ABSTRACT
Clients think UK architects are great designers but they want them to be better businessmen and women and they equate being businesslike with professionalism. This was a key conclusion from a series of round tables and the RIBA’s 2016 client satisfaction survey of nearly 1,000 respondents. Architects must understand the financial drivers behind the projects they are responsible for managing on their client’s behalf. For some clients this is less important than others, but all clients have a keen eye on project cost and expect their designers to as well. Clients also reported that they want their architects to be business savvy. They want architects to have successful businesses, businesses that invest in their employees and in continuous improvement. In fact, until the 1980s, architects were restricted from advertising or carrying out development activities. The fee scale meant that by and large architects did not need to concern themselves with profit margins.
