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“The process followed by RENAZCA has clearly illustrated that when the private sector, city administration, and academia come together, each in its own way, for place-making and urban transformation, the result is a huge win for Madrid,” says Martha Thorne, Dean of IE School of Architecture and Design.

The selected team will be led by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Gustafson Porter + Bowman, and b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos, in collaboration with consultants whose expertise includes landscape, sustainability, structure, lighting, and circulation modeling. The members of this multidisciplinary team have significant experience in creating innovative urban spaces locally in Spain and around the globe.

The team’s design vision responds to the site’s complexities as well as the unique opportunity to provide much-needed public space in the center of Madrid, welcoming all with diverse programming. Their design will continue to evolve in response to the input of local citizens, businesses, and other community stakeholders.

RENAZCA will set a new benchmark for the city of the future, emphasizing the role of accessibility, open space and sustainability. Pedestrians will be prioritized throughout the newly reconfigured public spaces. At the periphery of the block, vehicular access to underground roadways will be adapted with lushly planted trellis structures to reduce the visual impact of cars. Barrier-free access will replace myriad stairs and ramps found on the site today.

A new network of pedestrian routes and walkways align with key features within and beyond the site, while maintaining important access for emergency and safety services. The pedestrian network connects the site to its urban surroundings and nearby transportation networks, enfolding AZCA into the rest of the city.

In the heart of the district, a new topography with elevated edges forms the “Central Green”- a meadow flexible enough to accommodate a variety of outdoor events, ranging from a 200- to 10,000-person capacity. The Central Green will feature a pair of responsive environmental sculptures: “Permanent Sun” will reflect sunlight onto areas perpetually cast in shadow using an array of pivoting heliostats; while “Permanent Shadow” will provide a consistent area of reprieve from harsh sun, using a hovering 22-diameter disk.

RENAZCA will be a safe and welcoming public space for the entire city, activated with recreational and cultural activities, planned night and day, and across all seasons. The proposal incorporates 15 “Urban Rooms”. Each tailored according to their site conditions to host a unique landscape and program, such as a fresh produce market, children’s playground, open-air library, sculpture garden, cafes and bars, a productive garden, an outdoor co-working space, and perhaps a FabLab. All of this will expand AZCA’s reach beyond those who work and live here to draw all Madrilenians and visitors to this new destination.

RENAZCA will create a biodiverse urban ecosystem, featuring native plantings and a dynamic water feature that recalls old river channels that once crossed through the site. A rainwater catchment and storage system will irrigate the landscape and regulate a sustainably-designed water feature.

Innovative process

A two-stage selection process was implemented to choose the most appropriate multidisciplinary team and the winning proposal. Unique in Spain and in contrast to traditional architecture competitions where the focus is only on a final design, this invited competition sought to identify a multidisciplinary team, urban ideas, and strategies for the challenge at hand.

It involved the support of independent advisers and was planned and facilitated by members of the dean´s office of IE School of Architecture and Design through its Center for Sustainable Cities. Recognizing that architecture is a collaborative effort between the client, architects, and society, the winning team will work closely with stakeholders to develop the project and assure its success.

A new urban landmark

RENAZCA’s proposal marks a milestone in the conception and use of public space not only in the city of Madrid but also establishes an unprecedented series of innovative parameters at a broader level.

The collaboration of private companies in the improvement of public space with a project such as this, places RENAZCA and Madrid at the forefront, internationally, in their understanding of the nature and responsibility of place-making. The long-term commitment of RENAZCA to realize its contribution to “city-making” is unique among its peers.

About RENAZCA

RENAZCA S.A: is the union of some of the companies that own buildings in the AZCA area, which has come together with a common goal: the transformation and revitalization of an urban space that has deteriorated over the years, yet that can be improved and made into a point of reference for the city.

In short, to position AZCA in the heart of Madrid and minds of city residents with five guiding principles: coexistence, sustainability, integration, culture, and attractiveness. The participation of citizens, merchants, and other stakeholders of the area is also an important part of the initiative.

This project seeks the transformation of urban space to open it up to the city and make it “more livable” with a sustainable and connected environment. Madrid will be recognized as even more hospitable to citizens, visitors, existing companies, and future residents by increasing the quality space in the center of the city.

DESIGN TEAM

Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Gustafson Bowman + Porter and B720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos

Local Landscape Architect: Citerea S.L.

Structural Engineer: Valladares

Sustainability: Societat Organica

Quantity Surveyor: Dinmas

MEP: Hoare LEA, FSL

Lighting: Artec3

Space Modeling: Space Syntax

The post Urban Placemaking: RENAZCA Initiates Transformation Azca Financial District in Madrid appeared first on Archipreneur.

In this inspiring interview Barbara shares her key learnings and insights from 40+ years of practicing architecture. Learn how she has build an office environment that encourages people to flourish. How she balacanced work and family life together with her partner and learn about her thoughts on the future of the architectural profession.

Enjoy the interview with Barbara Flammang!

Could you tell us a little about your background?

I grew up in the San Fernando Valley part of Los Angeles, when there were orange groves and lots of wide open spaces. I rode my bike everywhere and built forts out of adobe soil up in the canyons.

My mom always encouraged us to make things and work with our hands. Maybe that’s where my interest in building and design started.

You co-founded Killefer Flammang Architects with Wade Killefer over 40+ years ago. Tell us about your journey as an architect? Are there particular buildings or achievements which are you especially proud of?

Architecture is a cyclical profession, as we all know, and we’ve been through some rough times. But it is by definition an optimistic profession. We build things!

We turn nothing into something or take something and make it even better. And we provide shelter and safety and enjoyment to make our communities better and our cities better. I am proud of creating a firm where people have flourished, done great work, and moved on to start their own firms.

“We turn nothing into something or take something and make it even better.”

I am proud of all of our work. But I am particularly proud of the Lafayette Library in northern California, where a very involved community pushed to accomplish a true community center for the town. And the Los Angeles LGBT Center, where incredible services and housing are provided at the largest LGBT organization in the world.

Can you share your experiences in balancing work and family life as an architect firm owner?

Wade and I decided from day one that we would share time with our children and responsibilities for their care as equally as possible. One of us came home at 5:30 every day, and we alternated days, so that our care-giver could go home to her children.

I am very grateful that we were fortunate enough to have this situation, and were able to make it work. Furthermore, I think that with discipline and the knowledge that you have a finite amount of time to get things done, you can accomplish what you need to.

How have you grown your team and shaped the office culture over the years?

In creating and growing our firm, my guiding principle has always been to create and foster an environment where people can do their best work.

“My guiding principle has always been to create and foster an environment where people can do their best work.”

I’m also convinced that you have to trust and challenge people to believe in themselves. And you have to expect a lot from them. Therefore, they need to know that they are in charge of their success, no one else is.

What are the most successful marketing strategies that help your firm to attract new clients?

Listen to your clients, build their dreams, shaped by you, and they will hire you again.

You are also very involved in supporting opportunities for women in architecture. What changes do you encourage within the architectural industry so that women are equally represented?

Women need to be in leadership positions, pure and simple. It’s happening slowly, incredibly slowly, but that’s the best way for equality to be realized.

Do you have any advice for Archipreneurs who are interested in starting their own company in the built environment?

Take risks, trust yourself and don’t get discouraged if something goes wrong. Learn from your experience at other firms, good and bad.

What are your thoughts on the future of cities and the built environment? How can it improve, and what continues to inspire you?

Despite our recent Covid experience, I think people want to be near one another. Density is invigorating, but there has to be respite from density with adequate open space.

Furthermore, those who are addressing the affordable housing crisis in California through policy change and innovative design and construction solutions are inspiring me.

About Barbara Flammang, FAIA

As a founding partner of KFA, Barbara Flammang has overseen the design and construction of housing and community projects for nearly 40 years, from the adaptive reuse of historic buildings in downtown Los Angeles to the recently completed Los Angeles LGBT Center Anita May Rosenstein Campus in Hollywood.

Barbara was recently elevated to Fellowship by the AIA for leading her firm’s transformative work in downtown Los Angeles’ historic core; and for her inclusive management practices that have tenaciously advanced gender equity and diversity.

She has championed her firm’s achievement of 45-55% female architectural staff, consistently, for the past 34 years. The example set by her steadfast mentoring of young professionals has become an essential part of firm culture, resulting in high rates of licensure.

In addition, she encourages entrepreneurship and proudly acknowledges the successes of alumni of the firm.

Her volunteer work includes past service on the boards of the Los Angeles Conservancy and the Santa Monica Westside YWCA.

The post Barbara Flammang on Creating a Strong and Encouraging Firm Culture appeared first on Archipreneur.

In this interview Patricia shares her pathway to architecture. She talks about her ideas and inspiration of running a medium-sized design firm in the midst of the pandemic. Learn why EYRC choose a holistic project approach as an architecture firm. And read about Patricia’s thoughts on the power of cities as attractors of culture and talent, ideas and dreams.

Enjoy the interview!

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Could you tell us a little about your background?

I grew up in Maryland in a pretty rural area. My parents were Korean immigrants; my mother was a watercolor painter and my dad an orthopedic surgeon.

I like to think that I took traits from both of them—the love of making and drawing and an inborn desire to cut things—which led me to modelmaking and architecture.

I moved to LA from the east coast in 2000. It was a great place to land as a young designer, a big vibrant city full of interesting ethnic neighborhoods, lots of small design firms and lots of opportunities.

You are a partner at EYRC architects. Could you tell us about the firm’s history, approach and specialties?

We are an architectural firm of 45 people with offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Having worked across the globe, EYRC Architects is known for a diverse range of projects from custom homes and courthouses to university projects and community buildings.

“We specifically choose not to “specialize” in a particular project type, and instead we celebrate the diversity in our work and let the “cross pollination” between our different practice areas inspire us.”

We specifically choose not to “specialize” in a particular project type, and instead we celebrate the diversity in our work and let the “cross pollination” between our different practice areas inspire us. This is why we approach projects by diving deep into the culture of a place: the people and the site are critical factors that inform the design.

What recent trends and future developments of workspace design do you see?

With so many people working from home, these times will inevitably shape the future of our workspaces. We are still in the midst of figuring things out. And there is likely to be a process of trial and error, to come up with what works and doesn’t. I’m very curious to see where things land, what people are comfortable with both physically and psychologically.

And how that all works with how much square footage is actually needed in a physical office. And how that works with productivity, team dynamics, workplace wellness. So many Ands! In terms of building, it’s key to have convenient access to the outdoors, and to consider outdoor spaces an extension of the office (for meetings, gatherings, phone calls) now more than ever.

People seem to be more comfortable being closer to the ground and in spaces with operable windows and cross-ventilation. Flexibility is important, because things can change so quickly as we’ve seen.

How have you shaped the office culture over the years?

I love being part of a medium-sized firm. I feel like we are a bit on the edge, a bit scrappier, and have the resources and diverse opinions of a larger group. Office culture has always been a hallmark of the studio. And while we have some traditions like summer barbeques on the patio and in-house pecha kuchas, it’s constantly evolving with ideas from our amazing and spirited staff.

What are the most successful marketing strategies that help your firm to attract new clients?

The key to a successful project and establishing a solid track record for future work is having a strong relationship built on trust and respect with our clients, partners and peers.

You are also a founding Co-Chair of the AIA Los Angeles Women in Architecture committee. Could you tell us about your work there? And the power and opportunities of being a woman in the industry right now?

I was one of the founding Chairs when we started the committee in 2016. In addition to planning for the annual AIA LA / WiA Powerful Conference, the chairs all head up different events throughout the year. WiA brings together women in the industry whether for mentoring, networking, coaching or sharing experiences.

It has been wonderful to bond with and learn from women leaders like Rosa Sheng, Carol Wedge, Carol Burns and Justine Clark, across the country and halfway round the world.

What are your thoughts on the future of cities and the built environment? How can it improve, and what continues to inspire you?

It’s such an odd time right now, being in the midst of the pandemic. You hear of people leaving NYC, picking up and moving to the Midwest or to their second homes in remote areas. I still believe in the power of cities as attractors of culture and talent, ideas and dreams. Maybe as a child of immigrants I’m naturally more attracted to the endless, limitless, multicultural nature of cities, and I can’t imagine a world without vibrant ones.

“I still believe in the power of cities as attractors of culture and talent, ideas and dreams.” – Patricia Rhee

Our cities are melting pots, refuges, and “safe places” for our diverse communities. In terms of improving cities (namely LA)—homelessness and the lack of affordable and workforce housing should be prioritized at State and City levels. There should be incentives that encourage greater density and developers to build housing at the middle part of the spectrum, not just the extremes.

My family and I visit Tokyo and Seoul quite often. And once there, we quickly adapt to living in uber dense environments. I marvel at how living vertically is the standard for the majority of the population—one’s identity of house, home, front door and private outdoor space is completely different than what one might have in LA. I also love that taking public transportation and walking is an integral part of most people’s lives. It would be great to see that here in LA someday.

About Patricia Rhee, FAIA, DBIA

Patricia Rhee is a Partner at Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects, where she has practiced for 20 years.

Patricia received her Master’s degree in Architecture from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design and her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She is the recipient of the 2017 Culver City Women in Business Council’s Visionary Award and was a Founding Co-Chair of the AIA Los Angeles Women in Architecture committee.

Her firm received the 2015 National AIA Firm Award, one of the industry’s highest honors. Patricia has served as Partner in Charge and Lead Designer for several of the firm’s most notable projects. Including The Culver Steps, the John M. Roll Federal Courthouse and The Press Adaptive Re-Use.

Her project experience ranges from civic to institutional and commercial developments of all scales and multiple delivery methods including design-build. She has lectured internationally, most recently at University of Melbourne’s School of Design where Parlour co-hosted the Transformations: Actions in Equity symposium.

Read more female architect interviews:

Design for Life: How to Balance Your Creative Practice

The Future of Architectural Education & The Pritzker Prize in a Globalized World

The Social Reactor: How KOGAA Transformed a Factory into Their Own Creative Hub

The post Celebrating a Holistic Project Approach and Diversity in Architecture with Patricia Rhee appeared first on Archipreneur.

In this interview Elvira Muñoz shares her thoughts and ideas on the challenges and opportunities in times of the current crisis. She believes that this is the moment to redesign the existing spaces and buildings in order to design resilient spaces that adapt to the unforeseen future of disruption and change.

Enjoy the interview!

Could you tell us a little about your background?

I discovered my passion for the fine arts early on, together with ballet and other dancing disciplines. But before shifting into that direction I studied 3 years of Agricultural Engineering, because I love nature and growing and nurturing things.

After these studies I became a dance teacher and started exploring the possibilities of redefining my professional life and discovered Interior Design, which appealed to me because it unifies creativity and graphic communication, with some technical disciplines (not too many, I had had enough of those in my engineering years!), focused on providing a service to people which, I understood, required communication skills, empathy, and humbleness: Interior Designers are a tool at the service of the client, translating its dreams and expectations into livable places that reflect their personality.

After a few years of independent practice and living abroad (The US, Italy), in the year 1998 I joined DEGW in Madrid. Soon I discovered that having a research, benchmark and interaction with client’s methodology allowed me to be a better designer: “Research, Strategy, Design” or “Design for Change” were the 2 mottos of DEGW which I deeply believed in.

The moment I discovered that this was the place where I belonged, they discovered my abilities and was appointed director of ID. Then became a shareholder and partner in 2003 and have remained loyal to the group and its beliefs during the crisis and our acquisition by AECOM. Since 2019 I am Director of Interior Design and Studio Lead for the EMEA region.

I have also been teaching at the Master in Strategic Design at IE since the year 2013 and was appointed its director in 2019. As you can read, 2019 was my year!

You are the Director of EMIA Interior Design Practice Leader at AECOM. What are the common problems and challenges of your clients and how does your consulting unit help to solve them?

The constantly rapidly changing situations and the continuous challenges pose always a big challenge on everyone. Taking decisions that are relevant and meaningful and not just doing what others do, but later, is always the key.

In relationship with Real Estate, the decisions always imply an important investment not only in the rental or acquisition of square meters, but also in technology and equipment.

Since the real estate market is focused on the developers, land owners and landlords, and not in the tenants and end users, those decisions prove themselves quite difficult.

We need to understand the sector our client is in, how fast changing it is, how change ready their organization is, how much they understand the impact of implementing what they say are their expectations and helping them articulate their dreams.

That is common everywhere in the world. In our case, since we operate in such a vast and diverse region, the challenges are constant and everchanging.

But that is what makes the job dynamic and fun: our projects are not rocket science, but understanding our different types of clients and delivering their aspirations and dreams anywhere in EMEA, on time and on budget… that is thrilling and makes you learn each day.

What are your thoughts on digitalization and the workspace, especially in current times of COVID-19. How will this affect the future of the workspace?

My key messages are these:

We have already been confined 2 months and we are all:

1. Experiencing the impact of our interior spaces in our Mental and Physical Health.

Health and well-being need to be considered wholly, including: intellectual, physiological, social, material & spiritual, mental & emotional well being.

The result of designing for all aspects of well being is larger than the sum of its parts. At MSD we will teach you how to design focusing on well being holistically.

Remember: people with ill mental health take 62% longer to do tasks

2. Acknowledging that we have adapted to situations we couldn’t have predicted thanks to being RESILIENT.

Resilience is the key attribute to get through confinement. (Resilience: the ability to absorb a shock and recover the previous condition or come out better).

Our future spaces will need to be more resilient, providing us with solutions for unforeseen crises, like the one we are experiencing.

3. We are all longing to “go back to normal” by which we mean, being physically with our teams, even though we are being able to work remotely, stay engaged, and build TRUST in the distance.

Humans need social contact to grow, learn, stay engaged, blossom,..This implies having a physical space that provides identity and sense of belonging.

Organizations will need to re design all their workspaces to provide a sense of belonging: office space, virtual spaces, home office spaces.

4. Aware of the impact of our human actions on the ENVIRONMENT: Cities’ air is cleaner; the oceans’ and the rivers’ waters are transparent, acoustic pollution has decreased…

Do we really want to go back to normal, exactly as it was before? No, we need to take this opportunity to redesign our culture, our behavior, the use of the natural resources.

We need to design from the inside out: from our the mentally and physically healthy interiors to the outside; to reflect the new more respectful culture on the outside shape of our buildings, streets, cities…

5. Acknowledge that we value the physical space more and understand that INTERIORS are critical for our mental health and wellbeing.

The key approach is the constant review and re-adaptation of ALL spaces and infrastructures to ensure social distancing and healthy environments:

at home, the workplace, the hospitality sector, the commuting systems…

Including the installations, to allow more fresh air flow cleaner environments. This means RENEWAL and upgrading of all the infrastructures.The new focus is around comfort about perceived safety

What are the recent trends and future developments of workspace design? Could you tell us more about “New Ways of Working”?

The recent trends all need to be reviewed and adapted to this new situation.

Instead of trends, let me suggest thinking about approaches to our staggered return to the office and to a phased redesign:

• I suggest reconsidering FIRST the reasons WHY we need to go back to the office. List the actions and tasks that need to take place physically at the office and with your team. The list will be filled with collaboration, ideas and knowledge sharing tasks, innovation, kicking off projects and social interaction
• The list of tasks that can still be performed individually and remotely will likely be production work, repetitive work, concentration work, confidential work
• Teams, disciplines or projects should then gather and decide frequency of these F2F meetings, length, number of people attending ad type of setting
• Once every team has done the list, the FM team should organize the weekly schedule of F2F gatherings at the office, ensuring a low number of employees simultaneously
• And adapt the office space to the type of settings teams have defined, where possible

After the first month (or 2 months) there should be a review of what works and what doesn’t and improvements need to be implemented.

In the following 3-6 months the workspaces should keep readapting to the new needs.

Analyzing the tasks and actions that need to take place physically at the office and designing accordingly is what the activity based workplace design trend was all about….and it is still valid!

What do you think about the role of architects and designers in society today? How can architects better communicate their value and help to develop a more human centric, resilient and meaningful built environment?

Now that we have realized that our previous formulas are not fully valid any longer, architects and designer need to start re designing and adapting all our physical spaces.

I suggest starting from the inside out:  from readapting the interiors of our homes, our workspaces, our social spaces….learn from what works and what doesn’t and open the social conversations about the new cultural trends and its impact on the urban design.

What are the most successful marketing strategies at AECOM that help your firm to attract new clients?

This is a cliché, but staying close to them; rethinking strategies with them, providing solutions thinking out the box and suggesting phased and staggered improvements to their projects.

We sit together with the client and communicate much. I would say it is the time for CO CREATION and joined efforts.

Do you think that consulting work is something that architects should explore more especially in the first phases of projects?

ABSOLUTLY.

A first phase of consulting for a designer/architect should be as vital as the first conversations are to a great doctor with his/her patient. They don’t jump into conclusions only by seeing them and the results of their analysis and write a recipe. They ask questions, observe, listen, engage, understand, measure to do the diagnosis. And then provide a solution for their situation that is bespoke and adapted to the specific needs of the patient.

This is what consulting does to a project: it brings you closer to your client and then, together you do CO CREATION. (Futher reading: The Social Reactor)

Design is not applying some recipes or formulas that have proved themselves successful before. Nor is it receiving data and requirements and applying them mathematically. It is all about empathy, knowledge sharing and CO CREATION.

You are the Director of the Master in Strategic Design of Spaces. What are the main skills young designers should learn in your opinion?

Creativity
Observation
Curiosity
Criteria
Empathy
Critical Thinking
Teamwork and collaboration, F2F and remote
CO CREATION
Decision taking
Communication, verbal and illustrative
Prioritization
Trustworthiness
Constant updating of knowledge
Love for arts and Nature: if you follow the rules of nature, you cannot of wrong

What are your thoughts on the future of architecture and the built environment? How can it improve, and what are the major opportunities?

This crisis has provided us with a unique opportunity of going leaner and rethinking what we really need and what already exists. For a while I would like to have teams rethinking the future of our buildings, our cities, our streets, our shopping centers….and how to adapt them to our new, healthier and safer needs.

I believe this is the moment to redesign the existing spaces and buildings and providing them with a more meaningful future, designing resilient spaces, that adapt easily to unforeseen future disruptions and changes.

About Elvira Muñoz

Elvira Muñoz joined DEGW (now, Strategy Plus, a strategic business practice within AECOM) in 1998. And has been leading the Consultancy and Design team since 2000.

With her recent client, Telefonica, she was responsible for the consolidation of five business units involving the move of more than 12,000 employees to a new 150.000 m2 campus. While working with Garrigues, the largest law office in Europe with more than 1,000 lawyers, she managed the consultancy and interior design services for the new headquarters. She is currently leading projects for Cisco Systems in Madrid, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Google.

Elvira Muñoz has been actively involved in the development and implementation of “New Ways of Working”. And also been part of the international team for the European Commission supported research project “SANE”. Sustainable Accommodation for the New Economy, which explores the implications of the distributed workplace.

Elvira Muñoz has worked directly with the Secretary General of Universities of the Spanish Ministry of Education for the last four years. To develop, “Social Spaces for Learning”, demonstrating that interstitial and unprogrammed spaces for meeting are crucial in the university learning experience.

The post Designing Resilient Spaces and Rethinking Strategies with Elvira Muñoz appeared first on Archipreneur.

In this article you will learn why it is important to implement effective marketing tools for your architecture firm website. Always with an aesthetic approach in mind of course…

The Typical Architecture Firm Website

What image do you have in mind when you think about the typical architecture website?

The common architecture websites we usually see are typically portfolio websites which are project- and image-focused. They are often certainly beautiful (if they are designed well) and have a minimal approach. Usually they are structured in a gallery style and do not have a lot of text descriptions.

Now this is definitely a bit of a stereotypical description. But it is very common that architecture firm websites use some kind of image grid or project overview directly on their homepage.

And do not get us wrong here. We love architecture firm websites in terms of the design and how they look. But the problem with these kinds of websites is that they are not very effective in terms of the user flow and lead generation.

To put is simply, architecture firm websites simply do not convert. Which means they are not leading the user to a clear next step.

The Typical Marketing Website

On the other extreme there are the websites from the world of digital marketing. And when we think of these websites you will probably picture the following characteristics.

In this industry you see a lot of very sales focused websites. They use bold and wordy marketing language, trying to sell products to the visitors. But let’s look at the positive side. What these websites usually do very well is that they guide the user to the next steps because they are well-structured and conversion optimized.

They might not be as aesthetic as architecture websites but what these “marketing websites” do really good is to craft a targeted website experience.

Craft a Targeted Website Experience

In today’s digital age you need to differentiate yourself from the competition. And your architecture firm website is your number one marketing tool. It is your 24/7 business card and usually the first touch point with your firm for prospective clients.

So that is why you should guide your visitors to discover your website the way you want them to. Because this enables you to design a very targeted website experience that works best for the specific client you want to attract.

Effective website design for architecture firms

When done correctly you can help visitors who land on your website to:

• Easily identify what your practice is about, what you do and
• How you can provide your visitors with solutions to their problems; and
• How they can engage with your business by figuring out where to take the next step,

…because if your visitors don’t know what the next step is, they’ll probably leave without taking any actions. And next action steps could be to visit a project case study, your service offering page, download a guide, watch an informational video, sign up to a newsletter series or submit their contact details.

This is why effective web design is all about making your website easy to use and navigate. It allows you to steer your visitors’ focus to things you want them to pay extra attention to.

Combining Aesthetics and Marketing

But as Archipreneur is created by architects for architects we know how our profession thinks and we also value the aesthetic approach we have towards websites. And we also understand how much we want to showcase our beautiful projects.

So the Archipreneur concept towards modern architecture firm websites really is to combine “Aesthetics” and “Marketing” and take the best from the both worlds:

We want to take the:

• Aesthetics and minimalism from architecture firm websites and
• Combine this with the tools, techniques and structure of marketing websites

So our outcome should be beautifully designed websites. Which also incorporate all effective marketing tools to improve the user experience and also to reach our goals, like:

Objectives of your architecture firm website

• Getting new clients
• Communicating our work (Also read: Content Marketing for Architects)
• Building a brand
• Creating a lead funnel
• Growing our practice
• Automising processes

Your website should really work hard for your firm and bring in new leads and connect with your prospective clients so that you can focus on the fun part: designing and planning buildings.

To help you with this we have created a new course on the building blocks of effective website design for architects…

The Building Blocks of an Effective Architecture Firm Website

The “Building Blocks of an Effective Website” course focuses on the crucial aspects and elements of modern, lead generating websites. You will learn how to structure your website that it guides your visitors to discover your website the way you want them to. And you will also learn all the elements that you should integrate in order to build an effective architecture firm website.

We’re going to be covering:

• Why the typical architecture portfolio website is losing business
• The fundamentals of an effective website
• How to combine aesthetics with marketing
• The 12 crucial elements every homepage should have
• The most important pages of your studio website
• How to create a lead generating structure
• In each lesson we go through a wireframe template and
• Real life case studies of well-structured and designed architecture websites.
• and a lot more…

The course is available inside the Archipreneur Academy.

Join here and start your digital marketing strategy today

The post Architecture Firm Website: Finding the Right Balance Between Aesthetics and Marketing appeared first on Archipreneur.