Features

Editorial:  A Look Back Mark Lewis Robin, AIA Accurate Note Taking Journal 1, 1994 Helping Clients Journal 2, 1994 Cost Estimating Journal 4, 1995

Existing Conditions Journal 5, 1995 Architect-Builder Relations Journal 7, 1996 Business Management Journal 8, 1996 Client Relations Journal 9, 1997

Marketing Journal 10, 1997 Time Management Journal 11, 1997 Getting Publicity Journal 13, 1998 Marketing & Publicity Journal 19, 2000 Construction Administration Journal 20, 2000

EDITORIAL
A Look Back

Do you believe a significant number of AIA members, particularly sole practitioners, specialize in small projects? Most AIA practice aids, including agreement forms and construction document guidelines, are of limited use for architects engaged in small projects, particularly single-family residences, residential additions, and renovations. Past and current AIA publications geared toward small practitioners have addressed small firm management rather than practice aids. Large project practitioners often do not understand or appreciate that the professional approach needed for successful practice of small projects requires a response considerably different from those described in current AIA practice aids. It is no wonder that large project architects avoid small projects. When large-project practice methodologies are applied to small projects, it often results in sizeable financial loses. Yet small projects are far more numerous, and many calls to local AIA chapters seek an architect's services for small projects. The lack of efficient and competitive service delivery systems negatively affects the public perception of the profession and the Institute.

These needs led to the 1989 AIA National Convention Resolution K-1 and were the driving force behind the birth of what is today our Small Project Forum. We began with roundtable discussions in Washington, D.C., and Nashville. The knowledge gained there was documented in the book, "Current Practices in Small Firm Management: 1990."

In 1992, a Small Project Task Force was established to work with the Documents Committee to create a short, plain-language owner/architect agreement for small projects, as well as to look at other AIA documents for their suitability for use on small projects. From these efforts came the AIA document B155 Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Architect for Small Projects, A105 Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Contractor for Small Projects, and A205 General Conditions of Contract Construction-Small Projects. Later, with MASTERSPEC, an abbreviated specification form was developed for small projects.

Since these milestones, the study of the practice of small project architecture has been the focus of the Small Project Forum. The Forum has encouraged brown bag lunch programs, where local AIA chapter members gather to discuss issues relevant to small project practices. At the annual AIA National Convention, leaders of these local groups sit down to a dinner where they share their stories. If your local chapter does not have a program for small project practitioners and you would like help to initiate one, please contact me or any another member of the Advisory Group, including Laura Lee Russell, Karen Harris, or David Hughes.

In another annual Convention program, small project practitioners share their firms' media materials, receive free reviews from nationally recognized marketing experts, and review national award-winning media materials from nationally recognized architectural firms. Of course, every year we also hold the Sole Practitioners Breakfast, a networking feast where one sole practitioner shares his story with the gathering.

Another important contribution of the Small Project Forum is this Journal. It began as a place for architects to tell their stories of personal experiences that worked or, in some cases, completely failed, but nevertheless were road tested. Contributors weren't necessarily experts but rather architects committed to advancing the practice of small projects. We realized there was a lack of knowledge in the practice of small projects. So by documenting and sharing our experiences everyone would benefit.

The journal was never a slick and glossy publication. Instead, it has always been more down to earth and folksy, compiled by honest and real-world contributors who are never pretentious enough to admonish someone else's practice but willing to openly share personal professional experiences. Today, Journal contributors have articles published in major publications such as Architectural Record. Others have had their small projects recognized by winning AIA design awards. We have not changed our hearts. It's just that the tide has risen. The AIA is even advertising the message that for small projects, where money is tight and maximum impact for dollars spent is very important, architects are needed.

So here is a small slice of the best tips from this accumulation of knowledge. If any of these ideas help, or if you have a practice tip you'd like to share, please email me at maitlo:mlrobin@hotmail.com. Your feedback is necessary to keep the ship on the right path for the future. Thank you.

As the year comes to an end, it would be negligent not to give thanks to three special people. First is Jerry Morgan, who has served a full round on the Advisory Group. His steady, quiet leadership will be missed. Good luck, Jerry, in your new position. The second is Laura Lee Russell, a dynamic architect who leads by inspiration. She is stepping up to the chairperson position. In these changing times, with our tight financial position, her guidance will be our good fortune. Finally, good luck to Richard Hayes, our former director, who has been promoted to a higher position at the Institute. Richard, an AIA member, has always been a small project practitioner at heart, and our group has lost an irreplaceable asset. Thank you Jerry, Laura Lee, and Richard for your contributions to raising the tide.

Mark Lewis Robin, AIA
2002 Chair

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Accurate Note Taking
By Bennett Christopherson, AIA
Berkeley, Calif. Successful management of numerous small projects requires accurate note-taking. The smallest deviation from the agreed-upon program will shine out from the drawings and shatter the client's confidence in your efficiency and your effective management of the project. Your draftsperson may think that two squares in a rectangle are suitable representation for a kitchen sink. However, the client who told you at your first meeting that she preferred a large, single-bowl sink will be disappointed, and perhaps angry, that she had to repeat herself. Take meticulous notes during phone calls and meetings. Reread your notes, make sure your staff reads them, and, before presentation, check drawings against the notes. Never force the client to repeat a request.

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Helping Clients

Helping the Client Save Architectural Fees
Italo A. Calpestri, AIA
Alameda, Calif. Small residential projects often come with being a small projects practitioner. Architectural fees are kept to as small a portion of the total budget as possible. Clients are given an outline of decision items that must be made. Each decision is marked with a choice of "Client," "Architect," "Client & Architect," or "Contractor." If clients can make decisions without involving an architect's time, they have saved money on the project. Examples of decision types on the list include appliances, plumbing fixtures, light fixtures, and floor finishes. When reviewing this list with clients, we also provide them with a list of showrooms and dealer stores where they can see the range of items available. Attached to the showroom list are form letters from our office that introduce the client, request that assistance be provided, and outline the information required by our office for installation of the item on the project.

Client-to-Client Bonding
Bennett Christopherson, AIA
Berkeley, Calif. Current clients love to meet previous clients. When a client travels to a completed project, ostensibly to see a product or a design feature, the most important benefit is often talking, or even forming a bond, with the previous client who has been through the process. It is like belonging to a club.

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Cost Estimating

Allowances and Alternates
Mark Robin, AIA
Nashville, Tenn.
In the execution of residential projects, allowances and alternates are good tools to control costs and increase your chances of receiving apples-to-apples competitive bids. Allowances for illuminaires, plumbing fixtures, brick, floor and certain wall finishes, kitchen appliances, and similar items extend the time for final selections and approvals. Yet the same cost for these items is provided from all bidders. Remember, allowances are only for the actual cost of the material delivered to the site. Unloading, prep work, and installation cost are in the base bid, not the allowance. Alternates, usually being just verbal descriptions, allow you to easily price separate, acceptable choices that have different prices. I always include the most costly option in the base bid and all alternates are deducted. Now your clients have options that reduce the cost of their projects.

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Existing Conditions

What Is Your Benchmark?
Gabriel Durand-Hollis, AlA
San Antonio, Tex.
It is possible that your benchmark is not what it seems to be. Here is a small project tale of woe. A do-it-yourself client wanted us to design a house for him. He asked for a bare-bones set of plans and a bare-bones fee too! No site visits, no soils tests, no permit. Our choices back then were to help him out or come even closer to going out of business. So we agreed to design his house. His topo information was a grid of pencil dots with numbers like "3," "1," "7," etc. We found two zeros. I took the zero figures and found that the numbers showed a pattern of contours with slope down from front to back, with the middle being higher than the sides. We designed his "builders set" of plans. Imagine my surprise when the site work contractor found the site sloping up from the street and a depression in the middle of the site! It turns out that the do-it-yourself surveyor was showing the difference from his transit to the ground and we thought that the higher numbers meant higher land. After a quick redesign, sitework started and construction proceeded smoothly. We became more thorough in asking for survey information before starting any future work.

Getting a Head Start on Measurements
Mark Robins, AIA
Nashville, Tenn.
Before measuring an existing home for renovation, I ask the homeowner for the home mortgage survey, which is almost always included in their mortgage closing documents. These surveys will show the footprint of the home with outside perimeter dimensions, decks, patios, sidewalks, and driveways. Prior to taking measurements on-site, I use these dimensions to draw the perimeter of the house. Once on-site, I have a scaled drawing and can more easily document field dimensions and notes. Using a scale to freehand the exterior fenestrations, interior walls, and fixed items, I can see problems and opportunities. This method has saved me the necessity of a second visit to verify an existing condition.

That's It, You're Outta Here!
Samuel E. Osborn, AlA
Atlanta, Ga.
An attorney friend of mine once shared with me the wisdom of annually firing your worst client. Profit wasn't an issue; some clients are just not worth the time and effort that could better be spent elsewhere.

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Architect-Builder Relations

The Builder's Responsibilities
Jack Hoyt, AIA
Berkeley, Calif.
When I refer a builder repeatedly, the builder usually does at least the following three things very well:

1. Manages the clients; communicates frequently and easily; and addresses the client's concerns about controlling costs, schedule, security, dust, safety, the pets, etc.
2. Bids with a finished or complete project in mind raises concerns during the bidding, such that there is typically no need for change orders and cost increases during construction except for client upgrades.
3. Makes use of our office through regular contact for clarification of the drawings, for our ideas on how to do something better or differently, and especially to understand our intent when variations are necessary.

Establish Common Goals
Mark Robin, AIA
Nashville, Tenn.
To build good architect-builder relationships, I try, if possible, to get to know the first names of the forces on the small projects on which I am involved. Often, the field people confess that the "white shirts and ties" usually don't acknowledge them. They seem to appreciate my friendliness and enthusiasm for their work. Meanwhile, we are building a teaming relationship. I make sure to express the goals of the project and the individual contributions to reaching these goals. At the same time, I confess to being like a grandmother and say that I will be observing their progress for compliance to the project standards. This confession is made in a serious but friendly manner. If there are particular concerns or specific performances that I will attempt to observe, I speak honestly to these issues as early as possible. I believe that this manner gains the respect of the people actually installing the work. Also, a team concept is established with an enthusiastic approach to reach acknowledged goals.

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Business Management

Keep Options Open
Jerome Buttrick, AIA
Berkeley, Calif.
To help ensure a bright future for my practice, I think it is important to convey broader problem-solving ability instead of highly specialized expertise. I don't want to be seen as simply a "residential" or "renovation" or "tenant improvement" architect. I want the flexibility to pursue new project types and to quickly adapt to changing economic conditions. Therefore, in presenting myself to prospective clients I stress the process of design, the skill with which I master it, and the benefits that my clients can accrue from this.

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Gee, I Would Never Let That Happen to Me
Chris Chu, AIA
Boston, Mass.
When I first started on my own, I thought that I could avoid a lot of the pitfalls that I had seen while working in other firms. After all, I knew what they were. Well, I guess there is a reason some things happen. Client relations, I thought, would be easy for me. People generally find me likable, easy to get along with and work with. That is not enough however. I am learning through mistakes that it takes an active effort to create good client relations and maintain them even after the job is finished (or canceled or postponed). A hard lesson I learned recently was the very important one of choosing your client and project well. I had responded to a young couple (the husband was a lawyer) who had never worked with an architect and who were purchasing a condo for the first time. They were nervous. I impressed upon them that they needed an architect. The good news was that they wanted to use me. The bad news was that they wanted to spend only up to eight hours of my time. In my effort to help them keep costs down I told them that they could do the measuring themselves. That was a mistake. And because it was a small project and they were in a hurry, I did not have them sign a contract. Another mistake. Well, I'll spare you the details but despite an initial good working relationship, it went downhill rapidly, ending on a sour note with me not getting paid and, worse, having them think ill of me and my work. Having a litigious, nervous client who was quick to jump to conclusions and shut off communications threw me for a loop. Sometimes being a responsive, competent architect is not enough.

Long Island, N.Y.
In eight years of residential renovation practice, I have had many wonderful clients. They are very appreciative of the architect's effort and art. As a result, their projects have been exceptional. These clients have been a constant source of referrals for more work. Alas, not all clients are like this. To weed out no-win clients quickly, I listen for the following.

1. Two revealing key words are "just" and "only," as in; "We just want a simple room. It should only take a few weeks. "This person is highly unrealistic about time and budget. Avoid this one!
2. Tip-off line: "I always wanted to be an architect." Some people only want to pay an architect so that they can show that they are smarter than the architect. This client will question every detail ad infinitum. If you cannot establish a basis of professional respect at the first meeting, beware!
3. Constant mention of {imaginary) referrals, such as: "I know three of my neighbors will love to meet you." They will haggle about a few dollars of your fee and expect a special deal. Don't give it. State simply that these are our standard fees and offer to reduce the scope of services.

It is much wiser to turn away no-win clients. Through experience I have found that they will sabotage the process and run you ragged.

>San Antonio, Tex.
I realize that there are several ways to show clients you're worth the fee, but bear in mind the client-architect relationship is dependent on the personalities involved. In my practice, I have found that if you can link the client's needs with tasks that you must do to meet those needs, the client has a better chance of understanding your fees. If a lump sum exceeds the client's expectations, I usually identify items that are unusual or extras, and show their cost. By backing out landscape architecture, grading, site utilities, planting, permits, as-builts, programming, various investigations, and other items, you show the client the remaining fee in its true context. Similarly, I do not mind sharing the structural and MEP fees with the client since it shows that we are not the only ones in the basic fee. If necessary, I show and list specific or representative tasks and the fee for each phase. That way, several thousand dollars for construction documents does not sound outrageous. Usually, the client responds favorably. If they still want to spend less, I ask them if there are specific tasks that they do not need us to do. With the breakdown of tasks and costs, they have a menu of items to pick from; and they are conscious that if they need you to do more later, you will be expecting to pass on the cost of the added work. I consider this to be communication rather than persuasion. Happy negotiating!

Houston, Tex.
It has been said that the only thing worse than not getting a commission is getting the wrong commission. I experienced this situation about three years ago. In dealing with a client on a restaurant remodeling job, I found it difficult to collect my monthly fees. It was at a point where more than half of my fee was unpaid and my client was ready to award the contract. I began to have doubts if I would ever collect without legal action. How this idea came into my head, I really don't know, but I decided to invest $1,600 and pay for the building permit in my name. When the contractor wanted to get his building permit, he discovered that the permit had already been issued. I wouldn't release the permit until I was paid in full. The contractor paid my fee and the permit cost at the pleading of the client, with the understanding he would be reimbursed in the construction draws. Ultimately, I had to appear for a deposition on the contractor's behalf.

Chicago, Ill.
Money is a key issue for all clients. A building project, whether for a residential client or a commercial business, is usually the largest capital expenditure the client will make. We try to educate our clients about the services we perform on their behalf so they understand how we are spending their money. In this way they learn the value of working with an architect. Here are three things we do at Geudtner & Melichar Architects:

1. Initially, we discuss thoroughly the design and construction administrative phases of our work with our clients so they understand how we can tailor our services to their needs and thus save them money.
2. We keep the client informed of all decisions and discussions that affect them via fax, telephone, and copies of letters. In this way, the clients are always within the loop of information and understand that we are working hard for them.
3. Our billing invoices itemize all tasks performed during each phase of work by each employee.

Therefore, the client can match each task with a time allocation. You'd be surprised how the number of small tasks adds up to a large bill!

Minneapolis, Minn.
When a project starts, we have already worked with the client to establish a process for the project. Although everybody is eager to start work immediately, we are careful first to:

• Meet with the client to discuss the project and show them examples of our past projects and the process that we follow
• Prepare a written scope of work
• Identify the phases of services that will be provided
• Establish fees and methods of payment
• Estimate a ballpark construction cost
• Assist with a total project cost outline
• Provide a list of references for the client to contact
• Draft a schedule from start of work through construction completion
• Introduce the client to the staff who will be working on their project
• Receive an initial payment and signed agreement for services

It definitely takes time to work through these tasks; however, we have found that this is our best method to maintain client relations. When a client is unable to make an initial payment, or if our schedule is not fast enough for the client, we have each had an opportunity to determine if we are well-suited to work together. Our approach is collaborative and we need to start work with a clear direction.

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Marketing

Marketing: Do It Every Day!
Rosemary McMonigal, AIA
Minneapolis, Minn.
A key part of any marketing effort is consistency. Every day, I spend time marketing no matter how busy I am. It may be as simple as jotting a thank you note to a past client for a referral, or making a short call to a magazine editor about a recently completed project. Frequently, we step up efforts, from preparing large proposals to attending trade shows to designing and building a dog house for DIFFA. We take pride in articles written about our clients' projects and the firm. To quote Harry Beckwith, principal of Beckwith Advertising & Marketing, "There are 25 peaks in Colorado higher than Pike's Peak. Name one. Get ink." Everyone in our office markets; we don't have a marketing department. Our marketing starts with answering the phones and following up on leads. It continues with making the time to see that the job site sign is designed and installed; taking that sketch of an upcoming project and including it in an advertisement; sending concise, enthusiastic, proposals to potential clients; calling people back promptly; placing our names in the right directories; developing great identity pieces; sponsoring benefits; donating services; and last but by no means least, thanking clients. We all market. Every day.

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Time Management

How to Waste Less Time
Daniel J. Jansenson, AIA
Los Angeles, Calif.
Here are some of the things I try to do in my tiny (one-man) firm to save time and work more efficiently. Although I cannot always carry out these suggestions, I have found them to be extremely helpful in lowering the overall level of daily work-related anxiety.

• Stop losing notes. Every scribble, doodle, phone conversation, etc., goes into a notebook. Every day I start a new page, with the date on top. It's amazing how much time you save by being able to look back on your scribbles and notes from a month or two ago, when necessary.
• Shorten meetings and appointments by 25 percent. Make a written list, in advance, of the items to be covered in the meeting. Stick to the list. Try to avoid going off on tangents unless the situation truly requires it. At the end of the meeting stand up and announce the meeting is over-don't let it run on with pleasant small talk, unless absolutely necessary (for example to maintain good relations with an important client).
• Protect a part of your workday from outside interference. Block out a portion of every day when you can focus on work without being interrupted. Don't answer the phone-let the answering machine or service take the message; return it promptly, but later.
• Make less paperwork. For routine correspondence, write the answers in the margins of letters and fax or mail a copy back. Open the mail and go through everything quickly. Identify immediately what needs to be discarded. Go through your mail only once a day. The policy for letters: once in, once out, which means touch each piece of paper only once. Answer letters right away if possible. File items immediately and get them out of the way.
• Dump the trash. Once a week, clean your desk of distracting information and materials. Everything should be a "keeper" or a "loser." Keepers get filed right away, everything else gets trashed and out the door. No hanging around for second chances.
• Keep phone calls short. For important calls: make an outline, in advance, of the discussion items. When they're done, end the conversation pleasantly but firmly. Stand up when you talk on the phone-extra incentive to finish conversations promptly.
• Eliminate unnecessary work. Architects tend to be perfectionists. In real life not everything requires critical perfection. Identify every day those items requiring perfection; everything else should be completed to an acceptable level of quality and no more. Be ruthless.
• Delegate the work. When work gets overwhelming, delegate the less-critical excess to an assistant. Even a tiny office can benefit from the help of a part-time assistant who takes care of routine items (ones that, although important, may often not generate any revenue).
• Reserve the most demanding tasks for your most productive hours. Many people work better during one part of the day than another. Reserve the most difficult tasks for that part of the day, and perform less-demanding work when you feel less productive. Midmorning and late-evening are mine.

Long and Short of To-Do's
Mark L. Robin, AIA
Nashville, Tenn.
Is your to-do list too long and you cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel? Here is a strategy that works for me. Rearrange your list based on the amount of time needed to complete each task. Start the list with the quickest tasks to perform and continue in increased time estimates, to end with the most time consuming assignment. Start with the first task and do it. Continue down the list to those items requiring more time. Cross through the completed tasks. The first items are usually phone calls or faxes and are quickly completed. Before long many items are crossed out and I feel like I'm reaching goals. As I continue down the list, these feelings of success begin to snowball and the time needed to complete the more complicated tasks becomes attainable.

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Getting Publicity

Deal With It
Cynthia K. Pozolo, AIA
Detroit, Mich.
Despite our best efforts directed at positive publicity, we must, occasionally, be prepared to deal with negative publicity. The more we open our practices up for public (re)view, the greater the likelihood that we will receive unwanted scrutiny. The avenues for publicity discussed in this report (referrals, publications, marketing materials) can also be avenues for negative feedback and commentary. Be aware of you firm's reputation, and be proactive in keeping it favorable.

• Don't give your clients the opportunity to call you unresponsive.
• Don't take credit for work that is not yours. Don't overstate your qualifications, only to disappoint your clients.
• Don't ignore negative publicity. Explore its source, troubleshoot it, respond to it, and, somehow, deal with it before it deals you a bad reputation! Sometimes, a negative message works best with a positive spin on it.

Before and After
Diana K. Melichar, AIA
Chicago, Ill.
A fun and very affordable marketing technique for remodeling projects is the before/after snapshot comparison. Our client portfolios are filled with expensive, professionally photographed works, but more clients respond with surprise and amazement at the transformations shown in our before/after project photos. When we survey a property to be remodeled or added on to, I'll take a photo from one vantage point that "tells the story." Then, after the project is completed, I go back to the identical spot to photograph the "after."

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Marketing & Publicity

Go High Profile
Ted Mondzelewski, AIA
Philadelphia, Penn.
The keys to good marketing and publicity are having the marketplace -- i.e., your clients, your friends, the newspaper, and anyone who passes by one of your job sites -- and having at least the perception that your firm is busy, active, and being hired a lot. The perception is that "these guys must be good to be so busy." Let everyone know when you are hired for a project. Let everyone know when your project is ready to be completed. And, by all means, let everyone know when the project is completed, especially when the landscaping (including grass) is looking its best. Clients, the press, and the general public all are interested in what is going on in the community.

When you are doing a project out of town, the local press is still very willing to report on it, to boast that "one of our guys" was selected to do a far-away project. The perception in this case is that "these guys not only are good, but are well known." We all know that the hallmark of getting new work is doing good work and providing excellent services.

But that aspect alone will limit your marketing if no one but that client is aware of your efforts. When the press and general public become aware of your good work, you automatically expand who will know about you and possibly seek you out. When your clients become aware of the other projects you are working on, it will increase their confidence in your firm, and hence, bring repeat business.

Be relentless in submitting press releases; notifying your clients of publication, not only of their projects, but other similar ones; and placing a sign at every job site to let everyone passing by know that the masterpiece emerging from the ground started out with your pencil (or mouse).

Simplicity
David C. Hughes, AIA
Columbus, Ohio
How many times have you sped toward an upcoming construction project and anxiously awaited to read the project sign only to discover that: 1) there is no sign, 2) the printing is so small that you need binoculars, or 3) there are tens of names that are impossible to read as you charge on by?

It has happened to me many times. Only after the third or fourth trip do I really present myself with an opportunity to see who the design professionals involved in the project are. I have found this situation to be the rule for many of the construction projects in our area for more than 20 years. As we began our practice those 20 years ago, particularly with the residential and small commercial projects, I vowed that every project was to have a job sign that would be simplicity itself, quickly and effectively calling out that our firm was involved in the project.

First, I made sure that the sign was placed facing oncoming traffic if at all possible. Second, the firm logo was to dominate the copy (about three-fourths) and be simple enough to be understood and recognizable from some distance. Third, color or, more precisely, contrast also was important. Black-on-white or white-on-black could be interchanged from sign to sign, providing variety and interest with the same clarity and impact. And fourth, firm name and telephone numbers complete the copy. The message is always clear, consistent, recognizable, and readable. And, as an extra bonus, it could be used over and over again.

Piled high and stuck on a top shelf in the storage closet is a wide array of print advertising and promotional efforts. But, for my money, the best and most successful marketing effort for our firm stands in front of each one of our projects waving to every passerby.

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Construction Administration

Go High Profile
Ted Mondzelewski, AIA
Philadelphia, Penn.

The Next Show
Donald R. Wardlaw, AIA
AIA San Francisco
Over the years there is one trait I have noticed in the best contractors: they think ahead, and that makes them a pleasure to work with. Whatever they are building when I'm visiting, they built mentally the previous week. And they are building one thing but thinking a lot about what they are going to build the next week.

I appreciate this so much because it gives us one last chance to optimize something before it is built, or to spot something not fully workable in the drawings (of which there are hopefully and normally very few). If I am making weekly visits, the contractors will always converse with me about the work ahead. What a joy!

Unfortunately, not all contractors think out a building in advance, so I have formed the habit of always asking a lot of questions about what is going to be built next. My questions seem to help. It is always good teamwork (and leadership) to sense and adjust for the natural strengths of the other team members.

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