Their global reach is in itself a defense against regional dips. As we see one market go down, another goes up. Overhead expenses caught architects off balance during the last economic quake. Kristin Hill, a principal of Design Management Corp., an office consultant, urges architects to prepare to defray rents by going halfsies with subtenants. Of course, the key to handling overhead is to stoke the machine with incoming work.
Small projects lead to relationships.
What happens next is anybody's guess. Economies have a way of turning on unpredictable events. According to one scenario, clients are splurging before uncertainty strikes. More likely, clients in the financial sector will close their wallets until the New Year wobbles have safely subsided. Their facilities people have a lot to deal with, and they don't want any distractions until it's all over.