"We the design team, which includes the client, the consultants, the contractor, and myself, are trying to profit from the completion of the conceptual design. If any member of this team is either not respected or loses respect for what other members bring to the team, that common goal will be lost. Respect of course is not given but earned and that requires listening and developing relationships and working through problems. To me that means reviewing the clients goals, keeping the consultants up to date and aware of changes when they occur, and listening to the contractor/superintendent because in the end if the man with the hammer in hand stops swinging the common goal, profit, goes right out the door."
I have to admit what I stated above was written many years ago while still working for a local firm in Sacramento. The concept even goes back further though when I worked for a small three man practice in San Juan Capistrano, that I am happy to say is still in business today almost twenty years later. The Architect I worked under made it quite clear that if the contractor called it was even more important than the client because that was who would be calling next if we did not respond. I learned a lot about being resourceful in that small office too, which I find myself leaning on today as I manage my own one man shop. From that small office I moved on to the large corporate office where I was taken down a notch. I thought I knew a great deal, but over the nine years working there I discovered I had a great deal to learn. The projects were much more complex and involved many consultants and client relationships to see them completed. I remember sitting at a table with a client’s project manager whose personality I generally found myself at odds with, but that is not the point. The point was that during the meeting he was able to get enough information from all of us there at the table to solve the problem at hand. To be honest, I can not recall the problem, but I do remember that we all express our ideas which resulted in resolving the problem and the credit goes to everyone there including the clients project manager. Again, respect what everyone brings to the table.
Of course, Architecture is about creativity and problem solving and in that regard, I close with one following thought. When I was a teenage boy, my teacher used to say you could build a building out of anything even marbles. You know he was right. All you need to do is pour the marbles on the slab within your tilt-up form. Then, put down the bars and pour the concrete. Then wait until the walls are ready to be tilted up and voila you should have a wall of MARBLES.
