Project Architect

Responsibilities

• Lead or support Schematic Design and Design Development activities on assigned projects.
• Help project teams translate client goals, program requirements, context, budget, and technical considerations into coherent architectural solutions.
• Guide the development and evaluation of design concepts and alternatives.
• Lead project design workshops, pinups, critiques, and milestone reviews.
• Identify and develop relevant precedent studies, case studies, and other design research.
• Provide clear, constructive design guidance to architects and designers.
• Help teams maintain continuity between the approved concept and the developing architectural design.
• Coordinate design intent with engineering disciplines, interior design, technical specialists, and other project participants.
• Review plans, sections, elevations, diagrams, renderings, models, material studies, and other design materials for clarity and consistency.
• Guide the development of client presentations, including presentation narrative, visual hierarchy, graphics, and identification of required decisions.
• Coach and support architects preparing to present design work.
• Participate in client and stakeholder meetings when additional design leadership would benefit the project.
• Present and explain the design direction on projects for which the individual is assigned as Design Lead.
• Support project teams in documenting client comments, design decisions, approvals, and unresolved matters.
• Assist in maintaining design intent as projects transition into technical documentation.
• Contribute successful precedents, presentation examples, design methods, and project lessons to shared practice resources.
• Support proposal development and project interviews when design expertise or presentation leadership is required.
• Mentor architects and emerging professionals in architectural design, critical evaluation, visual communication, and presentation skills.

• Professional degree in Architecture.
• Active Registered Architect license.
• Minimum of five years of relevant architectural experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading significant portions of Schematic Design and Design Development.
• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary architectural projects.
• Experience leading design discussions and providing guidance to project teams.
• Strong architectural design, graphic communication, and presentation skills.
• Experience preparing and delivering presentations to clients and project stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of building codes, accessibility requirements, materials, building systems, detailing, and construction.
• Proficiency with relevant BIM, drawing, visualization, and presentation tools.
• Strong written, verbal, graphic, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple design responsibilities and exercise independent professional judgment.

• Experience serving as Design Lead on small to medium projects or substantial portions of larger projects.
• Experience facilitating design workshops, pinups, critiques, and milestone reviews.
• Strong skills in sketching, diagramming, precedent analysis, visual storytelling, and presentation development.
• Experience mentoring architects and designers.
• Experience with civic, institutional, transportation, infrastructure-support, industrial, laboratory, mixed-use, residential, or adaptive-reuse projects.
• Experience participating in proposals and project interviews.
• NCARB certification, LEED accreditation, or other relevant professional credentials.
• Familiarity with visualization, computational design, automation, artificial intelligence, or other emerging design technologies.

The Architect III will work under the direction of the Philadelphia Architecture Discipline Leader and collaborate closely with Project Managers, Project Architects, Architects of Record, engineering disciplines, and national design leadership.

The position is intended to strengthen early-phase design and presentation capabilities within project teams. Overall leadership of the Philadelphia architecture practice remains with the Philadelphia Architecture Discipline Leader.

$ - $

• Health insurance, including an option with a Health Savings Account
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts (Healthcare, Dependent Care and Transit and Parking where applicable)
• Disability insurance
• Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment
• 401(k) Plan
• Retirement…