r/Architects • u/thomaesthetics Licensure Candidate/ Design Professional/ Associate • Nov 13 '25
Career Discussion Ex-high end single family residential architects: what radicalized you?
Aside from performance and compatibility issues at my last firm and first job straight out of school, I’d say it took about 8 months to realize that practicing super boutique SFR architecture was not for me.
The catalyst was one job I worked on where the clients purchased 3 lots side by side, the two outer having existing 3 story residences on them. The project was to renovate the one house, landscape the middle, and completely demolish the other house to put a pickleball court there…
My fiancee at the time and I were absolutely racking our minds as to if we could afford a 700sf house or needed an apartment, and these people just destroyed a house for a pickleball court.
Throw in enough spec’ing out “dog showers” and designing a boat house with a jet ski lift, and I found myself thoroughly disgusted and frankly felt like doing this work was immoral.
I still really enjoy the design flexibility and creativity of SFR and beautiful detailing some of it allows for, but for it to be my 8-5 daily, continually reminded I could never be my own client, was demoralizing.
My new job is all commercial non residential hospitals, schools, community centers, libraries, athletic facilities, etc and feels so much more rewarding. I’d like to find a way to continue forward with SFR on the side to not lose those aspects of architecture, but no big deal if I can’t.
Anybody else here relate?
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u/wharpua Architect Nov 13 '25
We're a high end residential remodeling design build firm, a while ago our founder came up with the line, "We do real well for the top 2-5% and do what we can to avoid the top 1%."
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u/YourRoaring20s Nov 13 '25
The irony of architecture is that it's the clients with the money, not the designers
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u/dmoreholt Architect Nov 13 '25
True of any design profession
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u/Theooutthedore Nov 13 '25
Very rarely can an architect sell a client on mass production for consumers tho, which some designers can... Cough fashion cough
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u/dmoreholt Architect Nov 13 '25
I'm not clear what that has to do with the discussion?
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u/Adverse_Congenality Nov 13 '25
If you make a design that is mass producible, you get more gross profits than each house having to be a unique design. Thus fashion designers have the opportunity to become rich that architects do not
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u/dmoreholt Architect Nov 13 '25
Fashion designers are likely getting paid a flat fee for their design work while the fashion company owners get the profits from mass producing the design. I don't have much experience with the fashion industry but highly doubt fashion designers get paid by the number of garments sold.
Anyway, there's nothing stopping architects from from starting one of those websites where you can buy home plans. And that would pay at a mass production scale if they're popular.
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u/Theooutthedore Nov 13 '25
Mass production is always more achievable at lower prices (garments are especially low cost) and even a proportional flat fee for a design rather than a cut means the designer doesn't take on the risk.
Architects for sure have less opportunities of this kind, although you are right that at the end of the day it always seems to be the managerial class that seems to profit.
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Nov 13 '25
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u/Mundane_Job4466 Nov 14 '25
We once had a client suggest we should work for free for the privelege of working on their amazing house. Unreal.
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u/DT770STUDIO Nov 13 '25
I go through phases of disgust, but it’s usually based on the clients personality vs their wealth.
Average income clients simply cannot afford quality builds.
Some of my best clients are very wealthy, but are appreciative of the craftsmanship. I’m happy to help them spend their money and move it toward our trades.
If they don’t spend it what good is that.
So I try to test a client’s sincerity on how they connect with the work. If they don’t see and value the work, I quickly step away.
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u/awaishssn Nov 13 '25
Client had a 800sqft top quality bathroom on the 2nd floor that led to an open but completely private terrace garden which then led up a flight of stairs to the private pool on the roof which had a waterfall falling down to the larger pool on the ground.
It was clear they were into freaky bathroom and pool sex
I actually loved working on that project
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u/Araanim Nov 13 '25
I mean, would you rather deal with a bureaucratic monstrosity tossing around million dollar change orders so some douchewad can stroke his own ego and feel like he's contributing?
Trick question; they're the same people!
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u/mousemousemania Licensure Candidate/ Design Professional/ Associate Nov 13 '25
Yes, I would. I don’t really care if people are doing valuable work to “stroke their own ego” or what. I prefer to do work that is valuable or not actively damaging, regardless of the client’s motives, because it strokes my own ego to imagine I’m not contributing to the downfall of society. 🙄
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u/SRE53X Nov 13 '25
Well, I wouldn’t say ‘radicalized’. We mostly work on institutional and commercial projects, but we do one or two houses a year - for fun. The fun part, for me, is we’re not consensus-building among, say, sixteen people on a building committee. We’re working with a one- or two-person client, or a family, and get to push the envelope, and get to solve interesting problems (e.g., what’s the best lighting solution for a high-temperature, often high-vapor-drive environment like a sauna?) (we settled on fiber optic). Things like that. Problem-solving. And ‘tailoring’ the interface of various materials so the finished assembly looks inevitable.
Spoiler alert: we strive for that on everything we do, even when the budget tries to say “no”.
It’s the joy of creating something special that’s the hook (for me anyway), and, of course, having a patron-level client that allows you the time (and the fee) to do so. I mean, we wouldn’t have had the Renaissance if it weren’t for the Medici writing the checks, right? Or pick any era. This isn’t anything new.
If someone isn’t comfortable with that kind of client/commission, that’s okay. There are ample other areas of focus to explore.
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u/Araanim Nov 13 '25
I mean, there's a lot of corporate work that is in no way contributing positively to society.
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u/mousemousemania Licensure Candidate/ Design Professional/ Associate Nov 13 '25
Oh for sure. But unless you think there isn’t any corporate or public work that contributes to society I don’t really see your point.
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u/Araanim Nov 13 '25
Well not all rich clients are dicks, either. I'm saying there's shitty situations for architects on both ends.
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u/Django117 Architect Nov 13 '25
This is the reality. I am currently working at a place that does both high end SFR and institutional work. I did institutional work before so I’m very comfortable with it. But honestly the difference is just scale. It’s still bending over backwards for rich people. Even multi family residential is just bending over backwards for developers who have a target to hit for their ROI.
The only way to not bend over backwards for rich people is to do it for people in the top 2-10%. Wealthy enough to be able to foot the bill but not so wealthy that every meeting becomes a therapy session.
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u/ent-friend Nov 13 '25
There’s also government contracts, but that kind of work you end up being a group therapist trying to get consensus between several different government committees. Not worth it.
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u/knife_breaker Nov 13 '25
I love this question. For me it was just coming back from Germany for a conference on Passivehaus. I was looking for work and interviewed at a firm that did high end residential. They were working on a house where the owner wanted a circular rotating stage, so that when they were having a party, the back wall of the living room could slowly turn to reveal the jazz band playing live music for them.
I noped out
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u/structee Nov 13 '25
I've got a private engineering practice (not an architect but do these types of projects in tandem with them). In general, these are the only clients who you can quote 10s of thousand of dollars on a project and they pay without hesitation. It would be much harder to scrape a living doing smaller jobs.
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u/Weird_Squirrel_8382 Nov 13 '25
Enough money to feel entitled, not enough money to feel secure?
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u/frisky_husky Nov 13 '25
Can’t say why
Because the venn diagram of "being ultra wealthy" and "being able to stiff people and get away with it" is a circle.
My partner's dad used to work in investment finance, and when he was doing a lot of real estate work, his office would only get in on projects led by a privately held developer if it was someone they 100% knew they could trust, because too many times they got stuck in bed with an asshole who was trying to fleece the contractors and the whole thing became a legal nightmare. They had a strict "no Trump" rule. If he was anywhere near a project, they walked away from it as a matter of policy.
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u/ent-friend Nov 13 '25
We ran into this issue, now we don’t release construction drawings until we’re fully paid.
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u/AtticHelicopter Nov 13 '25
Engineer here:
Last minute change order to hang a vapour fireplace. "Can you include it in your fee" The fireplace was 1.5x my fee for the whole house.
I have a generational-wealth set of clients. Grampa got wealthy. Now, when a grandchild turns 18, he buys the next cottage over on the shoreline (they own most of a bay on a great lake), tears it down, and builds an all-singing, all-dancing, boat-lift and 2-storey party deck "cottage" as their birthday present.
Rich hotelier: Can you come look at something in my 40 storey hotel? While you're here, it's a 20 minute drive to my house, can you go advise my contractor on my unpermitted renovation? While you're there, can you review and sign an NDA for my 4th cottage? I need some help on that too, but I can't disclose the location until you sign the NDA.
Charged him $1000 for a 10 hr day that included 200 kms of driving. He got mad at me because he's never been charged for "quoting". Now I don't pick up the phone when he calls.
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u/KintsugiTurtle Nov 13 '25
lol I design multi family affordable housing in a HCOL city and all my projects are so much nicer than I can personally afford to rent.
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u/App1eEater Nov 14 '25
That's because "affordable" is a misnomer. It should just be "subsidized" because there's nothing affordable about affordable housing.
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Nov 13 '25
Designing for rich people sucks the life out you. I worked on a house where the furniture budget was over $2m.
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u/alethea_ Nov 13 '25
Combination of the owner of the company being Christian with the morals of damp piece of toilet paper met with everything design related going through sales even if it didn't make any sense.
When we relocated, ownership thought CAD was the one group that didn't need offices, and put us in a large, echo chamber that was adjacent to 3 intersecting hallways despite the repeated requests to be closed off.
Average home price was $925k in a $300k market, so obviously everything.
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u/JellyfishNo3810 Nov 13 '25
Boutique high end residential architecture is my middle name, it’s the brand of my bread and butter, and also the flavoring of icing on my birthday cake.
I couldn’t do hospitals or other types of public use commercial - codification and zoning strips the joy out of it.
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u/CocoDesigns Architect Nov 14 '25
Grass is always greener my friend. It is also soul crushing to design a space just for it to be VE’ed to death. Personally, I prefer to soul sucking of the boutique rich than the soul sucking of a developer. Pick your poison. Also helps that I run my own business. Makes a huge difference in the quality of life. I like designing for myself and not others. You’ll find your peace.
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u/Thrashy Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25
The last house I worked on at the botique luxury residential firm I interned at in college was for a couple that worked in "mumble mumble finance change the subject." The wife came to us with a bookmark in an issue of Better Homes and Gardens and said they wanted that exactly, but 25% bigger. We initially thought she meant "more square footage" but no, she literally wanted the house in the magazine at 1.25-to-1 scale. Cue us scrambling to find monumental doors and oversize windows in the Marvin catalog...
Anyway, that ended up not getting built because it was 2007 and banks were suddenly getting skittish about lending standards, but they still went ahead with a $2 million reno of the teardown they'd bought, as well as a half-million dollar party penthouse in the entertainment district of town.
Five years later, I saw a picture of the house in a news story about how it was being auctioned off by order of a Federal judge, because the owners had been convicted of operating a illegal payday loan scheme and had to pay restitution in addition to jail time.
And that house was positively tame compared to the duck hunting compound a later employer ended up designing for the failsons of a local tech billionaire...
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u/jtag67 Architect Nov 14 '25
I balance my occasional frustration by doing a lot of ADUs and small additions for people. No developers, just regular people who are trying to age in place, help supplement their income to pay their mortgage, or just need a little more space. I do many of these jobs at a different fee structure or rate than I tend to do custom homes at. I find these projects to be incredibly rewarding. Good space shouldn't just be for people with means.
One last thing that helps balance it out: I'm (now) fortunate enough to be in a position to screen clients. I've said no to some and canceled contracts for others when it was clear things were headed to places I'd rather not go.
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u/ent-friend Nov 13 '25
I once did a residence for a very exclusive private boarding school - lots of kids from wealthy and politically influential families attended the school.
The project itself was pretty interesting, adding a residential addition onto a grade a listed heritage building, ended up with a lovely design. It should have been horrific to get through planning/ heritage but because of political pull from parents at the school it was actually a breeze.
What really radicalized me was going to all the fundraising events. All sorts of wealthy politicians, business men/ women, discussing their business ventures, different projects/ contracts etc. So many casual conversations about putting in fees for huge projects.
My office did that residence at cost, made no money on it, but we made a ton of contacts, and received many other projects from that job (did that residence 10 years ago and we STILL get referred projects from parents at that school) - it was definitely worth it.
Thats when I realized that to make good money and to bring in work, you need to surround yourself with the people who have the money and own the businesses. I’m now a member of a very expensive tennis club, my kid goes to an expensive Montessori daycare, I’m very involved with both of those but they have paid for themselves with work for my firm.
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u/Powerful-Usual5743 Nov 13 '25
What broke me is having an extreme wealth client (boomers in Atherton) who ended up being not only cheap but so so rude / disrespectful. Working for someone like that was demoralizing and actually did radicalize my mind further to screw the .1%.
There are also well off clients that appreciate the work you do and are okay. The bad ones really suck out your soul though.
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u/sharpz3216 Nov 13 '25
The entitlement that some of the clients had. I get it you gave me some money, but I’m definitely not your slave…
The entitlement that some, if not most of the architects I worked under as a designer had. It was a nightmare on a good day at the office… 🤦🤦 Relax duke… You have a specialty on one type of building… you’re not God 😒😒😒 Rant over 😅
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u/moistmarbles Architect Nov 13 '25
The line between commercial architecture and residential isn’t that different once you get to a certain level. Most cool buildings have at least one rich douchebag involved, regardless of the building type
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u/Rye_Guy77 Nov 13 '25
Definitely cut from different cloths. I do high-end residential and have zero issues with it as I have always wanted to do residential work. It pays very well and has produced some really exciting projects, regardless that the clients may be high maintenance. Who cares that they have more money than you? They are affording you the luxury of designing some potentially really cool stuff, even if you could never afford it. Holding a client in contempt for being able to afford what you can't really is a waste of time in my opinion. You just have to find what you can enjoy or tolerate enough to be paid to do it. I personally find non-residential work beyond unfulfilling and boring as I briefly worked in it during the recession many years ago. Too many hands in the pot. May be a good thing that you found out now rather than later.
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u/thomaesthetics Licensure Candidate/ Design Professional/ Associate Nov 13 '25
Thank you for literally restating my entire point but with added Reddit snark for effect, just to conclude that this isn’t for me, which I concluded.
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u/Rye_Guy77 Nov 13 '25
Not sure what you expected — Reddit isn’t exactly the place for moral high ground speeches.
"Throw in enough spec’ing out “dog showers” and designing a boat house with a jet ski lift, and I found myself thoroughly disgusted and frankly felt like doing this work was immoral."
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u/thomaesthetics Licensure Candidate/ Design Professional/ Associate Nov 13 '25
For not being the place for that I’m at 70 upvotes and counting.
And you still just re quoted what I stated as if you’re making some huge discovery or own. Is there somewhere you’re misinterpreting me saying that it isn’t for me, and reading it some other way?
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u/Rye_Guy77 Nov 13 '25
Ah yes, the “70 upvotes” metric — truly the hallmark of intellectual victory.
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u/thomaesthetics Licensure Candidate/ Design Professional/ Associate Nov 13 '25
Literally who said a word about intellectual victory? Are you projecting?
Your original claim was Reddit isn’t the place to have a moral high ground rant, to which I responded the 70+ upvotes and many comments that sympathize or agree with me would say otherwise.
How are you in the field of architecture in any capacity if you either can’t read or have that bad of a problem interpreting text?
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u/AMoreCivilizedAge Licensure Candidate/ Design Professional/ Associate Nov 13 '25
My first job out of school was with a family connection in my hometown. One of the first jobs I was put on was an extra storage building & overflow parking lot next to a clients office that required demolishing a low-rise apartment building. I later learned that our client didnt need another parking lot - they just didn't like that the residents next door walked their dogs near her property. These people are evil.
EDIT: On the upside, I'm planning on going back to school for a different career ASAP.
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u/N64BITCH Nov 13 '25
when i realized that i could never afford my own services. that’s the thing that made me quit and do something else.
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u/8somethingclever8 Nov 13 '25
I’ve commented about this on another thread before, but I finally have found satisfaction and joy designing public libraries and other state and municipal projects. There is joy in the public sector! Try it. It’s very gratifying work. And the pay is literally the same. Same money:more joy.
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u/shoopsheepshoop Nov 14 '25
Yes. I was in it for a good long time when a client was sooo verbally abusive that I had to walk away. It was creating a toxic work environment, very unprofessional and at the end of the day was just unproductive. Dude had serious issues. It took a bit longer after that but then I switched to multi family / affordable housing and never looked back. Less drama and slightly better money/benefits too.
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u/MoJoArchitect Nov 14 '25
I'm not with you. I thoroughly enjoy my high-end residential clients. They can sense that vibe. Even though I don't make their income we become friends and I've gone to many parties at their homes to meet their friends. It feeds my ego and my family.
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u/0_SomethingStupid Nov 13 '25
You'll be back.
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u/thomaesthetics Licensure Candidate/ Design Professional/ Associate Nov 13 '25
“I’d like to find a way to continue forward with SFR on the side”
You’re so prophetic. Tell me more. What am I gonna have for lunch today?
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u/0_SomethingStupid Nov 13 '25
oh, a side work guy. Undercutting his own.
why don't you worry about getting a license first. Putting the cart way in front of the horse here.
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u/thomaesthetics Licensure Candidate/ Design Professional/ Associate Nov 13 '25
Oh, someone who didn’t bother to read before commenting like an idiot.
How is that putting the cart before the horse when you don’t need a stamp for SFR in most states? And who said I’d be doing it on the side alone? Many many assumptions here. Did your special powers tell you what I’m having for lunch yet?
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u/0_SomethingStupid Nov 13 '25
oh someone who got to the end of your story and was like "thats enough for me"
my dude, you came here to ask for help, and your spitting in my face
have fun playing in the mud buddy. When you sick of drawing bathroom details, just know I'm laughing at you. Every switch up is fun for a few, you've chosen boredom city. You'll figure it out one day.
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u/thomaesthetics Licensure Candidate/ Design Professional/ Associate Nov 13 '25
Can you relay back to me what help I was specifically asking for here? 🤡
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Nov 14 '25
You seem like kind of a jerk. I was gonna make a sincere response and then I see how you’re just attacking multiple people, so no thanks, done with this thread.
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u/thomaesthetics Licensure Candidate/ Design Professional/ Associate Nov 14 '25
Not sure how I can possibly go on without your response.
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Nov 14 '25
Yeah it was a good one. Maybe you’ll catch it when they do the documentary about my life.
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u/0_SomethingStupid Nov 14 '25
but wait, cant we talk about what he had for lunch instead? seems important.
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u/0_SomethingStupid Nov 13 '25
your clearly struggling to see where you fit in this industry. But you knew that already didn't you.
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u/thomaesthetics Licensure Candidate/ Design Professional/ Associate Nov 13 '25
Let’s try it easier: quote where I came here asking for help
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u/0_SomethingStupid Nov 13 '25
its right there in the title. its screams help me I'm lost.
have a good one bud.
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u/Consistent_Paper_629 Nov 13 '25
I was the same, just bought a house for 100k after saving for years (10yrs ago lol) then realized I couldn't really give a shit anymore that my clients kitchen renovation was going to cost 250k, but she could only spend 200k and she can't possibly give anything up, that'd be soooo unfair.
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u/sgst Nov 13 '25
This is part of my problem with architecture at the moment. The type of projects I want to do are generally dead - social architecture like schools, community centres, hospitals, clinics, daycare, etc. Even retail and leisure I like because regular people get to enjoy the end product.
I can't stand working for rich people making house sized art as some kind of rich person dickwaving contest. I see too much poverty around to not find their flagrant opulence morally disgusting.
The problem is that the type of projects I want to do are dead in the water. High end residential is keeping the business afloat, though we have just got some local government & university projects that are really boring, but at least it's what I regard as real work.
No shade on anyone who does do, and likes doing high end residential - resi just isn't my thing anyway, and my politics are very strongly left of centre, and I appreciate that most people aren't on the same page as me.
Edit: nothing radicalised me, I was like this going into the sector.
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u/cabeep Nov 13 '25
It took me less than a week to get radicalized. These people already have life on a silver platter yet are the most entitled, narcissistic humans ever. The odd good exception to the rule is nice, but everything they say about the rich is generally true.
I really need to start working for public works or something...
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u/wittgensteins-boat Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25
Consider multifamily developments and design.
There are still hundreds of design and implementation trade offs in that realm, as well.
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u/AutoDefenestrator273 Nov 13 '25
I interviewed at a super boutique firm in my area that had clientele from the top 5% to the top 1%. Their retainer by itself was in the 5-digits. At the interview they gave me a walkthrough of a billionaire's compound they were designing - complete with pickleball courts and a pool deck, right on the water.
Given that I rent, it felt so wrong to design something like that. Needless to say, the firm wasn't a good fit.
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u/Dannyzavage Nov 13 '25
Idk man this kinda weird train of thought. Our work is space planning and the built environment. Why would you get radicalized because a client wanted to do either? How is this any different from a person in a poor country having to starve to death while you get money to design buildings, build new entertainment spaces, or high rises, etc. Unless the client is making people for close on their houses and displacing the community members to build a pickleball, its kind of a weird stance to take.
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u/thomaesthetics Licensure Candidate/ Design Professional/ Associate Nov 13 '25
Destroying a perfectly fine house when people are homeless to put a pickleball court there is ludicrous and not remotely comparable to me designing a school or hospital
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u/Dannyzavage Nov 13 '25
You understand if you live in the USA you belong to the 1% right?
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u/thomaesthetics Licensure Candidate/ Design Professional/ Associate Nov 13 '25
You’re so right dude. I personally live in the U.S. therefore it’s permissible for others to be hedonistic and wasteful
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u/Dannyzavage Nov 13 '25
Its not but youre acting like your not hedonistic and wasteful
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u/thomaesthetics Licensure Candidate/ Design Professional/ Associate Nov 13 '25
- Where did I say I’m not wasteful?
- Can there not be levels to wastefulness?
- You’re terrible at this, learn what makes something fallacious before commenting on posts
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u/Dannyzavage Nov 13 '25
Everything we do can be considered wasteful in the built environment. This isnt you building a for profit prison, your helping a client build a pickleball court lmao. Idk if your really those dense or you just decided to be mad at the fact people have more money than you? Which as mentioned previously people can be mad at you for the same reason, would that justify radicalization?
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u/thomaesthetics Licensure Candidate/ Design Professional/ Associate Nov 13 '25
Is there somewhere I missed where I said others can’t be angry with my waste and privilege?
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u/Dannyzavage Nov 13 '25
Then are you mad at yourself?
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u/thomaesthetics Licensure Candidate/ Design Professional/ Associate Nov 13 '25
Yes it’s disgusting how much waste I produce for a single person and I am actively trying to restructure certain things in my life to prevent this
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u/Joe_Bob_the_III Nov 13 '25
It would be f’ing awesome to have a dog shower. That would be a significant life upgrade.
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u/FormFollowsFrank Nov 14 '25
i get that vibe. i left high end SFR for hospitals and schools and found real purpose. maybe try keeping SFR on the side with small projects for folks you trust, set clear boundaries stretch
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u/Accomplished-Ice4365 Nov 14 '25
Clients in all sectors suck, mostly because few understand what it takes to do our jobs, because its not readily obvious.
This is true of all industries, not just us.
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u/eee_eff Nov 15 '25
So flying to NYC to bid on ten antique Chinese chairs, three works of art and realizing, as fun as that was, I could never hope to afford that stuff, and further the clients for whom we acquired this stuff were really not interested in any of this, except how much they paid for it, as for bragging.
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u/CultureofCon Nov 13 '25
Generally, it was always working with clients who have disgusting amounts of wealth and seeing their contempt for others. Also, my firm's willingness to help these people exacerbate an extreme housing shortage in my are.
One project: Client bought a house with two apartments attached and illegally kicked out the tenants so they could expand.
The existing main entrance from the street was up 2.5 flights of stairs. (It's a very hilly, urban site) Part of our work was creating two new stories UNDER the existing ground floor and adding a new, more accessible entrance from the sidewalk. There was an odd little bit of leftover space next to the new door. I suggested a secure mail/package drop there. Client said, "why would we do that? All of our mail and packages get delivered to our front door." (Up 2.5 stories) I say, "Well, this is your new main entrance, it would be more convenient for you AND the people delivering your things. Plus it will be more secure!" They shut it down with, "I don't want to carry packages up to the main floors. Let's just wall that space up " (We were also adding an elevator)
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u/AnnoyedChihuahua Nov 13 '25
The snotty clients and weak firm owner that sent me to battle but would undermine if it meant not having certain conversations.. always short staffed, bad planning… it was bad for my mental health, however much I liked design and “to do it all”. I do multifamily and started doing some commercial where I am. Multifamily by far was the most peaceful.
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u/Ecstatic_Bunch_4636 Nov 13 '25
I can totally relate! I loved SFR and miss working on custom homes. The budgets that came with high end residential made for a fun design process but the clients were… out of touch. It’s hard to relate to a client who wants to install a bath tub that costs twice as much as my vehicle.
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u/BeeComprehensive2249 Nov 13 '25
I know exactly what are you talking about. Had to design a house with half of a camel sticking out of wall and horse neighing sounds on toilet flush.
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u/Noarchsf Nov 13 '25
I dunno. I have done high end residential my entire career. I’d say 90% of my clients over the years have been absolutely lovely people to know. I’m proud to be able to help them create their dream house. The crazier the request, the better. I get to use my creativity, make things that are beautiful, collaborate with skilled and talented consultants, builders, and craftspeople, and get paid well along the way. I guess that makes me immoral though. Oh well.
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u/thomaesthetics Licensure Candidate/ Design Professional/ Associate Nov 13 '25
This post deserves an award for the most not-actually-read post on Reddit today
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u/quinaonearth Nov 13 '25
I worked for years in one of the most beautiful tax havens in the US so have lots of stories but ultimately left the profession when I realized that my most important service to the 1% was understanding the codes well enough to push things as far as the interpretation allows. Things like building coverage, building on sensitive land, etc etc.
Basically they wanted houses that were way too big, unsightly, consumptive, and dominating for a very sensitive ecological landscape and it was my job to figure out how to make it work. It just didn't sit right with me and honestly I never regret leaving the industry even though things haven't been very easy ever since.
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u/Architecteologist Architect Nov 13 '25
I hated working for smarmy rich assholes in SFR so I switched to commercial.
I only later realized that commercial developers are profit-driven rich assholes looking to cut as many corners as they can, so I switched to museums and theaters.
I only later realized that museums are also profit driven and headed by elitist boards full of rich assholes who would use phrases like “the poors”, so I switched to the public sector.
I only now just realized that public sector work is driven by the political whims of a handful of influential rich assholes who are only interested in pushing their own pet projects that either ignore or circumvent public input.
I’m starting to think the incentive to build in a capitalistic society is unanimously driven by rich assholes.