and collaboration via computer.
We allowed junior people to telecommute for a while, but we had to discontinue the practice because their productivity off-site appeared to be very very low.
Josh Mings
Nov 28, 17 12:53 pm
Doing specs in an open office is the worst. So many distractions.
funkitecture
Jun 21, 21 3:49 pm
interesting, and it makes sense. I think it'd have to be the right person to be productive in a junior position and rare at that
whistler
Nov 27, 17 6:36 pm
I have two former employees who left the office but I still employ them several times a year to prepare construction documents for my office. They will work on sf residential or multi family projects typically. I have also outsourced the same to more established firms who regularly offer services to large regional offices to avoid having to "staff up" to manage the ebb and flow of production needs. I have seen how many small offices can "punch well above their weight" and be very profitable, with out having to deal with folks in a different time zone ... just motivated individuals who like the work. My first experience I tried it on years earlier was a total failure though and I have learned a lot about pricing / drawing expectations between you and the contracted employee and how to manage the work flow in a realistic fashion.
I am very open about it with my clients as they still deal with me but understand I am not pushing the mouse to get the work done. I also am in touch on a daily basis to review progress and review files / details on screen etc. It has worked out well for myself and those who I contract who do the work.
Lots of small projects I wouldn't or can't touch I often pass on to them to do on their own so it's a good source of work for them and still don't have to say no projects that I want to take on even if I know we don't have the capacity to complete the work. It's all very boiler plate type work, and I don't offer them design work as that's where things can get super complicated, I always make sure they get the work once the design is quite resolved and clearly is an expression of what the client and I have agreed on.
funkitecture
Jun 21, 21 3:53 pm
thanks for sharing the bit about design. a bit of a disappointment not to be able to (or to justify) giving design work to remote staff, but I get it
...and sometimes you offer design work but they don't want it. Seems to be common. So, I can get on board with your approach. DD and CD
Wilma Buttfit
Nov 28, 17 8:58 am
I’ve done quite a bit of remote working. Usually only people who already know me or direct referrals. Look for smaller firms who can use an independent to smooth out spikes in workload so they don’t have to hire and fire. Ask friends, former colleagues. This is a good way to launch your own practice by the way, sort of a mid-step.
Lee Robert
Nov 28, 17 9:20 am
I've done a decent amount of remote work, and it really depends on the relationship you are able to develop with the people you are working with/for.
Email tends to bring out the worst in people and often makes problems bigger then they really are. Finding time to talk over the phone or face to face is what balances things back out.
Even when working with people I knew and liked, the relationships tend to get stressed unless you actively try to keep things on an even keel. Working remotely is tricky to do long term, but if you can set it up correctly, it's well worth it.
funkitecture
Jun 21, 21 3:46 pm
Hi melissaquintero,
Yes, this is a reality.
I started my firm two years ago here in Hawaii and decided that I would stay a sole practitioner because of the difficulty of finding qualified job candidates here in the islands and keeping them. After covid, that is no longer a limitation, and I'm growing my office.
My first hire is in Hawaii, but on a different island. My next hire will be on the mainland, where the time change works in our favor (working with remote drafters in India means you're always a day behind - this is the opposite).
Looks like you can have your cake and eat it too, and so can I :-)
Search "architect remote revit (or rhino or whatever)" and see what comes up on google alone. It's a new world. Good luck!
caramelhighrise
Jun 22, 21 11:36 pm
I’m glad you resurrected this. I’m curious to hear other’s experiences now that the pandemic shed new light on remote architecture work.
I know for a fact my current company will never entertain it unless the masses rise up. But I do personally know people who work for partially or completely remote offices. Some that have newfound flexibility to either from home or an office, and others that have never even met their whole project team due to everyone working from a distance. I think the myth of success only resulting from in-person collaboration is quickly fading, just like 40 hour, 5 day work weeks.
I welcome the changes that are coming our way. This industry can be slower to evolve than we often like to think, so I’m anxious for us all to live our lives how we want instead of how our employers demand.
Non Sequitur
Jun 24, 21 3:52 pm
I'm returning to the office full time next week and I cannot wait. I have a full home office separate from everything and still find it so painful not to be able to disassociate my home/personal space with my work.
caramelhighrise
Jun 24, 21 4:06 pm
This is why I personally would like the option to do either, or at least have a hybrid schedule. Working 100% from home or in an office doesn’t seem to cut it for many people.
Chad Miller
Jun 24, 21 4:09 pm
Honestly it's really an issue of having the correct tech setup. If I had a decent sized scanner, printer, and fiber internet I could do my job completely remote with no issues.
I prefer to be in the office and have in person collaboration though. Then again, with the addition of digital video set up to have a top down view of drawings and the right software it would still work.
Hello everyone! I am new to these forums. I've been wondering, does anyone know of any job opportunities of working as an Architect (design or otherwise) but as entirely remote?
Is this something viable to do? I'm super interested in working remotely but I also love Architecture, and I'm wondering if I can have the cake an eat it too.
Thanks for any info you can provide :)
I think those opportunities are only ones you make for yourself. One boss had a response to that request that probably summed up most employers attitudes towards it. "When the cat is away the mice do play."
always nice to have a boss who literally views his employees as his prey
How remote are we talking?
I tried getting commissions and projects from this freelance site (Upwork) during the three months I was in South America to no avail. Either my hourly/per-project rate was too high for them / I was delusional and had no idea about what hourly rate is ideally workable, or most of the clients there were dirt cheap. Every chance you get to put yourself out there and meet prospect clients, do it.
We will permit certain people to work remotely, mostly mid-level and upward. They are people we know to be productive and efficient, and they are usually doing a discreet part of the project, like specifications, that lends itself to solo work outside the office and collaboration via computer.
We allowed junior people to telecommute for a while, but we had to discontinue the practice because their productivity off-site appeared to be very very low.
Doing specs in an open office is the worst. So many distractions.
interesting, and it makes sense. I think it'd have to be the right person to be productive in a junior position and rare at that
I have two former employees who left the office but I still employ them several times a year to prepare construction documents for my office. They will work on sf residential or multi family projects typically. I have also outsourced the same to more established firms who regularly offer services to large regional offices to avoid having to "staff up" to manage the ebb and flow of production needs. I have seen how many small offices can "punch well above their weight" and be very profitable, with out having to deal with folks in a different time zone ... just motivated individuals who like the work. My first experience I tried it on years earlier was a total failure though and I have learned a lot about pricing / drawing expectations between you and the contracted employee and how to manage the work flow in a realistic fashion.
I am very open about it with my clients as they still deal with me but understand I am not pushing the mouse to get the work done. I also am in touch on a daily basis to review progress and review files / details on screen etc. It has worked out well for myself and those who I contract who do the work.
Lots of small projects I wouldn't or can't touch I often pass on to them to do on their own so it's a good source of work for them and still don't have to say no projects that I want to take on even if I know we don't have the capacity to complete the work. It's all very boiler plate type work, and I don't offer them design work as that's where things can get super complicated, I always make sure they get the work once the design is quite resolved and clearly is an expression of what the client and I have agreed on.
thanks for sharing the bit about design. a bit of a disappointment not to be able to (or to justify) giving design work to remote staff, but I get it
...and sometimes you offer design work but they don't want it. Seems to be common. So, I can get on board with your approach. DD and CD
I’ve done quite a bit of remote working. Usually only people who already know me or direct referrals. Look for smaller firms who can use an independent to smooth out spikes in workload so they don’t have to hire and fire. Ask friends, former colleagues. This is a good way to launch your own practice by the way, sort of a mid-step.
I've done a decent amount of remote work, and it really depends on the relationship you are able to develop with the people you are working with/for.
Email tends to bring out the worst in people and often makes problems bigger then they really are. Finding time to talk over the phone or face to face is what balances things back out.
Even when working with people I knew and liked, the relationships tend to get stressed unless you actively try to keep things on an even keel. Working remotely is tricky to do long term, but if you can set it up correctly, it's well worth it.
Hi melissaquintero,
Yes, this is a reality.
I started my firm two years ago here in Hawaii and decided that I would stay a sole practitioner because of the difficulty of finding qualified job candidates here in the islands and keeping them. After covid, that is no longer a limitation, and I'm growing my office.
My first hire is in Hawaii, but on a different island. My next hire will be on the mainland, where the time change works in our favor (working with remote drafters in India means you're always a day behind - this is the opposite).
Looks like you can have your cake and eat it too, and so can I :-)
Search "architect remote revit (or rhino or whatever)" and see what comes up on google alone. It's a new world. Good luck!
I’m glad you resurrected this. I’m curious to hear other’s experiences now that the pandemic shed new light on remote architecture work.
I know for a fact my current company will never entertain it unless the masses rise up. But I do personally know people who work for partially or completely remote offices. Some that have newfound flexibility to either from home or an office, and others that have never even met their whole project team due to everyone working from a distance. I think the myth of success only resulting from in-person collaboration is quickly fading, just like 40 hour, 5 day work weeks.
I welcome the changes that are coming our way. This industry can be slower to evolve than we often like to think, so I’m anxious for us all to live our lives how we want instead of how our employers demand.
I'm returning to the office full time next week and I cannot wait. I have a full home office separate from everything and still find it so painful not to be able to disassociate my home/personal space with my work.
This is why I personally would like the option to do either, or at least have a hybrid schedule. Working 100% from home or in an office doesn’t seem to cut it for many people.
Honestly it's really an issue of having the correct tech setup. If I had a decent sized scanner, printer, and fiber internet I could do my job completely remote with no issues.
I prefer to be in the office and have in person collaboration though. Then again, with the addition of digital video set up to have a top down view of drawings and the right software it would still work.