5 Reasons to Work in a Small Architecture Office (+ We’re hiring!)

Those of you who know us are aware that the Tracy A. Stone Architect team is small and productive.  The office generally includes one licensed architect (Tracy) and 3-4 designers with varying levels of experience.  Recently, one of our designers, Angel, decided to move back to Chicago.  I know…go figure.  He remains with the office, although working remotely – a first for this firm.  At the same time, Anette, our youngest team member, returned to school to study structural engineering.  She also remains with the firm, but is now splitting her time between work and school.

With these changes and upcoming busy winter at the office, we are actively seeking someone to join the team! As we write a series of job postings for a new Junior Designer, we’ve taken the opportunity to reflect on our small office setup and why our office is a great place to work (not that we’re biased or anything).

1. Yes, Yes, and Yes.

Designers in our small office get exposed to every aspect of a project and gain valuable knowledge about the entire architectural process. On any single day you could be doing graphic layouts for a presentation board, then helping to resolve a construction problem that has arisen in the field, and then doing research on new materials for a kitchen remodel. In a small office, everyone works directly with the principal and nobody has just one task they are assigned to. It’s never too early to learn how to manage a project from start to finish… under the watchful eye of the principal, of course.

2. Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Every member of our team is important and about 90% of the decisions made in our office are a collaborative effort.  Even the newest, youngest team members of the have valuable insights to offer, from software selection to music playlist.

3. Can you hear me now?

Yes. We can all hear you. And while that sounds like a negative, we can guarantee that having someone to bounce ideas off of within talking distance is a total perk. Our repurposed warehouse boasts an open plan that lends itself to 4 expansive desk bays and a large conference area. Regardless of title, we all share the same space which inevitably means help with a problem is rarely farther than the next desk.

4. Overtime Schmovertime

Working at our office means you never have to confuse having a career with having a life. While our office has regular work hours, team members are free to set their own schedule to accommodate life, and let’s face it… traffic. Without a corporate time table, in-house meetings are flexible and we work around everyone’s schedule. Tracy strongly believes in work/life balance, which means overtime is a rarity (if ever).

5. Let’s just face it… We’re Fun!

We’ve perfected the balance between productivity and fun. Organization is one of our strong suits – which means that deadlines are rarely rushed to the very last minute and helps keep our office calm and collected. A little background music, spacious workstations, and office candy dish make for your ideal architecture office.

If you, or anyone you know, is looking for an architecture office like ours, send your resume our way at info@tracystonearchitect.com! Our ideal candidate has 1-2 years of architecture experience and knows their way around BIM software (relevant ArchiCAD experience gets major bonus points and a high five!). For more technical details, check out our posting on LinkedIn.