Dear Architect is a work in progress. The advice column was the brainchild of a leadership conference. The “architect” is actually a committee of professionals who vet the questions and contribute to the answers. They are technical and non-technical people at various stages of their careers. They come from small, medium and large firms with local, regional and national presence. All the contributors are involved with the Utah AIA Board or its committees. As with any advice column, the answers are typically well informed, but not necessarily definitive. There is plenty of opportunity for discussion, and the Dear Architect Committee has had some spirited conversations about the “right answer.” Originally, the answers were simpler and shorter, and the questions were more business and marketing-related. The questions are becoming longer and more technical, and the answers are becoming longer, and perhaps something that will require more than a short read. In other words, this column is a work in progress. To improve, we need to hear from our members about questions that arise or persist in your practice. Each email has a link for posing queries. And … if you want to join our team of “Dear Architect,” please just let us know. We welcome all perspectives. The following are the questions that have been addressed over the past seven months on a weekly basis. The archived answers can be found by scanning the QR code. https://aiautah.org/page/DearArchitect We encourage you to browse through them and draw your own conclusions. Dear Architect is disseminated through the AIA Utah email blast platform: Constant Contact (not the easiest format in world). As a result, in June, we moved from a weekly to a monthly column to take the load off our AIA staff but are continuing to collect and answer questions. Dear Architect Past Dear Architect Topics Nov. 5, 2024 • Why should I submit for a design award? They cost money and a lot of time, and time is money, and we haven’t won one yet. • How do I stop my PIC from going after jobs we can’t possibly get? • How much time should I spend on the design phase of a project without going broke? Nov. 12, 2024 • How should I choose engineering consultants when none of them are exclusive and all of them seem capable? • Do I really need to hire a professional marketer? • How do you feel about holiday cards or gifts to clients/others? Nov. 19, 2024 • Is there a formula for building a project budget by phase? Nov. 26, 2024 • What role does the Historic Landmarks Commission serve in Salt Lake? Is this a powerful body? • Is work/life balance really a thing in architecture? Dec. 3, 2024 • I am a small firm, do I need to specialize in a market sector? • Why do I need to specialize in a large firm when they seem to do everything? Dec. 11, 2024 • Should we do client perception surveys? » Who should do them? » Wait! “Train them.” What does that mean? » When should I do one? Dec. 17, 2024 • What do I do if a client refuses to pay invoices? • Is there a good reason to do pro bono work other than altruism? Jan. 7, 2025 • Do net-zero projects really achieve net zero? Jan. 14, 2025 • What do I say to a client who wants to know why they need an architect for a small- to medium-sized renovation? • How do I vet a client I have never worked with previously? 14 REFLEXION
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