INITIATIVES

• Seminars with Purchasing departments specifically geared to a smaller practice
• Provide a data base of architects willing to collaborate in RFP responses
• Supporting workshops for DIYs (photography, writing, building a website, social media)

Thoughts about RFP support fall into three main categories:

1. Seminars from various purchasing departments, specifically geared to how smaller firms can compete for appropriately sized jobs with mid and large sized firms.
2. Workshops for small practitioners with RFP responses as case studies so that participants get direct and relevant exposure/ feedback.
3. Outreach to purchasing departments so they understand the difference between buying architectural services and furniture. To elaborate: educating purchasing departments on the benefits of going with a smaller firm to do smaller work as opposed to just continuing on with the status quo of hiring the “known brands” or big guys.
4. Encourage members (small practitioners) to collaborate in order to respond to RFPs (see 4 below).

Thoughts about Marketing support include:

1. How can smaller firms manage/ pay for and incorporate marketing techniques with limited personnel and financial resources. Perhaps connect smaller architectural practitioners with smaller marketing firms?
2. How to take photos of your projects seminars/ workshops/courses – taught by a photographer. Smaller and/ or emerging firms usually often can’t afford a professional photography.
3. How to build your website seminars/ courses/ workshops.
4. Provide a list of architects with areas of expertise on Architecture Canada’s website. This could not only be useful to prospective clients but for other architects looking to collaborate with each other and respond to RFP’s, etc (see 4 above)
5. Promote the profession by hosting an architectural film festival/ photo exhibit by non architects/ non-professionals – open to the general public that promotes new movies/ documentaries etc related to architecture/ the built environment, etc. Or similar event that is engaging enough to the general public (i.e. entertaining) and builds awareness – and targeted to the general public more than to architects.

Things to consider going forward:

• Who the players should be
• What is/are the desired outcome(s)
• What would be an effective Communication Strategy for this
• What is the end goal / project / deliverable

Desired outcomes:

• Compete better with large firms?
• Compete better with small firms?
• Create better architecture?
• Make architecture more accessible?
• Create a better delivery system for architecture?

Strategies:

• Social communication – lunches, events, etc.
• Registries to help companies/people find each other.
• Working collaboratively on projects.
• Looking to other sectors/industries for different delivery models.

Social Communication

Provide an informal setting to meet mentor/mentee and share ideas.

Way to help build a collaborative community.

Way to overcome those that would be intimidated to cold call someone on the registries list.

Next steps:

• Determine times that would likely attract the largest group.
• Contact community and setup meetings.
• How do we get the word out to likely participants.

Registries

Provide an mechanism to find others willing to participate in the mentoring initiative.

Could expand existing web site to include this.

Likely a large crossover with other initiatives – could be one part of the overall small firms initiative.

Next steps:

• Identify information to publish
• Determine minimum participation level to make a pilot feasible.
• Contact community to determine uptake – find out if uptake will match minimum participation levels for pilot

Working collaboratively on Projects

Supports both types of mentorship mentioned.

Requires two prongs to approach:

1. Working with the architects to vet the idea – see if there is buy in.
2. Working with purchasers to try to gain acceptance with approach and find a pilot project.

Idea is that it provides a framework for cross-pollination of experience and ideas.

Potential to provide a means to get into a new sector.

Crossover with RFP/Marketing support.

Next steps:

• Determine who players should be. Architecture only? Design+engineering? All services for completed project?
• Setup meetings to try to determine approach and feasibility of idea.

Exploration of different delivery models

Idea is to look at different industries/sectors to see if there are other delivery models that could apply to architecture.

Looking for a way to provide services in a collaborative way.

Take into account a more holistic view of architecture – all the way through to completed construction.

Could help with effort to help make purchasers more comfortable with the collaborative model by showing that it has been done in different sectors.

Next steps:

• Identify potential delivery models to research.
• Find group willing to do research in models.
• Find people/companies within proposed sectors to research willing to participate.