How many people in our profession in architecture are completely prepared to provide architectural services online?

or

Are those taking up architecture services mentally prepared to avail of online architectural services?

Both these questions are very important because the success and failure of the online architecture profession depends on what efforts are being made to make the architecture profession online and the way it is being implemented.

To the best of their ability, who have converted all their architecture services to online services or are going to convert themselves into online service providers, what are the problems faced by such architects or architect’s offices after modifying the services online and what do patrons expect from them?

We started our online architectural design consultancy services professionally in January 2016. The planning to begin online consultancy services was started way back in 2011 when the founder was providing his consultancy for a firm. To work on his dream he has to resign and start to do research. We did extensive research on this from November 2012 to December 2015. Even after doing extensive research, we had to face many problems. Our founder’s experience of nearly 25 years (till November 2012) was the driving force behind our research on the online profession.

Who first shared the experience of working on a drawing board and then shared the experience of working on AutoCAD on the computer? The transition period from drawing board to computer, and working on AutoCAD also brought a lot of change in the profession. At that time also some architects and architect’s offices were changing themselves in time, and some architects and architects’ offices were falling prey to their brand name. Those who could change themselves according to time were successful; those who could not change themselves according to time were lost. The clients of that time also did not like that change, but gradually the clients were returning to the architect’s or architect’s office, then in a few years everything was back to normal.

His creative inspiration suggested moving the profession online, and then our team started collecting information through Google to further improve the professional practice and convert it online. We wanted to collect information to start online professional practice and improve it. For this, it was necessary to collect positive suggestions. For this, we started contacting the offices of some known architects and architects working abroad, which did not benefit us much but the information extracted from Google search gave us the right direction and we came close to making a decision.

“A big Thanks Google Search Engine”. Then, when our founder realized that it was the right time to start online design consultancy services, at that point Consult 2 Architect was formed in January 2016. Since then, we have been in front of you all. However, we did not get as much success as we had imagined. We could not succeed according to the amount of time and money we invested in this venture. Due to the information found by Google search, we were completely sure and are sure even today that we are right and moving forward on the right path. We will surely be successful too.

We are capable of doing any project online today – from project information to design drawings, from design drawings to engineering/lifestyle services, and from engineering/lifestyle services to design drawing coordination. Today we do almost every project meeting on a desktop or laptop through Google Meet, just like face-to-face meetings. Also, able to do site supervision successfully via live photos and short videos, unless a visit is required due to a technical fault at the site.

But people are still not mentally ready to take online services. They still want to stick to the old system and are unable to leave it but we believe change always takes time. It is the law of nature to keep pace with the times and this is the time to adapt online services in our profession as well. Those people who still think that online design consultancy services are not possible in our profession or not accepting then those people should remember their time.

An example of this will be remembered by all, when the computer revolution came in India in the 80s, even then many people opposed this revolution, people tried in many ways to stop this revolution, but after a few years, everything became normal. Anyway, most of us have become accustomed to imitation, until a technology or change becomes successful abroad, we do not adopt it, knowing that the origin of that technology or change is an Indian.

We would like to tell all our potential clients that once you take your first step towards adapting our professional online design consultancy services over a period of time, you will get more satisfaction than before (traditional system). By adopting online design consultancy services, you will be able to manage your own time and money.