Yesterday evening, as every Wednesday night, the ArCHexComm gathered together virtually, via Skype video conference.

Only this time something was different.  ArCH has a new member from “Down Under”: Dion Seminara, ArCH, Architect from Morningside, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.  Dion’s firm: DS Architecture creates amazing high-end multi-million dollar custom residential projects in the greater Queensland area.

Topics discussed at yesterday’s video conference included:
ArCHdes™, Global Economy, Keeping Clients advancing their projects, as well as staffing securement/testing/retention/ownership transition.

In brief, here are some highlights of these conversations with this global perspective:

ArCHdes™
ArCH has 10 firms (worldwide) with 18 projects so far participating.  Anyone who would like to “squeak in the back door” will be allowed to submit their fees up to and including on the day the project submittals are due: 3/9/2016.

Global Economy and its Impact on Residential Architecture
The USA is in a current upward trend, which bodes well for ArCH’s members across the USA.  However, we have been sheltered from other matters in a global context.  For instance, Dion Seminara, ArCH, QLD, Australia, said that there is a GFC (Global Finanical Crisis) happening right now as far as Australia’s economy is concerned which has created a downturn in that region of the planet.  Dion said that Australia has been, to some degree, dependent on a healthy Asian marketplace and the current downturn in China has negatively impacted Australia.  He also said that Resources (mining, especially) has fallen back, slowing construction, as that country is heavily dependent on mining operations to grow that economy.  Not many American Architects are aware of these matters, which could end up impacting the rest of the planet at some point. We are not an island, financially any more; everything is connected.  In other words: prepare for a possible downturn: save, perhaps put expansion plans on hold for a while and be fiscally conservative in general.  Now is probably a good time to try to engage as many new projects as possible so that your firms will have a substantial workload onboard, should the future hold some period of lagging that could make obtaining future projects more difficult.

Architectural Staffing/Transitioning Ownership
Considerable time was spent discussing the vetting process for new staff at architectural firms.  Mr. Seminara reviewed his firm’s 8-Step review procedures for possible new employees, which included:
1.  Skill review
2.  Responsiveness/Relevancy Ability: emailing multiple questions every day (prior to in interview) to observe candidate’s timely & prompt responsiveness as well and appropriateness in terms of answering the questions posed.  This also includes observing the candidate’s composition, vocabulary, grammar and punctuation skills, which can be very telling as to how they will represent your firm and respond to you.
3.  References
4.  Personality Test
5.  3 month temporary contract employment, possibly extended to 12 month probation.
6.  Capability Test (3 to 4 hours)
Includes, design, detailing, various multi-tasking skillsets.
7.Maturity Level of staff
Seeking often older, more experienced staff that can hit the ground running rather having to be trained, and that are serious about their work and that want a job for the long-term.
8.  Job Description
Questions: “I am good at_________________” .
To help them determine whether they can multi-task or excel at particular skills.

Other issues discussed involved methods of company ownership transition: in other words: if you presently own your company, how you can obtain a health sales price of your company, giving you a retirement nestegg and continuation of your firm, after you retire.  Rodney Kazenske, ArCH, NCARB, Denver, Colorado, USA, said that his firm is in the process of documenting their procedures for everything, so it is written in online manuals, accessible to all employees, about the steps involved to accomplish just about any process in the firm.  Don Duffy, ArCH, AIA, Charlotte, North Carolina has previously mentioned how his firm is also in the process of documenting their company’s Quality Control procedures.

Message to us all: if you intend to sell or pass on your company or in any way hope to see it continue, you may want to start documenting how you do things.  Put in on your computer server and give all staff members access to this information so that everyone knows what to do, like you do.

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So, in summary: ArCH is discovering, first hand, that we, as Licensed Residential Architects around the planet, all have similar issues to deal with each day in our professions and the sharing of our professional lives together creates a wealth of rich experience from which we can draw valuable information to help us all in our practices, anywhere on the planet.  ArCH takes the pulse of residential architecture every week through direct discussions with our members around the globe.

ArCH: Licensed Residential Architects Connected Around the World

Become an award winning Architect.
It’s surprisingly easy.  And economical.

The answer?  ArCHdes™, the Design Excellence Selection program at ArCH: Architects Creating Homes.

And at only $49 per project entered, what a value!
You must be a member of ArCH to enter.  However, at only $159/year membership dues, ArCH is the leading value in architectural organizations on the planet.  Need reasons to join ArCH?  Click here: Reasons to join ArCH.

If your firm is new, or if you’ve never won a design award before, or if your company needs to distinguish itself with an award for its designs, or if it hasn’t won an award for a while, then ArCHdes™ may be the awards program for you.  ArCHdes™ is focused on design awards for residential architecture.  ArCH (Architects Creating Homes) is the organization behind it.
ArCH is the global unified voice of Licensed Architects who design homes on Earth.

Check it out: ArCHdes™

If you know you are designing high-quality residential projects, why not become an award winning Architect?  Let the rest of the world know how good you are.  Document it with an award.  But you can’t win an award if you don’t at least try, by entering ArCHdes™.
Deadline for entry fees: 2/29/2016.
Deadline for entry submittals: 3/9/2016 3PM EDT (NYC time).

ArCH was recently interviewed on Mark LePage’s EntreArchitect popular Internet Podcast show.  Mark discussed the ArCHdes™ design awards program with Jennifer Garcia, ArCH (Tampa, FL) and Rand Soellner, ArCH (Cashiers, NC).

Jennifer offered her insights as the owner of a small architectural business headquartered in the SE USA and how helpful it would be to become the recipient of a prestigious architectural design award, particularly for the design of custom homes, which is the focus of her practice in western Florida.  Her thoughts are that the posting of the JPG or PDF of this award on her website would call attention to her potential and existing Clients that her company creates quality architectural design.  And that’s got to be a good thing for attracting more business.

Click here to find out more about the”–> ArCHdes™ program.

Soellner asked some penetrating questions, such as: “What’s the purpose of a design awards program supposed to be?
1.  Enriching the hosting organization?
Or:
2.  Celebrating the capabilities of residential Architects?”
Soellner said that ArCH seeks to shine the light on its members and to consistently offer programs and features that are a Value to those members.

Ms. Garcia underscored this philosophy by pointing out that the entry fee for each project in the ArCHdes™ program is only $49.  And that the membership fee to join ArCH is only $159.

to see the entire interview click on the image below:

Hello ArCHmembers; welcome to the new year 2016.  Your ArCH ExComm has established the 2016 ArCH agenda:

2016-10.  ArCHdes™ design awards program
(all is ready and waiting for the “trigger” to be pulled on 22,000+ licensed Architects to receive the ArCHdes notice via email blast.
There are mixed opinions as to whether or not this will stimulate growth exponentially, or it will be ignored.  Time will tell.  ArCHdes™ is the Only design awards program on Earth in which licensed Architects who design homes can expect to be recognized with an award for houses that look like homes (even though avant-garde designs will also be recognized).
2016-15.  ArCHmms (Membership Management Software) creation and implementation through consultants.  Current consultant approach is to create new HTML custom membership applications (for both initial applications and membership renewals (in lieu of WuFoo), that would allow automatic population of the ArCHmembership spreadsheet roster/record of members. ArCHmemershipRoster would then exist on our hosted server. Also: concept is to link PayPal/WooCommerce records to this spreadsheet though custom software on the ArCHwebsite by our website consultants. They believe this is the most economical and straightforward approach to give us the automation we need at this point.
2016-20. ArCH eMagazine (possibilities being considered).
2016-30. Possible part-time help. Could become full-time if many new members join due to the 20k email blast list for ArCHdes™.
2016-40. Manufacturers putting products on ArCHwebsite. Fees?
2016-50. More reciprocal ads on other websites. Barter system.

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2016-60. Need ArCH magazine article (not an interview) that indicates that we exist (that is key to Wikipedia).
2016-70. ArCHcrafts (2017)
2016-80. Global outreach: ask e-marketing consultant for email list that contains all architects on the planet.
2016-90. ArCH-eCon?
2016-100. Annual ArCH-e-con? With e-presentations. Break into groups online. Some canned webinars with manufacturers.

.
2016-110. How to do the above electronics: ask our website consultants.
2016-120. ArCHmembers-putting projects on the menu on some kind of presentation board.
2016-130. Ask the Architect™ webpage/section. With ArCHmembers volunteering.
2016-140. “How to read architectural plans”ongoing article on the ArCH website for comments by ArCHmembers for public consumption.
2016-150. ArCHceu program continuation.—need more ArCHmember help. Need to get this going nationwide in the other 49 states.
2016-160. possible new ArCHvideo?

Also open to additional suggestions by members, however, there is only so much time in a year.  We have taken on and accomplished an amazing amount of organizational efforts in ArCH’s short lifespan and we look forward to continued, long-term healthy growth.

Your ArCH ExComm.

Car Buying Discounts for ArCHmembers is about how ArCHmembers can obtain just about the lowest prices for new vehicles in the eastern USA. Just one more benefit of being an ArCHmember.

This doesn’t require you to go through any complicated procedures.  You can directly hook up with the what is likely the least expensive auto dealer in the eastern USA, obtained as a result of focused research by ArCHmembers during recent car-buying experiences.

See the ArCHintro page for new ArCHmembers to see where to buy your vehicle for the best deal possible (so far in the eastern USA).

The ArCHdes yearly design awards program is almost ready to launch.  As a matter of fact, many aspects of it are already in place.  Check out these locations for detailed information:

1. ArCHdes Design Excellence Selection awards program page

2.  ArCHdes Design Award Entry Fee product page

3.  This post on the ArCHblog.

After years of discussion and several evolutions of the ArCHdes focus group committee, finally the ArCHdes program has established its first Awards event:

All entries are due by March 9, 2016 3PM.

Oh no!  How to get all those materials printed and FedExed to the jury hotel conference suite?   NOT.
This is the world’s first all-electronic architectural design awards program.  No driving, no printing, no hotels, no “boss” chairman of the jury wielding too much weight in the selection of worthy projects.  And no high costs to enter.  The purpose is to celebrate deserving Architects and their noteworthy projects.  And along the way, perhaps obtain several hundred additional ArCHmembers, as you must be an ArCHmember to enter the awards program.

Please see the above links for more information.  This is an exciting time for ArCH!