ABSTRACT
Interviewing for a commission can be a stressful experience and one in which ethical dilemmas abound. During interviews, architectural firms should not focus on themselves and their work – which can convey a sense of self-absorption or an unwillingness to hear what a client needs – but on the needs of the individuals or organizations seeking an architect’s services. The most successful firms in interviews convey an empathetic understanding of the challenges facing their clients and communities, and ethics helps architects achieve that. Paradoxically, when architects dwell only on their own advantage and on their past achievements, success in an interview rarely follows.
