The Architect's Guide to Developing and Managing an International Practice
1st Edition
Published on 10. May 2021
Book
Hardback
464 pages
978-1-119-63016-6 (ISBN)
Description
The practice of architecture in the United States is often viewed around the world as the gold standard of design and development. Today, firms from the US and other countries compete on a global scale for projects in the developed markets of Southeast Asia, Latin America and China. There are several key factors that have allowed for these increased market opportunities, namely the rise in communication technology and digital design technology (BIM), more competitive foreign markets, and the need to address and combat global issues such as climate change. The Architect's Guide to Developing and Managing an International Practice is a practical guide for architects considering or are already engaged in international work, that offers guidance on the full-spectrum of international practice; from recruiting and licensing to strategic planning and expansion. This guide offers exclusive insights and case studies from experienced architects working around the world. Written by Bradford Perkins, Co-founder and Chairman of the 1,000-person global architecture firm Perkins Eastman, this guide to international practice offers architects the fundamentals and best practices needed to expand their work on a global scale.
More details
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
03/2021
1st Edition
Wiley
€79.99
Available for download
E-Book
03/2021
1st Edition
Wiley
€81.99
Available for download
Person
L. Bradford Perkins, FAIA, is Co-founder and Chairman of Perkins Eastman Architects, a New York City-based architecture, planning, design, and consulting firm. In his 50-year career, he has directed several hundred projects across a dozen building types in more than 30 countries. Perkins is the author of eight textbooks and more than 100 published articles and book chapters on architectural and planning, is a faculty member the Cornell University College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, and is the recipient of dozens of awards for planning and design excellence.
Content
Acknowledgments xv
List of Figures xvii
CHAPTER 1 Introduction and Historical Overview 1
Introduction 1
Why Firms Pursue or Choose to Avoid International Practice 7
How Firms Start 8
Reasons to Have an International Practice 9
Reasons to Be Cautious 13
References 15
CHAPTER 2 Getting Started 17
Researching the Major Issues 17
Developing a Plan 23
First Steps 29
What Country Is the Right Place to Start? 29
How to Start 32
Questions to Answer During an Initial Exploration 32
Getting the First Projects 33
Contract Issues 34
Case Studies 34
Perkins Eastman 34
Ennead Architects 40
MASS Design Group 44
ZGF Architects 45
KPF 48
Oppenheim Architecture+Design 48
Reference 51
CHAPTER 3 The Major International Markets 53
Americas 55
Canada 55
Mexico and Central America 64
Mexico 66
Central America 71
South America 73
Brazil 80
Colombia 84
Ecuador 86
The Caribbean Islands 88
Bahamas 92
Bermuda 92
Dominican Republic 94
Jamaica 94
Trinidad and Tobago 95
Asia 96
China 97
Reasons to be there 105
Reasons to be cautious 107
What firms are currently operating in China? 107
Special Administrative Regions-Hong Kong and Macau 124
East Asia 130
Southeast Asia 147
South Asia 172
Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands 184
Who Is There 184
The Potential Clients 186
Domestic Firms 186
Licensure 186
The Middle East and North Africa 187
The Gulf States and Saudi Arabia 189
The Middle East 211
Egypt and North Africa 227
Sub-Saharan Africa 234
Angola 234
Benin (formerly Dahomey) 234
Botswana 234
Burkina Faso 237
Burundi 238
Cameroon 238
Central African Republic 238
Chad 238
Comoros 239
Democratic Republic of the Congo 239
Republic of the Congo 239
Djibouti 239
Equatorial Guinea 239
Eritrea 240
Ethiopia 241
Gambia 241
Gabon 241
Ghana 241
Guinea 243
Guinea-Bissau 243
Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire) 243
Kenya 243
Lesotho 244
Liberia 244
Madagascar 244
Malawi 245
Mali 245
Mauritania 246
Mauritius 246
Mozambique 246
Namibia 246
Niger 246
Nigeria 247
Reunion 249
Rwanda 249
Sao Tome and Principe 250
Senegal 250
Seychelles 250
Sierra Leone 251
South Africa 251
Somalia 251
Sudan 252
Swaziland (Now Eswatini) 252
Tanzania 252
Togo 252
Uganda 253
Western Sahara 253
Zambia 253
Zimbabwe 254
Russia and the States of the Former Soviet Union Chart and Map 254
Russia 256
The Former Soviet Republics 259
Central and Eastern Europe 263
Albania 265
Bosnia and Herzegovina 266
Bulgaria 267
Croatia 267
Czech Republic (Czechia) 267
Hungary 268
North Macedonia 269
Moldova 269
Poland 269
Romania 270
Serbia 270
Slovakia 271
Slovenia 271
Western Europe 271
Austria 274
Belgium 274
Cyprus 276
Denmark 277
Finland 277
France 278
Who is operating there now? 281
Germany 282
Reasons to be there 282
Reasons to be cautious 282
Greece 284
The market 284
Iceland 285
The market 285
Languages and communications 285
Ireland 285
The market 285
Languages and communications 287
Italy 287
Liechtenstein 288
The market 288
Languages and communications 289
Luxembourg 289
The market 289
Languages and communications 291
Monaco 291
Netherlands 291
Norway 292
Portugal 294
The market 294
Spain 294
The market 296
Reasons to be there 298
Reasons to be cautious 298
Skills and capabilities that are important 298
Sweden 298
The market 299
Switzerland 299
The market 299
Languages and communications 299
United Kingdom 299
The market 302
Reasons to be there 302
Reasons to be cautious 303
Skills and capabilities that are important 304
Who is operating there now? 304
Who are the clients? 304
What is the process for getting work? 305
Languages and communications 305
Licensing and legal issues 305
Scope of services 305
Fee levels, payment terms, and taxes 306
Major contract issues 306
Local resources 307
Design issues 307
Code and regulatory issues 307
Typical schedules 307
Personal safety and health issues 307
References 307
CHAPTER 4 Common Legal, Licensure, Registration, and Contract Issues 309
Operating Legally in a Foreign Market 310
Licensure 310
Contracting for Planning and Design Services 311
Negotiating Contracts for Design Services 316
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act 323
CHAPTER 5 Setting and Collecting Fees, Accounting, and Banking Issues 325
Setting Fees 325
Payment Terms 326
Currency Issues 326
Tax Planning 327
Performance and Bid Bonds, Bank and Other Guarantees, and Banking Services 328
Invoicing 328
Collections 329
Repatriating Fee Income and Profits 329
Financial and Management Accounting 330
Insurance Considerations 331
CHAPTER 6 Common Governance, Management, and Quality Control Issues 337
Common Issues 337
Models for International Practice 340
Managing the Relationship Between the Domestic Offices and the International Offices and Teams 342
Managing a Successful International Office 342
Monitoring and Managing Client Management, Project Management, and Quality Control Issues 342
Working with Local Associate Firms and Consultants 343
Work Sharing, Offshoring, and Outsourcing 344
Reasons to Consider Work Sharing, Offshoring, and Outsourcing 344
Withdrawing from a Market and Closing an Overseas Office 348
CHAPTER 7 Staffing International Projects and Offices 351
North American Based Staff Traveling to International Locations 352
North American Staff Relocated to an International Location 354
Foreign Staff Stationed Overseas 355
Reference 356
CHAPTER 8 Technology and Communications 357
The Basics 358
Issues 359
Future Developments 363
Reference 365
CHAPTER 9 Cautionary Case Studies 367
International Practice's Role in a Firm's Demise 368
Swanke Hayden Connell Architects 368
The Architects Collaborative 369
RMJM Hillier 370
Emery Roth & Sons 371
Case Studies Where Leadership or Ownership Changes Affected or Were Affected by the Firms' International Practices 371
Arcadis North America CallisonRTKL, Stantec, and AECOM 371
Perkins + Will 372
Burt Hill Kosar Rittelman 372
Freeman White 373
Outsourcing Needs Leadership 374
Kohn Pedersen Fox London 374
Common Project Issues 375
FX Collaborative in China 375
FX Collaborative in Dubai 376
Dubai, 2008-10 377
Oppenheim Architecture+Design 378
A Chinese Life Insurance Company 379
A Government Agency that Wanted Us to Fail 380
Clients that Disappear 381
Scams 381
Conclusion, Project Problems, and Bad Clients 383
Health and Safety Issues 383
Iran 383
Lebanon 384
Libya 384
Egypt 385
Doing Projects in High Crime Areas 385
Medical Emergencies and Exposure to Health Issues 385
The Dangers of Some Countries' Drinking Culture 386
Conclusion 386
CHAPTER 10 The Future 387
List of Figures xvii
CHAPTER 1 Introduction and Historical Overview 1
Introduction 1
Why Firms Pursue or Choose to Avoid International Practice 7
How Firms Start 8
Reasons to Have an International Practice 9
Reasons to Be Cautious 13
References 15
CHAPTER 2 Getting Started 17
Researching the Major Issues 17
Developing a Plan 23
First Steps 29
What Country Is the Right Place to Start? 29
How to Start 32
Questions to Answer During an Initial Exploration 32
Getting the First Projects 33
Contract Issues 34
Case Studies 34
Perkins Eastman 34
Ennead Architects 40
MASS Design Group 44
ZGF Architects 45
KPF 48
Oppenheim Architecture+Design 48
Reference 51
CHAPTER 3 The Major International Markets 53
Americas 55
Canada 55
Mexico and Central America 64
Mexico 66
Central America 71
South America 73
Brazil 80
Colombia 84
Ecuador 86
The Caribbean Islands 88
Bahamas 92
Bermuda 92
Dominican Republic 94
Jamaica 94
Trinidad and Tobago 95
Asia 96
China 97
Reasons to be there 105
Reasons to be cautious 107
What firms are currently operating in China? 107
Special Administrative Regions-Hong Kong and Macau 124
East Asia 130
Southeast Asia 147
South Asia 172
Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands 184
Who Is There 184
The Potential Clients 186
Domestic Firms 186
Licensure 186
The Middle East and North Africa 187
The Gulf States and Saudi Arabia 189
The Middle East 211
Egypt and North Africa 227
Sub-Saharan Africa 234
Angola 234
Benin (formerly Dahomey) 234
Botswana 234
Burkina Faso 237
Burundi 238
Cameroon 238
Central African Republic 238
Chad 238
Comoros 239
Democratic Republic of the Congo 239
Republic of the Congo 239
Djibouti 239
Equatorial Guinea 239
Eritrea 240
Ethiopia 241
Gambia 241
Gabon 241
Ghana 241
Guinea 243
Guinea-Bissau 243
Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire) 243
Kenya 243
Lesotho 244
Liberia 244
Madagascar 244
Malawi 245
Mali 245
Mauritania 246
Mauritius 246
Mozambique 246
Namibia 246
Niger 246
Nigeria 247
Reunion 249
Rwanda 249
Sao Tome and Principe 250
Senegal 250
Seychelles 250
Sierra Leone 251
South Africa 251
Somalia 251
Sudan 252
Swaziland (Now Eswatini) 252
Tanzania 252
Togo 252
Uganda 253
Western Sahara 253
Zambia 253
Zimbabwe 254
Russia and the States of the Former Soviet Union Chart and Map 254
Russia 256
The Former Soviet Republics 259
Central and Eastern Europe 263
Albania 265
Bosnia and Herzegovina 266
Bulgaria 267
Croatia 267
Czech Republic (Czechia) 267
Hungary 268
North Macedonia 269
Moldova 269
Poland 269
Romania 270
Serbia 270
Slovakia 271
Slovenia 271
Western Europe 271
Austria 274
Belgium 274
Cyprus 276
Denmark 277
Finland 277
France 278
Who is operating there now? 281
Germany 282
Reasons to be there 282
Reasons to be cautious 282
Greece 284
The market 284
Iceland 285
The market 285
Languages and communications 285
Ireland 285
The market 285
Languages and communications 287
Italy 287
Liechtenstein 288
The market 288
Languages and communications 289
Luxembourg 289
The market 289
Languages and communications 291
Monaco 291
Netherlands 291
Norway 292
Portugal 294
The market 294
Spain 294
The market 296
Reasons to be there 298
Reasons to be cautious 298
Skills and capabilities that are important 298
Sweden 298
The market 299
Switzerland 299
The market 299
Languages and communications 299
United Kingdom 299
The market 302
Reasons to be there 302
Reasons to be cautious 303
Skills and capabilities that are important 304
Who is operating there now? 304
Who are the clients? 304
What is the process for getting work? 305
Languages and communications 305
Licensing and legal issues 305
Scope of services 305
Fee levels, payment terms, and taxes 306
Major contract issues 306
Local resources 307
Design issues 307
Code and regulatory issues 307
Typical schedules 307
Personal safety and health issues 307
References 307
CHAPTER 4 Common Legal, Licensure, Registration, and Contract Issues 309
Operating Legally in a Foreign Market 310
Licensure 310
Contracting for Planning and Design Services 311
Negotiating Contracts for Design Services 316
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act 323
CHAPTER 5 Setting and Collecting Fees, Accounting, and Banking Issues 325
Setting Fees 325
Payment Terms 326
Currency Issues 326
Tax Planning 327
Performance and Bid Bonds, Bank and Other Guarantees, and Banking Services 328
Invoicing 328
Collections 329
Repatriating Fee Income and Profits 329
Financial and Management Accounting 330
Insurance Considerations 331
CHAPTER 6 Common Governance, Management, and Quality Control Issues 337
Common Issues 337
Models for International Practice 340
Managing the Relationship Between the Domestic Offices and the International Offices and Teams 342
Managing a Successful International Office 342
Monitoring and Managing Client Management, Project Management, and Quality Control Issues 342
Working with Local Associate Firms and Consultants 343
Work Sharing, Offshoring, and Outsourcing 344
Reasons to Consider Work Sharing, Offshoring, and Outsourcing 344
Withdrawing from a Market and Closing an Overseas Office 348
CHAPTER 7 Staffing International Projects and Offices 351
North American Based Staff Traveling to International Locations 352
North American Staff Relocated to an International Location 354
Foreign Staff Stationed Overseas 355
Reference 356
CHAPTER 8 Technology and Communications 357
The Basics 358
Issues 359
Future Developments 363
Reference 365
CHAPTER 9 Cautionary Case Studies 367
International Practice's Role in a Firm's Demise 368
Swanke Hayden Connell Architects 368
The Architects Collaborative 369
RMJM Hillier 370
Emery Roth & Sons 371
Case Studies Where Leadership or Ownership Changes Affected or Were Affected by the Firms' International Practices 371
Arcadis North America CallisonRTKL, Stantec, and AECOM 371
Perkins + Will 372
Burt Hill Kosar Rittelman 372
Freeman White 373
Outsourcing Needs Leadership 374
Kohn Pedersen Fox London 374
Common Project Issues 375
FX Collaborative in China 375
FX Collaborative in Dubai 376
Dubai, 2008-10 377
Oppenheim Architecture+Design 378
A Chinese Life Insurance Company 379
A Government Agency that Wanted Us to Fail 380
Clients that Disappear 381
Scams 381
Conclusion, Project Problems, and Bad Clients 383
Health and Safety Issues 383
Iran 383
Lebanon 384
Libya 384
Egypt 385
Doing Projects in High Crime Areas 385
Medical Emergencies and Exposure to Health Issues 385
The Dangers of Some Countries' Drinking Culture 386
Conclusion 386
CHAPTER 10 The Future 387