Architects should ‘look at smartphone creators’ like Steve Jobs for business clues

Former HOK CEO and Chairman Patrick MacLeamy has encouraged architects to think more like the creators of smartphones when navigating the future of the profession. The comments came as part of a wide-ranging discussion Archinect had with MacLeamy last month on business and economics in architecture. 

“Architects must become relevant by rescuing what good design really means and what good service means,” MacLeamy told Archinect. “Good design is not superficial. It’s not about style or the latest colors. It's about buildings that work really well, that serve their clients’ needs.”

“My ‘Exhibit A’ is the iPhone,” MacLeamy added. “It’s well designed, it fits in my hand, and it’s useful as hell. It is indispensable now. Steve Jobs and his team came up with a great design that not only looks good but works exceptionally well. The indictment of the architect is that when you hire an architect, buildings sometimes end up costing more than they should and don’t work as well as they should.”

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