Meet Gabriel Richard | Architect, Husband, Dad

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gabriel Richard and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gabriel, what do you attribute your success to?
I really believe that my personality is the most important aspect of my success. Most architects are talented and smart. Many are connected to clients with lots of projects. Others work their way up in firms. I never felt comfortable enough in a firm to stay put for more than a few years. I move around a lot for my first 15 years in the profession. Though I would not have had the large project experience without the corporate jobs. Obviously you need talent and intelligence to move your way up in a firm, but to be a successful small business architect you need to be able to work with a broad range of clients, contractor, consultants, accountants, etc. My personality is the defining quality that has fostered successful partnerships and repeat clients. I must be patient yet responsive, open yet assertive, and most of all find the joy in your work. I have to fight for it everyday with a smile on my face.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
As an architect you have a lot to learn about the profession. It takes a long time. Then one day you realize that your boss is not much older than you and all the new hires are way younger than you. Then your like if I make more money than the young people what happens when things get slow? That was the first time I thought about starting my own business. The thing about starting an architectural practice is that you need clients. People don’t just start calling you to design buildings for them out of nowhere, so I leaned on my relationships that I made with employers, contractors, builders, friends, etc. I did a lot of residential side work when I was working for commercial architecture firms so I made some good connection with residential contractors. (moonlighting) You really only need two or three to keep you busy, but you don’t make a lot of money on garage conversions and master bedroom additions. So, no it was not easy. I worked a lot. Doing any project I could find. Giving the client everything they wanted and providing the highest level of quality and talent that I could provide. All the while learning to evolve my practice. So I have been in the trenches doing lots of renovations. Field measuring abandoned, burnt, water damaged building. Not all of them are like that. Some buildings are just full of stuff so it is hard to get accurate measurements. Now I use a scanner and I have larger clients. My strategy is still the same. I am providing a service. I am an instrument for the client. I don’t market, maybe I should, but I am to busy.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I mostly work, but if I had to entertain a friend for a week I would take them to the Tabernacle in Atlanta for a concert. I live closer to Athens, so we would most likely hit the bars and restaurants there. I really like Five and Ten. It is a nice place in an old house. I would definitely do some hiking in the north Georgia mountains. Maybe camp out in a tent for a few days at the base of the Appalachian trail. Then probably do some cooking at home and relax. I cook a mean chicken and sausage gumbo.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would have to say shoutout to my family. I was raised by committee. Single mom with a lot of help from grandmother, aunts, and uncles. Of course my immediate family now is my wife and two sons. I cannot forget my three dogs. They are very loyal and follow me throughout the day from the bedroom to the kitchen to the office and back to bed everyday.

Website: https://www.gjrarchitect.com

Instagram: gjrarchitect

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gjrarchitect

Image Credits
Amir Ansari Residence