Office of architects today???

[Mike_Young]

OK after reading the "architects competition thread" was just wondering how many guys are now working either at home or with small offices.  I'll start.
I built a small 1200 sq ft building at the house....keep 1 employee....2 drafting tables, light table,  1 dual 21" screen microstation Cad system...  plotter and 42" wide scanner.

[Tom_Doak]

Mike:  You saw my new office in Traverse City.  Bought an old house and renovated so I could start paying rent to myself.  It's got an apartment upstairs for the interns, and it's a bit bigger than yours -- bigger than we need, really, since most of the crew is on the road most of the time.  But the office is not a bad investment.

I've got 8 employees now, half of whom live in Traverse City, but seven of whom get paid to be on the road.  3 drafting tables, no CAD system ... we sub that work out when we're done playing around in pencil.

[Forrest Richardson]

1986 — 1999 ... An old farmhouse in central Phoenix (c. 1917)

2000 — 2005 ... Office upstairs in residence; caddie shack outside for 1 assistant

March 2006 ... 1200 s.f. Office condo next to a Mexican restaruant; move in is a few weeks

[Ian Andrew]

I'm out of my house with no intention of every doing anything different. I skated with my son all morning - being at home offers some additional advantages beyond keeping costs down.

The only negative is there are too many distractions at times, but my son can now stop when he skates!

[Neal_Meagher]

For the past six years a 300 s.f. cottage out back.  Vaulted ceiling, bathroom, ac.  Like Ian, no intention of overheading myself into an office situation.........but, never say never.  

Like others, I sub out the space-consuming stuff like CAD and ancillary drafting services so the size and separateness from the actual house is highly convenient.

There will always be clients who are wowed by beautiful offices, receptionists and granite conference tables with framed prints of famous golf holes on the wall.  But there will also be clients who seek out a streamlined operation that stresses individuality and personal attention.  Both approaches are valid and needed.

[Bill_McBride]

Dr. MacKenzie said he always wanted to live in a house where he could hit practice shots in the morning in his bathrobe!  Pasatiempo was the place.

To those architects who work at home, how much time do you spend working in your bathrobes?  

Forrest, is the Mexican restaurant any good?

[Tim Liddy]

50 full time marketing staff and 3 production guys.

[Ian Andrew]

Very funny stuff Tim............need a draftsman?

[Brad Klein]

Forrest, has Chewy taken up the old upstairs office?

Most impressive design office I was ever in was Gary Player's. This was 10 years ago, an office in West Palm Beach, the front of a glittering new bank building, all glass, fronting on Donald Ross Blvd, as I recall. Big conference table, photos of the Black Knight everywhere. Splashy color photos the size of posters. Somewhere in the back there were four people scrunched over screens and drawing boards.

[Ron Farris]

Iam not a golf course architect, but I am a golf course designer.  I work in a home office in the Black Hills of South Dakota with a National Forest as my back yard.  I have been running AutoCad for years, but prefer to do hand drawings. I employ no one but do use consulting engineers, etc.  

[Larry_Rodgers]

Old house (1908-1912) renovated more time than it should have been. Single story 2,200 square feet, large open 800 sq ft CAD room for 4 cad stations and 2 GPS processing stations. Small conference room, book keeping and secretarial office, reproduction and plan room and my hide away office on the other end of it all.

The open CAD office works well for the conversations on how data was or was not created. It is amasing to me how some engineering firrms can create such garbage by having 20 or so intern level operaters create lines and circles in so many ways.

The back yard is 200 x 100 with the parking lot and small garage. Water restrictions and surcharges keep the lawn small.
Tom is right that it is nice to pay rent to Larry & Sue's retirement fund rather than "the man".

The lovely city of Lakewood has zoned the property commercial and the taxes have tripled from the residential rates.

[Mike_Young]

Dr. MacKenzie said he always wanted to live in a house where he could hit practice shots in the morning in his bathrobe!  Pasatiempo was the place.

To those architects who work at home, how much time do you spend working in your bathrobes?  

Forrest, is the Mexican restaurant any good?

Bill,
I go to work early in the morning  around 5:30 when I am in the office so I might be very casually dressed but often I use a computer camera for conferencing so I put on a shirt and take down the Elvis painting...

[paul cowley]

...my dining room table with a drawing board atop it except for holidays....a Ford pickup [always] and a 1920's German hutch that houses my computer as a sideline function.
Love Golf Design has a modest but very efficient office that I frequent as well...staffed by the incomparable trio of Pat Shelnutt, John MacKenzie and Victor Galan along with a small dog named Boo.

[Mike Nuzzo]

You can see a picture of my office in my feature interview...
It is separate from my house and above the garage and large for one person.

I'm with Ian - I get more unique opportunites to play with my daughters.

As for most days...
I start late, but don't really ever stop until the next day.
Thankfully no video conferencing.

[Jeff_Brauer]

I have always had an office - from a one room in an executive suite when I started to a regular office at the same address since 1986.  I recently moved across the hall to accomodate a chiropracter who needed more space when I needed less.  I went from about 2200 feet to 1100 sf.

I have one long time employee.  I have no secretary anymore.  My last one had some problems with the math of bookeeping, and it occurred to me that I could get a young accountant in twice a week to do it right thefirst time.  I book my own flights, write my own reports, etc. Saves time anyway.

I started out knowing that the TV at home would be too much of a distraction for me to work.  Now that the internet exists, I have that problem at the office, and when this lease is up, may move back home.

[Forrest Richardson]

Neal — Our new office is beautiful. So is the office manager and her assistant. Six framed prints, plus a Cypress routing plan. And, what is more, the office — I think — is streamlined. I am, however, not an individual. We are working on this.

Bill — The mexican restaurant is Aunt Chilada's. Yes, it is good. I have gone there since the 1970s.

Brad — Chewy will remain at the Mountain House. He is now a whopping 18-inches long and weighs just enough to make up excused not to pick him up. besides, he craps all over the place when you do.

[David_Elvins]

Six framed prints, plus a Cypress routing plan.

MacKenzie or Raynor?

[Forrest Richardson]

William Flynn.


No, seriously. It is my plan view rendering of Cypress, based on the course c. 2002.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Neal — Our new office is beautiful. So is the office manager and her assistant. Six framed prints, plus a Cypress routing plan. And, what is more, the office — I think — is streamlined. I am, however, not an individual. We are working on this.

Bill — The mexican restaurant is Aunt Chilada's. Yes, it is good. I have gone there since the 1970s.

Brad — Chewy will remain at the Mountain House. He is now a whopping 18-inches long and weighs just enough to make up excused not to pick him up. besides, he craps all over the place when you do.

Isn't that the place we went to for lunch?

You forgot to mention my office/bedroom downstairs, just off the entrance!  And yes, Brad, I fight for it with Chewy all the time!

For those of you that haven't seen it, Forrest & Valerie's Mountain House is a site to behold really. I recommend the shrimp boil with blue potatoes picked at with telescopic forks, although the prime rib wasn't too bad either!

[Brad Klein]

I brought my wife to Forrest's home/office for two reasons -

1-Chewy, the African tortoise outside

2-having dinner inside on the bed of an old beat up pick-up truck that serves (refurbushed) as the Richardsons' dining room table.

[Steve Lapper]

Items, presumed to be critical, found in the offices of Kelly Blake Moran:

1) Keg of Stale Beer

2) Assorted U. Texas Memorabilia (kinky devices inc.)

3) Maps of every really aweful site for golf in the world (along with deed records of those owners)

4) Collection of worn-out, field-tested black cowboy boots.

5) Old Kinky Friedman 45's

6) The missing Von Hagge Cape (along with 20 Black shirts)

7) Catalog from Austin ready-to-wear clothier, circa 1968 (no sign of natural fibers exhibited)

One copy of Sammy Davis' Biography: "I Did It My Way."

9) A blind man's cane and braille ad's for golf-trained seeing-eye dogs......

10) Repair manual for 1974 Ford Explorer.

I swear this is more fact that fiction

11) A list of really stupid and braindead potential owners/developers

[Kelly Blake Moran]

Oh boy, more myth making there

One thing about a home office, you get more...well never mind.

[Jerry Lemons]

I am glad to see so many of you guys also are at home in or in small offices.
I started out as a part time designer/ full time Supt so I did work at home with an old 386 Acad 10 system after my first renovation. That 1st project was done by hand and I am thankful to have learned cad as my hand drawings were less than professional looking. Cad changed that for me.

I Kept a home office until 94' and had 1100 sf with 2 ladies.
In 99 I rebuilt part of Old Hickory CC and added a pond to the 3rd and developed it into a par 5 with 10 lots. Built a home  and have it as my backyard. Planned an office in the design

I COULD walk out and practice in my PJ's but the neighbors would think I was even crazier than  I am. I do escape there often but it is not a distraction as I am on the road 80% of the time.
I have a 12 yr old daughter and being at home has helped in those sick/snow/teacher days when she was off from school.

I too do my own cad and reports. My secretary now is my LG cell phone, has been for a long time. I cant image ever changing.

(my wife thinks I have the life of Riley, And I agree)

Jerry

[TEPaul]

"Love Golf Design has a modest but very efficient office...."

Come on Paul, get off it---

I could very easily live in the Love Design offices as my "St Simon Island Semi-In-town TownHouse" and entertain every night quite lavishly, thank you very much!

[Ian Andrew]

Best I ever saw (Hurdzan's was nice - but I think they moved from that one) was John Fought's past office at OB Sports at Langdon Farms (Portland area). The building was based loosely on Augusta's clubhouse and sat looking out onto the 9th and 18th greens. They had a large entertainment area and rooms to stay upstairs. There was more than John's crew, but the setting was the best I've seen.