Corporate Social Responsibility as the New Business Model

This white paper-turned-cover story what ARUP defines as an organization’s “active engagement with humanitarian and charitable causes.”  Joan says that CSR can stretch your company – but also stress it, if your approach isn’t thought through and consistent.

Joan and Capelin staffer Beth McBride spent much of a year pulling together this article, interviewing many firms and non-profit organizations about what they’ve done and why. 

The article also considers how sustainability – and the Triple Bottom Line values that underpin it – have, for better or worse, become part of corporate America’s social responsibility profile.  Greenwashing?  You decide. 

The article has created quite a stir.  Let us hear your reaction – easily done by following the “Ask Joan” instructions to the left, next to Joan’s picture.

The SMPS National Marketing Awards program is the longest-standing awards competition to recognize excellence in marketing communications by professional services firms in the design and building industry. 

“Sound Advice with Joan Capelin” focuses on the specific question of what to do in a recession.  Interviews feature a cross-section of well-known design and construction professionals and consultants.  “Their advice is priceless, not to mention very useful,” Joan noted.  “Best as we can tell, between listeners on the website and iTunes, discussion via various social media, and coverage by print media, the 20 ‘Sound Advice’ podcasts have reached a quarter-million people.”

Delighted to be recognized for this new public relations specialty, Joan stated that “We didn’t create the podcast series to market Capelin Communications, but rather to use our experience and authority to help our injured industry and reach as many people afflicted by the recession as possible with excellent information.”

Founder and president of a public relations firm that concentrates on the design, building, and real estate industries, Joan previously was the recipient of the Marketing Achievement Award, the highest award SMPS gives to an individual.  One of the organization’s founding generation, she is also an SMPS Fellow.

To listen to any “Sound Advice” with Joan Capelin podcasts, and to see the names and bios of the guests interviewed, please visit http://capelin.com/sound-advice-podcast/.  To receive the full-page description about the award submission, please contact capstone@capelin.com. 

Joan Capelin holds an inscribed crystal shaft that denotes First Place for Social Media after the awards gala at the Build Business national conference of the Society for Marketing Professional Services. Celebrating with her is Ronald Worth, SMPS’ chief executive officer. Photograph taken by Frank Monkiewicz

Capelin Communications – pioneers in public relations for professional service firms and still the leader after nearly 30 years – has moved to new offices in the DeVinne Press Building at 23 East 4th Street [at Lafayette Street].

The company specializes in strategies and public relations for the design, construction, and real estate industries. Joan Capelin, president of the 29-year-old firm, is a much-honored consultant, author, lecturer, and coach. She points out that “Everything else is changing – in our clients’ work, in our field, in the economy, and, very pertinently, in New York real estate. This downtown move suits our creative side and our upbeat approach.”

Joan was admitted in 1993 to the College of Fellows, an honorary organization within PRSA comprised of senior practitioners and educators, who go through a rigorous screening by their peers.  She later served as the Chair of the college in 1999.  She established its motto of “Leadership and Legacy” and created the “GoodFellows,” a program that identifies and coaches candidates to the College through the application process, and has over the last decade formalized the policies and procedures for the selection process – in essence, setting the standards for acceptance.

“I’ve got a close-in understanding of Colleges, what they look for in candidates, and how they operate – particularly AIA’s as much as PRSA’s,” Joan remarks.  “Fellows usually have garnered all the awards around.  It’s so rare that a College creates an award all its own, I was totally taken by surprise.”

The award was presented to her by Michael L. Herman, 2009 Chair of the College, at the annual dinner for new Fellows last November in San Diego. Referring to Joan as the “College’s Godmother,” Herman remarked that, “Not only is she a unique personality, [she] travels her own road and speaks her mind. She deserves a place in the cadre of the Grand Dames of Pubic Relations.”

Joan discusses how to set the context and tone for a letter of reference as well as basic formatting rules that many people tend to forget.  She suggests including personal anecdotes that strengthen the message of the letter but warns about regurgitating the candidate’s resume.  

Joan recommends that letter seekers follow up with their writers to stay on target for the due date. “There is no harm in moving it up a week or two,” she remarks.

Handal had asked the Society of Marketing Professional Services’ [SMPS] listserve whether it is preferable to use these services or internally produce a release.  Joan pointed out that none of these media services, however robust, focus on the A/E/C industry and offers her take: “If someone in-house can’t pull together a press list, then I counsel them to hire people who understand…what to do before and after the release is distributed, crucial strategy that your question evades.”  She also emphasizes the importance of researching targeted publications and becoming known to specific editors.

Design and construction firms usually don’t have the time to cultivate media relationships and maintain a press list; that’s the scope of a public relations consultant.  She addresses the topic in further detail in her chapter, “The Great Publicity Quest,” in the latest SMPS Marketing Handbook for the Design and Construction Professional.

“An obituary is more than just an announcement,” Joan writes; it is also a way to “remember the life and communicate the deep sense of loss for both those who hardly knew the deceased to those who knew him or her intimately.”  The writer must consider the remaining family members, professional legacies, philanthropic connections, and – a critical focus – the viability of the organization left behind.

Joan offers many obituary-writing suggestions, including how to quickly research the salient information and why to alert key members of the media as soon as you can.  “This will avoid the publication of incorrect accounts, particularly since, once posted on the Internet, errors proliferate,” she explains.

The 25-minute-long podcast compiles reactions to questions about why fees matter and what they should be.  “For one thing,” Joan asks, “clients have been saying that design and construction fees are too high – but is that because these people are ignorant, unrealistic, game-playing, or cheap?”

The January 25^th issue of The Zweig Letter carries an article that summarizes many of these remarks and Editor Joao Ferreira has included this podcast in his blogspot as well.

Capelin Communications created “Sound Advice” in 2009 to help the design and building community to weather these tough, new times.  So far, the series has had nearly 10,000 “visits.”

Click on the media player below to listen to this special-edition podcast.  The speakers, their organizations, and the point in the podcast where they appear follow:

Download the podcast as a MP3

A. Eugene Kohn, KPF Architects – 1:42

Friedrich Bohm, White Oak Partners – 2:50

Thomas Scarangello, Thorton Tomasetti – 4:28

Jim Cramer, Design Futures Council/Greenway Group – 5:54

Tony Schirripa, Mancini Duffy – 8:55

Craig Park, Leo A Daly – 10:22

Ava Abramowitz, Esq. – 12:21

Walter Hunt, Gensler – 14:23

Scott Simpson, Kling-Stubbins – 16:37

Stanley Stark, HDR/CUH2A – 18:22

Peter Piven, Peter Piven Management Consultants – 20:01

Scott Braley, Braley Consulting – 21:53

Philip Harrison, AIA

Joan Capelin interviewed Philip Harrison, President and Chief Executive Officer of Perkins + Will, for the 19th interview of the “Sound Advice” series.

The podcast provides Phil’s theory about the benefit of diversification; his take on what the future will look like, including the “new frugality”; descriptions of Perkins + Will’s approach to sustainability and how he remains optimistic in the face of the recession.

Phil Harrison joined the firm in 1993, working with science + technology, healthcare, and corporate clients.  He has served as the firm’s President, a member of the firm’s Board of Directors, and Managing Director of one of the largest regional practices in the firm. 

As President & CEO he leads firmwide initiatives and implements overall fiscal, marketing and strategic plans.  In addition, he maintains hands-on involvement with ongoing projects as a Principal-in-Charge. 

Perkins + Will [www.perkinswill.com], founded 74 years ago, is a Top-10 international [21 offices around the world] design firm that became the AIA Firm of the Year in 1999.  Architect magazine named Perkins + Will No. 1 most sustainable design firm in 2009; certainly, it has more LEED-Accredited Professionals than any other firm. 

Phil holds a Harvard College Bachelor of Arts degree and a Harvard Graduate School of Design Master of Architecture degree “With Distinction.”  A member of the American Institute of Architects, he has been or remains a Commissioner on the Atlanta Urban Design Commission, a member of the Board of both the National Building Museum and of the Museum of Design Atlanta, a member of Leadership Atlanta, a member of the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy [CECP], and a member of the Executive Committee of the AIA’s Large Firm Roundtable.

Click here to listen to Phil’s interview.  Visit our “Sound Advice” page to hear other podcasts in the series.

We are pleased that she felt that our podcast visit with an exceptional design-firm leader [President-Elect, AIA New York Chapter] merited such extended distribution.  “I’m happy to know [Kathleen] finds the series worthwhile,” commented Phil Simon, AIA’s Managing Director, Communication and Marketing.  “I know I do.”

Anthony P. Schirripa, AIA, IIDA

Joan Capelin interviewed Tony Schirripa, chairman and chief executive officer of Mancini-Duffy, for the 18th interview of the “Sound Advice” series.

The podcast provides Tony’s perspective and advice on how to build a strong organization; taking risks in a recession; the importance of financial and business planning; keeping the interns; and communicating in tough times.

Tony Schirripa has been at the helm of Mancini Duffy for 14 years and was an important part of the Gensler organization for 15 years before that.  He has been a driving force in Mancini Duffy’s transition and transformation from a mid-sized, local practice to a multi-office firm with a diversified client base and international reputation.

An architect by training, he has specific expertise in large, intricate projects for financial, media, and real estate development companies – all of whom share a “speed-to-market” approach to business.  He has also earned the firm a reputation for workplace design.

Tony’s emphasis on strategic planning, investment in technology, and training, as well as his businesslike approach to project and practice management are the foundation for the firm’s growth.  The firm received the 2009 IDP award from AIA and NCARB for its approach to training young professionals, and professional development in the theme of Tony’s coming year as president of AIA New York Chapter.

Honored as the 2009 Outstanding Alumnus by Texas A&M University’s College of Architecture, he also serves as Vice Chairman/Architecture of the influential New York Building Congress, on whose board he has served since 1985.  As a result of this involvement and outreach, he has been in a position to routinely advise City commissioners and the Mayor’s Office on policies that affect design and development.

Click here to listen to Tony’s interview.  Visit our “Sound Advice” page to hear other podcasts in the series.

Joan highlighted the sustainable curriculum of a past Capelin client, Arizona State University’s Master of Real Estate Development program, along with Clemson and the University of Maryland.  The feature article detailed various aspects of each program’s curriculum, so readers would know what to look for as they assessed available options.

Joan quoted R. Nicholas “Ryc” Loope, founding director of ASU’s graduate program: “Students must understand the science, economics, ethics, and strategies of sustainability before building or planning a new community.”

Click here to read Joan’s article in Urban Land.  For other published works, click here.

Scott Simpson, FAIA

Joan Capelin interviewed Scott Simpson, FAIA – senior director of Kling-Stubbins – for the 17th interview of the “Sound Advice” series.

The podcast provides Scott’s perspective and advice on what awaits the “next architect” [his book – The Next Architect: a New Twist on the Future of Design] in this recession, the important difference between risk and value, learning to speak the client’s language, vision as a component of leadership, and how to find the extraordinary in a recession assignment.

Kling-Stubbins is now a global design firm. Scott’s projects have won Lab of the Year honors as well as two Business Week/Architectural Record design awards.

He is a Richard Upjohn Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, a Senior Fellow and board member of the Design Futures Council, a founding board member of the Rice Building Institute, and an Overseer of the Boston Children’s Museum.

Scott has lectured at the Harvard, Yale, Rice, and the University of Wisconsin schools of architecture, and has presented at numerous national conferences and symposia, including 15 AIA national conventions.  He has published more than 115 articles on innovation in the design professions and has co-authored two books, How Firms Succeed and The Next Architect:  a New Twist on the Future of Design.

Click here to listen to Scott’s interview.  Visit our “Sound Advice” page to hear other podcasts in the series.

The podcast provides Scott’s perspective and advice on the difference between this and previous recessions, the importance of marketing internally, what a marketing officer should be considering going forward, and why continued training is so valuable.

An accomplished strategist, leader, manager and marketer, Scott in himself and as a consultant, has led A/E/C’s through several recessions.

Braley Consulting & Training began in 1987; he has been a full-time consultant in multiple sectors of the industry since 1998. His role has been to help firms create strategies, define leadership/ownership, retool their organization, enhance project delivery, and engage talent.

For over two decades, Scott served as Managing Principal of the international A/E/C firm Heery, that grew to rank in the ENR “Top 40” and World Architecture’s “Top 50.” He recently authored “Wisdom, Wrinkles and Worth,” a white paper on Baby Boomers in the A/E/C workplace.

An active member of numerous professional organizations, and a Fellow of the AIA, Scott is widely published and a frequent invited speaker at national and international A/E/C events.

Click here to listen to the podcast.  Visit our “Sound Advice” page to hear other podcasts in the series.

Scott Braley, FAIA

In “Once Upon a Time,” Joan’s goal is to help people realize how many stories they do have available to them – useful in making a point, changing people’s opinions, even changing a firm’s culture.

Joan recounts some of her favorite and most powerful anecdotes in the October issue.  Here’s one about just how much marketing is enough:

Two men encounter a bear in a forest.  One of the men stops, sits down, pulls his running shoes out of his knapsack, and puts them on.  The other man, already running fast, calls back, incredulously, “You don’t think those running shoes are going to help you outrun that bear!” The other man replies, “I don’t have to outrun the bear.  I only have to outrun you!”

If you like stories – and who doesn’t – click here to read a copy of the article.

Ann Banning-Wright, LEED AP

Joan Capelin interviewed Ann Banning-Wright – Syska Hennessy Group’s chief strategy officer, senior vice president, member of the board, and managing director of the Western region – for the 15th interview of the “Sound Advice” series.

This podcast provides perspective and advice on why you need to focus on what your clients are doing – not your competitors; how to make engineers – and anyone else – a better consultant; ways people (and a firm) shift gears; how to use market research for your advantage; and the importance of helping one another during a recession.

For more than 20 years, Ann Banning-Wright has been inspiring “thought leadership” for Syska Hennessy Group, a global consulting, engineering, technology, and construction company.   Ann is the key executive responsible for the growth of Syska’s Western Region – in addition to managing Syska’s 160-person Los Angeles office.

Ann is accredited by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.  Spearheading the firm’s drive towards cutting-edge high-performance building, Ann established a team that is 47% LEED™ APs.

Ann is a member of the Board of the USC Architectural Guild, past president and board member of the Westside Urban Forum, and board member of the Women’s Executive Network.  She received the Marketer of the Year “Leonardo Award” from the Society for Marketing Professional Services, has appeared on CNBC as an expert on business reliability, writes articles for trade and business publications, and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences.

Click here to listen to the podcast.  Visit our “Sound Advice” page to hear other podcasts in the series.

Helpern Architects – our client – has extensive experience and expertise in adaptive reuse and restoration.  David relies on this to raise and answer a series of questions to guide commercial project owners and developers.  He identifies four areas to investigate: the structure’s zoning designation, the condition of the building envelope, the layout of the interior, and potential sources of funding.

“If you do a good job understanding and documenting existing conditions, you minimize surprises and maximize what you can do with the built or buildable area you have identified,” David asserts.  To read about how David looks at existing buildings, click here.

Content from Joan’s interview with James Cramer, Hon. AIA, chairman of the Greenway Group and founder/publisher/editor of DesignIntelligence, was excerpted in the September 2009 issue.  Jim gives insights on the “emotional recession,” when to drop fees, and how to use “strategic optimism.”

To read the article, click here.  To listen to Jim’s interview, click here.

Peter Piven, FAIA

Joan Capelin interviewed Peter Piven – who has just founded Peter Piven Management Consultants – for the 14th interview of the “Sound Advice” series.

This podcast provides perspective and advice on how the best do research about their clients, ways that design firms are changing – and how a leader must handle change, why people become architects, and a strategy for fees.

Peter Piven recently founded Peter Piven Management Consultants to help professionals in architecture, planning, engineering, landscape architecture, interior design and graphic design firms improve their practices in the areas of overall organization, strategic planning, valuation and ownership and leadership transition, marketing, project delivery, partnering, financial management, and merger/acquisition assistance.  Before that, Peter was a founding principal of The Coxe Group.

Peter has focused his career on management issues in the design professions and was elevated to Fellowship in the American Institute of Architects in 1981 for his contributions in management. He was a Vice President of Caudill Rowlett Scott, where he managed the New York Division, and a Principal of Geddes Brecher Qualls Cunningham: Architects, which won the national AIA Architectural Firm Award during his tenure.

Peter received a Bachelor of Arts degree with High Honors from Colgate University, a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Science degree in Architecture from Columbia University, and a Certificate in Management of Design Organizations from Harvard University.

Click here to listen to the podcast and view Peter Piven’s full bio.  Visit our “Sound Advice” page to hear other podcasts in the series.

Craig Park, FSMPS

Joan Capelin interviewed Craig Park – vice president and chief marketing officer for Leo A Daly – for the 13th interview of the “Sound Advice” series.

This podcast provides perspective and advice on how to market a firm during the recession; what are some new sources of funding for projects; which path should a firm take during the downturn; and why marketing and business development are crucial to a firm’s survival right now.

Craig Park is an architect who works for design and project management, in operations and marketing, and for systems integration and manufacturing companies, and now Leo A Daly.

A past national SMPS president, Craig was the 2007 recipient of the SMPS Marketing Achievement Award.  Craig is the author of Design. Market. Grow! which is required reading for the SMPS certification program, and a regular contributor to the SMPS Marketer.

Click here to listen to the podcast and view Craig Park’s full bio.  Visit our “Sound Advice” page to hear other podcasts in the series.

Stanley Stark, FAIA

Joan Capelin interviewed Stanley Stark – vice president and national director of life sciences for HDR/CUH2A – for the 12th interview of the “Sound Advice” series.

The podcast provides perspective and advice on lessons learned from past recessions; building a constituency for change; how to maintain client loyalty; whether innovation will diminish as a result of the recession; and the importance of good communication.

Trained as an architect and urban designer, Stanley is one of America’s leading planners and designers of science and technology facilities.  Formerly a managing partner at HLW International, he is currently vice president and national director of life sciences at one of the country’s best  science and technology practice groups.

Stanley has had a pivotal role in the design of major projects for clients such as the FDA, Merck, Schering-Plough, and the Columbia University Medical Center. He often participates on panels and in study groups for major industry organizations such as the New York Academy of Sciences, the National Science Foundation, Tradeline, and the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers (ISPE).  Stanley’s main topic is how the demands and needs of science intersect with science and technology facilities.

His ability to maintain contact with the broader issues of the profession has been enhanced by continuing engagement with the AIA, particularly AIA NY’s Oculus.

Click here to listen to the podcast and view Stanley Stark’s full bio.  Visit our “Sound Advice” page to hear other podcasts in the series.

Joan’s suggestion, if you think you DO remember: Take any three proposal cover letters, memos, or e-mails currently on your desk and look at the first sentence.  “It’s a safe bet that ‘I’ or ‘we’ starts that sentence, and that the same first-person pronouns pepper the paragraph and page,” she guesses. Yet those crucial opening words should be all about the recipient, not the sender, she comments: “Shift the focus from yourself to those who will make it possible for you to achieve what you want.”

To find out how you can identify and communicate with increasingly broad audiences to great effect in any endeavor, read the full article here.

R. Nicholas "Ryc" Loope, FAIA

Joan Capelin interviewed R. Nicholas Loope – practicing architect, professor of housing and community development, founding director of the Master of Real Estate Development Program at Arizona State University, and also president of HL Design-Build – for the 11th interview of the “Sound Advice” series.

The podcast provides reasons and ways to strengthen your bottom line; what design professionals need to know before going into real estate development; uncommon sources to fund projects; and whether a recession is a good time to acquire another firm.

“Ryc” Loope – architect, design/builder, turnaround consultant, professor, and founding director of the Arizona State University real estate development program – has run parallel careers most of his adult life.

Since 1989, a tenured member of the ASU design faculty, teaching practice and also directing the degree program in Housing and Community Development, he founded and then directed the Master of Real Estate Development Program for its first three years.

He is also managing partner of HL Design Build, R. Nicholas Loope, FAIA Architects, and PDI, a global design consortium.

Ryc had an earlier “corporate” life as president of Taliesin Architects, the continuation of the practice of architecture began by Frank Lloyd Wright, and then as president/CEO of the Durrant Group, an A/E design firm.

Member of the Urban Land Institute and Design Build Institute of America, he also sits on the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity/Arizona. The National Association of Industrial and Office Properties named him a “Distinguished Fellow” in 2007.

Click here to listen to the podcast and view Ryc Loope’s full bio.  Visit our “Sound Advice” page to hear other podcasts in the series.

Ava Abramowitz, attorney and author of The Architect's Essentials of Negotiation

Joan Capelin interviewed Ava J. Abramowitz, attorney and author of The Architect’s Essentials of Negotiation, for the tenth interview of the “Sound Advice” series.

The podcast provides Ava’s advice on how negotiation is a win-win situation for architects and engineers; why fees matter; why return on investment is an important indicator of success; and how to communicate to clients about business issues.

Former deputy general counsel of The American Institute of Architects, Ava is a senior fellow of the Design Futures Council.  She is also a founding fellow and Board of Governors member of the American College of Construction Lawyers. She is the first public member of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards.

A former assistant United States attorney for the District of Columbia, she has been a mediator for the federal courts for the District of Columbia since the late 80’s.  After leaving her position as a vice president of insurer Victor O. Schinnerer & Company, Inc., Ava has mediated insurance disputes and has also served as an owner’s representative on residential construction projects.

Click here to listen to the podcast and view Ava Abramowitz’s full bio.  Visit our “Sound Advice” page to hear other podcasts in the series.

Joan Capelin interviewed Walter Hunt, vice chairman of Gensler, for the ninth interview of the “Sound Advice” series.

The podcast provides Walter’s advice on why it’s important to consistently conduct talent searches and cultivate interns; how not to take on more than you can handle; why it isn’t necessary to drop fees; and who should run design firms.

Walter Hunt directs Gensler’s Global Client Program from its New York office and leads selected projects in New York – although he is often in Las Vegas on the MGM MIRAGE CityCenter project, the largest privately funded development in the US.  In addition he serves on Gensler’s board of directors. He began his career at Gensler San Francisco and served as managing principal of the Denver office from 1978-1985 before transferring to New York as co-managing principal.

In 1999, Walter served as president of the American Institute of Architects, New York Chapter.  He currently sits on the Yale Architecture Foundation Dean’s Council.

Click here to listen to the podcast and view Walter Hunt’s full bio.  Visit our “Sound Advice” page to hear other podcasts in the series, which to date includes Jim Cramer, chairman of the Greenway Group; Thomas Scarangello, chairman of Thornton Tomasetti; Lenore Lucey, vice president of NCARB; Friedl Bohm, former chairman of NBBJ, now head of White Oak Partners; Marjanne Pearson, NextMoon; Eugene Kohn, KPF Architects; Ray Messer, Walter P Moore; and Hugh Hochberg, The Coxe Group.

Jim Cramer, Hon. AIA, chairman, The Greenway Group

Joan Capelin interviewed Jim Cramer, chairman of the Greenway Group and editor of DesignIntelligence, for the eighth interview of the “Sound Advice” series.

The podcast provides Jim’s advice on how to help people conquer “emotional paralysis” during the recession, how to inspire new ideas, why pressure on fees isn’t so bad, why he’s worried about the “green revolution,” and how to benefit from “constructive paranoia.”

Jim Cramer is an educator, strategic consultant, and “foresight advisor.”  He heads the Greenway Group, a management consulting, research, and publishing firm specializing in the design professions, the media, and cultural institutionsSix times a year, he publishes DesignIntelligence, the journal he founded.

President also of the the Design Futures Council, a Washington, DC-based think tank, Jim explores trends, changes, and new opportunities in design, architecture, engineering, and building technology.

Click here to listen to the podcast and view Jim Cramer’s full bio.  Visit our “Sound Advice” page to hear other podcasts in the series, which to date includes Thomas Scarangello, chairman of Thornton Tomasetti; Lenore Lucey, vice president of NCARB; Friedl Bohm, former chairman of NBBJ, now head of White Oak Partners; Marjanne Pearson, NextMoon; Eugene Kohn, KPF Architects; Ray Messer, Walter P Moore; and Hugh Hochberg, The Coxe Group.

“You Are Not What You Were” raises strategic questions for leaders who want to broaden their services and generate new sources of revenue for their firms.  Joan argues that professional services firms should make it a priority to evaluate and reallocate their resources.  “While you can be secure that there will always be a need for your kind of work,” she writes, “how you practice in the future – and with whom – will differ from how you practice today.”

To read the article in full, click here.

Joan Capelin interviewed Tom Scarangello, chairman of Thornton Tomasetti, for the seventh interview of the “Sound Advice” series.  During the podcast, Tom discussed how a design firm can keep moving ahead through this downturn and gave his outlook on the future of the design and building industry.

The podcast provides Tom’s advice on how to help people navigate the “psychological downturn” and how to inspire new ideas.  He also discusses why cutting fees is a bad idea, whether design professionals should run design firms, and what young people just entering the profession can expect. 

Tom Scarangello has more than 25 years of experience as a structural engineer for a variety of building types from longspan sports arenas to high-rise commercial buildings.  Named one of the “Top 25 Newsmakers of 1996” by Engineering News-Record for his work on the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, he serves as an adjunct professor at Manhattan College, his alma matter.

Click here to listen to the podcast and view Tom Scarangello’s full bio.  Visit our “Sound Advice” page to hear other podcasts in the series, which to date includes Lenore Lucey, vice president of NCARB; Friedl Bohm, former chairman of NBBJ, now head of White Oak Partners; Marjanne Pearson, NextMoon; Eugene Kohn, KPF Architects; Ray Messer, Walter P Moore; and Hugh Hochberg, The Coxe Group.

Joan asked these questions when she wrote the publicity for the 2009 edition of the SMPS Marketing Handbook. Among those who answered her query were:

• Dave Barista, managing editor, Building Design + Construction
• Amanda Kolson Hurley, senior editor, ARCHITECT
• Scott Jaschik, editor, InsideHigherEd.com
• Charles Linn, consulting editor, GreenSource
• Jenna McKnight, news editor, Architectural Record
• Scott Melnick, editor, Modern Steel Construction
• Kristen Richards, editor-in-chief, ArchNewsNow.com
• Jan Tuchman, editor-in-chief, Engineering News-Record

Read their answers in June’s edition of SMPS Marketer, available here. The discussion continues in the 2009 Marketing Handbook (available here). But you’re the reader: What do you think?  Tell us in the comment box below.

Lenore Lucey, NCARB

Joan Capelin interviewed Lenore Lucey, FAIA, for the sixth interview of the “Sound Advice” series.  During the podcast, Lenore – since 1997 the executive vice president of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards – discussed how design professionals can use this downturn to reinvent their career and still stay productively and meaningfully engaged in the design and building community.

The podcast examines Lenore’s own diverse career and also provides her pointers on how to figure out what would be a suitable, enjoyable next career step; discusses how the various organizations involved in certification of design professionals are now considering the value of alternate careers; and closes with advice to the still-large number of young people entering the design professions. 

NCARB provides Education Standards, the Intern Development Program (IDP), the Architect Registration Examination (ARE), and a continuing education monograph series.  In addition, it acts as a certification agency for architects, enabling them to have verified credentials centrally maintained and transmitted upon request for licensing in any of the 54 member jurisdictions. 

Click here to listen to the podcast and view Lenore Lucey’s full bio.  Visit our “Sound Advice” page to hear other podcasts in the series, which to date includes Friedl Bohm, former chairman of NBBJ, now head of White Oak Partners; Marjanne Pearson, NextMoon; Eugene Kohn, KPF Architects; Ray Messer, Walter P Moore; and Hugh Hochberg, The Coxe Group.

Friedl Bohm, NBBJ

Joan Capelin interviewed Friedl Bohm, FAIA, for the fifth interview of the “Sound Advice” series.  During the podcast, this remarkable architect and businessman discussed what he suggests that you do to take advantage of these tough times.

The podcast delves into Friedl’s perspective on why it’s important to deliver high-quality service, especially now; how to manage your time effectively; how it’s easier to be responsive to clients today, compared to 10 years ago; and how to be cash-rich.

Friedl serves as senior partner and chairman of the operating committee for White Oak Partners, a private equity firm in Ohio, but most in this industry know him as the former chairman of NBBJ.  Under his leadership that firm grew into the world’s third largest architecture practice, which last year designed projects exceeding $3 billion in total construction cost.

Click here to listen to the podcast and view Friedl’s bio.  Visit our “Sound Advice” page to hear other podcasts in the series, which includes Marjanne Pearson, NextMoon; Eugene Kohn, KPF Architects; Ray Messer, Walter P Moore; and Hugh Hochberg, The Coxe Group.

Joan has personally guided the applications of nearly two dozen architects. She also created and co-chairs the GoodFellows candidates’ outreach for the College of Fellows of the Public Relations Society of America, which she chaired in 1999. 

“This is all about your personal consequence,” Joan told the May 19^th gathering at the Center for Architecture.  “Your standard marketing language won’t suffice.  This is not about getting a job for your office.  The tone and purpose are entirely different.”

Other missteps include not leaving enough time – “It takes a good five months” – and writing as if the College of Fellows jury members know all about your area of expertise, the organizations you’ve influenced, the writings and speeches you’ve contributed to the profession’s body of knowledge.  “You have 5-7 minutes of their time to consider your application,” Joan reminded the audience.  “Make it easy for them to recognize that your points are valid and that you are worthy of elevation into the College.” 

It is our great pleasure to provide all candidates for Fellowship a copy of Joan’s “12 Common Mistakes” handout, and to wish them great success.  We know how much it matters.

Look for Joan’s chapter entitled “The Great Publicity Quest.”

Ryc Loope, FAIA

The American Institute of Architects chose R. Nicholas “Ryc” Loope, FAIA to open a new podcast series they launched last week.  As part of their “navigating the economy” initiative, the intention is to prepare architects – many of whom have been throttled by the economic reversal – to rebound.

The podcast covers everything from how the capital markets collapsed to what the future of the industry holds.  Mr. Loope also evaluates President Obama’s stimulus plan ["it offers a little help to architects"].

Ryc draws on his own experience to provide a strategy for architects to hold their ground, and lists alternative outlets to focus their energy and keep projects coming in.  He has followed a triple career: architect, educator, and businessman.  Ryc currently heads his own Phoenix-based architecture office, consults on business issues to other firms, and is a partner of HL Design-Build. 

Ryc has been our repeat client – first when he headed Taliesin Architects, and most recently as the director of the Master of Real Estate Development program at Arizona State University.  The podcast is available through the AIA, free of charge, and can be downloaded here.

Were you one of the 450 people in the room?  Give us your feedback by e-mailing jcapelin@capelin.com.

Writing from experience, Joan lists 13 points to consider from the firm’s point of view in order to both cement the legacy of the individual and also protect the reputation of the ongoing firm. This “unenviable and unavoidable task” includes determining the central message; immediately locating or developing an archive of accurate information; composing an elegant release that will satisfy the affected office, clients, and if at all possible also the family; and dealing with the sometimes tactless media on deadline. 

“It’s an uncomfortable topic … and it doesn’t get any harder than this for a public relations professional,” Joan admits. “Nevertheless, it’s important to be prepared.

We’re interested in hearing about your own similar experiences.  E-mail Joan with your comments at jcapelin@capelin.com, or use the “Ask Joan” feature on this Web site.

One year later, we returned to those individuals to determine how close their predictions came to their current situations. Continue reading for their answers.

Tom Brauer, AIA, has made good on his two ventures.  In addition to expanding 4240 Architecture‘s studio practice to include design investigations and alternative energy research, Tom has squeezed in time to research the Modernist houses in his home town of Chicago.  Keep an eye out for the firm’s completed investigation later this year at Building Design + Construction‘s “Visible City.”

In any “snag,” Arent Fox attorney Jamie Frankel, Esq. and his team develop programs to teach fellow professional service providers how to be more effective at selling their services.  “Our own future revenues come from our clients’ future revenues,” Jamie states.  “A Value Creation Plan allows those professionals to develop monopolies to compete within a declining economic climate.”

David Helpern, FAIA, said he would do community service; he has already served one year on New York City’s Community Board 8 and was recently reappointed to a two-year term. In addition to broadening his network and elevating his visibility within his influential neighborhood, the experience has provided Helpern Architects at least one referral.

Peter Pennoyer, AIA, an author as well as an architect, decided to prepare a book about the work of his own firm. Peter has learned that publishing leads to more opportunities.  His current book on the architecture of Grosvenor Atterbury is due out this August. 

Marketing consultant Nancy Usrey, FSMPS, hasn’t had time in this “roller-coaster” economy to volunteer her management expertise to a local charity, as she originally surmised.  Rather, she’s gone from a 40-hour week as a consultant to a 60-hour week as Corporate Ventures Division Marketing Director for HNTB, to identify innovative techniques for developing business with contractors and concessionaires.

We want to hear from you: How is your firm evolving in today’s economic climate? E-mail us at jpleasants@capelin.com

In a follow-up piece, published in Marketer’s February 2009 issue, Joan challenged non-licensees to consider what would be possible if their firm leadership and ownership would expand to include “outsiders” – anyone with complementary interests, credentials, and degrees. 

“How well would the design firm of the future operate under a more diverse business profile?” Joan inquires.  “And, how would broader ownership benefit your work and approach?”

The answer to these questions and others will serve as the basis for a presentation at the AIA National convention in San Francisco on May 1st.  Join Joan, management consultant Hugh Hochberg of The Coxe Group, and attorney James Frankel of ArentFox for an interactive discussion, and set your own and the firm’s horizon.  To sign up, click here.

“We have agreed that it’s okay to disagree publicly about the way things are and where they are headed,” Joan comments.  “And, it’s a great point mid-way through the conference for the audience to get its teeth into the great big, important discussion surrounding ownership, leadership, and their effect on profitability.” 

The underlying premise of the discussion is that, as Mr. Hochberg puts it, “Irrespective of the economy and other factors, there will always be a need for architecture and architects – but how they practice in the future will differ from how they practice today.”

Click here to register for the conference.  This particular program is coded F90.

Speakers were architect-now-attorney Margery Perlmutter, once CB 8′s Landmarks Committee co-chair, who is now both public director of AIA New York Chapter and a new member of the Landmarks Preservation Commission.  Shaan Khan from Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer’s Office provided the history and activities of the City’s community boards.  David, who has followed Ms. Perlmutter onto CB 8, also spoke about his experience.

An e-blast from the AIA’s New York Chapter caught the attention of the New York Times, and Gregory Beyer covered the groundswell of interest in a Sunday, January 25^th piece entitled “Architects Push for Space at the Table.”  “We need as many architects as possible to be at that table,” David Helpern remarked.  “Design professionals appreciate what’s at stake in land use, landmarks and community preservation, safety – the list is long.  Each Board could benefit from the service of at least one knowledgeable architect.”

First out was the December 2008 SMPS Marketer, which published as its cover story – and as much of the issue – the content of Joan Capelin’s SMPS Foundation-sponsored white paper, Resetting the Horizon Line.  ”Almost no one turns a phrase like Joan, and no one has had the guts to frame the questions and issues regarding the career horizon line for marketers in such a way – until now,” wrote Randle Pollock, Marketer’s long-time editor-in-chief. 

The article asks: Do you know what’s wrong with the way design firms operate?  What about the restrictions to ownership?  Or how – and if – a senior marketer could become a shareholder?  Joan’s research and remarks reveal the structure of design firms and answer critical questions about what it takes to get to the owner’s table.  Photographs of, and comments and insights from, some of the industry’s key leaders are included. 

The second, related cover story was “Expert Questions Nonprofessionals’ Absence from Design Firm Ownership,” where Ernest Burden, the new editor of IOMA‘s Principal’s Report reported on three-hour-long special presentation at THE Marketing Event hosted by SMPS New York that Joan did along with attorney James E. Frankel. 

In the February 2009 issue, Mr. Burden zeroed in on New York State’s restrictive legislation and the ongoing effort to allow 25 percent of a firm to be owned by non-licensees.  He was intrigued by Joan’s asking the audience to imagine themselves as they will practice architecture and engineering in the future – a time that will be characterized by multidisciplinary practice, nonlicensee equity, and new service lines.  “There is a lot to like [in that situation], and you as leaders can take your firm there,” he wrote.

Joan Capelin has authored the chapter now called “The Great Publicity Quest,” one of a half-hundred chapters to be included in the new definitive text. 

Joan quoted Katie Couric, who said in the New York Times: “All of these media worlds are colliding.”  “Couric may enjoy putting together the puzzle,” Joan notes, “but those who work in public relations for the design and construction industry are more likely wrestling with the puzzle than seizing the fun part.”  In fact, anyone who thinks publicity is much easier today because so much is done electronically needs to consider this handbook chapter very closely.  Fundamentals, details, knowledge, connections – all matter that much more and require more, not less, time and experience.

One change: Design publications are nearing 50 percent of their output on the Web, and Joan explores the impact of this change.  There is also an entire page of tips.

To make certain the text was authoritative, Joan invited colleagues sin public relations from New York architeture and engineering firms to form an advisory group.  Working over a series of lunches in Capelin’s conference room, the group* unselfishly shared thier best insights and latest information so that the entire industry could operate at peak form.

Monitor the SMPS Web site for information about the book’s release. 

Capelin Communications would like to acknowledge the following individuals:

• Ronnie Gensler, ARUP
• Jim Kent, Thornton Tomasetti
• Jacqueline Pezzillo, Davis Brody Bond Aedas
• Greg Saliola, Costas Kondylis and Partners LLP
• Melinda Sherwood, RMJM Hillier
• Betty Jang Taur, LVM Group, Inc.
• Mark Henderson Thompson, H³ Hardy Collaboration Architecture LLC

Wellesley Centers for Women co-Chairs Joan Capelin (left) and Betty rauch (right), with ABC's Diane Sawyer

From coffee shops and dinner tables to Saturday Night Live, the media’s treatment of women throughout the election cycle has been scrutinized and dissected. From Senator Hillary Clinton’s run for the Democratic nomination, to John McCain’s selection of Governor Sarah Palin as his VP candidate, to the inordinate amount of coverage given to the two potential presidential wives, women were in the news.

Last November 20^th, the Wellesley Centers for Women presented “Post-Election: What’s Next for Women and the Media.”  The panel featured Michelle Bernard, Independent Women’s Forum and MSNBC; Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, CNBC Television; Diane Sawyer, ABC News; and Lynn Sherr, who just retired from ABC News, as moderator.  Joan Capelin was co-chair of the event, which took place at the University Club in New York City.

The panel considered what has changed for women as a result of the coverage of women’s political participation, and what has stayed the same? Could the media be a positive tool for women in politics? Could this lead to measured coverage of women in politics in general?

Joan has been particularly impressed with the work of the 35-year-old Wellesley Centers for Women, which is part of Wellesley College, her alma mater, to promote positive change for women, children, and families both in the United States and around the globe.  For more information, Joan asks you to visit www.wcwonline.org.

Deborah Ippolito, Director of Marketing for Skanska USA Building (right) and Anthony Angelico of Capelin Communications welcome the return of the Intrepid to its new pier on October 2, 2008

Starting with the countdown to the return of the fabled warship USS Intrepid, to the rebuilt Pier 86, Capelin Communications worked on behalf of Skanska USA Building, Inc. with its client the Hudson River Park Trust and the Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum to be sure that people were aware of Skanska’s achievement. 

Against many odds – a strict deadline, funding issues, and a concrete worker strike one month before the ship’s return – Skanska demolished the pier, leaving a thousand wooden piles in place to protect a fish habitat.  Then, fighting the clock and a bruising budget, Skanska provided a new pier and ship support for the October 2nd homecoming.  Project Manager Stephan Fried was profiled by Construction Leader Monthly, and Project Engineer Rachel “Raki” Lavon was profiled in the alumni publication of Duke University.  Last of the pieces to appear is in the February 2009 issue of Constructioneer. 

Skanska is gaining a reputation as a New York City builder of parks.  This project is part of the rehabilitation of much of the Hudson River waterfront.  Another project is the new Brooklyn Bridge Park, to reclaim that old industrial waterfront.