44. Service Over Style: Chris Trotta on Building a Sustainable Architecture Business
About this episode
Chris Trotta discusses the essential business aspects of running a sustainable architecture firm beyond just design aesthetics.
What actually keeps an architecture business alive past the first project? Most people judge an architecture firm by the finished home. The clean lines, the light-filled kitchen, the project that lands on Instagram. Behind that image sits a business built on budget conversations, team trust, and a reputation that took years to earn. In this episode of Behind the Design, I sit down with Chris Trotta, founder of Trotter Architecture, to talk about the parts of running a design business that rarely make it into a portfolio. We cover his path from working inside large firms to launching his own practice during Covid, why he built a board of advisors with zero designers on it, and why he walked away from wanting to be seen as difficult in the industry. We also get into his 85% rule for avoiding perfectionism, why he still sketches every project by hand before touching a computer, and what success looks like for him now that the business runs itself day to day. In This Episode, We Discuss: ➡️ Why relationships, service, and trust matter more than design skill long term ➡️ How he handles honest budget conversations with clients ➡️ Why he built a personal board of advisors with no…
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