Pros
Good Projects. High end Revit Office.
Cons
Architectus can be a great company to seek employment. The Education, Rail, and commercial sectors are strong and accordingly are a wonderful team in which to be included. The multi unit residential team is however in a state of continual disarray and has an extraordinarily high staff turnover. This is due to multiple reasons which are outlined below: - The management team is dysfunctional and is characterised by infighting and a struggle for power and control. During my time in this team a Principal was fired and two managers at associate level were pushed out against their will. These managers went on to forge successful careers at other multi unit practices. It is very difficult to complete your job when the management team is lacking a clear direction and is not exhibiting clear leadership. - They have endemic resourcing problems for this studio. Most resources are allocated to the main sectors of Education, Rail, and Commercial. The fees are significantly higher for these projects and most awards are gained in these areas. The multi unit team has significantly lower fees and consequently inadequate resources. - This team has poorly developed client management skills. No boundaries are put in place to protect the internal team against overly demanding client requests, impossible programmes and continuous deadlines. You get the feeling that Architectus management are on the side of the client and really couldn't care less about their own employees. This is a "churn" team and not one that has good long term prospects. - The hours for this team aren't within the realm of the usual overtime found in bigger tier 1 practices. Due to inadequate resourcing and poor client management often for huge periods of time an "early" night would be considered midnight. There is no policy regarding time in leiu so consider yourself lucky if you receive this. A high performing pay rise is 5 percent and any bonuses are given only to senior management who very conveniently go home at 5 30pm every night. - The overall management team is extremely gender biased and consists of primarily alpha males. There are some token woman that have been promoted to associate however you have to be willing to be a sycophant to an older ego-driven senior associate or principal. The boys club that is the team of principals in the architecture discipline is an outdated form of corporate organisation that resembles a feudal system rather than a modern workplace. - There is little room for professional development as everyone is more concerned about surviving, meeting the next deadline, and furthering their own career. You are basically chained to your desk or in meetings and any sort of additional professional development is not encouraged. - There is an overall culture of bullying and bad behaviour due to the example that has been set by senior management. Do not expect to be surrounded by nice genuine people. During the last few months of my employment I was bullied and continually spoken to in such a manner that I had no choice but to resign. I had been an employee of this company for three years and had successfully met my previous deadlines. To make matters worse during my notice period the behaviour disintegrated to such a point that my reference was threatened. This team consists of bad behaviour in its most extreme form. When you move on your only regret will be that you did not do so earlier. Thankfully the whole industry is not like this and I have found employment in a safe an equitable environment. For the reasons outlined above I would not recommend the multi unit team as a desirable place to seek employment. The other sectors at Architectus have a great reputation and it would be a good idea to try and find a position in one of these teams. Or if you are a multi unit expert perhaps try Bates Smart or SJB. They have a higher level of professionalism and behaviour with a corresponding reputation. Good Luck in your job search and I hope this helps you avoid making a possible mistake!
