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BRANCHING OUT TO NEW MARKETS IS BECOMING DE RIGUEUR FOR ARCHITECTURE FIRMS, BUT THERE'S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO GO ABOUT IT.
FLANES, E-MAIL, AND VIDEO CONFERENCING have been making the world smaller for a number of years, and architecture firms have become increasingly global along the way. There are fewer obstacles to designing projects in other cities, or even countries, but many firms still find that having people in the area for a specific large-scale project or for a rash of local work is beneficial. For some, these branch offices are only temporary, but for others, they become permanent fixtures and are an increasingly common way of expanding the business.
While some architecture firms grow at a slow, methodical pace, opening offices when opportunities arise, Nelson, a Philadelphia-based firm, is sprinting ahead to create a worldwide office network by taking over existing firms and running a merged practice out of acquired offices. Each of its current 36 branch offices provides the same design and architecture services for a broad range of clients, from corporate to residential and institutional. "We see the world differently from the traditional model," Nelson president John Nelson Jr. says about the company's aggressive strategy.
A fast-paced takeover strategy is one way to grow a business, but it isn't the only approach. More cautious architects prefer to gradually build a local presence in a new city after first testing the water. Or they set up shop after landing a big project and then pursue other commissions.
For example, Hany Hassan, an architect based in Washington, D.C., was hired in 2000 by Beyer Blinder Belle (BBB), the New York firm that specializes in historic preservation, to open an office in the capital. "There was always a glimpse of opportunity in D.C., so we said, let's build an office by having one person, me, and one project at a time," Hassan recalls. Until that time, Fred Bland, now a BBB managing partner, worked in D.C. a few days a week and commuted from New York. That didn't fit the firm's philosophy of being closely integrated into the city where it builds. "To work in D.C. and live in New York would be against what we believe in," Hassan says.
The pioneer spirit...