Polly McGee's speech "ARCHITECTS AS STARTUPS" inspired me.
Her energetic and powerful presentation about setting up in solo practice helped me to imagine my future clearer. I was motivated to start preparing to achive my future vision.
Polly; independent writer, editor, educationist and blogger, came to university of Tasmania for the FutureGrad Workshop on 16th September. The workshop was about alternative possible future career paths for architecture students. Big practice, small practice, or going to solo. Running own company or working as a solo. Working locally, nationally, or internationally. Polly gave us the idea of solo practice through the topics "Why would you do it?""What are the key risks to consider?" and "What are the mitigations?"
Although she showed so much risks to consider, her story of going to solo was very attractive to me. I know I love to engaged people directly and closely. In addition, I have specific area/field I has been interested in and I believe it have/ will have needs. Polly said that solo practice is one of the best ways to communicate to our generation, new needs and aesthetics. It also could create a niche firm and build a brand.
Business, cash flow or insurance could cause head ache on me. So, I tried to imagine my future case every time when she explain about methods of mitigations; "Work out what your strengths are, and look for partners with complimentary skills.""Partnerships are a great option for spreading the risk. Choose partners for your firm that create a supply chain, or work with others in related fields.""Understand you market: if you go niche, what are the needs of your clients, both in a design and relationship sense.""How will you communicate with them, what is your point of difference." etc.....
After all, I has been keen into going to solo from few years ago.
I would like to write down my future vision. I think I'm going to be a solo designer and writer. The field I would work could be whole over the world. My design hopefully achieve sustainable architecture which could heal the environment and people. I also would like to tell stories about the design and people around the world by drawings and essays written in both of Japanese and English. Do you think is it too dreamy? I somehow think it is not impossible. Imagine how I will work 15-20 years later,.. it makes me so happy.
