Upon registration, these firms need to obtain a Certificate of Authorization. They generate considerable revenue, take up larger scale projects and can have global footprints, with offices and clients from all across the world.Īrchitectural Firms & Licensure in the US:įollowing the incorporation of the firm as a business entity, architectural firms need to register with the office of the Secretary of State of the state in which they’re located in, in order to be fully compliant. The largest firms are also, usually the more renowned ones.
Medium to large firms can consist of two or more Principals and a lean managerial structure. A smaller company can consist of just a single person working as a consultant from their home or a small boutique firm, consisting of a handful of people working in a regional capacity. Principals also usually own a share of the company and work with Partners and Advisors (who constitute the board) to run an architectural firm.ĭepending on the size of the organization, the number of roles within the company can vary. A Principal is typically someone who is a licensed architect and who is quite experienced. Typically, these organizations will be run by one or more ‘Principals’. These firms can be in the form of sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) or Limited Liability Companies (LLCs). In countries like the United States, architectural firms are required to be legally registered businesses. Today, the US and the UK are home to some of the oldest architectural firms in existence across the world. Architecture as a profession has existed for a very long time, stretching back to antiquity. In other regions of the world, like the UK, an architectural firm is any company that provides services related to the field of architecture. For example, in the United States, a company that employs at least one licensed architect and ‘practices architecture’ is considered to be an architectural firm. The definition of an architectural firm varies from country to country.