#203: THE DESIGN ROUNDTABLE ASSEMBLES

As a young architect, I didn’t find much mentorship, collaboration or community—nor much support, professionally or personally. Perhaps it was the roaring 80s and sluggish 90s, and the invasive competitive nature of our industry—the egos and ambition. Yes, even an architect of merely 25 years can carry an entitled, though misguided, bulk of arrogance.

Not long ago, I looked at my cohorts, and simply thought this: We are colleagues, not competitors. Based on this, I founded the Design Roundtable.

The Design Roundtable is an evolving forum of architects, a consortium that meets regularly to share industry insights, successes, even battle scars. Through communication and camaraderie, we build a community.

Realizing that our local heroes—Gehry, Mayne, Moss, etc.—are aging (Gehry is 95 and still practicing?!), the members of the Design Roundtable are the likely future of the industry. We are now the adults in the room. And “with great power comes great responsibility.”

For participants, my criteria is two-fold: design leader and business owner. The Design Roundtable, as the first word in the name states, is for Design Principals, Design Directors and CDOs—creative voices that drive the profession.

A participant must also own their company. For better or worse, an employee, even a senior one, will rarely understand the pressures upon a business owner, from putting up savings when payroll is not met to personally guaranteeing the office lease, from hiring and firing to ownership transitions, or from salary reviews to shuttering the studio.

Our group includes executives from mom-pop boutiques, medium-size studios, and corporate-y big names. Quarterly, we meet over pizza to discuss a myriad of topics. We begin our gatherings with a brisk roundtable discussion of diverse ice-breaking topics.

• Name something you like/dislike about being an architect.
• What advice do you have for your younger self?
• What is your architectural super power?

We then embark on an in-depth examination around a single theme per gathering.

• business development, marketing and social media 
• ambition, mission statements and measuring success
• economic forecasts and networking

Members have often commented on the unintended but effective “therapy session” atmosphere—a “safe space.” The sharing offers a talk-therapy vibe, and yes, architects like to talk. Most are extroverted and not shy—and debates can arise. Such is the nature of our community, though grand standing is not. After all, our members are all prominent architects with award-winning portfolios, glowing client references and degrees from notable universities. No need for architectural braggadocio.

We use the acronym, DRt, with a lower case “t.” “Roundtable” as one word means a “forum of peers,” whereas “Round Table” as two words means a table that is round in shape. I didn’t want our acronym to be just DR, as in doctor.

A line from the 2015 movie, Green Room: “And remember…this is a movement, not a party.”