Pros
Working in the field of architecture can be challenging–it's demanding, difficult, and often times stressful. Truth be told, working as an Architect at BGW Architects is not completely different. Just like any other architecture firm, or any other place of employment you must put in the work when required to meet project deadlines. This can sometimes be a drag, but you must also put in the work to help yourself learn and grow so there is a tangible benefit of hard work.
While the work may not be so different, the true differences of BGW Architects is, from my perspective, in the people and the mission. We are a collective of people whose heart isn't for building a name for ourselves but for building into ministries, churches, and schools, creating spaces to help them thrive. We have a focus on things bigger than us, bigger than architecture, bigger than design, which creates a loving, fun, and fulfilling place to work. And BGW Architects doesn't stop with just architects either. It's fun/enriching to work very closely with contractors and other organizations, as a like-minded team, to carry out our projects.
Because our clients are ministry based, our projects often times come with limitations, which can be restrictive but can also be seen as opportunity to discover ways of doing beautiful things more carefully. This mindset isn't just towards design either, it permeates across everything that we do. We strive to be creative in every way, from our operations, to our deliverables, we are always looking for new ways to bring efficiency and effectiveness to our workplace.
A big draw for me was that BGW Architects transitioned into an ESOP in an effort to build into its employees' future. While the expectation is to get work done, there's also very strong family values here. We care about each other and there's tremendous value in that.
Lastly, I can't speak enough to how much I enjoy the recreation outside of the office.
Cons
BGW Architects can be very focused on frugality, which has incredible benefits however, it can come to a fault.
Our projects are usually out of state, so visiting job sites and gaining that experience is more challenging. I will note that since I've started working here this has been improving.
Communication across the company can improve. Whether that's quarterly company updates across disciplines, information can be better transmitted so we all understand the direction we are headed/when changes are being made.