Practice Simulation Lab

The Practice Simulation Lab session at the AIA Colorado Practice + Design Conference, led by Alexandra Oetzel, AIA, and Seth Duke, AIA, was a dynamic and condensed workshop inspired by the GAPS Practice Innovation Lab. Supported by the AIA College of Fellows and AIA Ohio Architects Forum, the session aimed to simulate the creation and management of architectural firms under diverse conditions. Participants, grouped into teams of 4-5 individuals, began by crafting a firm manifesto, focusing on values such as ecological, political, pedagogical, or ethical priorities. Teams also considered ownership structures like ESOPs and S Corps, firm sizes, and operational strategies.

The workshop introduced challenges to test adaptability and strategic thinking. One scenario involved contributing to a $500 million innovation district at high altitude, requiring firms to address thin oxygen, optional WiFi, and liability coverage. Another challenge simulated a construction disaster, prompting discussions on legal obligations, PR strategies, and rebuilding trust. The final scenario focused on succession planning, exploring mentorship, leadership continuity, and responses to retirement or untimely demise of founding members.

Participants shared their firm names, values, and strategies, showcasing diverse approaches such as vertically integrated firms, community-focused housing projects, and distributed design-build companies. The session emphasized creativity, collaboration, and long-term planning, with speakers encouraging attendees to apply these principles in their professional lives. Resources and contact information were provided for further exploration.

Simulation-Based Learning Accelerates Practice Development

Interactive workshop simulations that compress real-world practice challenges into short timeframes help architects explore firm formation, risk management, and succession planning in a safe environment, enabling rapid iteration and learning from diverse approaches.

This is a workshop… We’re going to be under some simulated conditions and constraints that you will have to respond to… This is a safe space. Think about what your expertise is.

Distributed Practice Models Leverage Geographic Diversity

Distributed architectural practices with multiple small offices (10-20 people each) can combine local expertise with shared knowledge, particularly when located near universities to facilitate research partnerships and post-occupancy evaluation studies.

We are a distributed group of design build companies. Each office is about 10 to 20 people… We are located near universities around the country. So we are doing a lot of post occupancy evaluation and research into how the construction went, which we’re feeding into a relationship with university

Build Practice Foundations Through Three Core Elements

Successful architectural practices require establishing three fundamental components: a clear manifesto defining values and vision, specific expertise areas and knowledge-building goals, and concrete organizational structures including ownership, leadership, staffing, and location decisions.

Succession Planning Requires Cultural Transformation

Successful succession planning involves shifting from founder-led identity to team-driven, mission-focused practice. This requires developing leadership continuity plans, transparent communication with staff and clients, and preserving core values while empowering new generations of leadership.

You need to shift ultimately from this sort of founder led identity to a team driven, mission focused practice… your focus over time is going to be on preserving, creating or developing a culture, a culture that potentially changes, that is always looking at empowering new generations of leadership.

Professional Liability Scales with Project Size and Scope

Taking on larger projects significantly impacts professional liability exposure, requiring higher coverage limits and sometimes project-specific insurance policies. Firms must carefully consider their scope of work and partnering strategies when scaling up to major projects.

Your insurer is going to require of course a higher coverage limit and sometimes even project specific policies as you move forward.

Specialized Expertise Enables Strategic Project Selection

Firms should clearly define their areas of expertise and specialization to make strategic decisions about project scope and partnerships. Understanding what you don’t specialize in is as important as knowing your strengths when approaching large-scale opportunities.

Think about what your expertise is. What are you specializing in? What are you not specializing in? What knowledge are you trying to build and share? Who are the partners that you’re building your firm with?

Employee Ownership Models Enable Sustainable Growth

Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) and similar collective ownership structures provide alternatives to traditional partnership models, supporting both succession planning and collaborative decision-making while maintaining firm values and culture over time.

Restorative Design Integrates Research and Construction

Restorative design practices focus on improving both environmental and construction industry outcomes through significant project research, post-occupancy evaluation, and partnerships with academic institutions to develop better building models and methodologies.

We are focused on restorative design and we mean that in a way that is also about the construction industry. We do significant research in our projects… We’re trying to really work on building a better model of building.

Legal Obligations Follow Contractual Relationships

Architects’ legal obligations are primarily to fulfill contract terms with owners, not contractors. While contractors generally cannot sue architects directly for breach, they can file equity claims if they can prove design errors, making clear scope definition and professional relationships crucial.

Your legal obligation is to fulfill the terms of your contract with the owner, not the contractor. Since you have no direct contractual relationship with the contractor, they generally can’t sue you directly for a breach contractor.

Vertical Integration Addresses Housing Affordability

Firms can tackle affordable housing challenges through vertical integration, combining developer, architect, and builder roles. Innovative approaches include long-term land leases with municipalities and capital reserve programs that transfer well-maintained projects back to communities.

We started with attainable housing that’s really our foundation… thought would be to try to work with local municipalities where we get a long term land lease for a dollar, say 50 years, we turn the project back over to that entity free of charge. Basically would have a capital reserve program to maintain it.