Hi all- In our market, it’s feeling a bit shaky so I am grateful for any request for proposal that comes our way. At the same time, I am feeling quite frustrated with the commodification of our services. The last straw was when I received a text from a developer who hasn’t rewarded me a project 3 times in a row saying I had the best ideas but my fees were too high but wanted me to help him arrange a tour - through some of my recent projects for the firm they gave the project to. I think I rewrote my reply 3x and was quite diplomatic about that my contacts no longer worked at the buildings.
How do others handle this kind of situation? How do you still provide high design, limited scope/schedule and make a profit? I’m already outsourcing to global renderers since photorealistic is what is our market expects (we are in a major US city). I’ve reworked the project team and put contingencies in every phase. What other streams of income do other firms create so you aren’t just relying on design fees? We are a small studio in a medium size firm so don’t have the deep pockets of the international firms.
Thanks all and appreciate any advice people have...
randomised
Oct 13, 20 2:10 am
develop your own projects...cut out the developer-assholes that only see architecture as an excel sheet.
proto
Oct 13, 20 2:21 pm
flip the model so to speak and hire the numbers guy & drive the bus with the design side
Chad Miller
Oct 14, 20 10:36 am
Yeah because everyone has the capitol to be a developer . . .
OneLostArchitect
Oct 13, 20 6:44 am
First off.... stop communicating with that developer... you are giving your ideas away for free and he is going to bring them to some CAD monkey that will draft them up for 14/hr. Sounds like this developer is walking all over you.
Branch out in different avenues, look at non traditional services you can also provide. I think in today’s climate you have to provide more than just design services.
Le Courvoisier
Oct 13, 20 6:52 am
OnlyFans
dominiond
Mar 11, 21 12:30 pm
ewww
Jay1122
Oct 13, 20 8:50 am
"How do you still provide high design, limited scope/schedule and make a profit?"
Squeeze your employees harder. Overtime without extra pay. That's how other firms do it. You are getting closer to the root of the problems. Or you get clients/market that can afford to pay high fees. If you don't take it with low fee, other firms will take it and squeeze their employee. such a hideous field.
Chad Miller
Oct 14, 20 10:36 am
Don't do this.
Non Sequitur
Oct 13, 20 9:07 am
I think the moral here is design only service is cheap and relatively easy. Want more stability, convert to full service (design through CA).
Jay1122
Oct 13, 20 9:51 am
"saying I had the best ideas but my fees were too high but wanted me to help him arrange a tour - through some of my recent projects for the firm they gave the project to"
The developer wants you to give tour of buildings you did to the architecture firm that he awarded the architectural contract to? So the cheap production firm can steal your design ideas and make a similar replicate? I would politely tell him to fuck off.
midlander
Oct 14, 20 1:14 am
i'd just bring him to the worst projects and show him all the mistakes but tell him these were key to the projects success.
Le Courvoisier
Oct 13, 20 4:36 pm
Why haven’t you all asked for a link to my OnlyFans? Cheap bastards.
G4tor
Oct 13, 20 4:41 pm
I don't think OP has the goods to make it in that industry. Better stick with architecture.
atelier nobody
Oct 13, 20 8:25 pm
I'm still not giving up hope of finding a sugar momma.
Josh Mings
Oct 14, 20 10:34 am
I had hoped to land a rich doctor during my hospital stay, but alas no such luck.
Hi all- In our market, it’s feeling a bit shaky so I am grateful for any request for proposal that comes our way. At the same time, I am feeling quite frustrated with the commodification of our services. The last straw was when I received a text from a developer who hasn’t rewarded me a project 3 times in a row saying I had the best ideas but my fees were too high but wanted me to help him arrange a tour - through some of my recent projects for the firm they gave the project to. I think I rewrote my reply 3x and was quite diplomatic about that my contacts no longer worked at the buildings.
How do others handle this kind of situation? How do you still provide high design, limited scope/schedule and make a profit? I’m already outsourcing to global renderers since photorealistic is what is our market expects (we are in a major US city). I’ve reworked the project team and put contingencies in every phase. What other streams of income do other firms create so you aren’t just relying on design fees? We are a small studio in a medium size firm so don’t have the deep pockets of the international firms.
Thanks all and appreciate any advice people have...
develop your own projects...cut out the developer-assholes that only see architecture as an excel sheet.
flip the model so to speak and hire the numbers guy & drive the bus with the design side
Yeah because everyone has the capitol to be a developer . . .
First off.... stop communicating with that developer... you are giving your ideas away for free and he is going to bring them to some CAD monkey that will draft them up for 14/hr. Sounds like this developer is walking all over you.
Branch out in different avenues, look at non traditional services you can also provide. I think in today’s climate you have to provide more than just design services.
OnlyFans
ewww
"How do you still provide high design, limited scope/schedule and make a profit?"
Squeeze your employees harder. Overtime without extra pay. That's how other firms do it. You are getting closer to the root of the problems. Or you get clients/market that can afford to pay high fees. If you don't take it with low fee, other firms will take it and squeeze their employee. such a hideous field.
Don't do this.
I think the moral here is design only service is cheap and relatively easy. Want more stability, convert to full service (design through CA).
"saying I had the best ideas but my fees were too high but wanted me to help him arrange a tour - through some of my recent projects for the firm they gave the project to"
The developer wants you to give tour of buildings you did to the architecture firm that he awarded the architectural contract to? So the cheap production firm can steal your design ideas and make a similar replicate? I would politely tell him to fuck off.
i'd just bring him to the worst projects and show him all the mistakes but tell him these were key to the projects success.
Why haven’t you all asked for a link to my OnlyFans? Cheap bastards.
I don't think OP has the goods to make it in that industry. Better stick with architecture.
I'm still not giving up hope of finding a sugar momma.
I had hoped to land a rich doctor during my hospital stay, but alas no such luck.
You've still got time Josh. You can do it!