Your architect’s firm is finally up and running now- your dream coming true. You have a great team in place, you know how you want to take your business ahead, your risks are covered with general liability and professional liability insurance for architects. It’s time to move forward and start making your name in the marketplace. The one thing that you cannot entirely control is your competition, and in this niche, there is quite a lot of it. However, there is a way to ensure that your business does not get impacted too much owing to other architects in the marketplace. Pick a niche that is highly in demand and specialize in it. So which niches should you be looking at right now?
Design for educational institutions
One of the areas where there is always a need for expert architects is the field of education. By working on your skills to design schools or higher education institutions, you make yourself highly visible in this specific niche, and that’s a good thing. Keep in mind that designing a school is quite different from designing a home or office. You have to take into consideration the fact that you are building for active youngsters who need adequate space, yet safety is paramount with the design. This is an excellent area to build special skills at any point in time.
Design for hospitals and clinics
With the Baby Boomer generation aging now, there is a sudden increase in demand for healthcare that is translating into more and more health care providers entering the marketplace. Clearly, this also means there is an increased demand for buildings that can house medical care facilities. Designing a hospital or clinic is quite a challenging process, very unlike a regular commercial establishment. There is a need to keep myriad aspects in mind- easy access, quick movement within the premises, simple layout so patients can get around easily, space for housing equipment, specialized spaces for medical procedures etc. Honing your skills in this niche will ensure you get a steady stream of work.
Design that is eco-friendly
There is increasing awareness about the critical importance of following environmentally friendly practices in every aspect of life and many business owners, and homeowners are now actively interested in building sustainable homes. After all, green homes are not just good for the environment but also great on the pockets, especially if you have provision for solar power or adequate natural lighting to cut down power bills. Keep yourself updated about eco-friendly construction options, specialize in giving such solutions to your clients, and you can put your business under the spotlight in the marketplace for all the right reasons.
Choose your niche with care after a study of what is in demand currently and you ensure a steady stream of clients to your business. All it takes is some extra effort for you to hone your skills in these specific niches.
Sources:
1) Career Planner. Job Outlook for Architects. Available at: https://job-outlook.careerplanner.com/Architects-Except-Landscape-and-Naval.cfm
2) TERRI WILLIAMS, 2018. Where Do Architects Earn the Most Money?. Last updated: Oct 15, 2018. Available at: https://www.investopedia.com/articles/professionals/102615/where-do-architects-earn-most-money.asp
