January 2nd 2024 / 2 min read
There’s a running joke in the architecture world. If the client chooses to interfere minimally, we charge the least. Some extra interference, we raise the price about 20% and if they want to be severely involved, then we triple it. The running joke is inspired by the chaos that clients can create when they don’t let the architect do the job that they are actually paying them to do. It’s funny because it’s true. Trust your architect and let them prove their vision to you. Alas, that’s wishful thinking in most situations.
However, this year proved to us that we can take that scenario and not only learn from it, but also devise a brand-new business strategy from it. The clients’ interference and the unnecessary hassle it created at certain points served as the inspiration for our new direction.
As we handed over our latest project, we slowly recognized how difficult it had been. The challenges we faced in bringing this project to life were unprecedented in our 15-year-old operational history. This was one of those projects that got more problematic as time went on. The pressure was high. The stakes were higher. The design was even higher in terms of grandeur and vision – which is what made it all worth it. However, when we took our boat to shore and handed over, it dawned on Nina and the team, that they are more than capable of delivering projects regardless of anything. Like Murphy’s Law, this project showed us that whatever disasters can happen will happen and – thankfully – we can pull through. We pulled it off and we did it, humbly speaking, with grace. Here’s a look at it, FYI.
This recognition of our abilities and the scope of the work we are capable of delivering in comparison to other companies in the industry actually stood out to us, particularly after observing peoples’ reactions and understanding that other design studios do not handle what we do. This is not a boast. Not even a subtle one. This is, in fact, a wake-up call. It was this recognition that allowed us to kill and cure our Impostor Syndrome.
For the longest time, as any creative, we felt that maybe what we are doing is not enough, that maybe this is not the right caliber, that we can do more, better, more efficient, more impressive. The usual symptoms of Impostor Syndrome. For the first time, with this project, we recognized that we do not need a client’s validation, we do not need an audience’s applause, we do not need external appreciation. And more importantly, we did not need to compare ourselves to the competition.
This brought about the belief that we are a team that can do the job from scratch. This reaffirmed our faith in ourselves and in the prowess of our team. This is why as we close the door on our latest project and on 2023, Concept Me is ready to begin a new chapter. One where our projects are wholly our own, where our projects tell the story we want them to tell, where our projects truly stand out to the people who can appreciate every tiny detail in them and where creative freedom gets to be built, brick by brick, unbound.
We hope this coming year keeps all your dreams just that…unbound.
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