RSS
Print This Post Print This Post

William Henry Perspectives Become Building Doctors

bill-henry

Reinvent Yourself To Become A Building Doctor

By William Henry PhD

Solution to Economic Setbacks Suffered by Architects and Interior Designers in Current Downturn– Reinvent yourself to “Become Building Doctors”

Design and Construction Industry is inherently Cyclical
The construction industry economy has always been typified by cyclical ‘ups and downs’. However this latest economic downturn has not been succeeded by a robust rebound.

A more rounded business education in addition to a strictly technical one can serve as a platform for re-invention
In order to withstand these tumultuous times I stumbled on a new business approach to smooth the surges and plunges of our industry. This approach required both the firm and I to re-invent ourselves. This approach derived from my educational back ground which was atypical for an architect.

During my early years I worked for John Portman of Hyatt Regency fame who’s firm’s slogan is “we change skylines”. They accomplished this by acting as both real estate developers and architects. Since the approach had created unimaginable opportunities I wanted to tackle both design and real estate simultaneously. To do this I needed a different skill set then I had attained as a registered architect. Therefore I decided to attend The Wharton School of Business. I used this platform to study such non-design oriented subjects such as entrepreneurship, microeconomics, operations research, contract law and other business oriented subjects. In short I began working on an analytical approach to design which dovetailed with a pragmatic business approach.

A refocus on existing buildings and real estate emerge
Later in my career, in lieu of a focus on ‘ground up real estate’, we’re-focused and streamlined our services to address the challenges associated with existing real estate. We then applied many of the same analytical techniques I had learned at Wharton. We studied under performing properties and the reasons that they often couldn’t attract quality credit worthy tenants.

Deficiencies could be both real and/or perceived. These are the result of deferred maintenance, building code violations, as well as a tired appearance. In short while there may be little or no demand for new ground up building construction– there is a very real and CONSTANT DEMAND for addressing challenges associated with existing structures. The services to address these building challenges may derive mostly from an analytical mind set, such as the one I attained studying business related topics.

This is especially true if and when litigation enters the picture. Then little discretion is left. A sense of urgency arises, especially when a court hearing date is imminent.

The Building Doctor displaces the Master Builder
We used the operational approach learned at business school to become ‘Building Doctors’ who address existing problems identified and related to existing structures.

In response to these new market dynamics, we at RGA have devised the following services to address these very real on-going, non–discretionary demands. Diagnose the building problem—-Prescribe a building cure via design solutions—Operate by executing building construction—and attempt to– Recover funds via grants or claims against parties responsible for the deficiencies. In short since I had eventually attained the degree of PhD I became a sort of a ‘Building Doctor’.

After I assumed this role I found that income became more consistent. While gross income levels haven’t yet approached the volume we had with new ground up design commissions they became steadier. The only limitation to greater income is the amount of staff availability—given that quality remains high. Revenue is now tied more to billable hours typically at a higher rate than designers can charge. For instance forensic expert witnesses may be able to bill at rates twice what designers can justify to clients, especially during depositions or trials.

Further fees are not ‘bid out’ and capped. Invoices resemble those tendered by attorneys which are open ended. As with both attorneys and physicians unforeseen issues may arise which must be addressed during a procedure or trial. There is often little discretion in undertaking measures to rapidly respond to these challenges AS THEY ARISE.

The Building Doctor Approach is Counter Cyclical. When the demand for new construction goes down the demand for Building Doctor services go up.
In short, as owners in a recessionary period defer building maintenance, restoration needs increase. With outdated edifices the need for appealing building façade ‘facelifts’ also increase to remain competitive in attracting new tenants. And unfortunately as building deficiencies become more apparent due to deferred maintenance, litigation is often instigated in order to recover offsets to real or perceived damages. If you go to www.rga-design.com (Reliable Group LLC Architects website) or www.buldingdoctorfl.com (Building Doctor) you will see the results of this changed mind set. The offerings address 21st century realities.

bill-henryReliable Group, LLC Architects AA# 0003523 is a well-known architectural and construction management firm based in Tampa, Florida. RGA is headed by Dr. William Henry, both an architect and certified expert witness who issues opinions and testimony concerning design and construction related matters. Having designed over 250 landmark buildings in the state of Florida, he has represented and testified for both plaintiffs and defendants in cases involving code violations such as associated with design and construction defects as well as American Disabilities Act – ‘ADA’ violations. William Henry, PhD (Bill) may be reached at (813) 226.2220 or bhenry@rga-design.com.

Copyright © 2012 REAL Magazine
Links to this article are encouraged

Share

Tags: , , ,

Leave a Reply


Featured Properties

Ads

REAL HAPPENINGS

April 2, 2020 Ringling Underground

April 2, 2020 Ringling Underground

CANCELLED Ringling Underground CANCELLED. Enjoy live music, and art in the Museum of Art Courtya[...]
CleanSlate Property Services Opens

CleanSlate Property Services Opens

CleanSlate Property Services, a local concierge handyman business. My name is Tim White, former [...]
March 5, 2020 Ringling Underground

March 5, 2020 Ringling Underground

Ringling Underground Returns. Enjoy live music, and art in the Museum of Art Courtyard 8:00pm -1[...]
March 6, 2020 Gettel Toyota Grand Opening

March 6, 2020 Gettel Toyota Grand Opening

You're Invited To Gettel Toyota Of Bradenton's Grand Opening. On Friday, March 6th, from 12pm-2:[...]
March 12-13, 2020 Pop Up Art Show

March 12-13, 2020 Pop Up Art Show

Sarasota Architectural Salvage Hosts Event To Support Local Artists. For more information and/or[...]
February 6, 2020 Ringling Underground

February 6, 2020 Ringling Underground

Ringling Underground Returns. Enjoy live music, and art in the Museum of Art Courtyard 8:00pm -1[...]
January 25, 2020 Spoons And Tunes

January 25, 2020 Spoons And Tunes

TheWineToBuy.com Hosts Innovative Wine Tasting. Tired of the same old BS? Then join TheWineToBuy[...]
February 7, 2020 Thunder By The Bay Kick Off Party

February 7, 2020 Thunder By The Bay Kick Off Party

White Buffalo Saloon Hosts Born To Be Wild! Join REAL as we kick off 2020's Thunder by the Bay. [...]
Curb Appeal Detailing Opens New Sarasota Location

Curb Appeal Detailing Opens New Sarasota Location

Auto Enthusiasts Take Note. Curb Appeal Detailing announced the opening of their new location i[...]
January 11, 2020 National Hot Toddy Day

January 11, 2020 National Hot Toddy Day

How To Warm Up On A Chilly Day. Today is National Hot Toddy Day! A hot toddy is a delicious drin[...]
Anheuser-Busch Launches New Hard Seltzer

Anheuser-Busch Launches New Hard Seltzer

Bud Light Seltzer Arrives Just In Time For The Super Bowl! Anheuser-Busch is launching a new har[...]
Ocala Gains New Urgent Care Center

Ocala Gains New Urgent Care Center

StatMed Urgent Care Center Ocala Opens January 2, 2020. StatMed Urgent Care Center is a step abo[...]
New Year's Eve 2019-2020 Tow To Go

New Year's Eve 2019-2020 Tow To Go

Everyone Have A Safe New Year’s Eve Tonight! Tow to Go is a partnership between AAA & Budweiser.[...]
Wyze Labs Data Breach

Wyze Labs Data Breach

Multiple Data Breaches Exposes Information Of 2.4 Million Customers. Wyze Labs' low cost, inter[...]
Westbound SR 70 Southbound I75 Ramp To Close

Westbound SR 70 Southbound I75 Ramp To Close

8 Months of New Detours Loom Large! Starting at 11 p.m. Thursday, January 2nd, the westbound on-[...]
Wawa Data Breach

Wawa Data Breach

Wawa Facing Wave Of Lawsuits Over Data Breach. On December 10, Wawa's information security team [...]
December 26, 2019 Deck the Halls @ Ca' d'Zan

December 26, 2019 Deck the Halls @ Ca' d'Zan

Ca' d'Zan All Decked Out. On December 26th, from 5:00pm – 8:00pm join The Ringling for Deck the [...]
January 22, 2020 Ringling's Wisconsin Pullman Tour

January 22, 2020 Ringling's Wisconsin Pullman Tour

Private Tour of the Wisconsin Pullman Car. Join Jennifer Lemmer-Posey, Tibbals Curator of Circus [...]
Commercial Investment Division Changes Name

Commercial Investment Division Changes Name

RASM Commercial Division Now Know As Commercial Real Estate Alliance. The Realtor Association of[...]
December 3, 2019 GivingTuesday

December 3, 2019 GivingTuesday

Join the GivingTuesday Movement. GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the po[...]
Translate »