A NEW ROGUE ARCHITECT

Over the last two years Rogue Architecture has built a practice focusing on our clients’ needs within the residential and light commercial market. We’ve built a portfolio of work that we are proud of and that our clients are proud of as well. We have been incredibly fortunate to have worked with and for some very talented and dedicated professionals that have helped us through the start of our firm and we truly don’t have the words to express our gratitude. And now that we are coming to the close of our second year in business, with more than 30 projects behind us and more on the horizon, Rogue Architecture is looking to grow this practice to be able to better serve the clients that have put so much trust and faith in our abilities to design and build their homes, additions and offices for years to come.

And so, as of January 1st, 2017 we will be actively searching for a licensed architect to come on as a partner with Rogue Architecture. We’ve tossed around the ideas of an intern or a project manager and, while that type of person might be an asset to our firm and we would welcome the opportunity to pour into a young architect, our needs go beyond just an employee. In leading this firm, I have personally made all of the decisions from office space to logo to website to content to client selection to design to production to detailing to standards to contract administration. I can’t tell you how much I absolutely love each and every task that is involved in the practice of architecture, but it has never been my goal to be the only captain of this ship. That’s why my name isn’t on the letterhead. This isn’t the Jeremiah Show. This is Rogue Architecture. We want to do things differently. We want to stand out. We want good design and craft to be at the heart of our practice not just for our clients, but for our communities, our city and our state.

So, what does a partner architect look like for Rogue Architecture? We are looking for someone, man or woman, young or old, with three core traits. Yep, only three. We like to keep things simple around here. Within these three traits we’re looking for someone who would be a permanent fit for our firm. That’s why we’re posting this now and not at the beginning of the year. A partnership like this, in a firm like ours, is a small family and can only succeed if there is a solid foundation of trust and mutual respect. That can only come from building a relationship with someone with the right stuff: Enthusiasm, Talent, Professionalism. This sounds simple, but it really isn’t.

Enthusiasm is an intense and eager enjoyment of something – in our case Architecture. Now, we’re not talking about someone who gets all doe-eyed when the newest edition of Architect comes in the mail or who screams like a school girl when the latest Star-chitect hits the lecture stage. The person we’re looking for has an enthusiasm, an intense and eager enjoyment, of their work. Someone who will take ownership of the projects brought into this office and take pride in the successful completion of those projects through construction. For us each new project, no matter how small, really is an opportunity to do better than before and have a positive impact on our clients’ lives. We need someone who shares that view.

Talent. I know – duh, right?  But talent for us is a little old school. It is an ability to see things in your minds eye and translate them into some form with your hands, be it pencil, pen, crayon, models, clay or peanut butter. Our office is not fancy. It’s not shiny and modern. We have the necessary tools to do our work and do it well, but we’re not trying to win any interior design awards with our work space. And when our clients are in this office we need to be able to convey ideas to them quickly, clearly and right in front of them. The best way we know how to do that is with marker and trash paper. This is a paramount ability that we look for in anyone who might want to be part of this firm.

Professionalism is maybe not the right word, and is more than just the ability to be professional, likable, personable. It’s more about marketing and client development and even production. We need someone with the enthusiasm to want to come to work everyday, the talent to be able to help clients understand design and the options that are reasonably available to them, and then the professionalism to follow all of that through to a finished, built project that successfully represents this firm.

Over the next few months we want to start building relationships with architects who think they have the right stuff to be a part of Rogue Architecture, to help us steer this ship on a successful course. Some of the relationships we build may not turn into partnerships. Not everyone is going to be a good permanent fit, but we are excited about this process and we hope that you’ll join us as we look forward to a very exciting 2017.