S TA RT E R S
“When we let egos shape our environment, we steal from
those we’re designing for that sense of wonder that could only
come from a heightened experience of the smallness of the self in
the face of the sublime.”
When we let egos shape our environment, we steal
from those we’re designing for that sense of wonder that
could only come from a heightened experience of the
smallness of the self in the face of the sublime.
How would you describe the first few months of the
firm? What were the birth pains?
It’s only been a couple of months since we registered
the firm. The timing couldn’t have been more
perfect. We are not too young to be accused of lack of
experience and not too old to be branded as laggards
refusing to adapt to new ways of doing things. Most
of our time now is spent on lead generation. The few
projects we scored are still in the conceptual stage.
Our start-up experience has exposed a gap in our
architecture education. We weren’t taught how to put
up and run a business. Our professional practice courses
are all about marketing. But even marketing involves
more than logos and soundbites.
It’s such a tall order given that many projects and
clients are driven by different sets of values. Is there a
project you would not take?
Being ego-less requires that we do not pass judgment
on our clients nor impose on them our concepts of right and
wrong. That being said, we do not subscribe to relativism.
We believe there are universal values we must uphold with
every building we put on the fabric of society. We would
not be party to a project that would result in inequity and
widen the social divide. These are projects that would displace
people, disturb the social order, damage the ecosystem and
establish barriers to opportunities for people. Discernment can
be difficult but as we go along, the filters will be clearer.
How do you intend to compete in a saturated
market for architecture start-ups? We’ve always
wanted to do ecotourism projects, which we thought
could best represent our philosophy. However, we don’t
want to be pigeonholed to a specific building type like
resorts and hotels.The unique service we’re offering
clients is place branding. We believe the image of a place
doesn’t just exist; it can be created and sharpened through
architecture. Early on, we ask clients how they want their
place to be perceived.
Right now, we’re designing a study café patterned
after co-working offices but for students. The client is a
start-up company owned by friends from college. We
like the project so much we are now considering buying
a share in their company. Projects from friends are the
low-hanging fruits that offer opportunities for us to show
a wider audience what we can do.
What are the biggest challenges in putting up an
architecture partnership?
If fornication is sex without marriage, a business
partnership is marriage without sex. Partnering with
our college friends seemed like a logical choice if only to
ensure team chemistry. The downside is we all belong to
the same circle and share the same skills set. It made more
sense to find partners who could complement the skills
we lack and expand our circle of influence. That’s what
we did, we professionalized this aspect of our business
and got partners who can bring in added value to the
company. Such was the biggest challenge. Dealing with
government bureaucracy came a close second.
While their portfolio is in progress, keep updated with AWE's activities on Facebook and Instagram @architecturewithoutego
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