The PHH purchase of four design firms was a good idea and ahead of its time. With the proper management skills and support it would have been the most powerful design group in the country. The most difficult part of the merger was integrating four very different design firms and that proved more time-consuming than predicted. This is probably not any different than with any other merger. It is interesting that this is now happening and is a very successful idea.
Interior design is at risk, architecture is at risk.
If we are not careful, engineers will have it all wrapped up. In the past we performed many services that now are performed by others. We lost ground to real estate brokers, for example, who added additional services to their portfolio in order to justify their fees. Among these services are selecting design firms and controlling their fees. Our relationship with the architectural profession should be more integrated and less adversarial.