Fostering a Cool Office Culture: A Blueprint for Success

At H+W, we understand the importance of a vibrant and inspiring office culture. Just as every set of construction documents sets the stage for an exceptional building, our office culture is the blueprint that leads to creative, innovative, and meaningful work. In this blog post, we'll explore the key ingredients that make up our “cool” and unique office culture, offering you insights into how to create an environment that fosters productivity, collaboration, and employee satisfaction.

1. Open and Collaborative Spaces

Open spaces are at the heart of our office culture. We believe in tearing down the walls, both literally and figuratively, to encourage spontaneous interactions, idea-sharing, and collaboration. Our office layout is designed to facilitate conversations and create an atmosphere where employees feel comfortable working together. The result? A dynamic flow of ideas and problem solving. The open space allows everyone to both share their sticking points and contribute to the problem, creatively finding a collective solution. We also have a variety of different spaces for different office tasks. In our new space we’re exploring the idea that the physical shape of a workspace can better support different types of work, creating adaptable and stations for the variety of different work styles. As remote work has become more common, we’re committed to holding on to the practice of in-office work because it allows for more one-on-one mentoring, spontaneous collaboration, and unscheduled conversations.

2. Flexibility and Work-Life Balance

We're firm believers in the concept that work shouldn't feel like a burden. Our flexible work hours empower our team to find the right balance between work and life. We really try to enforce the 40-hour work week; adjusting schedules and expectations to prevent our people working 50- or 60-hour weeks. While we encourage everyone to be in the office when they can, we have the capability to work from home, allowing our people flexibility for life’s demands. At the same, we don’t expect anyone to answer emails or calls outside of working hours. We trust our employees to manage their schedules while maintaining a strong commitment to their projects and clients. This freedom fosters a sense of responsibility, enhances work satisfaction, and promotes overall well-being.

3. Professional Development

Personal professional growth is central to engagement and work performance. Our culture encourages continuous learning and development. We support workshops, seminars, mentorship programs, and cultural groups (such as the local and national AIA, the Cincinnati Architecture Mentor Program, Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange, NOMA,) to help our employees reach their full potential. We've found that investing in our team's skills not only benefits them but also elevates the quality of our projects. We also support our employees’ outside-of-work interests and passions, whether it be on a board of directors, pet projects, or just general community engagement. We believe that supporting our people in their passions will let their passion shine through in their work.

4. Employee Wellness

We believe that a happy and healthy workforce is a productive workforce. To support the well-being of our team, we provide full health benefits at no cost to our employees—you heard that right. It’s a benefit we started providing a long time ago and we’ve found it removes a mental burden when our employees don’t have to worry about the health of themselves and their families. We also have unlimited sick time, to encourage our employees to stay at home when they’re sick. They can spend their energy getting well without worrying about using PTO to recover and stay well. Removing these mental and physical obstacles benefits us all and motivate everyone to take care of themselves to do their best work.

We also make our team’s mental health a top priority by giving everyone the chance to influence the work environment – we let them pick their favorite snacks (no matter how “unhealthy” it may be), we collaborate on playlists so that everyone gets to influence the music, and we encourage everyone to set their own working hours (with proper communication). We also spend a lot of time and effort making sure that we are accommodating the needs of the individuals. This year alone, we have conducted several studies on how people are using our space currently, and how they WANT to be using our space in the future. We spend a lot of time here at the office, and if we’re not happy with how the space is working, that doesn’t work for us. For instance, we’ve switched to several inter-connected speakers so that people can adjust the music volume individually. Happy and healthy employees are more productive and creative people, and when our people are happy, so are their clients.

5. Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion are not just buzzwords for us; they are fundamental principles of our office culture. We celebrate the uniqueness of each team member and actively promote a diverse workforce. We recognize that diversity is more than just race. It encompasses age, gender, neurodivergences, orientation, religion, disability and so many other factors. We are very cognizant of these different perspectives and welcome each opportunity within each of our employees to help us broaden our worldviews and challenge our internal biases.  This approach leads to a wide array of viewpoints, ideas, and experiences, contributing to our design excellence. And it is a cause that we’re very passionate about, as can be seen in our Cincinnati Business Courier article. It’s important to us to make sure that our employees feel comfortable to be themselves at work, and know they have our full support to be their individual selves; because culture is about the knowledge of safety and support from your co-workers, peers, and bosses.

We also love promoting the architectural field outside of our office! We want to make the profession more approachable to everyone, so we have partnered with a variety of organizations (CAMP at UC, Esperanza in Covington, and NOMA-OH) to bring people who might not have the opportunity into our space to learn about architecture and what makes architecture great. 

7. Creative and Fun Inspiration

Inspiration is everywhere at H+W. Our office is adorned with architectural inspirational photos, badminton rackets, and thought-provoking art—most of which was produced by our team members! We encourage everyone to contribute to the office art; the visual stimulation serves as a constant source of inspiration for our team, sparking creativity and pushing the boundaries of our designs while maintaining a fun vibe. Regular design charettes are also a fun and creative way to challenge our design skills. Creativity and Fun are two of our core values, and we embrace them daily. Our friends over at Pella gifted us a pack of indoor snowballs that quickly became our favorite way to break up a quiet afternoon. And since they don’t melt, we can keep the fight going all year round!

8. Team-Building and Fun Activities

Building a cool office culture involves fostering strong relationships among team members. We organize team-building activities, outings, and social events that create bonds beyond the workplace, and we let our employees lead the way. A connected team is a more motivated and cohesive one. We have regular game nights, movie nights, and happy hours together. We also like to encourage everyone to share their outside interests, so we recently went candle-making at the Candle Lab to experience our co-op Dylan’s hobby. Making sure everyone feels like they’re valued is a high priority for us. Each one of our employees is encouraged to propose an event or activity that means something to them not because it’s something we feel like we “should” do, but because we like to experience the things that matter to our people. This extends not only to our employees, but to our clients, friends, and neighbors, especially the ones that indulge us with our annual badminton tournament. This event is one of our favorites because we can just cut loose with our favorite people (that’s you) and be silly one afternoon in June….and sometimes September, depending on who we can find to challenge in the fall.

Ignore those faces - It’s a thought provoking and hard game!

A “cool” office culture isn't just a nice-to-have but an essential component of our work at Hub+Weber. Over 50 years, we've discovered that an open and collaborative environment, and emphasis on work-life balance, professional development, employee wellness, diversity and inclusion, creativity, fun, and team-building activities are the building blocks of our thriving culture. We invite you to consider these principles when crafting your own unique office culture, as it can lead to a happier, more productive, and more innovative workforce.

If you're looking for design inspiration or architecture expertise and want to work with a cool team, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We're here to help you achieve your vision and create spaces that inspire.

Why DEI? Our commitment to Equity.

We all have moments when we awaken. Mine was the murder of George Floyd (2020). 30 years after Rodney king (1991), Timothy Thomas (1997), Ahmaud Arbery, Briana Taylor, etc. The list is too long.  We are not a civilized society.  I saw diversity as pathway to a more civil society.  I’m of the dominant culture (white, middle-class, male).  I questioned how we understand ourselves and our relationship to others if we only surround ourselves with ourselves?  Hub + Weber seeks diversity in our office and in our dialogue because it raises the value of the conversations of our lives, our communities, and our work. 

Before we get into the why of JEDI let’s define it.

The Guides for Equitable Practice, created in a partnership between the University of Washington, the University of Minnesota, and The American Institute of Architects’ Equity and the Future of Architecture Committee (EQFA), are a part of AIA’s long-term effort to ensure the profession of architecture is as diverse as the nation it serves.  It defines JEDI as follows:

Justice is Assurance of fair treatment, Equal economic, political, and social rights, Active removal of barriers to create equitable access to opportunities and outcomes for all, Accountability/ repairing past wrongs, challenging structural inequities supported by built environment.

Equity means acknowledging that many aspects of our society are built on an uneven playing field and recognizing the inherent power differentials that have resulted in disparate treatment based on identity. Why not equality? ...equity is necessary to replace our current imperfect frameworks, and equality is an ideal condition, not yet achieved, that drives our goals and efforts."

Diversity means that there is a mix of kinds of people present, these people are often categorized by "identity markers" like gender, age, race, religion, etc. Diversity extends beyond race to include gender, sexuality, neurology, education, class, language, politics, upbringing, technology, age, personality.  It is not inherently positive or negative. While it is likely that a group of people with the same identity markers will be limited in their perspectives, they can bring to finding creative solutions and how well they can work with and serve others outside their group, diversity alone will not solve this issue. 

Inclusion means creating an environment in which everyone is welcomed, respected, supported, and valued. Inclusion can be tricky- people who are different from the 'norm' may minimize these differences and try to assimilate into the workplace culture, and by doing so lose the potential value of these differences.

STATISTICS

The Port’s Vice President of Economic Equity, Jilson Daniels, shared a report from New York Times Journalist Colette Coleman published in March 2023 citing a staggering statistic: out of 112,000 real estate companies in the U.S., 111,000 of them are white-owned. Of 383 top-tier developers generating fifty million in annual revenue, one is Latino, and none are Black.

In 2022 the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Reported on the gender and racial makeup of the profession which showed architects are significantly white and male.

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), a nonprofit that helps establish state guidelines for exams and licensure, reported that as of 2022 there were 121,603 licensed architects working in the U.S. and only 2% — 2,492 — are Black. Of those, only 566 are Black women. That's under one half of one percent. Over 50 percent of all candidates who took an Architecture Registration Exams in 2019 were white and male. Of the remaining candidates, 15 percent were Asian, 13 percent were Latino, 4 percent were African American, and less than one percent were Native American or Pacific Islander. In addition, genders were represented nearly equally, with men making up a slight majority of active testers in 2019 at 51 percent. While almost half of ARE candidates were in the 30-39 age group, candidates aged 18-29 and 40-54 made up 32 and 19 percent of 2019 test takers, respectively. Only 3 percent of active testers were 55 or older.  NCARB, which has been tracking demographic changes for years, reports that the number of Black architects who have passed the Architect Registration Examination, ARE, has remained between 2% and 3% since 2010.  The demographics haven’t changed much since 1968 (56 years ago), Whitney M. Young, Jr., who was executive director of the National Urban League at the time, addressed the absence of racial diversity in its ranks at the National AIA Conference.  While we’ve been talking about the issue for a number of years, we haven’t made a lot of progress in addressing it.

NCARB Baseline on Belonging Report studied the current barriers to the profession (and at every check point) that included stuff as simple as considering English may not be a first language, making education, exams, and licensure difficult.  Understanding ongoing incidents of violence toward people of color, and many other economic, social, and political challenges have impacted the larger landscape that candidates must navigate as they pursue their personal and career goals.  Many people that consider a career in architecture leave due to lack of support and mentorship in academic and professional environments.  Financially, with average tuition costs from an accredited institution are between 30 and 40,000 per year for 5-to-6-year programs, architecture simply isn’t attainable for many.

VALUE

The AIA Guide to Equitable Practice established the case for JEDI. 

·       The Moral Case

·       The Business Case.  Powerful driver for firm leaders. Diversity is becoming more prevalent inside and outside the workplace. Competitive advantage for marketing and quality of service. Proven economic growth related to increased effectiveness, performance and innovation.  Research has shown that well managed diverse teams outperform well managed homogeneous or poorly managed diverse teams.

·       Ethical Case. Presumes that most people value fairness and justice. Everyone should have the opportunity to enter and work in the profession. The profession should serve society fairly. Employees who value fairness will care about their company’s commitment.

·       Professional Case. The belief that we should and can make our profession better through diversity, equity and inclusion. Inclusive policies will result in a more diverse pool of talent and support more creativity. Clarify the perception and value of the profession. Spur economic growth.

·       Client Demand. More and more, clients have been asking for data on firm demographics and efforts made towards increasing diversity.

·       Societal – can’t design equitable in and inequitable practice.  Architects have a responsibility for making a positive impact on society. Equitable and inclusive community engagement builds trust between designers and community members, sustains communities, undoes past damage, and helps create functional, affordable, safe spaces. Emerging metrics link design with equity, health, and resilience, offering new ways to establish the value of architecture.  Diversity increases cultural competency.

Aside from just being the right thing to do, countless/vast research studies show that diversity enhances staff well-being which translates into higher productivity and profits.  Research also shows stronger client relationships.  We had the privilege of a staff person from Ecuador working for us.  Having a native Spanish speaker on staff benefited us in many ways.  We have clients and contractors whose first language is Spanish.  Being able to communicate in their native language made them more comfortable in our interactions, but also reduced misunderstandings that may have been caused by language.  We were also able to host a dialogue with the Latin community about pathways to the profession.  In our highest attended event, we hosted well over 75 people.  The presentation from 6 registered Architects in the Cincinnati area was given completely in Spanish.

TO DO - A CALL TO ACTION - A MANIFESTO

I spoke of empathy in the introduction, but empathy is not enough.  Empathy can still come from the perspective of Power.  It is still centered on oneself.  For meaningful change to occur (in architecture and any professional or personal environment) we must:

·       We must acknowledge the structures that uphold inequality.

·       We must make ourselves vulnerable. 

·       We must learn together. 

·       We must share Power. 

·       We must be comfortable with the uncomfortable change. 

·       We must craft a new design language.  One that values approach over solution, people over users, audience over target, co-creators over beneficiaries, historically under invested over vulnerable, marginalized, minority, poor, oppressed or disadvantaged, quality over quantity. 

·       We must embrace both/and over either or in our design thinking. 

·       “The white masculine geriatric hands of Architecture”) must acknowledge its complicity. 

·       We must acknowledge and speak to our biases.  (But first we need to identify them). 

·       We need to re-evaluate the role of Architect as “form giver” as it reinforces authoritarian role, producing architecture that is subjectively preferred by the dominant culture. 

·       We must acknowledge that our academic training and professional execution of architecture is from a Euro-centric perspective. 

·       We must not allow Architecture to be a tool of oppression. 

·       We must acknowledge the systemic racism inherent in property development, zoning and financing that has controlled access for the history of our country. 

·       We can’t be performative in our approach.  We must be authentic.

WHAT WE’RE DOING

There are some basic levels of JEDI engagement:

·       Financial – it’s easy to write a check.  This should be a minimum for everyone.

·       Support and elevate under-represented cultures in our professions.  Develop skill sets, promote, pay equitably, etc.  Provide opportunities to expand leadership and capacity of others.

·       Mentor – seek out those who may need the support of your perspective in academia and within the profession.  Foster personal and communal evolution. 

·       Challenge professional organizations (like the AIA and NCARB) to go beyond acknowledging the problem and devoting staff and funding to solve it.  Make equity as important as climate.  Because it is (at least).

Things Hub + Weber is doing specifically:

·       Checking our affinity bias.  Looking for staff that add value and breadth to our culture instead of just fitting in. This requires us to create an atmosphere of trust and psychological safety that allows people to be their true selves and not have to adapt to fit in.

·       Choosing a language of optimism and hope.  Language such as “Walnut Hills is coming back” and “no one used to live in OTR” erases people and communities.

·       Supporting NOMA through President’s Circle membership and supporting the local chapter.

·       Leading and engaging AIA Cincinnati through its JEDI Committee.

·       Offering pro bono services to underserved communities that don’t have ready access to design services.

·       Hosting presentations about how to become an architect to communities that may not know or see that as a career path. 

·       Financially supporting local organizations such as Apocalyptic Gardens in Louisville, Brick Gardens in Cincinnati, PAR Projects in Northside, CAMP program at UC, Esperanza Latin Center in Covington.

·       Supporting CAMP at DAAP/UC both financially and in mentorship.

·       Dedicating a day a year to check in with our diversity goals and actions.

·       Endeavoring to make our staff more diverse by reaching out to BIPOC communities, businesses and HBCU’s for coop positions.

·       Supporting AIA 10 points of Challenge for Diversity (AIA LA)

·       Be purposely inclusive in our events – reaching out to diverse communities.

·       Providing financial support for study materials, time and exams.

·       Supporting our staff’s professional development outside of the office.

CONCLUSION

Change is needed.  Change comes from disruption of the circular socialization process that reinforces the norm.  Raising consciousness, interrupting, challenging, educating, questioning, re-framing.  We need the imaginations of a diverse profession to create new and equitable communities.  I have a certain amount of power as a white, middle class male owner of an architecture firm.  Power is the ability to decide who has access to resources.  I’ll go a bit further and say those in my position have an obligation.  Organizational and structural power must be leveraged to create equity.

In a presentation on Race, W. Kamau Bell challenged the audience – “What do you see that you want to do?  You’re going to do it wrong.  Be OK with that.  But be authentic. Do something.”  He suggested connecting your inward and outward life.  Protest conditions but also evaluate what you’re doing.  Identify how you’re going to improve.  Do the work.  Show the work.  Don’t just state it.  I hope people reading this will say “we do that and more”.  I hope they bring that experience to a broader conversation about what we’re doing, collectively in the profession and beyond. 

Our efforts at Hub+Weber are not over.  And we won’t get it right.  But we’ll try.  We’ll continue conversations.  There is no end.  Every day we get to choose our path.  Do we maintain the status quo or interrupt it? 

Join us.  Manifest the future.  Imagine and design an equitable future into existence.

Written by our resident old white guy: Jim Guthrie