Pro-Bono: A Means to an End or a Means to THE END

One of the topics of discussion that has been common place in the past 8 months of sessions has been the benefits and down falls of giving our work away.  In many instances, by “giving away” our services to entities that have the means to pay for our expertise, this could have the opposite effect of what we would hope pro-bono work to have and further degrade the value of having an architect involved in the process of building the world around us.  I would argue that in the right circumstances, this work can be fulfilling, engrain our leaders firmly in the community, and truly raise the benefit of having an architect lead the charge of any project in the eyes of the general public.

We all know that there are multiple reasons that we spend countless hours toiling away at our offices.  To name just a few, most of us fell in love with the prospect of the well-designed built environment and the effects that it can have on the people that come in contact with it. It tends to be in our nature to want to create and to refine down to the way that components are joined together to make it “just right”.  Of course, we also have the basic need to provide for our families.

At our day to day jobs, not every project that comes across our desk, for various reasons, has the potential to energize us on almost a spiritual level.  Be it budget, the prospect of a strictly utilitarian program, or something as simple as replacing a roof on a strip mall, some jobs just don’t get your heart racing or keep you thinking about solutions long into the night (unless a constraining schedule is the case).

When projects are chosen carefully, to appeal to the altruistic nature that many of us have and truly do some good for those around us, pro-bono work can be that catalyst for energizing the spirit, showcasing what we are capable of, and leading towards becoming a trusted advisor within our communities. 

When projects are done, not strictly to affect the bottom line, but because it is helping a sector of the community that otherwise would not have the means to come in contact with good design or helping a cause that is close to our hearts, they can have lasting effects:  

• When people are made to feel a part of something, they by nature become more invested and interested in the outcome and become your biggest cheerleader and brightest students.
• Altruistic work usually either has a challenging budget, challenging problem, or both.  This provides a vehicle with which to showcase our problem solving abilities to work within tight constraints and make a project sing. 

When these come together, this work can be extremely satisfying and energizing, can build long lasting relationships, and engrain us into the community.  While I do feel that “giving away” our services can be an extreme detriment to our profession; when the right circumstances come along, these types of endeavors every now and then can help to put us on the path to becoming that trusted advisor again and hopefully keeps us involved at the beginning of every project.