“Is your job getting easier or harder, over time?" - Peter Wood shares his perspective

In a recent weekly email, Rachael asked the question “Is your job getting easier or harder, over time?" and we received this insightful response from Peter Wood of Inspace Building Design, based in Beechworth, Victoria.

You can read Rachael’s original email prompt here and if you’d like to send a response to add to the blog, please email hello@soundslikedesign.com.au.

 Ince Beach House.
Image supplied by Inspace Building Design.

That’s a good question, and for me, it’s a bit of both.

The longer I practise, the easier it becomes to read situations; spotting tricky clients, sensing potential problems, and knowing when it’s best to step back.

That part definitely gets easier with time.  

But the other side keeps expanding.

Regulations just keep piling up, and the amount of drawn and written information now expected is huge (oh, and for the same fee). 

Staying on top of it all and applying it properly takes time. 

Then there’s the rise of photo-realistic imagery. Clients now want to see their home before it’s built, which changes how we communicate and what we produce. Not a bad thing, but its another layer to manage.

Budgets are another story. More clients are waking up to subcontractors and builders who are taking the piss and pushing to see what the market will bear. In some cases, the builders are cutting their own throats, but it’s shifting how everyone thinks about cost, value, and trust.

 Fletcher House.
Image supplied by Inspace Building Design.

So how do we respond?

I have found myself drifting back to older ways of working…..pre Autocad etc…. pencil, watercolour, markers, overlays. More letters attached to emails, more hand-drawn early documents, scheduling emails rather than reacting instantly.

Slowing things down a bit, like the kid with the finger in the dyke.

For me, it’s about taking some control back, creating space to think and design properly, and getting back to the things that got me into this profession in the first place.

Yes, some parts do get easier, mostly the human side, but the environment keeps getting more complicated.

It’s a constant balancing act between growing wisdom and growing red tape.

You can find out more about Peter’s practice - based in Beechworth, Victoria - by visiting the Inspace Building Design website.