Today we’d like to introduce you to Winn Wittman.
Winn, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up in Newton and loved woodworking as a kid. At Tufts, my art history professor, Margaret Floyd suggested I get my master’s in architecture at UT Austin. I went down for a visit. It was 70 degrees in February, and there were pretty girls and margaritas everywhere, so that’s where I decided to land. I got to study with the AIA Gold Medal winner Charles Moore, who I chauffeured around in a yellow Mustang convertible.
After I graduated from UT there were no jobs for architects, so I bought an unfinished office building for next to nothing and finished and sold it, making just shy of $1mm before my 27th birthday. When people ask me what I did with the money, I say: “I spent 90 percent on women, wine and song, and I wasted the other 10%”. I tried running a conventional architectural office but it didn’t suit me; I don’t work well in an office setting, and I don’t want to have to get up and get dressed to commute to work and supervise people. I soon learned that I didn’t need an office or employees to manage teams.
By 2010 the technology had evolved to the point where remote workers and cloud-based teams were a viable option.
Today I run what I believe to be the world’s largest cloud-based architectural practice, with 7 figures in annual design fees and 8 figures under build. Myself and my subcontractors are currently handling fourteen million-plus jobs. And I can operate my firm from anywhere with an internet connection.
My firm is celebrating our 21st year. Winn Wittman Architecture specializes in high-end contemporary residential design. That’s pretty much all we do, and we’ve been fortunate to design all over the country. Our clients include billionaires, founders, and Grammy-award-winning musicians. We don’t have a set style.
Every design is different, sculptural and expressive, and is derived directly from our client’s dreams and aspirations. This year, for example, we designed ranch home that’s completely net-zero-energy and gets all of its potable water from rainwater collection. Our work has been published in such magazines as Architectural Record, Architectural Digest, Luxe and The Robb Report, as well as HGTV and The Discovery Network. www.winnwittman.com
I’ve recently launched an educational program called The Self Built Architect™. It teaches other architects the tools, technology, and tactics I use to run a remote, cloud-based practice. www.selfbuiltarchitect.com. We are an approved educational provider with the American Institute of Architects.
This year at age 52, my wife and I welcomed our first child. We love being parents, and I love that I can spend more time with my family and not at the office.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The recession of 2008 was very hard on my firm and on me personally. I got divorced, and I was broke because all of our work dried up. But this also forced me to re-evaluate how I was practicing architecture. I read The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris and realized I could “hack” the profession of architecture. I realized that I didn’t need an office and there were low-cost, high-touch alternatives that didn’t sacrifice the client experience.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Winn Wittman Architecture – what should we know?
I suppose we are known primarily for two things: translating people’s dreams into livable works of art and doing so in the most direct and efficient way possible. We have figured out how to leverage the latest technology and apps in order to clarify and simplify the design and construction process. Fifteen years ago it wasn’t possible. You couldn’t do this with a fax and FedEx, but you can certainly do it with 2017 tech. Now I’m sharing these practice methods with other design professionals through the Self Built Architect. www.selfbuiltarchitect.com
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
A constant commitment to incremental growth. I don’t believe anything happens without that. I try to read 2 or 3 new books each week, seeking out and soaking up as much knowledge as I can. Chances are the books I’m reading or podcasts I’m listening to are from the marketing or startup world, or about history or psychology or the future.
The world is changing every day and the old operating system simply doesn’t work anymore. I’ll be innovating ’till the day I die.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1108 Lavaca St. Suite 110-488
Austin, Texas 78701 - Website: www.winnwittman.com
- Phone: (512) 630-2724
- Email: info@winnwittman.com, info@selfbuiltarchitect.com
- Instagram: winn_wittman_architecture
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArchitectAustin/
- Other: selfbuiltarchitect.com
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