Lecture Review: The small, successful practice by Walker Simpson Architects

The Variable Fortunes of Practice / The Small Successful Practice, How Do You Keep It That Way?
Lecture by John Walker at The Manchester School of Architecture on 21st October 2008

Lecture brief:
The variable fortunes of practice. You have never known a recession – yet! How will you exist if the present one occurs? How do you organise the flow of work so as to maintain all the staff and pay your bills on time? What is the ideal size of office?

About the Lecturer:
Walker Simpson Architects, 33 Piccadilly, Manchester M1 1LQ Tel: 0161 2287406
Web: http://www.walkersimpson.com/
Our principle aim is to work with pioneering clients who wish to commission architecture that will inspire people and contribute to a progressive and sustainable future. We listen to our clients' needs and maintain a commitment to thoroughly understand and interpret each project brief. We produce effective and affordable solutions that meet each project's design criteria and bring added value through the flair and imagination of our studio. We are involved in a broad range of work; from sustainable civic buildings that generate their own energy, through to individual projects for private clients. We also act as Client Design Advisor providing critical analysis on more than £1/2 billion of government initiatives such as Building Schools for the Future (BSF). We have experience in the refurbishment and new build of many building types including work with English Heritage and gaining Listed Building Consents. Through our commitment to reducing carbon emissions, we are researching and developing long-term strategies for zero carbon designs, on-site energy generation and positive carbon innovations. This direction has been recognised through a number of regional and national awards for sustainability and design excellence.

Lecture powerpoint presentation

Lecture Review:
The practice was established in 1999 by John Walker and Aidan Simpson. John subsequently bought-out Aidan’s holding to lead the practice.
Architects are, compared to Doctors and Lawyers, are more at risk to the recession. BD magazine states that 1 in 5 architects will fail in this recession.

Post-boom era

• If no-one is lending, then no-one is borrowing
• If no-one is borrowing, then no-one is building
• If no-one is building, then no-one is designing

Two forms of development

• Public sector – funded by taxes
• Private sector – funded by loans and investment

Why this is important

• Without fees, there is no income
• Without income there are no salaries
• Without salaries there are no jobs

Businesses need an unique selling point, Walker Simpson’s USP is

• Sustainable design excellence
• Education (they were in the right sector and the right time)
• Regeneration (local projects, local service)
• Carbon Neutral (visitors centre in the midlands that will open shortly)

WSA’s Business setup:

• Started as two people, now more than twenty
  1x director
  1x practice manager (non-architect, an overhead)
  3x associates (1x technician, 1x sustainability architect, 1x design architect)
• Balance of business, and technical knowledge and expertise
• No debt with a strong cash-flow
• Cash is king, old business maxim that is no more relevant than today
• Importance of team

WSA team structure:

• Single studio
• Single structure
• Fluid teams
• All-round architects
• No contract staff and no divisions
• Everybody aware of everybody’s projects
• Everybody is encourage to help everybody else

WSA project types/roles:

• Regeneration
• Education
• Leisure
• Libraries
• Residential
• Sustainable (applies to all sectors)
• Client design advisor
• Work with CABE on the BSF programme

East Manchester Academy (was going to be the academy of the built environment)

• School, sixth form and public library
• Regeneration of the whole area
• Interviewed the head master and community leaders
• Use of the building by the local community
• Create pride for the users
• The ability to see activities from the pavement
• The whole built environment education onsite, from studio to site
• “creativity being more important than literacy”
• Schools are only used 13% of the hours in a year, by utilising the community facilities they have managed to treble this figure.
• Convinced client that building would be secure by respect, rather by design (i.e. shutters)

Key Issues:

• Range of projects in a range of sectors
• Spread of clients
• Happy team
• Limit debt
• Create great architecture
• Track and understand social, economic and environmental trends

Payments

• Small and regular invoices
• Claim invoices early (test the client)
• Keep an eye on future payments

Questions and Answers:

• Has working with a client design advisor resulted in more work? Yes, there are advantages to being close to clients and funding bodies.
• How does a practice leap from a small residential extensions business to commercial and state schemes? Element of luck, it only takes one project to make that step up. Experience can be bought by hiring new staff with those skills. Consider working as a subsidiary to a large firm to can experience.