• Culvahouse Consulting

    tim_big.jpgOver the course of thirty years in architecture, I’ve enjoyed the privilege of teaching and administering in architecture and design programs at RISD and California College of the Arts; teaching as a visitor at Tulane University, Carleton University, and U.C. Berkeley; writing for a wide range of architecture journals, from Residential Architect to Harvard Design Magazine; editing arcCA, the AIA California Council quarterly; and designing a few buildings. Now, from Berkeley, California, I advocate for design and for designers.

    My aim in this website is to put into practice some of the advice that I offer clients, including “Serve as a resource” and “Differentiate yourself.” For example, my practice differs from a conventional communications practice in two ways: First, I’m an architect and architectural educator, so I understand intimately and value deeply the concerns and ambitions of architects. Second, conventional communications focuses on articulating your expertise and connecting you to folks who know they need that expertise; my practice focuses on articulating your aspirations and your capacity to realize them, and I help you connect to folks who will share and support those aspirations.

    Another recommendation I typically offer is, “Be concrete and specific in describing what you do well,” which is another way of saying “articulate your capacity,” and which is really about projecting your expertise into a field of possibilities. (Doing so requires a bit of bragging, something that makes many of us uncomfortable; for help, see “On Bragging” under “Tips and Guides.”) Here are some things I do well:

    Explain the value of design—its purposes, processes, and products—to non-designers, who might include potential or current clients, public authorities, and project neighbors.

    Tease out differentiating characteristics of a firm’s work. In a field in which almost all marketing materials sound alike, such differentiation is useful not only for business development but also for the continued improvement of a firm, its processes, and its products.

    Identify resources that a firm can post or publish to draw interest and demonstrate capabilities.

    Coach staff to communicate the values and capabilities of their firm.

    Help architects improve their writing—by utilizing existing explanatory skills (i.e., sketching), focusing on vivid content, and thinking of marketing as a form of teaching.

    Edit—to bring together the multiple voices of a firm into a consistent presentation, effectively pair language and image, and translate architecture jargon for the non-architect.

    Write . . . but only when it’s part of the broader process of increasing and leveraging a firm’s self-understanding. (If you just need a spot of writing done—and there’s nothing wrong with that—I can recommend good people.)

    Help architects broaden their horizons, by connecting ideas to concrete opportunities and connecting interested individuals to one another.

    If you think I might be of some help to you, or you’d just like to chat, please give me a call at 415.309.2085, or e-mail me at tim@culvahouse.net.

    Tim Culvahouse, FAIA