AIA New York State's 2017 Spring Quarterly Jane Smith's Byline

ARCHITECTURE NEW YORK STATE

ARCHITECTURE NEW YORK STATE

SPRING 2017

CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ISSUE: // BEYER BLINDER BELLE // ASHLEY MCGRAW ARCHITECTS, D.P.C. // SPACESMITH // FOGARTY FINGER ARCHITECTURE //

NON-TRADITIONAL PRACTICE & PRACTICES ISSUE

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CONTENTS

2

A Message from Our President and Executive Director

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Inventing the What, Where, and Why: Strategic Thinking in Design and Planning

By Neil P. Kittredge, AIA, AICP, Partner, Director of Planning & Urban Design and Rayna Huber Erlich, AIA, LEED AP, Senior Associate, Beyer Blinder Belle

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Bringing Value Beyond the Building: The Importance of Sustainable Schools in Upstate Communities By Edward McGraw, AIA, LEED AP, and Nicole Schuster, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, CPHC, Ashley McGraw Architects, D.P.C.

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Architects Enrich Clients Bottom Line

By Jane Smith, FAIA, Founding Partner, Spacesmith

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Volunteerism as an Architect: Becoming the Client By Chris Fogarty, AIA, Founder, Fogarty Finger Architecture

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Legislative Update

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AIANYS: Publicly Edvocating for the Profession By Paul McDonnel, AIA, Vice President of Public Advocacy

>> Front Cover: Photo courtesy of Beyer Blinder Belle Are you interested in contributing? Contact Editor, Nick Isaacs, at nisaacs@aianys.org for more information

SPRING 2017

ARCHITECTS ENRICH CLIENTS BOTTOM LINE

By Jane Smith, FAIA, Founding Partner, Spacesmith

Going beyond cultural and experiential enrichment, here’s a story about using architectural skills to return millions to the owner’s bottom line. >> Can architects bring value beyond orchestrating the poetic applications of brick and mortar? Evidence shows it’s happening. From our firm’s perspective, much of tomorrow’s work is about assisting clients with business decisions and real estate strategy.

This service line is growing at many firms globally, even as we continue to pursue rewarding design commissions. Similar to a McKinsey & Co. consultant or a financial auditor, the strategic planner’s role is to critically analyze facilities and real estate in relation to the physical space and processes that are the client’s This cuts against the grain of standard understanding. lifeblood. The engagements are usually processA common conception of architects conjures the focused rather than project-based -- in other words, mythical outsider, that guerrilla professional who the strategic evaluators swoop in for a targeted visits the client and shepherds the person or group need. Often the architecture firm is part of a bigger along, creating some tension along the way and team, working alongside other disciplines with perhaps a built work that depletes an earmarked complementary skills for a period of time ranging budget. Yet many architects take an approach that from months to years. transcends those occasional interlopers and instead their firms become trusted advisors to their clients As an example, Spacesmith served on a squad of on real estate related matters beyond design and carefully (and competitively) selected consultants construction. as part of the State’s Savings and Government Efficiency (SAGE) Commission to undertake a study Firms like Spacesmith are expanding our purview of the State’s real estate management practices as strategic planners and trusted advisors who help and organizational structure. The goal? Find ways owners, companies and institutions make missionto sensibly reduce costs, improve real estate critical decisions about real estate management and stewardship, and maximize value and return. facilities practices. >> continued on next page

>> Photos courtesy of Spacesmith

SPRING 2017

>> Photo courtesy of Spacesmith

>> Photo courtesy of Spacesmith

ARCHITECTS ENRICH CLIENTS BOTTOM LINE

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To achieve the goal, the Division of Budget entered into a contract with United Group Limited Equis Operations (UGL) to establish a strategic approach focusing primarily on managing, occupying, and procuring agency office space. Spacesmith served as the architecture sub-consultant to UGL on the contract. Based on the team’s findings and analyses, among other achievements, new state workplace standards with recommendations for programming, strategic planning, product delivery were adopted, and a restacking initiative for State owned and leased buildings was undertaken.

How did it happen? First of all, the Division of Budget and the Office of General Services worked closely with UGL and Spacesmith to analyze current practices, interview constituents across numerous agencies, supply data, and provide feedback to recommendations and findings along the way.

Second, it takes a hardnosed plan with real-world, yet lofty goals.

Ours focused on efficiency and cost savings, to include a restacking of state workplaces but only after we established a “strategic approach focusing primarily on managing, occupying, and procuring agency office space,” as the state Comptroller’s office put it.

This was a bit more complex than simply orchestrating office moves. To achieve the highest immediate impact, the team focused on Albany and New York City, the urban centers with the largest office portfolios. The strategic analysis led to some consolidation and some reassigned space, always with an eye to improving work conditions while boosting adjacencies and efficiencies. Total estimated cost savings for the moves over three fiscal years totaled a substantial $51.2 million. Subtract the moving costs and other direct costs, and the state’s savings netted a healthy $33.1 million.

Other groups have undertaken similarly effective planning approaches, including likeminded states, large universities, and competitive global

SPRING 2017

corporations. Even smaller organizations can benefit, including some mature nonprofits and public agencies. What links them is a firm belief that continuous improvement comes from open, selfcritical analysis; and in some cases, like the New York State plan, the team gets real accolades.

So how can architects get involved in this rewarding, bottom-line work that clients truly value? A first step is to develop your firm’s proficiencies in real estate portfolio management expertise. For the next step, catalogue the ways your firm has helped clients to - minimize operational expenses - maximize revenues, and - improve their approach to asset stewardship and utilization.

Who can argue that these competencies aren’t the bailiwick of truly successful architects? In fact, these abilities may be the unspoken “gift with purchase” that comes when the best and brightest architects are engaged by forward-thinking and innovative clients.

The main point is, architects are as critical to real estate strategy as lawyers, brokers, accountants, and asset managers.

Our ability to work across all scales, to notice physical patterns and to see the user-based challenges and opportunities -- these set us apart from those other professionals.

It reinforces an important point, too: Real estate is still the second-most expensive line item for many organizations, after people costs. So it’s important that we look at how architects can contribute more to the strategic future of today’s growing enterprises.

Jane Smith, FAIA, is a national leader in architecture, interiors and higher education and a Fellow of the AIA. She is founding partner of the awardwinning firm Spacesmith and she has also served as Chair of the Department of Interior Design at the School of Visual Arts since 2006. She is the VP, Professional Development for AIANY. Smith has helped change the profession, especially for women, as her firm of over 25 employees has designed a wide range of acclaimed building and interiors projects for noted clients including the US State Department OBO, New York State DOB and OGS, New York City DDC, Brooklyn Bridge Park, BlackRock, Ralph Lauren, Hermes and Viacom.

SPRING 2017 >> Photo courtesy of Ashley McGraw Architects

>> Photo courtesy of Spacesmith

>> Photos courtesy of Fogarty Finger Architecture

518.449.3334 | AIANYS@AIANYS.ORG 50 STATE ST, 5TH FLOOR, ALBANY, NY 12207

>> Photos courtesy of Fogarty Finger Architecture

>> Photo courtesy of Spacesmith

ARCHITECTURE NEW YORK STATE

>> Photo courtesy of Beyer Blinder Belle