Architects soldiering on in the face of the new economy

Everyone knows that it's hard to throw a rock and not hit an architect in South Walton. "There are five architectural firms and another 10-12 homeowners who are architects in Rosemary Beach alone," said Frank Greene. Greene's Element 5 Studio LLC .is the newest of these.

No one was throwing rocks, however, in the crowd at Seaside, gathered this past weekend  to celebrate the profession and examine its immediate future. There, nationally prominent players in the field of architecture came together to celebrate and recognize one of their own. (See related story - "Standing Room Only" LINK)

The Seaside Institute annually awards the Seaside Prize to "individuals or organizations who have made significant contributions to the quality and character of our communities."

Accepting the 2009 Seaside Prize Saturday afternoon was James Howard Kunstler.

On Saturday morning, a forum and panel featuring noted architects Robert Davis, Andres Duany, Jim Kunstler, Steve Nygren, and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk discussed, "The Impact of the Economic Crisis on New Urbanism and Smart Growth. " Some of those impacts are being seen locally.

Element 5 Studio LLC, represents a local example of one of the most immediately noticeable impacts of the economic crisis on the business model of architectural firms nationwide - the tendency of small firms and solo architects to join forces in newly configured businesses and collaborations.  

Another noticeable impact mentioned by Frank Greene, the principal of Element 5 and Town Architect for Rosemary Beach, is the merging of large architectural firms under one umbrella. As in the rest of the corporate world today, such mergers spell layoffs for employees and consultants.

With some thinking outside the box, however, creative responses to the situation may afford both the industry and the former employees continued prosperity, while offering the consumer a wider range of options.

"Flexibility is one thing we as a smaller firm can offer," said Greene.

In October of 2008, Greene and Marshall Wright were separated from the local office of the regional firm Looney Ricks Kiss (LRK). This month, they took up residence in the space they now rent from LRK, and are continuing to do business from that address as Element 5 LLC.

It's an arrangement that makes perfect sense, and embodies mutual benefits, said Greene.

"Our overhead is low, and we can keep our fees reasonable," said Wright.

"In the long run, having us here will be good for both entities, as we hand things off to each other," said Greene.

"Our skills were complementary. There are some things that we each are really best at," said Wright, who then added, "We're still doing some consulting work for LRK."

Wright, who worked for twenty years with Christ & Associates, focuses on the high end residential market - single and multi-family homes - such as those found on the eastern end of County Road 30A.

Greene, who had worked in the nonprofit housing sector in Chattanooga, Tenn. for 20 years, came to the area 10 years ago on vacation, and lived in a 500 square foot vacation home. To his surprise, he was offered a job, occasioning a remodeling of the vacation home to a robust 800 square feet.

"Go where you're happy and go where people want your work," said Greene. He's had the experience of working solo, and prefers a partnership. "It's tough getting a design right by yourself," he said, "You're too close to it."

Element 5 is on the leading edge of trends now influencing the architecture and design industry - more renovation and remodeling, an emphasis on "efficiency", and an enduring passion for the new urbanism. To the layman, these trends translate to smaller homes, multifunctional spaces and better planned communities.

Greene characterized new urbanism as "doing by intent what was previously done by custom - intentional design." He discussed some past and present projects that fall under that moniker.

One such project is a small development in Aliceville, Alabama that incorporates retail spaces with offices and residential use. "It's a small project, but more than enough to keep the two of us busy," said Greene.

A part of the design process involves knowledge of the site and the climate and culture in which a project will be located. Greene has traveled to the Windward Islands in the Caribbean to better understand the site requirements and local building/living conditions for a client located there.

"They have hurricanes, and earthquakes, and mountains," he explained. "It was interesting to see the interpretations of new urbanism in a different environment." The home he designed there is now under construction, and Greene looks forward to visiting it in the near future , and seeing his plans brought to fruition.

Another residential design project on which both Greene and Wright have worked together is located near Asheville, North Carolina. "It's a mirror of the Emerald Coast, but with mountains instead of beach," said Greene.

As architects, Greene and Wright are used to working within the constraints of the physical environment, the client's pocketbook and the surrounding climate. Their new architectural firm seems prepared to contribute a new dimension of adaptive response to a changing professional world,