Positioning for Architecture and Design Firms


Book Description

An essential guide for a firm of any size to effectively position itself in the marketplace For an architecture or design firm to survive and prosper in the new economy, it needs to redefine and reinvigorate its position in the marketplace. With dozens of how-to cases, examples, and guidelines, Positioning for Architecture and Design Firms provides the entire menu of tools, plus the inspiration needed, for making the changes required to stay competitive in the design world. Offering strategies for leveraging a firm's strongest assets into the formulation of a successful long-term plan, this book breaks with tradition to introduce the latest concepts specifically developed for building future business opportunities in an unstable economic landscape marked by shifts in competition, technology, and client expectations. With a wealth of information targeting the subject of positioning, readers will learn: Why the aftershocks of the Great Recession are likely to linger, and what you can do about it in relation to your firm's success How the coming generational shift will change the design business What positioning is, and how it needs to be developed to support and implement your strategic vision How your firm can establish a robust identity and operating model The importance of your firm's essential purpose How to turn your marketing department into a true marketing system, transforming it from production mode into an integrated positioning machine Why it is important to engage in advanced research and open innovation initiatives Addressing issues of firm identity, including an understanding of how to create the market positioning desired, Positioning for Architecture and Design Firms shows how a design firm—large or small, new or well established—can position itself to gain greater control over its destiny, and reach loftier levels of achievement. Learn about firm types, and match the right type to a firm's goals Develop and maintain a firm's identity in the marketplace Discover how organizational design and marketing support a chosen firm type







Successful Business Plans for Architects


Book Description

An architect and an attorney collaborated to produce this guide to managing long-term growth and profitability, a text with payoff for both beginner and experienced pro. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR




The Architect's Guide to Small Firm Management


Book Description

The definitive guide to management success for sole practitioners and leaders of small design firms Owning and operating a small architectural design firm can be challenging, with tight project deadlines, on-the-fly meetings, rush proposals, and fluctuating workloads as part of the firm’s day-to-day activities. To help small firm owners cope with the chaos and prepare for the unexpected, here is The Architect’s Guide to Small Firm Management, a no-nonsense guide to repurposing daily demands into workable, goal-directed solutions. Crucial topics such as self-aware leadership, people management, technology, financial health, scenario planning, sustainable practice, and future trends are examined using real-life case studies and business model paradigms. This definitive text explores the whole system experience of a small firm practice to deliver organizational strategies proven to keep a firm’s creative mission on a steady, productive path. The Architect’s Guide to Small Firm Management addresses how small firm owners can: Deal effectively with unexpected circumstances and shifting work requirements Meet the demands of the marketplace while creating a satisfying workplace Set and achieve goals in an environment of constant change This book is a must-have for those facing the often harsh reality of managing small design firms in a difficult and changing economy. Entrepreneurial architects and designers will discover how to define their own personal and professional meanings of success, as well as how to refocus their business approach to replace long, unrewarding hours with manageable, satisfying ones.




Voices of Design Leadership


Book Description

Voices of Design Leadership Provides inspiration to architecture and design students and professionals through the insights, stories, and projects of successful design leaders Voices of Design Leadership seeks to educate, inform, and inspire a new generation of diverse design leaders. The work includes sixteen profiles of design leaders in architecture, interior design, planning, and research, many of whom are leaders at firms that have earned the AIA’s national Architecture Firm Award. The stories and projects from their own professional journeys illustrate multiple paths to design leadership success. Individually, each person stands on their own as an inspiring and inf luential design leader. Collectively, they express what design leadership can and should look like. Representing a broad diversity of expertise and demographics—including nine women, seven people of color, and five first-generation immigrants—they bring a variety of life experiences and cultural backgrounds to their award-winning work. Sample topics discussed in the work include: The power of diversity Finding and developing design talent Design philosophy and research investments Coaching, mentoring, team collaboration, and community engagement Advice for emerging design leaders Students of architecture, engineering, construction, and real estate will find value and inspiration from Voices of Design Leadership and gain insight into the thought processes of established leaders in their fields. The work also appeals to young and mid-career professionals, clients, and educators exploring the next steps of their own career journeys.




The Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice


Book Description

Architects must be proficient in a variety of business practices to contribute to, manage, or launch a successful firm. They are responsible for the same kind of legal, financial, marketing, management, and administrative activities as any other professional. Within these broad categories, however, there are many details, including professional standards and documents, that are unique to the profession of architecture.




Handbook for the Architectural Manager


Book Description

The essential resource for becoming more effective in the highly competitive architectural marketplace Handbook for the Architectural Manager offers architects a comprehensive resource that brings together critical information on four interlinked areas: managing the architectural office, projects, stakeholders, and learning. Unlike other books on the topic that only stress management of the business or the management of projects, this book offers a guiding framework that encompasses the architectural manager's role in developing the practice’s competitive strategies and overseeing the project portfolio. Written by noted experts in the field, Handbook for the Architectural Manager is grounded in current research in which, for the first time, the components of architectural management have been analyzed systematically, tested, and developed for practical application. Designed to explore typical architectural management issues, the book provides clear and concise direction with practical step-by-step guidance as well as helpful checklists, templates and scenarios, and case studies to illustrate best practice. This essential resource: Offers a groundbreaking handbook that contains a comprehensive management framework for architectural practice Contains new insights and guidance based on solid research on managing the architectural practice Brings together in one book the best management techniques of the office, projects, stakeholders, and learning Includes a well-grounded critical review of the existing literature on the topic Designed for professionals in the field but written in accessible language suitable for students Handbook for the Architectural Manager offers a practical guide for overseeing the development of architectural designs and associated activities and ensuring all work is consistent (i.e. adheres to current standards, legislation, client specifications, and office protocols) and completed on time as well as information on staff development and learning.




Strategic Planning for Design Firms


Book Description

A comprehensive guide to strategic planning for design professionals dedicated to the built environment architects, engineers, environmental consultants, landscape architects, interior designers, and planners. Using real-life examples in a clear, accessible format, Strategic Planning for Design Firms will help leaders and owners understand the concepts of strategic planning and how to use them to complete a strategic planning process in their own firms. The guide is organized into three distinct sections: 1. The Strategic Planning Process: Why does my firm need a strategic plan? 2. How can I ensure its success? The Six Elements of a Strategic Plan: How to prepare a sound strategic 3. The Major Issues of Strategic Planning: What issues are likely to arise in the strategic planning process?







Enterprise Architecture


Book Description

This book is positioned as a rst in a series of books on enterprise architecture needed for a Master of Enterprise Architecture program, and is targeted both at university students and practitioners with a drive to increase their understanding of these elds. As an introductory book, this book aims to explore the concept of enterprise architecture. At rst glance, writing such an introductory book might seem as a straight forward task of setting up a structure and lling in “the blanks. ” However, writing this book turned out to be a pleasant journey of discovery. Based on our past experiences, each of us had a clear understanding of enterprise architecture, based on several years of experience and insight in the eld. However, when we started writing this book, and each of us exposed our individual understandings, it became apparent that our understanding of the eld differed in several ways. This prompted several discussions leading to an abundance of new insights. Without exception, thesediscussionstookplaceina pleasantandopenatmosphere,fueledbyourshared driveforunderstandingandincreasedinsight. Wearenowevenmoreconvincedthan before, that the eld enterprise architecture is a true multi-disciplinary profession. In the resulting book, we would like to share our insights, while also hoping to continue our discussions, now also involving you as a reader. We also realise that the journey is still far from complete. While this introductory book provides an overview of the eld of enterprise architecture from the perspective of our insights, many aspects need further re nement.