Down through the eons, the architecture profession has justifiably won numberless plaudits for breakthrough designs and head-turning skylines. But many within the industry believe too little emphasis has been placed on business growth. It wasn’t until October 1972 that U.S. architects were permitted to submit competitive bids and advertise. Architects in the UK were hamstrung by similar restrictions. In some nations, prohibitive codes of conduct still rein in architects’ business development.

The pandemic hasn’t made any of this better.

A survey conducted by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) found 45% of architects have lost income and felt isolated during Covid. Almost 80% reported project delays, and a third saw their projects cancelled altogether. Almost 6 in 10 (57%) had also suffered decreased cash flow. Covid had accelerated a trend of stunted or failing businesses within the international architecture profession. In addition, on a personal level, many architects frequently find themselves toiling for longer hours with no pay hikes. A report a few months into the pandemic forecast the profession could see up to 1,800 job losses across Great Britain.

In response, a number of architecture industry voices have called for a new model expressly designed to help ensure greater firm sustainability in this changing business climate. “It takes around seven years to become a qualified architect in the U.K. and [it’s] similar in the U.S.,” says Rion Willard, director of consulting and business transformation at Business of Architecture.

“A majority of those years are spent focusing on design and very little on the reality of the industry. A bridge built from both sides is needed.

“The understanding of the role of an architect must be transformed, where the core skills of a practicing architect and commercial know how are encouraged and practiced in equal measure.

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