Walking on Eggshells - Avis employé Employé (anonyme) InterSpec Design

Worked at InterSpec for almost 10 years before moving on to pursue other interests. * small-medium sized firm, opportunity to learn and contribute in all phases of a project from business development through post-occupancy and consulting * owner is passionate about product and customer service * leadership cares about staff both in and outside of the office * philosophy is to work, but they know how to have fun as well * work/life balance is core * worked on several projects where owner consulted staff about capacity before taking on demanding projects. Owner passed premium billing directly to project teams executing the work and instituted both profit sharing and bonus during years where it was feasible. * Ability to stretch beyond current capabilities and knowledge was open and only bounded by your desire to enter uncomfortable zones * Management runs a strong lean efficient practice * Management allowed some design competition time during normal billable hours

* small company, so little flexibility in managing staff resources. If workload increased, everyone had to do more so we didn't have to carry extra staff for when times got lean * Didn't get opportunity to work on prestigious complex intensive commissions. All projects I worked on were < $30M * Not known for design prowess

I have worked for InterSpec Design during two separate times in my career. The first occasion was right out of college and the second, and current time, is after moving onto a larger corporate architecture firm. I value the experiences I gained as a young architect out of college working for a small firm (InterSpec) after seeing in larger firms that younger staff are sometimes pigeoned holed into tasks. The younger studio staff at InterSpec is encouraged to take ownership of their projects and what they are passionate about around the office to foster a sense of pride and respect of the company and the projects we do. Staff gains valuable professional experience by being involved in all aspects of an architecture project, including the following: - Proposals - Scheduling - Schematic design - Programming - Design development - Construction documents - Construction administration - Project management The studio environment at InterSpec is demanding due to schedule deadlines and expectations of projects being issued that represent the standards of the company and what the clients expect. This demanding environment is offset by a family atmosphere that has been fostered by management to truly care for each employee and take a vested interest to help further develop employee’s professional education and training to become the next leadership group of InterSpec Design.

I miss the size and complexity that projects from certain market sectors presented at a larger corporate architecture firm, but I do not miss the corporate culture of all work and no life, worry about your professional future and you were just a number.