2007-01-11: Trade secrets

The biggest trade secret of course, in architecture is creating brilliant buildings with extraordinary spaces!;) but on a more serious note, yes....architects,in my opinion are more liberal than others when it comes to sharing information.i, personally have encountered various kinds of architects(in school and outside)....ones who are willing to share info and experience and also ones who see the young minds as competition and limit the interaction by the way of being strictly professional.

I think you are hinting at the skills needed to make good buildings. But apart from this skill set, what are the tricks of the trade that architects use- maybe how they handle a client, what do they present or how do they form an active network that leads to projects. Anyone wants to talk about that?

well...definately i believe, every architect handlin a firm has his/her own secrets...rather his/her own policy towards the profession and handling the clients...and that comes after the experience over the period of time... i would also like to know...when a firm starts with 1,2,3...architects initially...how it grows larger?as in, some firms, started with one architect grow large enough after 10,15,20,30 years...and sometimes after 30 years also you find some offices to be "ONE MAN offices"...what all can be the reasons for the both...

i think that apart from the skills needed ....its also very important to have a strong convincing power over the clients in order to follow or create a building which follows ones language...also its necessary that the client does not feel dominated by the architect but still the architect manages to convince him with his idea... its very necessary to achieve that balance.....it helps to build a long term relationship and the client will not hesitate in assigning another project(s)...also making the client feel that his views are important and his involvement is counted but at the same time not compromising on the design area...its fun to observe an architect do that...

what i would suggest is........... imagine yourself to have reached the limits in architecture,.........the boss of a highly successful firm and if someone happens to come over to your firm in the quest for knowledge what would you do..........give him all your secrets of success, diplomatically sidetrack and avoid letting him on your secrets or bluntly show him the door.

it finally boils down to how much you are willing to share.........i for one, feel that if information of any nature has been obtained by pulling strings...giving out a few "i owe you" strips...then that information is worthy of a price and unless one feels that the receiver deserves it the need to share does not arise. this is applicable to everyone immaterial of the association shared with the persons involved.