In May, the American Institute of Architects published a new set of legal documents that can restructure relationships among professionals and reformulate the processes of designing and building. These agreements support integrated project delivery, or IPD, a practice model that seeks to overcome construction-industry problems of waste and inefficiency. Photo © Mashe | Dreamstime.com In theory, an IPD project is carried out by a collaborative team of owner, architect, constructor, and major consultants who share goals, liabilities, and rewards. Key to IPD is the use of building information modeling (BIM) software, which enables a building to be constructed digitally—and conflicts

You trained as an architect, so you work as an architect, right? Maybe not all the time. Some architects are hiring themselves out as owner’s representatives or going to work for salaried jobs at owner’s rep firms. What an owner’s rep does can be subtle, but architects who have tried it say the experience sharpens their ability to steer a project from brief to move-in. That can be of value later on. Image © The Gallery Collection/Corbis Budget management is one of the owner’s reps’ many roles. Consider the job as the assumption of an identity: You’re playing the idealized

As long as the U.S. construction boom remains strong, there will be stiff competition among architecture firms for talented, experienced employees. Pay and bonuses are rising to attract architects away from rival firms. And yet many firms are neglecting a gold mine of talent—right in their own backyards. By developing and promoting their existing staff, and by nurturing a culture that encourages staff loyalty, firms can better manage growth at less expense than by seeking outside talent. Indeed, firms may discover that strengthening firm culture brings additional benefits. Photo © Geoff Brightling/Getty Images Unless your firm offers opportunities for advancement,

Benefits To demonstrate financial dedication to staff, firms are coming up with novel twists to pay and benefits. Some degree of health insurance subsidy and 401K contributions are now commonplace. Employee stock options and profit-sharing are gaining popularity because a sense of ownership motivates employees to work harder toward profitability. Fully funded health insurance has a higher value, as do options for dental, vision, and life insurance. Roy, having observed much staff discontent with rigid benefit offerings, advises his clients to exercise more flexibility. Employees with working spouses may not need health insurance, for instance. Entry-level staff may have no

Cultivating an environment in which there is a swift and easy exchange of ideas is an important part of the design process in many firms, both large and small. What may not be so obvious are strategies to foster optimal functioning and creative thinking in such an environment. Photo courtesy IDEO The culture of the design firm IDEO does not discourage bad ideas, because they can trigger solutions. One of its credos is, “Fail often to succeed sooner.” Early in their indoctrination and training, architecture students learn about studio culture. It has been a hot topic for the American Institute

Look outside for insight Applying cross-disciplinary knowledge to help creatively solve architectural problems—and broaden perspectives—is a time-honored strategy. The Seattle firm Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects employs a visiting-lecturer series which, according to its Web site, is “inspired by the power of cross-fertilization—where individuals who excel in disciplines other than architecture come and share with us what they do.” They have had presentations by artists, craftspeople, environmentalists, and even an exotic dancer. Reorganizing staff can fuel new approaches to engaging everyday problems. Roger Goldstein, FAIA, a principal at Goody Clancy in Boston, explains that intentionally mixing teams from one project

To stay current with industry practices, the American Institute of Architects updates its standard contracts every 10 years. In the recent publication round, 40 of more than 100 legal documents have been revised, some of them substantially. Many of the most important changes appear in document “A201 General Conditions of the Contract for Construction.” The most significant concern arbitration, according to Suzanne Harness, AIA, the AIA’s managing director and counsel for contract documents. Arbitration as a means of settling disputes was mandatory, but in 1997, nonbinding mediation was added as a precedent to arbitration. But in the revised A201, parties

Hootman’s role within the USGBC is yet another hallmark of the sustainable design director. Many architects who championed green design early on in their firms often played significant roles in the development of the USGBC’s local chapters, as well as the national organization. For example, Ritchie has served for the past five years on the materials and resources technical advisory group for the USGBC’s LEED program. Another well-trod track for architects who have advocated green issues in their firms is the AIA’s COTE, which exists as one of the AIA’s “knowledge communities” with branches in the many local chapters. Sandy