Employees rate meaningful work just as important as salary in surveys about the benefits of their jobs. That’s why companies like MBB Architects, the New York City-based firm known for design excellence, humanism and versatility, continually seek to infuse meaning into their work and demonstrate its broadest societal impact.
“As a team of architects and designers, we‘re fortunate to work on inherently impactful projects such as elementary schools, religious institutions and public facilities that are central to their communities,” says Maricela Salas, associate partner and business director for MBB, a 30-person firm in Manhattan. “Designing schools for children with unique needs and learning differences, for example, shows how architecture directly influences, inspires and supports young students.”
Yet just as important, says Salas, is inspiring a workplace culture that fulfills professional dreams, celebrates personal talents, and promotes mentorship and social responsibility beyond the architecture work.
“We’ve initiated a number of programs that help ensure we’re fully living our values, every day,” Salas explains. “Mentorship is formalized to promote employee advancement, such as our firmwide assistance with professional licensing exams. MBB’s traveling fellowship affords younger practitioners a unique opportunity for self-directed study on a topic and place of their choosing, expanding their architectural horizons in areas that truly interest them.”
In addition to these two programs, MBB has ongoing employment policies attracting wide attention from other small businesses. Among the most notable are these:
1. Nurturing leadership.
In addition to bringing designers increased project responsibility, MBB has established an “Initiatives Team” of mid-career and emerging professionals charged with enhancing the way MBB practices architecture through establishing standards and reinforcing firm culture. The group has started a service program for community and civic outreach as well as ongoing project tours, so junior designers can experience specialized fieldwork and construction firsthand.
2. Cultivating design excellence.
In a variety of ways, MBB codifies and promulgates best practices. Some of these include key technical areas, such as encouraging commitment to training and earning of credentials such as LEED accreditation for sustainable design, which helps reduce environmental impact. Others are softer skills like engaging clients fully and pursuing a design agenda rooted in humanism.
3. Rewarding civility and thoughtfulness.
“These two traits have an incalculable benefit for an architect’s work quality and for firmwide results and productivity,” says Salas. “We attract likeminded employees and we acknowledge their efforts in creating a considerate and compassionate work zone. It is effective and magnetic.” The firm’s Service Commitment and community outreach work help extend these qualities to people outside the firm, she adds.
4. Offering guidance and a professional path.
Mentorship is formalized at MBB, with the mindset supported by firm culture, specific tools, and an organizational infrastructure. The program includes frequent informal meetings between mentors and their mentees. “It’s critical to have consistent contact with your mentors, giving emerging professionals a sounding board on design challenges and professional issues,” says Salas. “It also allows you to speak freely with someone other than your supervisor.” The firm’s Harry Buttrick Traveling Fellowship is another example: Begun four years ago, the program is named for a late partner of the firm who inspired many, and it involves a competitive prize for younger practitioners to propose specific, self-directed study that complements their budding careers.
5. Building spiritual resonance.
Perhaps the least tangible of all, MBB has successfully honed a culture of teamwork, a shared aesthetic sensibility, and a palpable sense of interconnected intelligence.
“As companies build the best employee teams possible and plan for their futures, they must look beyond the basics of good healthcare coverage, telecommuting options, tuition assistance and office happy hours,” Salas concludes. “Knowing that the work we offer brings real meaning to our employees and has a clear, profound impact on clients and communities is an amazing, valuable benefit for all the people involved.”
About MBB (Murphy Burnham & Buttrick) Architects
Recognized internationally for its award-winning work, Murphy Burnham & Buttrick (MBB) Architects is a multidisciplinary architecture firm offering a full range of design services for a broad spectrum of building types. MBB’s diverse portfolio includes educational, institutional, cultural, residential and civic projects, which range from planning and new construction to renovation and adaptive reuse. The three partners—Jeffrey Murphy, Mary Burnham, and Sara Grant—bring unique perspective and skill to client projects, sharing an urban sensibility that manifests in a highly contextual approach to design. Integral to MBB’s approach is a belief that sustainability is essential to architecture and extends beyond environmental stewardship to express the vital connection between our buildings and their surroundings. Visit mbbarch.com.