AIA Small Project Practitioners Knowledge Community generates, collects and disseminates knowledge and wisdom on how to profitably run a small firm and how to carry out small projects that do not fit into the model of departmental production that characterizes many larger firms.
Join the AIA Small Project Practitioners by updating your AIA member profile.
Contact | Advisory Group | Small Firm Roundtable State and Local Contacts | Round Table Toolkit
Highlights
Conference: Changing Times | Time for Change: Practice, Productivity and Effectiveness
September 24–26, 2009 | Chicago
Register now! Architects practice in a world that is changing at a breathtaking rate, requiring near-constant reassessment of business models and professional practices. Changing Times | Time for Change will explore the major areas of challenge and opportunity that are reshaping architecture practice. Network now!
SPP Journal
The AIA Small Project Practitioners Knowledge Community official electronic newsletter, the SPP Journal. Read the Letter from the 2009 Advisory Group Chair.
Small Project Awards Program
2009 Display Boards | 2009 Press Release | Listen to the SSP Awards Podcast
Home Design Trends Survey
Join the survey panel and participate in the production of this quarterly report.
Resources
Small Project Practitioners Round Table Toolkit
The toolkit serves as a resource for those wishing to engage in individual study and group discussions at the local level.
Resources for Small Firms
Our small firm resources help you find tips and solutions especially geared for you, the small-project practitioner.
AIA Contract Documents License for Small Firms
AIA Contract Documents give you the Industry Standard—the most widely used contracts by architects, contractors and owners alike. Did you know that, as an AIA Member, you can access the entire library of AIA Contract Documents with our user-friendly software for as little as $189? Learn more AIA Contract Documents for Small Firms.
Small Projects and Small Firms Idea Exchange
Small Projects and Small Firms Idea Exchange offers advice and commentary by and about small-firm and small-project architects like you.
Managing a Practice
Discover tools and resources you need to help guide your practice, regardless of the size of your firm including financial, practice and human resources as well as industry information.
Navigating the Economy
Discover practical tips and resources to help you and your firm navigate through a sluggish economy.
Architecture Knowledge Review Podcast Series
Architecture Knowledge Review is a podcast series for design professionals, featuring interviews, discussions, and best practices by architects and other design professionals who are at the forefront of the profession. Some featured podcasts are:
- The Stimulus Package and Your Business Plan
What provisions of the stimulus package can architects take advantage of? Why should I do a business plan? Is a business plan really necessary in today's global environment? If so, how do I develop a plan that is a living document and not a door stop? These are just some of the questions small to medium sized firm leaders grapple with in considering whether or not do a business plan. iTunes | MP3 - Managing Staff in Difficult Times
In an economic downturn, small firms, those with 20 or fewer employees, can be particularly hard hit. They often have less backlog and limited resources. It's easy, therefore, to view staff lay-offs as the first step to cutting costs. Klein, however, urges listeners to resist that initial impulse. Instead she offers firm principals other strategies to use. iTunes | MP3 - The Transitional Small Practice
Firms of 1 or 2 practitioners that aim to grow into 6 to 10 person firms lack the resources to buy their way through today's most tenacious management issues. In this podcast, Daniel Garber, AIA, tells how a transitional small firm can use alternative strategies to address critical issues: sustaining client happiness, managing workflow, transitioning to BIM, and developing market competitiveness. iTunes | MP3
Speaker's Registry
Find knowledgeable, qualified speakers on topics ranging from land use, sustainability, and green architecture to affordable housing and public health. Or register as a speaker yourself.