2021 Year in Review: Steven Kratchman, Steven Kratchman Architect, PC

Name: Steven Kratchman

Job Title: Founder and Owner

Company Name: Steven Kratchman Architect, PC

What are your predictions for your industry in 2022?
I see a slow recovery as the market wakes up and looks around at the smoking ruins before it builds confidence and starts to act. I see a new level of creativity that results from “making-do,” a slogan I heard recently from the Pritzker prize winners who have been (1) retrofitting rather than demolishing failed urban housing projects by extending them horizontally in-place while they get a new enclosed balcony and energy performant skin; (2) permanent outdoor dining on streets and sidewalks; and (3) operating in inviting, casual, and relaxed work environments that cater to a multitude of working styles.

What was the biggest lesson you learned while working during the pandemic?
Because the clients were in the same frozen real estate markets as the professional classes, their available time to speak with me significantly increased at the expense of brokers or deal makers. As a result, I got to know my clients better because I had more contact time.

How has your working environment changed over the last year?
Both my wife and I are working from home, and we have moved within the house several different times to deal with space, noise, and comfort issues. We have invested in furniture and technology solutions to help with this challenge and be able to maintain work and home environments. I encouraged the same for the staff and relaxed our contact time in the office.

What was your greatest professional accomplishment or most notable project, deal, or transaction in 2021?
My most notable accomplishment was more human resources-related than tangible, in the sense that I had to rely more than ever before on staff honesty, work ethic, and professionalism. The pandemic year spotlighted these expectations and qualities more than ever before, making me thankful that I have a high-quality staff in terms of shared values.

What is the best advice you received in 2021, and who was it from?
From a client facing extreme adversity, he was still able to insist that I and other key professionals stay in business. He told me he needs me going forward and that he will try to pay his invoices no matter how hard it gets.