From the category archives:

Its about Money Stupid

Architects: A Businesslike Practice vs Design Quality – how to get both

Is it possible to be successful in architecture and make money? Of course it is. Here are some thoughts about how. The recent RIBA Building Futures report “A Future for Architects?” included a paragraph about the prevalent view that architects are not good at or willing to be business people. These views were put forward [...]

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Sticking Plaster – paying RIBA graduates the minimum wage

Training to become an architect is a long process, involving five years of study interspersed with two years of practical experience in architects offices, and ending in a final exam, also taken in practice. As a result students are dependant not only on a university education but also on their ability to find placements in [...]

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The Third Reason Why You’re Losing Work

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Many people who run businesses aren’t in it because they love it, and they aren’t constantly motivated to change things for the better. Why should they if it is working? It is only when other pressures force a reassessment that they start looking at their business practices in more depth. And that’s when things get [...]

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Architects: My Client Doesn’t Understand Me

The RIBA Linkedin group has been hosting an interesting discussion thread called ‘Re-Educating Clients’ over the last few months in which I have been participating. You can see it by clicking the link above (but you need to join the group and be a member of Linkedin). It is a fascinating discussion with a great [...]

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Architects Low Pay – What to do about it

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Low Pay is a subject of some discussion amongst architects, not least in the UK, where Keith Tomlinson has set up a Facebook Page ‘Architects Against Low Pay’ to campaign for change. When I wrote about this in June I made the point that tackling Low Pay in Architecture also means “teaching people who have [...]

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Architect’s Low Pay – the RIBA responds

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On Thursday the RIBA issued a press release, RIBA President Ruth Reed takes action to tackle student hardship and low pay, which set out proposals to deal with financial hardship amongst architecture students, graduates and young practitioners.
The proposals include:

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UK Architects Practices increase but sizes shift – RIBA

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In September of 2009 there were 4.9% more RIBA Chartered Practices than at the same time in 2008, according to RIBA Director of Practice Adrian Dobson. Figures released by the RIBA show a change in distribution of practice size which has penalised one man bands and larger firms in favour of small and ‘micro’ firms [...]

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Guest Blog Post: How to charge what you are worth by Sean Sidney

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Most of you charge according to your costs. Charging what you are worth to you. That keeps you in your comfort zone, but it is not how successful businesses charge. Apple, Nike, Unilever, Tesco, etc. all charge what they are worth to their customers. This article is about showing you how to charge what you [...]

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Low-paid architect jobs: An offer you can refuse… to offer

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Image: From the Building Article: Low-Paid architect jobs: An offer you can refuse The construction press is hyperventilating at the moment about an email that a London firm of Architects allegedly sent an unemployed ‘Part II architect’ (i.e. a part qualified masters level applicant). You can read the email on Building’s Website here and also [...]

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76% of Architects Practices are fewer than 10 people

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Here is a breakdown of the size of RIBA Chartered architects practices by size (no. of employees). It shows that over three quarters of the 2800 chartered architects practices in the UK have fewer than 10 staff, and more than half have fewer than five. Why is this important? Firstly it is interesting to consider [...]

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