Cadforce is one of a growing number of companies jumping into the
business. The $29 billion U.S. architecture industry ships about $100
million in work abroad each year, Cadforce estimates. Some 20% of U.S.
firms say they are offshoring, according to a survey by Harvard
University and the American Institute of Architects (AIA), while an
additional 30% are considering doing so. "Clients are demanding shorter
and shorter turnarounds, smaller fees, and better details," says Harvard
doctoral student David del Villar, who helped lead the study.
While the work isn't glamorous, many Indian architects say it's a great
opportunity. Rather than developing complete designs, architects in
these outsourcing shops tend to handle tasks such as turning schematic
drawings into blueprints or making sure doors and pipes are aligned.
These are essential jobs, but they're tedious and can take up 60% of the
time spent designing a building. Nonetheless, 25-year-old Aditi Sengupta
jumped at the opportunity to join Cadforce. "It's a chance to work with
more space and nicer materials," she says.
Digitization is one big force driving the trend. More architectural
firms are adopting sophisticated computer tools that allow them to
render entire buildings in 3D, simulate stress tests, and track all
construction materials. That makes it easier to work remotely—and
requires tech skills that can be hard to find in the U.S. "The challenge
isn't cost. It's understanding the processes and systems," says Michael
Jansen, CEO of Satellier, a New Delhi-based group with 300 staffers
doing work for half of the top 30 U.S. architecture firms.
JUST FOR NOW?
Not everyone is convinced the future of architecture lies offshore. AIA
Chief Economist Kermit Baker thinks the outsourcing surge is largely the
result of a cyclical talent crunch. He notes that the pay gap between
U.S. and Indian architects isn't nearly as wide as in, say, software
programming. Many American architects with 10 or 15 years of experience
earn up to $60,000 annually—about four times what Indians take home.
That compares with salary differentials of 8 to 10 times in software.
"If the job market softens, there will be a lot less incentive to
outsource," Baker predicts.
cont'd....
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_14/b4028055.htm?chan=innovation_architecture_architecture