CS2
ARCHITECTS/ENGINEERS
Specialists becoming part of architects landscape The economy has become a big story for architects and engineers. The field is tied very closely to construction and the ability for financial institutions to loan money for projects. here “ have certainly been a lot of struggles in the profession nationally,” states David Crutchfield, an assistant professor in the Department of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at North Dakota State University James Galloway, JLG Architects in Fargo, ND. “I think we are currently in a tough phase, but I tend to be an optimist. Soon things will settle down and the economy will come back around.” Ward Whitwam, who has been an architect for 57 years and is with the AIA in South Dakota, hears that every office has work, but architects are losing jobs to out of state firms who are specialists. “The major challenge is to compete with this type of work situation,” he says. “I don’t “We’re always very think we are doing it. We can’t compete because cognitive of the cost. we aren’t specialists.” It really heightens awareness Alan Dostert, President and CEO of and it changes the way EAPC Architects Engineers, agrees that we deliver the design.” in order to compete, architects have to hire - Alan Dostert, President/CEO, specialists. One of the firm’s EAPC Architects Engineers strengths is health care, which is considered a specialty job. EAPC was recently named one of the 200 fastest growing architecture, engineering, and consulting firms in the United States by Zweig White. This is the third year out of the last four years that EAPC has been recognized as the Top 200. “The methodology for doing business has become very complex,” Dostert says. “These specialists bring a high level of design credibility to the table. The cost of service is also much higher and we are sharing more of the fee to get that expertise.” Sustainability has also become a buzzword and is something that is setting firms apart. “It is a common sense approach and our industry is in the process of catching up to that,” Dostert states, adding that this new concept does impact the way architects design projects. “We’re always very cognitive of the cost. It really heightens
T
34 Prairie Business Energy
December 2011
awareness and it changes the way we deliver the design.” What it also means is that architects and engineers have to hire consultants to help with the different strategies. James Galloway, AIA, LEED AP, for JLG Architects in Grand Forks, says his firm is good at managing the design process. “We approach the business side with much more of a strategy than before,” he states. “We need to have a system in place to manage projects.” JLG Architects is a full-service architecture firm with offices in Grand Forks, Fargo, and Bismarck, ND, and Minneapolis and Alexandria, MN. One of the challenges Galloway is noticing is recruiting and retaining talent. “As the rest of the country is not very busy, our area is,” he states. “More outside groups are coming in and going after projects. People we work with know the value that design has. The state of North Dakota has done a good job in keeping the state educated.” As a licensed professional architect who has worked more than 20 years around the country and the world, Crutchfield says one thing that architects and engineers need to understand and respond to is globalization and its impact on local practice. “I would say that there are measured improvements in segments of the economy, but projects may not be picking up as quickly as everyone David Crutchfield, North Dakota State University would like,” Crutchfield comments. “Along with institutional projects, renovation is going to be big for a while. Fortunately, we have some great existing building stock here. As the market begins to pick up, renovations are the first projects that begin to develop. Later, people will start considering new structures.” PB Alan Van Ormer - avanormer@prairiebizmag.com