Episode 052: Managing a Virtual Practice

What does it take to manage an architecture studio virtually?

The pandemic has revealed three options for managing an architecture studio: 

1. an entirely in-person operation; 

2. the new and improved hybrid practice;

3. the entirely virtual operation

We speak with two firm owners who have been managing their design studios in a 100% virtual capacity since before the pandemic hit. Leah Bayer returns to Practice Disrupted and is joined by Jennifer Kretschmer. 

Both firm owners are originally based out of Silicon Valley. In this discussion Leah and Jennifer outline the complexity and argument for virtual practice in a changing world. They are currently developing a curriculum for the Practice of Architecture to help business owners understand the operational constraints and considerations necessary to ensure the success of managing a virtual practice. This course will be available in the upcoming months.

Guests:

Jennifer Kretschmer founded J. Kretschmer Architect in 2003, specializing in single-family and multi-family residential projects under 10,000 square feet. Her firm has been a virtual office since 2008 which she has operated primarily from her home in the Silicon Valley area of California with workers located all over the United States. She was a speaker at the AIA’19 Conference on Architecture and 2019 CRAN Symposium bringing valued information, inspiration and training to architects on operating a virtual office with remote workers. Awarded AIA National Associate Member of the Year, 2002, she is also the the founding CRAN chairperson of the AIA Silicon Valley (2016-2019) and the 2021 AIASVC President.

Leah Alissa Bayer is an award-winning architect licensed in California, Hawaii, and Washington with an endless curiosity, forward-focus, and passion for improving quality of life. She is President at OJK Architecture + Planning, a 100% virtual, woman-owned and led firm. Overseeing Operations & Culture with the studio, her big-picture visioning and integrated approach to architecture stems from her multi-discipline background. She joined OJK with a background in creative business design and management focused on transparency and equity, most recently having founded EVIA Studio, a highly collaborative, women-led, and virtual architecture practice. 

Show Links:

📍 Check out J.Kretschmer Architect

📍 Check out OJK Architecture + Planning

🎧Revisit Practice Disrupted episode [018] - Remote Practice

📚 Continue Learning:

PoA curriculum: practiceofarchitecture.com/virtualpractice

💻 Learn about our podcast partner Monograph:

Monograph is the cloud-based practice operations solution built for architects by architects. It is easy to use, beautifully designed, and helped firms streamline operations by empowering them to see project and firm-wide financial health in a single tool.  Plan your projects with schedules, budgets, roles, and team members. Track a project’s financial health with their unique MoneyGantt which takes timesheet data and makes it simple to see whether you are on track or not.  Use firm-wide revenue forecasts to make strategic decisions. With Monograph, you never have to make a decision in the dark again. 👉 Visit Monograph now.

💻 Learn about our podcast partner Twinmotion:

Twinmotion is a real-time rendering solution used by architecture, engineering, and construction professionals to create high-quality imagery, client presentations, and interactive experiences that help communicate your BIM data and design ideas, fast. 👉 Visit twinmotion.link/disrupted and try Twinmotion for free. 

💻 Learn about our podcast partner ArchIT:

Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? ArchIT offers complete IT solutions for architecture, design, and engineering firms, including helping architects fight back against ransomware and cybersecurity attacks. Visit https://getarchit.com/pd/  to set up your free 15-min Cyber Security Assessment, or custom solutions for your design firm.

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