Insipring and a great guide for the future. I don’t plan to immediately start as an entrepreneur in Denmark, but I would start looking for teams to collaborate with depending on the projects that may come up.
As a daughter of entrepreneurs, I have always felt the confidence to start any project I set my mind to. Before I thought I could do everything on my own, but today, after this experience and being more focused on understanding the processes involved in starting an architecture studio, I do believe it is essential to form a team to battle with. The path of a manager can be quite lonely and sometimes overwhelming, with so many different fronts and challenges that present.
I am now in conversation with other architects in Denmark who either want to start their own firms or are getting offers for projects but do not know how to start running them on their own. This is why I think there is a great possibility for me to become an entrepreneur soon.
HE encouraged me to systematize and make economically profitable the projects that will arise. At the beginning of the program my initial idea was to create an office based on architectural projects with a focus on co-design and the study of people. I still believe on it, but I should first start by mastering a constant source of income with projects that may not have this social focus, but that can open doors for me to one day work on these other types of projects.
As far as I can see, there is in Denmark has a big market for remodelling and small renovations, which could be a source of initial income. I would like to get a bit more experience in small architectural firms to see how they collaborate with other disciplines to make this project real.
In terms of my personal growth within architecture, this has been a moment of rediscovering the career from other needs and ways of life. The Italian passion for art and poetry will be something I will carry with me everywhere I go from now on. Although the weather here in Italy allows you to think of unconventional ways to conceptualize architecture, I will take this as my new challenge as an architect in cold environments.
The results have been many and very satisfying. 6 projects I was involved in, each one with particular challenges and where I could put into practice different ways of presenting and working to communicate with various stakeholders. HE also made me part of different conversation tables where I could get to know the language of sales within architecture from an Italian point of view. A technical conversation can always end with a good dinner where you can talk more naturally about the client’s needs and the possibilities of expansion.
The last project we did was in Chilean Patagonia. I contacted acquaintances to offer to study the possibilities for development on a piece of land they have in Patagonia. I communicated this to HE and we are now working together to sell the idea of building a small hotel there. This was one of the first times HE has worked in such a cold and challenging climate, so it was a great moment for me to share feedback on projecting construction in hostile climates. Techniques and priorities can change from one geography to another, but human needs remain the same.
HE has been a great inspiration, and I look forward to staying in touch with him for further guidance on this path of entrepreneurship and future collaborations.
