It’s Often Said That a Lawyer Who Represents Himself Has

WHO REPRESENTS HIMSELF HAS A FOOL FOR A CLIENT. Too often, the same sentiments can be applied to architectural firms who undertake the design of their own offices. There are too many “experts”—and perhaps even worse, the firm knows that it will ultimately be judged by potential clients on the success of the project. To overcome potential problems, Flad & Associates, a 175person architectural engineering firm headquartered in Madison, WI, selected a specific design team from within the firm to work on the project. At the same time, Ralph Jackson, who is now the president of the firm, acted as the “owner’s representative,” with all direction channeled through him. The design process began with a facilitated planning workshop, the goal of which was to develop a vision and identify specific goals for the facility. The workshop drew on the firm’s skills in planning, designing and managing facility environments and selected four primary goals for the new facility: ✓ to create a welcoming atmosphere; ✓ to facilitate multi-discipline project teams; ✓ to stimulate creativity and communication; and ✓ to visually represent the firm’s beliefs and design philosophy. In what can be considered a model exercise, the design team involved all of Flad’s employees through the use of questionnaires and a “display wall.” The display wall was particularly important and allowed all firm members an opportunity to comment and provide input to design options and criteria as they evolved. Because it is at the