Context & Clarity for Small Firm Architects

How can we make architects and architecture more accessible to more people? That's where we'll start our conversation on today’s Context & Clarity LIVE. Katharine White MacPhail and I will welcome Emily Mottram, Founder of Mottram Architecture, Host of the E3 podcast, and a Co-Host of the BS + Beer show, to Context & Clarity LIVE. Join the conversation today as we talk to Emily about BS +...

If you were an architect and a developer, what would you develop? A common response might be a single family home, but there are lots of models and examples out there. I've seen everything from flipping apartments to developing, city-block scale, mixed-use projects. So what would you do? Mentioned in this episode: EntreArchitect To Build is Human

Do building codes need to be overhauled? If building codes have the greatest impact on the greatest number of people across the spectrum of projects, in other words, if building codes are where pretty much everyone is impacted by architecture, what’s the architect’s role in the life of codes? Mentioned in this episode: To Build is Human EntreArchitect

Emily Mottram and The Brew Crew wanted to take building science to the masses, so they launched the BS + Beer show. I want to know how successful they've been in engaging the public and what they've learned about taking a technical topic to the general public. Can what they've accomplished and learned be applied in other areas to make architects and architecture more accessible to more people? Men...

How do you get homeowners interested in building science? It's about education, but not necessarily educating them on the technical aspects of building science. We need to help homeowners understand the benefits and results of incorporating the best building science into the design and construction of their home. What are they going to get out of it in terms and that are tangible and meaningful to...

What do you need to do differently to build and sustain a firm that has a pipeline based on small projects? That’s the reality of the idea of serving clients outside of the so-called 1%… small projects without room in the budget for your fees. Serving those clients requires a different business model. The traditional practice model is designed to serve clients with larger projects with the ability...

How can architects become financially independent and retire early? That's where we'll start our conversation on today’s Context & Clarity LIVE. Jeff Echols and Katharine White MacPhail will welcome Eric Reinholdt, Founder of 30X40 Design Workshop and Co-Host of “The Two Sides of FI,” to Context & Clarity LIVE. Join the conversation today as we talk to Eric about his focus on F.I.R.E., whi...

This week, we’ll run with the theme of taking architecture to the people and see if we can figure out how to make architects and architecture more accessible to more than just the 1%. Today, we’ll kick the theme off with the question, What can architects do to engage with people that might not think first about hiring an architect? I'll give you a hint: I think it comes down to the responsibility...

I feel like I’ve gotten to know a number of people over the past 15 months that I’d call friends and that I could count on, even though for some of you, I’ve never seen your face, and for most of you, we’ve never met in person. So we've started a new regular Context & Clarity feature that we're calling Member Spotlight, and this week, Chris Novelli will join Katharine and me. Join us for a loo...

There's a movement called F.I.R.E. That's an acronym that stands from Financially Independent. Retire Early. You may know Eric Reinholdt from one of his books or his video series from 30X40 Design Workshop, but Eric has a new project with his childhood friend Jason, The Two Sides of FI podcast. Eric and Jason explore what it means and how to become financially independent and what it would take to...

If you needed to generate $50,000 of additional income this year, could you do it? Could you make money while you sleep? All week we've been looking backward and forward when it comes to your finances. What would it mean for your future if you could generate passive income in addition to what you're already making? Mentioned in this episode: To Build is Human EntreArchitect

We've looked at your financial past and what's influenced your financial present. Now, let's look at your financial future. What's determining your future and would it be possible for you to adjust what you're doing today to the point that you can retire early? Mentioned in this episode: EntreArchitect To Build is Human

What's a PR strategy for small firm architects? That's where we'll start our conversation on today’s Context & Clarity LIVE. Katharine White MacPhail and I will welcome Julie Taylor, Founder of Taylor & Co. to Context & Clarity LIVE. Join the conversation today as we talk to Julie about her advocacy for design and the built environment and how architects can promote themselves and thei...

Your financial past isn’t really about what you’ve done, it’s about your parents, maybe your grandparents. It’s about what you’ve learned, or haven’t and what’s influenced your money mindsets. What's influenced your relationship with money and finances? Mentioned in this episode: To Build is Human EntreArchitect

We're taking this show on the road! I'm headed to northern Vermont today and Context & Clarity will be live and I'll be joined by members of the C&C community who were able to make the trip to our first ever Echolstock. Join us for a special live edition and tomorrow for a superlive Context & Clarity panel discussion. Mentioned in this episode: To Build is Human EntreArchitect

Julie Taylor is not an architect, but a design evangelist. She's the Founder and Principal of Taylor & Company, a PR firm for the built environment, meaning her team only works with architects, landscape architects, developers, product manufacturers, only people designing and building. We'll talk with Julie today about the best way for small firm architects to approach public relations. Mentio...

Would you have thought about submitting for design awards as public relations? That thought really didn't cross my mind until I realized that there are as many awards programs as there are publications, probably more, and identifying the right awards, submitting for and winning the award is a lot like getting published. The question is, what's the value of those awards once you win? Mentioned in t...

A few weeks ago, I was in a conversation about public relations and someone insisted that no one reads or even looks at print magazines any more. They may be right or they may be wrong, but I think a more important discussion is about what does being published mean anymore? Does it mean traditional print publications like magazines and news papers, or is it also the online edition of those publica...

What's the future of the Architect? That's where we'll start our conversation on today’s Context & Clarity LIVE. Katharine White MacPhail and I will welcome Robert Ivy, CEO of The American Institute of Architects to Context & Clarity LIVE. Join the conversation today as we talk about Robert’s career in publishing and as the leader of The American Institute of Architects and we get his thou...

Public Relations is an interesting niche in the marketing realm. I guess it falls somewhere between what we usually think of as marketing and what we consider business development. In a way, it’s promotional like marketing and relationship based like business development. The question is, what do you do to promote your business? Mentioned in this episode: EntreArchitect To Build is Human

I feel like I’ve gotten to know a number of people over the past 15 months that I’d call friends and that I could count on, even though for some of you, I’ve never seen your face, and for most of you, we’ve never met in person. So we've started a new regular Context & Clarity feature that we're calling Member Spotlight, and this week, Leslie Divoll will join Katharine and me. Join us for a loo...

Robert Ivy is an architect, but he left his practice to spend 15 years promoting the profession through publications, and now 10 years at the healm of the American Institute of Architects. He's seen a lot of change in the profession and, I imagine even as he prepares to leave the AIA later this year, he probably has some opinions about the future of the profession and where it's going. Mentioned i...

No matter what you think any professional organization should be doing to further the profession, no matter what you think should be lobbied for or legislated, you can’t sit back and watch from the sidelines and wonder why more isn’t happening. You have some responsibility to take up the cause. What is the individual architect's responsibility when it comes to furthering the profession? Mentioned...

Much of the built environment isn’t designed by architects and the majority of work that is designed by architects is commissioned by the so-called 1%. That means that we’re not really engaging with a very large portion of the population. Should we be? If so, the question is, how do you serve the other 99%? How do we make architects more accessible to a greater percentage of the population? Mentio...

Cash flow for architects. That's where we'll start our conversation on today’s Context & Clarity LIVE. Katharine White MacPhail and I will welcome Bolanle Williams-Olley, CFO of Mancini Duffy to Context & Clarity LIVE. Join the conversation today as we talk about Bolanle’s love of math, how she ended up in architecture firms, and the best ways to generate and protect cash flow. Share your...