Most important element of a consulting architect's role

[Bruce Katona]

Jeff B:

Like the old adage goes, " How can you become a millionaire preacticing landscape architecture  - start with $2 million"!


As I've lameneted, most of my design school peers who have gone on o be succesdful businesspeople, save 1, have morphed into real estate development, construction or the design/buld end of landscape architecture...........the most financiallys successful of my graduating class does design buildout on the East End of Long Island and is very successful.

[Jeff_Brauer]

OK Mark but that wasn't really my question.  I know Brad Klein (for random example) has marketed himself as a gca consultant and I believe he charges clients professional fees.  Can he (or others) make a living do so?  I have no sense that he can but I may be entirely wrong.   

As Mark F notes later on in this thread, most consultants have a specialty that isn't really golf architecture.  Brad is/was history of certain architects, and he later expanded that into helping select architects.  There are irrigation, agronomy, environmental, business, tree, civil engineering, etc.  (The last is usually a local engineer familiar with the various codes.) Of course, there are usually project managers, if not the super, then an outside project management consultant.  That role is often a regional agronomist from the big management companies.  But, as the company taking over the course, they don't make their money from that consulting.  There are some independent consultants in golf project management.  And of course, most projects use contracted golf course shapers to finish the work out and they make a nice living doing that. 

One not mentioned is that there are a few safety consultants out there.  Also, a few Pace of Play consultants and cost estimators (usually part of the project management team.)  The list could probably go on, and I often heard that "the project is being "fee'd to death."

[Jeff_Brauer]

Since it keeps coming up, I looked at my copy of the AiA ethics statement.  It contains "canons" (i.e. broad principles) and then rules.


In the area of obligations to the profession, it notes:


E.S. 5.3 Professional Recognition: Members should build their professional reputation on the merits of their own service and performance and should recognize and give credit to others for the professional work they have performed. Rule Members shall recognize and 5.301 respect the professional contributions of their employees, employers, professional colleagues, and business associates.

I.e., don't sell by badmouthing others.....which rarely works, although we do have a great example of how it has worked right here on this forum!


Also of interest, this clause appears to cover obligations of an architect with the task to make decisions on conflicts.  In ASGCA, this also applies to settling disputes between contractor and owner as the project architect, but this could apply if an owner asked for a second opinion.  Basically, be honest in your opinion even if it differs with the owner who is paying you.


When acting by agreement of the 3.202 parties as the independent interpreter of building contract documents and the judge of contract performance, Members shall render decisions impartially.