Architecture & The City Festival

We were pleased to serve last evening on a panel of architects who were asked to speak on the experience of launching a firm. The discussion, entitled "The “Free Solo” Practice – How Architecture Entrepreneurship Strengthens Communities", was part of AIA SF's 2019 Architecture and the City Festival and was organized by Elisabeth Sporer of SOarch and hosted in the beautiful second-floor offices of Zetta Ventures. Aside from Tiffany Redding of FOG Studio, the other architectural principals speaking were Rob Zirkle, founder of brick, and Matt Bowles, cofounder of AMLGM.

An intimate round-table setup made for an enjoyable evening as we answered questions from young architects interested in starting their own practice: about partnerships, public vs. private clients, finding work, strategizing for growth, recruiting talent, managing cash flow, and balancing work-life responsibilities. We thought the selection of panelists was particularly interesting, since the three firms represented offered quite different takes on size, scope and goals of an architecture firm. Going by the questions and comments we received from attendees afterwards, we believe this panel provided information and inspiration to those about to take the plunge (or climb the cliff)!