20 Tips for Starting Your Own Architectural Firm

AUSTIN, Texas - Jan. 9, 2017 - PRLog -- Becoming a licensed architect is a long, arduous process, from the long hours gaining valuable experience as an intern to preparing for the Architect Registration Exam (ARE), to passing your state's licensure exam. However, for many professional architects, there is one more important milestone ahead: opening your own architectural firm – with your name proudly affixed to the door.

1 Use Your Intern Hours Wisely.
The first recommendation comes from those that look back on their many hours working as an intern: make the most of this time. Acquiring as broad a range of experiences as possible will help you establish yourself earlier in your career.

Join and volunteer for the American Institute of Architects (AIA); visit their website to learn about the different ways you can earn experience hours. Opening doors now will pay dividends later in the form of increased career opportunities.

2 Find a Mentor.
Seek out and appreciate mentoring opportunities throughout your career.

Mentors can help teach you things about the real-world of architectural design and construction you'll never learn in school.

Mentors and other significant role models can help you identify which areas of architectural practice you want to pursue.

They can also lead to significant business relationships that could further your career. It's not unheard of for a professional mentoring relationship with a senior solo practitioner to lead to a transition plan where you acquire the mentor's firm upon his or her retirement.

Don't forget to return the favor when the time comes to pass on your skills and insight to the up-and-coming new generation of architects.

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4 Design and Build your own Furniture.

For many successful architects, designing furniture is a lifelong obsession.

Long before you will receive your first design commission, you'll be able to create furniture designs for your portfolio – with your name on it – that can give you a competitive advantage in promoting your design skills.

If you've created a unique design for a workbench, desk, office system, storage unit, you can hire Formaspace to produce a one-off copy, a limited production run, or even a full-production run.

Imagine how installing custom furniture you've design on a client project can help establish yourself as an up-and-coming designer – a big step toward creating your own architecture practice.

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10 Prepare for the Business Side of Architecture.
If your ambition and talent are leading you toward creating your own architectural practice, don't overlook the need to obtain a sound foundation in business practices.

In addition to learning the business side of architecture, you should gain an understanding of the financial considerations facing your clients as well.

For example, a deeper understanding of how financing and tax credits work in commercial or residential projects will help prepare you to be an active 'problem solver' when working with complex client projects – another way you can set yourself apart from the crowd.

11 Conduct Market Research to find your Niche.
As your career advances and you make plans to launch your own architecture practice, you'll need to learn where the highest market demand – or 'sweet spot' – for your service lies.

Learn how to research demographic information as well as how to conduct informal informational surveys with industry observers and potential clients about where they see the market direction going.

This information will be invaluable in helping to establish a niche area in which to successfully launch your own architectural firm.

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14 Sustainability, the Environment, and Value Engineering
The business of architectural design keeps evolving.

Sustainability and environmental considerations have moved to the forefront, along with traditional concerns like meeting budgets, managing lifecycle costs, and performing value engineering.

You might develop a successful business niche that focuses on areas such as LEED certification, restoring and re-purposing historic buildings or using recycled or locally sourced materials as design elements.

15 Explore Net Zero Energy and Smart Building Opportunities.
Reducing building energy costs to zero appears to be another increasingly important aspect of architectural design. In extreme cases, buildings are become a 'source' of energy, thanks to solar installations. Therefore expertise in thermodynamics, green energy power storage systems (including off-the-grid solar energy systems), is set to become an increasingly important aspect of the business.

Smart buildings are becoming more important as well. The Internet of Things (IoT) promises a future with mechanized sensors that control mechanical systems (like shutters and windows opening and closing) that interact with the occupants of the building.

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