<p>A ‘classic’ partnership would have a design partner, a business development partner, and a managing/technical partner. KPF in NY was a good example of this. Within the office you might have a series of studio heads who run the individual practice groups. For us these would be; healthcare, higher ed, religious, theater/entertainment, and government. The studios work as semi-autonomous groups with the principals running the groups responsible for business development and management. Underneath those guys are the project managers and project leaders who direct the work on the day to day jobs. We have three design principals who work across the different studios, and project designers embedded within the studios. This does not even count the specifications writers, construction administrators (those who oversee the construction), and BIM/CAD managers.</p>
<p>Everybody contributes to the design process, but very few are involved in the initial clean sheet design. Yes, design is the most glamorous (and pressure filled) position, but in a good firm there is recognition and reward for all the people that contribute to the creation of a project. Certainly the surest path to professional and financial success is the ability to bring work in the door, though few people in school aspire to the role of salesperson ;-)</p>
<p>rick</p>