In addition to Passion and Pride, our success at Fivecat Studio depends on three more P’s… Project, Process and People.
The Project
There is a project for every firm and a firm for every project.
As a client, selecting a firm incompatible with your project will make for a quick disaster. If your project is relatively small, working with a firm that focuses their effort on large projects might put you and your project on the back burner. The attention that you expect, and have certainly paid for, may not be there. Likewise, if your project is more complex and you contract with a firm that has little experience with large projects, you might be very disappointed in the outcome.
From our point of view, this lesson is just as important. When Annmarie and I launched Fivecat Studio back in 1999, we started with no projects and no funding. We took every project that came our way, from small bathroom renovations, several new restaurants, to a large, multi-story Franciscan friary. That worked just fine for a few years, until our workload grew beyond our comfort. There just weren’t enough hours in a day to get it all done, at the quality standard we require.
A few years back, we restructured our business strategy and decided to focus exclusively on our “passion”; residential architecture. Not only did this allow us to do what we do best, everyday. It also let us become very good at it. Focusing on “our project” let us create a process (the topic of a future post), that is efficient, effective and enjoyable; for both us and our clients.
We found “our project” and with it came much success.
“What is your project?”
When looking for an architect, be sure to ask that question. Make sure your “project”, is also their “project”. If it’s not, keep looking.
