1 comments about Architect's Essentials of Starting, Assessing and Transitioning a Design Firm (The Architect's Essentials of Professional Practice).

1. Starting your own design firm is a scary proposition. Having a trusted advisor can help make the transition from employee to being your own boss a little less intimidating. Piven and Perkins do just that in this well written book, which covers the essentials--hey, that's what they called it--of starting a firm without getting bogged down in minutiae.
   You'll get some solid advice on planning, financing, and how to handle some of the more delicate issues of starting your own firm--such as how to represent work you did for others when marketing your new business. The book also includes model business plans and a basic (very basic) overview of accounting principles that even an architect can understand. Worth reading if you're entertaining any notions about starting your own shop.

No comments about Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities 2006.

5 comments about Staying Small Successfully: A Guide for Architects, Engineers, and Design Professionals.

1. Clearly, this book is well worth the price for anyone involved in the management or administration of architectural and design firms. The content is comprehensive, relevant and well-written. Numerous examples and lists as well as an extensive appendix make it very easy to apply concepts. The technical aspects of the book are particularly useful and lucid, especially concerning legal and financial topics. Other sections on planning, marketing and managing growth also offer much information and many insights. Overall, the book certainly stays on track about business by focusing on practice management versus project management. Philosophizing about architecture and design and its place in society is kept to a minimum--a welcome relief from many books on this subject.
   
   The sections on human resource topics such as personnel and compensation tend to be slightly oversimplified in the advice offered. The basic information is perfectly adequate. However, a few of the recommendations may not be as universally appropriate as they appear. The information technology section is helpful, but understandably dated since its publication in 2001, at least so far as Internet-based tools are concerned.
   
   Aside from a couple of rather expensive and ponderous AIA publications, few good resources are available on how to manage the business of architecture and design. The book is the best value and most concise option available. Every firm should have a copy in its library.



2. I've found this book a valuable resource in developing a growth and strategic plan for my architectural firm. It is a short book and doesn't waste time in getting right to the point. However, I would like it to elaborate on a few items since my firm is young and I'm inexperienced in business. For those firm principals of small firms that have been in business for many years and are experiencing any trouble with the A/E business, this is a must read. My only complaint is that the section on Information Technology is not current enough. However, any hard copy of a book of this type would have trouble keeping up with the changing technology environment. Take time over a weekend or holiday to read this book!



3. As they said in the Wendy's commercial "Where's the beef?". Don't waste your money or time on this one.



4. This is one of those rare books that offers more than what the cover reveals. Being a fan of Wiley as a business publisher I was first attracted while searching for books on business strategy. This is a bit of a sleeper to me. My business has nothing to do with the target market yet I can safely rate this as a five star based on the excellent content that works in most business environments.

   I like the way the author begins his introduction by taking the reader on a separate pathway that helps shape their personal destiny. His view on breaking from tradition and how being different means being visible aims right at one of the great weaknesses of many professional businesses. He slaps the reader with the realization that they must stand apart from the crowd to be seen in today's frantic world.

   Then he leads you into the planning and strategy chapter where he imparts the need for a defined vision in writing as part of your plan. From there he focuses on servicing the client, hiring right, paying right and not trying to grow too fast. Hence the title --- `Staying Small Successfully.'

   This is excellent sage advice for just about any business I can think of and goes far beyond its intended market. I'm in the online content delivery business and I consider the insight and wisdom within perfect for my business.

   With a few minor changes this could be reissued as 'Growing Your Small Business Successfully.'




5. I stumbled across this book while at a client's office. They had never read it, and what a shame! There are few books written for those that market engineering and design firms. The book tends to talk more about architects than I had expected, but still applies well to designers and engineers. The basic principles are sound and helpful. As an owner of a marketing consulting company, I use the book periodically to get insights on growth, planning, compensation and other issues dealing with the challenges this niche business presents. I highly recommend it.

2 comments about Project Resource Manual (PRM) : The CSI Manual of Practice.

1. I purchased this to study for the CDT exam. It is very complete, but reads (as you'd expect) more like a specification than a textbook. Five stars for completeness, and five stars for cure for insomnia.



2. First off, I'm an architect, so my review is written from that perspective.
   
   This is a great companion to the AIA Handbook. If the AIA Handbook is about running a firm, the CSI PRM is about running a project. An oversimplification, yes, but both books are so dense and full of critical information, no 100 word review could do either justice.
   
   The CD includes many useful references including an overview of MasterFormat and a list of divisions / sections, but does not include the entire MasterFormat "product" (the full MF product includes 95-04 conversion tools and additional documentation).
   
   My only complaint is that the text is so dense it takes a lot of time and energy to absorb all of the information within. :) It's as if they took a 1000 page tome and compressed it into 300 pages. (The product description says 1200 pages, but it's only an inch thick, so I'm guessing 300 pp.)
   
   A must-have for architects who strive to deliver projects in a more expert and professional manner, and wish to more effectively interface with contractors during the construction phase. If you're a pure "designer" or only involved with the front end of projects this will probably stay on the shelf, but if you're responsible for the rest of the process (DD through construction and occupancy) this book is essential.
   
   I can't believe I made it through 6 years of architectural education without being required to own this book.

No comments about Sociopolis: Project for a City of the Future.

1 comments about Leading Residential Architects (Perfect Home, The).

1. A home is, of course, foremost a place to sleep, to eat, and to be you and your family's private place away from the rest of the world. But all this could be accomplished by a warehouse type structure or a few rooms in one of the monolithic vertical warehouses called public housing.
   
   For most of us, a home is far more than that. It's a work of art that shows the rest of the world a bit about us. It may be southern colonial, or western log cabin. It can be ultra-modern, or something that goes back to our foreign roots in Europe, Asia or where ever.
   
   This beautifully illustrated book shows the best of the best in home design in the last few years by a carefully made selection of the best of the best design firms. The homes shown in the pictues do not concentrate on any particular style, indeed some different homes from the same firm show wide variation.
   
   Don't expect to find any little 1,000 square foot homes here, these homes represent the best of today's design, and money could not have been a major criteria in the project.

1 comments about Architect's Essentials of Ownership Transition (The Architect's Essentials of Professional Practice).

1. A terrific overview of the sometimes complex concepts surrounding a change in leadership or ownership of design firms. Lays out the options for a couple of different ways to transfer ownership/leadership and includes case studies that show how different options have been carried out. It's a solid book that talks directly to architects, interior designers and landscape architects. Recommended for anyone being considered for a future leadership role in a firm - and definitely for anyone or any firm getting ready for a transfer of ownership or leadership.

No comments about Architectural Quality Control.

No comments about Integrated Practice in Architecture: Mastering Design-Build, Fast-Track, and Building Information Modeling.

1 comments about Contracts and the Legal Environment for Engineers and Architects.

1. I read this book as a contractor seeking to modify my standard contract to that which would apply to architects and engineers as sub-contractors. This book clearly introduces every aspect of contracts, and amplifies the reasoning behind these aspects using cases and examples. This book is only for those who wish to study and apply these concepts. It has no "templates" or boilerplate contracts. It is very valuable in developing an understanding of what is in construction contracts and why.