KATIE TURNER - PROMPT 1

Today I had the chance to talk to my boss, Luke, about NCARB's core values, and I specifically asked him about a time when collaboration was challenged. As a student in the Architecture + Community Build program, collaboration is a value we discuss often, and I enjoy hearing professional experiences and advice.

Luke talked to me about how good collaboration happens when there is a well-defined chain of command. Everyone does their best work when each individual understands their responsibilities and knows who they should report to. Without this delineation of control, the project might start to come unglued.

He brought up a specific example of a client who had already chosen engineers and other consultants without discussing any of those choices with the architects. These consultants had a more personal relationship with the client, and therefore, they felt comfortable making decisions without talking to the architect. This caused the chain of command to be a bit shaky. The architects job is to be the number one advocate for the client, and therefore, the process goes more smoothly when the architect is in charge and is involved in choosing consultants. In this case, the engineers did not understand the full picture for the design, and made some decisions without discussing with the architect, and mistakes were made.

These types of situations are complicated, and architecture is heavily reliant on building positive relationships with clients and consultants. I can see how easily collaboration might be compromised in practice regularly. NCARB further defines collaboration as working together toward common goals. That means everyone needs to have the same goals. If the engineers do not understand the goals of the architect and client, then collaboration goes down the drain. I think that communication is key in these situations: Clear communication from the very beginning about who is in charge, and continued communication about every decision made throughout the process. Without this, collaboration cannot happen successfully.