When to Cut a Project Loose

Sometimes a project comes your way that seems to be a great opportunity. At first glance, it seems too good to pass up.

Maybe the project is in a really high visibility area, say, on Charlottesville's Main Street, or there’s a lot of local buzz surrounding it. Perhaps it's a project that’s branching your company into a market sector that you, as an Architect, have a lot of experience in.

And, by golly, this is your time to really flex your design skills!  

All of your initial meetings go well. The Designer and the Owner seem like a good fit for each other. Then, the design effort starts in earnest.

But then, subtle changes start happening. Much like boiling a frog (only you're the frog!) Slowly, you begin to realize the Owner is not living up to what was agreed to. They are slowly changing your design. There are numerous reasons this can happen, including:

1. The Owner has a friend that starts advising them, even though they aren't designers. This new advisor's aesthetic choices are….interesting. Since they have quite a history together, the Owner goes to the friend instead of the Architect. After all, the friend's advice is free.

2. Once they realize the cost associated with design, the Owners just want to do the bare minimum to complete their project, and they shun every design idea you have.

3. You notice you no longer really have conversations. Instead, orders are given and the Owners are so adversarial that the project gradually becomes an endeavor you no longer want your name on.

Either way, it starts becoming apparent that this project that originally seemed so promising, might actually hurt your company instead of boost it.

As the Architect, or a designer, what will people think of your design skills if the project ends up looking terrible, because the client decided to go their own way to minimize your design fee?

Or, their contractor friend cut major corners and didn't consult the architect?

Or, maybe worst of all, the project gets mired in the legal process because of a finnicky line in the contract?

As the Architect, sometimes it's worth it to protect your own reputation and just cut a project loose.

Not every project works out, and that’s okay.

Sometimes projects work out so well that they become a gem in your portfolio. Sometimes, though, they’re just meant to be learning experiences, and nothing more.