Architecture & Engineering Business Strategies

By Monograph

What's Architecture & Engineering Business Strategies about?

Welcome to A/E Business Strategies — a podcast hosted by Monograph about architecture and engineering leaders who run great firms. Monograph is a project management software built exclusively for A/E. Over 1,000 firms use Monograph to get clarity into their budgets, projects, time, and clients so their entire team can make smarter decisions. Get started today at Monograph.com

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Architecture & Engineering Business Strategies episodes:

02.22.2024
How Garrison Architects cut costs 50% by leaving ArchiOffice for Monograph
Meet Garrison Architects — a Brooklyn-based architecture firm that specializes in sustainable, modular building design through highly refined modernist aesthetics across private residential and large scale public projects. In 2023, the firm left ArchiOffice for Monograph to streamline and...
02.07.2024
Design-build firm Woodhull streamlined collaboration after switching from BQE Core to Monograph
Meet the design-build firm Woodhull — an integrated architecture, construction, and millwork firm delivering thoughtful and enduring residential and commercial projects throughout New England. Their holistic ethos and business model relies on transparency, communication, and collaboration to drive successful internal...
06.30.2022
MVRDV: How To Win Work (w/ Inger Kammeraat, Jan Knikker)
Systems are essential to organizing your workplace and maintaining order during a project. But how can you build systems to win new work? In this Best Practice interview, MVRDV Managing Director Inger Kammeraat and Strategy and Development partner Jan Knikker...
05.17.2022
Level Architecture + Interiors: Success Stories: Leveling up Practice Ops (w/Adam Gayle)
Forming the identity of a young business is difficult. Whether you’re branching off from a parent company or launching your own startup, without a consistent set of principles and practices, it can feel like you’re living in the Wild West....
05.12.2022
bldg.collective architecture + design: Achieving Balance: Creative Expression Meets Professional Service (w/ Steve Perce)
One challenge architects face is the pressure to deliver their signature creative style while also serving the client’s needs. This push-and-pull relationship between creative practice and professional service never goes away, but there are a few tactics you can use...
05.10.2022
Defining Design Practice: Defining Change (w/ Lorena Galvao)
Industry expectations and standards are constantly shifting. If you want your company to keep up, you have to adjust with the changing times. But to be ready for whatever lies ahead, you have to institute a flexible, agile mindset within...
05.06.2022
Charrette Venture Group: Designing the Client Experience (w/ Lucas Gray, Dena Alspach)
The client experience is at the heart of architectural work. Delivering an attentive experience through every phase is what will lead to a happy client, repeat business, and referrals for your firm. In fact, this experience starts before you even...
04.25.2022
Studio Balcones: Growth Rooted in Community (w/ Jennifer Orr, Tiffany Rasco)
When growth is rooted in community, it becomes self-sustaining. At landscape architecture firm Studio Balcones, Principal Jennifer Orr and Office Manager Tiffany Rasco believe that being active in their community is essential to their firm’s growth and success. In this...
04.22.2022
Ennead Architects LLP: How Civic Architecture Can Inspire Change (w/ Molly McGowan, Thomas Wong)
Studio-based organizations can prevent architects from getting their hands on a variety of projects and experiences. Ennead Architects takes on a whole range of different scales, different typologies, and different locales in their projects. They see that as the dream...
04.19.2022
Roundtable Chats: Professions Other Than Architect (w/ Monograph's Growth Team)
If you get your architecture degree and get certified, that means your only choice is to design buildings, right? Wrong. Yet, many people don’t realize that there are several paths to choose from until they stumble into them in internships...
04.13.2022
GLUCK+: Architects Who Build (w/ Thomas Gluck, Stacie Wong)
In the architect-led design-build model, the architect is responsible not only for design but for construction as well. This represents a major shift from the traditional design-bid-build way of building projects. Yet it offers unique advantages on both the architect...
04.08.2022
Roundtable Chats: What Do You Geek Out On? (w/ Monograph's Growth Team)
Whether you’re an architect, a designer, or any creative, you need people to buy into your idea. That’s what the Monograph growth team discussed in a recent Monograph Roundtable. The best way to get others on board? Build your idea...
04.04.2022
Stayner Architects: How To Design New Models for Practice (w/ Christian Stayner)
Many traditional architecture practices are no longer sustainable. Firms that want to lead the path into the future will need to adopt new ways of thinking. In this Best Practice interview, Christian Stayner, Principal of Stayner Architects, explains how expanding...
03.31.2022
Essel Environmental: How the Random Can Change Your Practice (w/ Nik Lahiri)
When unexpected opportunities arise, sometimes it’s best to say yes and figure it out later. But in order to see the project through, you need to understand how to get to the finish line successfully. In this Best Practice interview,...
03.30.2022
Roundtable Chats: Why Office Culture Matters (w/ Monograph's Growth Team)
Good workplace culture is highly sought after, but it’s hard to find and even harder to keep. So what’s the magical ingredient for an office culture your employees can’t stop talking about? Hard work. Good company culture doesn’t magically occur...
03.29.2022
Runcible Studios: How To Start Your Own Practice (w/ Marilyn Moedinger)
Not every architect should start their own practice. It comes down to how you want to spend your time. If you want to spend most of your time being an architect, don’t start a practice. Starting a practice requires you...
03.24.2022
SK Development: How To Manage A Development Pipeline (w/ Scott Shnay)
Developers need a steady pipeline of projects to keep their businesses thriving. That means juggling multiple projects that are in various stages, from design to starting construction, to completing construction. To stay on target, you’re always balancing what you’re working...
03.17.2022
Roundtable Chats: Owning Your Career Path (w/ Monograph's Growth Team)
Owning your career path can look like a lot of things. But at its core it’s about balancing two things: becoming an expert at what you do and knowing when and how to work with others. When you take ownership...
03.16.2022
Roundtable Chats: Mentorship Models That Work (w/ Monograph's Growth Team)
Mentorship can take on many different forms. For a small office, it may work more like osmosis, with people working closely together and absorbing the knowledge of those around them. For a large office, it might need to be more...
03.14.2022
Form Developers: How to Design Apartments Using Floorplan Data (w/ Bobby Fijan)
When you think about design, data probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Yet, that’s exactly what you should be thinking about according to Bobby Fijan of Form Developers. Data, especially on the local level, offers invaluable insight...
03.08.2022
Roundtable: Burnout Across Architecture (w/ Monograph's Growth Team)
Burnout can decrease workplace efficiency, make employees sick, and even cause people to leave their careers. In the wake of the pandemic, workers are more likely than ever to suffer from burnout, so if you want to prioritize your health,...
03.01.2022
NADAAA: How to Own the Means and Methods (w/ Nader Tehrani, Arthur Chang)
Owning the means and methods throughout the design and construction process can be challenging. This is especially true for new designers or architects who haven’t been involved in many projects before. How do you go about understanding your role, the...
02.25.2022
LERA: How to Move a Legacy Firm Into the Future (w/ Carrie Villani, Doug González)
Business development is everyone’s job. Every employee, regardless of level or title, can and should do their part to propel their firm forward — to new clients, interesting projects, and positive PR. That’s what Carrie Villani and Doug Gonzalez of...
02.22.2022
Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations: Rethinking the role of the Public Architect (w/ Curtis Clay)
The Bureau of Overseas Building Operations has high standards to meet. The buildings they design have to be secure, functional, and stand the test of time. The embassies and other facilities they design are 50-year buildings. They have to withstand...
02.15.2022
WXY Studio: How a Cross-Disciplinary Firm Prepares for Emerging Challenges (w/ Amy Hau, Colin Montoute)
In architecture, as with almost any business, the environment you create in your office can make or break your team’s productivity. But with pandemic protocols forcing many businesses to work remotely, meaningful interactions and a positive workplace culture are even...
02.11.2022
Studio Rick Joy: Fireside Chat (w/ Rick Joy, Taylor Dickson)
An architect’s role by definition revolves around the planning, designing, and construction of buildings. But Rick Joy, principal at Studio Rick Joy, doesn’t see it that way. He believes his role is to create a lifestyle, not a building. It’s...
02.04.2022
Selldorf Architects: How To Build Collaborative Practices (w/ Sara Lopergolo, Oliver Link)
Building a strong team sounds simple: put a bunch of talented people with complementary skill sets together in the same room. But in reality, there’s a carefully calibrated science to crafting a team that produces great work. On the latest...
02.01.2022
Diller Scofidio + Renfro: How To Run Projects And Lead Teams (w/ Holly Deichmann, Zoë Star Small)
Strong leadership is the secret sauce of strong companies. You may be the most creative and most groundbreaking firm on the planet. But if your teams don’t work well together, if they spend too much time on the wrong parts...
01.29.2022
Mancini Duffy: How to Reinvent a 105-Year-Old Design Firm (w/ Christian Giordano, Bolanle Williams-Olley )
A technology-first firm is not one that merely uses the latest technology in their practice. It’s a firm that leverages that technology to allow collaboration in the sketching process all the way through a 3D experience. It’s having designers, project...
01.25.2022
Woods Bagot: How To Increase the Impact of Digital Culture (w/ Shane Burger)
Digital is taking over the working world, and it’s time for your company to catch up. More and more, clients are clamoring for digital-based options, but many businesses are reluctant to shift their policies to accommodate new technology. On the...
01.25.2022
Moody Nolan: How To Launch Operations in NYC (w/ Latoya Nelson Kamdang, Dawne David-Pierre)
Launching an office in a new city requires a solid operations team and a structured plan for growth. Moody Nolan’s New York City office started with four people just over a year ago and now it has 20. The secret...
01.25.2022
Dattner Architects: How To Build Firm Health And Vitality (w/ Kirsten Sibilia)
Midsize architecture firms face unique threats to their longevity compared to small and large firms. Mega firms seem poised to gobble them up, and it’s hard to compete with extra large firms that offer far more services. There’s also the...
01.18.2022
Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations: How To Manage A $20B Global Design Program (w/ Angel A. Dizon, III)
The idea of a $20 billion budget can make your head spin. But in the right hands, that kind of funding can accomplish a world of good. That’s exactly the mission of Angel Dizon, Managing Director of the Bureau of...
01.11.2022
SHoP Architects: How To Re-invent What Practice Is (w/ Gregg Pasquarelli)
You own your career trajectory. Whatever field you’re in, you have the power to make your work stand out, so clients take notice and want more. It takes a little daring and a strong stomach for risks (and the inevitable...
01.07.2022
Moody Nolan: How To Design Sustainable Operations (w/ Allen Schaffer)
A growing number of firms are combining two major responsibilities into one role: chief operating officer and sustainability director. It’s a lot to juggle in a small firm, let alone a quickly growing one spread across multiple cities. But Allen...
01.04.2022
Snohetta: Collective Intuition & Operations (w/ Elaine Molinar, Michelle Delk)
In the workplace, collaboration is the glue that holds a company together. But getting your employees to function as a cohesive unit is a unique challenge, especially in the design and architectural world. So how can you get a bunch...
12.23.2021
Rossmann Architecture Inc: Success Stories (w/ Shane Balcom)
Today’s business landscape calls for new and disruptive ways of doing things. You wouldn’t typically think of placing a software professional at the helm of an architecture firm. But that’s exactly what Rossmann Architecture did when they tapped Shane Balcom...
12.21.2021
Colloqate Design: Success Stories (w/ Bryan C. Lee Jr.)
When the focal point of your work is design justice, your processes look a bit different than the average design firm. For one thing, processes need to be simultaneously more efficient and also more unique. When you’re seeking diverse voices...
12.16.2021
HOPEWORKSDESIGN: The Value of Investing in Performance Marketing for Your Practice (w/ Hope Trory)
Does this sound familiar? You need to bring in more clients to your practice to increase your revenue, but you don’t know if the money and time you spend on marketing will bring the right results. That’s where performance marketing...
12.05.2021
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM): Operationalizing Business Development (w/ Iben Falconer)
If you’re a doer-seller, you’re probably more comfortable “doing” than “selling.” Nobody goes to school to become an engineer, a designer, or an architect because they want to sell engineering, architecture, or design services. They want to do whatever their...
12.01.2021
Lake|Flato Architects: How to Leverage Synergies at the Intersection of Sustainability, Design Technology and IT (w/ Scott Lelieur, Dan Stine)
If you want your business to run efficiently, you have to give your employees access to the proper tools and technology so they can get the job done. But it can be a challenge to find and implement the tools...
11.24.2021
Slack Technologies / Practice of Architecture: Building & Running a Hybrid Practice (w/ Evelyn Lee)
If your firm is considering going hybrid, it’s a much bigger decision than deciding how many hours per week you’ll ask staff to spend in the office. It also means overhauling processes that may have been in place for years...
11.16.2021
HKS Architects: JEDI in Practice (w/ Yiselle Santos)
With the surging demand for diversity in the workplace, many companies are scrambling to figure out how to increase—and manage—gender and ethnic diversity within their own firms. To help your people to work well together, you have to learn how...
11.11.2021
Charrette Venture Group: Financial Management Basics for Small Firms (w/ Rena M. Klein)
Financial management isn’t just standard accounting. It also involves looking at the big picture of your financial performance to make smart business decisions. When you understand what’s going on financially, you can improve and plan for the future. In order...
11.08.2021
KatalystDI: Organizing Work Towards Adaptive Organizations (w/ Libo Li)
The world is changing fast. In order for your practice to survive, you’ll have to change along with it. New technologies and new ways of communicating can be scary, but humans have always evolved and adapted by using new tools....
11.04.2021
Talentstar: Marketing for Talent (w/ Marjanne Pearson, Linda Wallack)
Finding and hiring top talent is a challenge for any company, especially in today’s competitive hiring environment. To give your business the best shot at attracting and retaining great employees, you have to know how to market your business to...
10.29.2021
Workshop/APD: Success Stories (w/ Thomas Julliard Zoli)
How can you finally say goodbye to an unwieldy spreadsheet system and streamline your operation from start to finish? At Workshop/APD, the team develops strategic and custom solutions at scale. When they doubled their team over the course of the...
10.29.2021
Traverse Landscape Architects: Success Stories (w/ Arthur Eddy, Marie Eddy)
Architects don’t receive a lot of training on business and finance. And staff members with business experience don’t often understand the design side. So, how do these two groups collaborate and run a practice? During this Section Cut interview, Arthur...
10.26.2021
Verdant Studio: Success Stories (w/ Jessica Hester, Natasha Brand)
How do you operate a national practice that encompasses art, architecture, historical preservation, and construction documents all under one roof? That’s the task of Verdant Studio, an Arkansas-based firm with incredible breadth and reach. Founder Jessica Hester credits Monograph for...
10.21.2021
Krueck Sexton Partners: Success Stories (w/ Tom Jacobs)
When an architecture firm is just starting out, almost anything goes in the quest to get up and running. But once you’re more established, two things need to become foundational to how you do business: transparency and discipline. In this...

What's Architecture & Engineering Business Strategies about?

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Architecture & Engineering Business Strategies episodes:

How Garrison Architects cut costs 50% by leaving ArchiOffice for Monograph

Design-build firm Woodhull streamlined collaboration after switching from BQE Core to Monograph

MVRDV: How To Win Work (w/ Inger Kammeraat, Jan Knikker)

Level Architecture + Interiors: Success Stories: Leveling up Practice Ops (w/Adam Gayle)

bldg.collective architecture + design: Achieving Balance: Creative Expression Meets Professional Service (w/ Steve Perce)

Defining Design Practice: Defining Change (w/ Lorena Galvao)

Charrette Venture Group: Designing the Client Experience (w/ Lucas Gray, Dena Alspach)

Studio Balcones: Growth Rooted in Community (w/ Jennifer Orr, Tiffany Rasco)

Ennead Architects LLP: How Civic Architecture Can Inspire Change (w/ Molly McGowan, Thomas Wong)

Roundtable Chats: Professions Other Than Architect (w/ Monograph's Growth Team)

GLUCK+: Architects Who Build (w/ Thomas Gluck, Stacie Wong)

Roundtable Chats: What Do You Geek Out On? (w/ Monograph's Growth Team)

Stayner Architects: How To Design New Models for Practice (w/ Christian Stayner)

Essel Environmental: How the Random Can Change Your Practice (w/ Nik Lahiri)

Roundtable Chats: Why Office Culture Matters (w/ Monograph's Growth Team)

Runcible Studios: How To Start Your Own Practice (w/ Marilyn Moedinger)

SK Development: How To Manage A Development Pipeline (w/ Scott Shnay)

Roundtable Chats: Owning Your Career Path (w/ Monograph's Growth Team)

Roundtable Chats: Mentorship Models That Work (w/ Monograph's Growth Team)

Form Developers: How to Design Apartments Using Floorplan Data (w/ Bobby Fijan)

Roundtable: Burnout Across Architecture (w/ Monograph's Growth Team)

NADAAA: How to Own the Means and Methods (w/ Nader Tehrani, Arthur Chang)

LERA: How to Move a Legacy Firm Into the Future (w/ Carrie Villani, Doug González)

Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations: Rethinking the role of the Public Architect (w/ Curtis Clay)

WXY Studio: How a Cross-Disciplinary Firm Prepares for Emerging Challenges (w/ Amy Hau, Colin Montoute)

Studio Rick Joy: Fireside Chat (w/ Rick Joy, Taylor Dickson)

Selldorf Architects: How To Build Collaborative Practices (w/ Sara Lopergolo, Oliver Link)

Diller Scofidio + Renfro: How To Run Projects And Lead Teams (w/ Holly Deichmann, Zoë Star Small)

Mancini Duffy: How to Reinvent a 105-Year-Old Design Firm (w/ Christian Giordano, Bolanle Williams-Olley )

Woods Bagot: How To Increase the Impact of Digital Culture (w/ Shane Burger)

Moody Nolan: How To Launch Operations in NYC (w/ Latoya Nelson Kamdang, Dawne David-Pierre)

Dattner Architects: How To Build Firm Health And Vitality (w/ Kirsten Sibilia)

Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations: How To Manage A $20B Global Design Program (w/ Angel A. Dizon, III)

SHoP Architects: How To Re-invent What Practice Is (w/ Gregg Pasquarelli)

Moody Nolan: How To Design Sustainable Operations (w/ Allen Schaffer)

Snohetta: Collective Intuition & Operations (w/ Elaine Molinar, Michelle Delk)

Rossmann Architecture Inc: Success Stories (w/ Shane Balcom)

Colloqate Design: Success Stories (w/ Bryan C. Lee Jr.)

HOPEWORKSDESIGN: The Value of Investing in Performance Marketing for Your Practice (w/ Hope Trory)

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM): Operationalizing Business Development (w/ Iben Falconer)

Lake|Flato Architects: How to Leverage Synergies at the Intersection of Sustainability, Design Technology and IT (w/ Scott Lelieur, Dan Stine)

Slack Technologies / Practice of Architecture: Building & Running a Hybrid Practice (w/ Evelyn Lee)

HKS Architects: JEDI in Practice (w/ Yiselle Santos)

Charrette Venture Group: Financial Management Basics for Small Firms (w/ Rena M. Klein)

KatalystDI: Organizing Work Towards Adaptive Organizations (w/ Libo Li)

Talentstar: Marketing for Talent (w/ Marjanne Pearson, Linda Wallack)

Workshop/APD: Success Stories (w/ Thomas Julliard Zoli)

Traverse Landscape Architects: Success Stories (w/ Arthur Eddy, Marie Eddy)

Verdant Studio: Success Stories (w/ Jessica Hester, Natasha Brand)

Krueck Sexton Partners: Success Stories (w/ Tom Jacobs)

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