A reader fills us in on the toll the nationwide downturn has taken over the last year on EDI Architecture, once one of the largest architecture firms in Houston. EDI, which specialized in multifamily projects, had more than 120 people on its highrise team not too long ago — plus an additional 80 employees in New York, California, and Angola offices.
As of June, the reader reports, the firm was down to fewer than 30 employees, total.
***
The first big layoff whack came last May, then another in October, and again this past January, May, and then at the start of June. All but the first and last sets of layoffs came with salary cuts for those who remained. The entire multifamily team is now gone.
The current workload in the Houston office is only supporting 4 projects. The most recent project to be awarded is the renovation/ rebuild of Gallery Furniture.
Severance was not given to anyone, only instructions to file unemployment. What a wonderful message this sends out to future applicants for EDI! Work hard to earn your vacation/sick/personal time; and it will not be yours to take when you leave!
EDI is also the architect of . . . the Ashby Highrise.
Photo of Dominion Post Oak, designed by EDI Architecture: EDI Architecture
Whoah!
The quote make no sense. Severance pay is not the same as getting paid for your accumulated vacation, sick, or PTO time.
I assume EDI used the middle finger to hold open the door for everyone on their way out?
Severence Pay? What’s that?
Most people are lucky to even get two weeks notice. The last time I was laid off I just got a phone call from the boss that told me to go to HR for my exit interview and was out the door.
I hear HISD needs bilingual and special ed. teachers…
Another sign of the times. Some say things are just fine. The stimulus has worked. Others of course know better.
Ah, developers. Reminds me to watch Independence Day this weekend: a movie about a race that sucks a planet dry of resourcese and then moves on to the next, destroying all life on the planets in the process. Of course, I’m not makin’ any analogies here.
This just goes to show that you can’t believe everything you read! Especially on the internet. This story is false! Someone has their numbers totally WRONG! Also, the photograph that you illegally posted is copyrighted. Opps!!! Another error by a bad source!
The remarks are infact true. I have several friends that were involved in the lay-offs, EDI is doing Gallery Furniture, and the Ashby high-rise; and EDI did not give out a severance.
This comment is for “Trina Locklear.”
Please learn how to make a complete sentence and spell words correctly before posting a comment.
“Especially on the internet.”
“Opps!!!”
To Trina Locklear: Just a word of advice — I’m sure your firm’s lawyers would tell you to not make any statements such as this one. If you’re representing your firm, you need to be sure what you’re saying is accurate.
Trina is the marketing rep for EDI. Sounds like she is trying to defend the company, but everybody on the street knows what its like over there.
I have worked over there and additional friends have worked over there. Not much respect from senior level, drawings are bad without any QC and design is lacking.
EDI put all the eggs in the basket with the developers.
also, if that image was taken from a website, there would be copyright. if that picture was taking from a car driving by, no harm.
From the nasty comments and factual inaccuracies noted in the original post and responses, this is a bitching post and not a reliable news source. I’ve worked at EDI for several years. In bad times, the owners of the firm jump through hoops to protect their people and keep them on the payroll. Other firms drop their employees at the first sneeze. Believe me, I have been laid off by some of those firms. In this downturn, the management at EDI went way beyond the call to protect and keep the staff. Your reader failed to mention that senior people took large pay cuts long before the staff had any cuts or reduced hours. EDI kept people on the payroll who did not have work long after they would have been let go by other firms. Rather than lay people off, EDI allowed us to burn through up to six weeks of accrued sick time and six weeks of accrued vacation time. They did not have to do this. Nor did they have any obligation to pay out sick time if we were laid off. I’d say that is outstanding. Management sent out emails and had staff meetings to let us know what was going on. It is my understanding that the owners put lots of their savings into the company to fund the salaries of those using sick time and vacation time. It does not take a genius to figure out that if people are burning vacation and sick time there are lower billings and less money coming into the firm. When some of us eventually ran out of up to six weeks of sick time and six weeks of vacation time, we went on furlough so we could collect unemployment benefits. During the month on furlough, the firm paid our full medical insurance premiums. In my case, that was over a $1,000 for family coverage. EDI did not have to pay this. Some of us have been fortunate enough to be called back to work. There appears to be some new projects on the horizon. Obviously, EDI’s management cares about their people.
SWAMPLOT should check the facts before posting such rubbish. To be accurate, the employee count noted in the original post is off by at least half and the photo does appear to have been lifted from the EDI website. The source of the original post is obviously a disgruntled ex-employee who took advantage of the benefits and was not called back to work. I have a pretty good idea who it is and the firm is better off without them.
Most firms across the country are down over 50%. It is a shame that we find more joy in spreading false negativity than acknowledging good deeds. I think EDI has done a good job in taking care of the staff during this down turn. I really appreciate the way I have been treated.
This comment is for “ABC”
The article does not look intended to hurt EDI, but to state the economic struggles the firm is facing similar to other firms.
Swamplot has done many columns about other architecture firms, and this is just another blog to read about; get over it.
I have several friends still at EDI, and the article is true.
The world of architecture is very small, and I agree with “JC’s”comment, “people on the street know what it is like over there.”
abc,
Everything stated about EDI is true. Anyone who tries to defend EDI is a liar. FYI – upper management treats employees like crap and the reason this is happening to them is probably because of all the damage they have done to people in the past. EDI is a revolving door. There are several nice people that work there but it doesn’t include management. It is very common to hear the “F” word around there. Upper management walks around with a black cloud above their head. One principal curses people out so bad in front of everyone it is not only demeaning and humiliating to the victim but also to anyone who is around. EDI does nothing for their employess like other companies. Trina and Linda Perez have worked there for at least 20 years so they would defend EDI especially since they are part of the poor treatment to employees.
It really depends on the employee that you’re speaking with, their relationships with management & method in which they left the company. In my personal opinion, some of the cuts that were made were 70% due to the market downturn & 30% due to personal conflict. Of course the issue of personal conflict was never addressed and some would say it was done in a cowardly manner. Nonetheless, the fat needed to be trimmed a few times and that’s the way management chose to handle it. Some supervisors were honest about the true state of affairs while and others chose to smile and nod their heads in agreeance that the huge white elephant in the office did not exist. EDI’s been a leader in Houston for years and I’m sure that after the economy turns around they will climb to the top once again one way or another.
I agree with “def’s” comments. Everything mentioned is correct.
I know several people that were involved in the lay-offs, and all had the said the same thing.
When I worked at EDI it was a decent firm (I left in Jan), full of good people, above the mud slinging seen here. Layoffs came because it is a for profit company, lacking in profits. Same as virtually any architecture firm.
They seem to genuinely care, and offer support in finding other jobs for their departing employees, contrary to the tone of this article.
take it from me, they are good people put in a bad situation, and nothing more.
Alexander,
It is not mud slinging. I can give several names of architects who were cursed out so badly you could hear it outside of the office. One architect was so shocked at this behavior he can tell you it still haunts him. The short principal is Satan. So when you return to EDI one day make sure you don’t piss him off or catch him on a day he hasn’t taken his medication or you will know what we are talking about. You obviously didn’t work there long enough to experience this. I am not talking about other employees. I am talking about management. I hope you do your homework before you return. EDI was a revolving door and employess were let go in a COWARDLY manner long before the market downturn. Things will not get better for them because they are now on the receiving end of all the negative they dished out. Also please note that they have to uneducated employees running EDI. Linda Perez has a high school diploma and Trina used to drive a trash truck. Facts – these are facts.
Don’t even get me started on EDI. It was a zoo when I was there! Crazy old men harrassing me; it was awful!
I agree with everything that “def” mentioned above.
So much authority given to those with the least amount of education.
I know for a fact that there are (and WERE) some very talented people at EDI. I have several friends who were laid off and a few who are still there. However, due to the recession and the help of a pathetic individual named Mona, some of them are no longer with the company. She managed to set her team up and get almost all of them fired! She is still there manipulating management. I guess that is job security. She is a cancer!!!! She will eat away at everyone until there is nothing left. No one likes her and she will report you to HR if you look at her wrong (it happened to my friend). Eventually EDI will recognize that she is a problem and not the world.
I was told by a current employee that EDI did try to hang on to the last set of employees that they laid off. No money = no return of laid off employees and no new hires. It is a simple concept. We don’t know what will happen in the future, but I do see the company recovering from this recession. My advice… don’t over staff, get rid of Mona, send management to sensitivity training, and don’t allow employees to date their boss in order to keep their job! It is BAD for company morale!
Very interesting, EDI did some very bad work for me and pushed through about two weeks of billings for work that took an hour to cut and paste. They also double billed jobs.
In reality, when Darcy G. left, the company lost its vision and the people who came in and the directors did not have the guts to help EDI endure through tough times. All the money that was wasted by the director of marketing (Sara), thousands of dollars spent in useless parties and trips without closing a single project, along with the despotic behavior of Britt “The Great†led EDI to fail. In the beginning of 2008 there was a high end meeting when we all toasted with champagne celebrating that there were going to be enough projects to keep on growing. Well, that was a big fat lie! The first big lay off came months later and the people who stayed were told that they had “been chosen by the Gods†to continue in the company. Well, another fat lie because we all know what happened next. Also, last December they had the nerve to do a Holiday party, only to celebrate that EDI is being ran by a bunch of liars. Their participation in the sandcastle is another example of how management handles everything based on false premises. EDI has survived with a credit line that soon will run out and they will end up with a huge debt. It’s not hard to foresee a sad future for EDI and it will be responsibility of Satan and Britt “The Greatâ€.
I never worked at EDI.
I don’t think I know anyone who worked there.
I once work for a firm that I soon discovered to be led by people I didn’t agree with.
So I left.
This thread is indicative of the pathetic, whiny, “someone-owes-me-somerhing” mentality of a whole generation of architects.
No wonder the firm has problems.
I do not understand the comment from “Mies van Sauerkraut.” Is the comment supposed to be a Haiku?
And also for “Michael Jackson.”
Just to give you an update on Darcy:
Like a bad check, Darcy returned to EDI and took over all the principals.
I do not think it was all Brit’s fault; he really tried and kept believing that the projects would come in.
Darcy on the otherhand…..he has no problem burning employees at the stake.
yes.
poetry.
I find it interesting – all the negative posts are facts about this firm. Names of people I haven’t thought about since the 15 years that I worked there still come up. Britt still hasn’t changed and I can only guess Satan’s first name begins with D. and Darcy must be over Satan which makes him Lucifer. :)
and when I’ve had friends work there or say they are going over there, I ask if its better. NOPE!
EDI is not unlike most multi-family focused firms, the majority rode high when money was to be had and project work actually got paid by development clientel. Like a sign of the times and all multi-family oriented firms the high-rise condominium market is deep sixed the normal sticks and bricks work has slowed to a crawl and the podium buildings are now only special case with government incentive support. Projects these days are simply just not happening. Like any business who enjoyed a measure of success, when time for corrections due to pressures outside of our control, Architects typically are very poor at handling the process in a professional manner. Some employees expect to be treated like a fortune 100 company with golden parachutes, in 30+ years of architectural employment I’ve never seen this happen, margins just are not there.
If you want a career in architecture you have to take the good with the bad and stop being a whinner when it hits really close to home. I personally know two partners at EDI, they are both very good people, they have some real premadona counterparts full of themselves however, and is a large part why I choose to never work for EDI Arch. There are a lot of highly experienced steller professionals out of work these days, it would be much more productive to focus on helping fellow professionals find alternative means of riding through the down times by sharing information and being considerate of others than mud slinging a former employer who is probably desperate to survive in some form.
To all those laid off, it is never a pleasant experience, you all probably saw the signs, did you prepare in any way, like advance paying mortgage, car and getting out of credit card debit, if not you have no reason to complain. You have chosen to be nonproactive and will now have to manage your life in much more despirate circumstances than you could have prepared for.
The firm is managing frankly in much the same manner, the depth of this downturn in many sectors is really unprecidented and to think it could have been managed better is wishful thinking. Good luck to all seeking work in a depressed industry much like the car industry, the changes necessary to survive will forever shape those who continue to practice the profession in the years to come. Many will have no choice but to leave the practice to some associated field if lucky enough to make the transition. Others will struggle and I guess a few will continue to complain about what they must feel is their birthright to work because they have a degree and a couple years experience and just maybe a license to practice, your inmaturity shows, so simply put grow up and realize you must take responsibility for yourself and quit blaming others for your plight go get a job.
Try manual labor for a while maybe you will have a greater appreciation for the profession of architecture one day. Regarding the management style of the firm, each employee had the choice to stay or leave when faced with personality or management conflicts, none should feel threatened at work, if you can’t handle the stress you should get out of the profession. Stress is in every firm, some greater than others, usually increased when stakes get tough to manage and life as the norm is controled by outside sources, the degree of stress, which suits is a personal one, not a firm issue. Again take responsibility for yourself, be a credit to the profession not a back stabber. Don’t worry those type actions always come around in the end to those who practice them as a way of life. Some may soon be driving a trash truck once again instead of preying on others. Nice begets true appreciation by most of us, survival takes positive action not more negative demeaning actions, get on with your life, it will be a tough row to hoe for a while mentally prepare and stop whinning.
“Jeff”:
Is your comment from the “cowardly” dark cloud hiding in Seattle, or are you still employed with EDI?
Regardless, the firm has the negative reputation, and the comments from others are infact true. As many have said; “people on the streets know what it is like over there.”
Amazing; what a group of paranoid idiots! No I am not from some dark cloud in hiding in Seattle. I have in the past worked for over 12 years in Houston for some of the top architecture firms in that community, none of which has had such petty self serving whiners complaining about being laid off like I see here. If you bother to read my commentary, I don’t defend any poor professionalism of some premadonas in management, just that I know two who are exceptionally good people to their core in an obviously bad place trying their best to make it better to the best of their abilities. You need to look hard at what is going on in the industry as a whole before demeaning any one firm’s attemps to avoid implosion from loss of work in the development sector.
Those surviving now in the multi-family sector focus branched quickly into government/military housing and student housing design services and are managing to get a very spartan existance. If you think you are able to do better hang a shingle and get after it to prove such, you will find it a very tough world out there right now. I was with a Dallas multi-family experts previously, regular competitors of EDI Arch for many years and they have suffered an equally devistating change in practice and profits with unbelievable deep staff reductions to control losses of a 12 office network of tallented professionals. So it is not unique to only EDI, but is a very tough industry trend in this exceptionally rough economic times.
I suggest you quit slinging mud and go get a job, the reputation of a firm will take care of it’s self over time and the devotion of the architectural community toward supporting it. The reputation of being exceptionally difficult to work with is more than enough to be said of the management team and is indeed all too true and very well known in the local professional community. Let it go, prove you can do better if indeed you are of course capable of the task, otherwise you are nothing but a negative influence producing ill will in turn.
Do you really want to reap the rewards of what you are sowing in your professional career? Tough words, but ones gained from many years of productive service to the architectural profession, what are you paying back or paying forward by your thrashing of EDI Arch, be careful it is hard enough to find work these days without burning bridges you may need to cross the turbulent waters of the economy focus on being positive not negative, it’s one of those tough life lessons learned the hard way. Positive attitude will reward in the future in ways you can’t imagine right now and usually exponentally to the depth of the original act/words. Give your words some deep thought, they will have an effect, usually on you and your negative nature for years to come and loss of opportunities afforded due to very poor attitude. What a price to pay for being pissed off you did not show more fore thought and been more proactive in managing your own career and decide to blame others for your own short comings. Get even the very best way if of course you have the skills, do better and in a more professional manner, success is the very best payback for being treated badly not mud slinging.
Jeff,
Boring, boring. Are you a pastor?
Get real, I never worked for EDI Arch I have had many a friend which has complaints are not new. I am a 30+ year deeply experienced senior Architect registered in TX, CA and NCARB certified and 12+ years practice in Houston marketplace with top caliber award winning firms before deciding to leave the city and many close friends. I have seen many a downturn in this business, those that handle it well come out the other side usually thriving and leading new directions for the profession to enjoy, those who blame others in a woo is me attitude usually find other professions because none wants to hire such a negative influence on their service industry firm. If you think ridiculing a firm going through extremely tough times shared by every other firm with the same type market segments is having a positive impact on anyone’s career you are very misguided. It will, be noted by those close to this situation and one day you may indeed find yourself in need of them to be favorable toward your own career. Do you really think you are so talented you can afford to burn bridges to the future? Adults should not have to be told to play nice like little kids.
The market will take care of EDI Arch in the end not disgrunteled employees who feel they are wronged. Your all at will employees bottom line, just simple reality. Get a job and move on or damage your career with more mud and negative poison, the choice is yours to make. Take responsibility for yourself and be the better person by doing so, if you had lawsuit basis you would be speaking with sharks not blogging in public risking a defamation action inturn. Control the only thing you have 100% control over, your own attitude, be positive. You will find it reaps big dividends for years to come and builds bridges giving you options you never thought possible years earlier. Having the opportunity/pleasure to create architecture for a living, it’s a matter of choice, make it and understand the costs/rewards don’t be a cry baby.
Jeff, you are confusing tough economic times and the way firms and professionals react to and deal with them in order to survive and grow in the profession, with actual bad management and disrespect towards employees; which can happen in both good or bad times. Furthermore, you keep saying you have never worked at EDI, so you obviously do not know what some people here are talking about.
I haven’t waded to deeply into this conversation, but I can’t help but see the comparisons to similar things happening in engineering firms throughout the state right now.
The firm I work for shrank from 250 employees to 150 over the course of the last year. Last April was the biggest downsize of 30 people in two days. It’s a tough situation for any firm (even very well managed ones) to do. The firm tried to trim the fat of unproductive workers first, but then it had to do the tough thing and let go good workers. Some that were here for 10-15 years are gone. Some people that were here only for 2-3 years weren’t let go. Seniority wasn’t utilized, but productivity and potential employee growth was.
At gatherings with other engineers from different firms you similar stories. Some are identical the EDI story where talk about bad management goes on.
Whether your bosses were a$$holes are not doesn’t mean the company couldn’t survive without trimming workforce. Some of the best managed and diversified companies are downsizing because the work is simply not there.
A reference from the civil engineering world is that more civil firms are having very little land development/site development work (housing slump) but an increase in public works projects funded by municipalities and counties. That’s a very different model than most firms were using throughout the early 2000.
The EDI Arch unprofessional management style is nothing new, does not require first hand employment to understand the nature of the unprofessional behavior it has been a very well known fact in the architectural community for in excess of 15+ years. I trust the reputation preceeded any who have contributed to this very public ridicule blog thread employment decisions. So they thought they were different from all the talented people before them, I believe they are unlike their predisesors they have chosen to stoop to the very same depths of unprofessional behavior in ridiculing the firm in public.
It’s one thing to complain over a few drinks in bar room bantor with collegues, another to ridicule a professional public service firm, which supported your livelyhood. Poor taste and even poorer demonstration of their own lack of profesionalism. Actions against state code of practice conduct and AIA professional ethics tenants all Architects are to be providing professional practice and a life exemplary of ideals based in respect, courtesy and judgement lacking by the demeaning attacks in this thread.
I am ashamed you have been a part of the profession of Architecture and though I don’t condon unprofessionalism by EDI Arch, it is equally lacking by those throwing rocks at the firm. You have lowered yourself to the same distainful level by participating in it’s ridicule, not raising yourself above the fray, though I doubt you will ever be able to see that distinction. Shamefull, disrespectful, unprofessional and in very poor taste, the ridicule here is self serving and mean spirited and you all deserve to bear the full impact of your actions on each of your careers for years to come.
It’s really a choice, be nice and enjoy bridges to a future or mean and suffer the roadblocks to a bright future that could have been, those decisions have clearly been made by the contributors of ridicule. I am ashamed of you all throwing rocks, if any are indeed Architects, you don’t deserve the title or the opportunity to practice. Those who are not Architects don’t deserve the opportunity to become a professional member until they understand professionalism begins at home first and foremost. Be nice, it is the high road above the cowardly and insecure acts of fools.
Well,
Let me start by making it clear that in my 20 year career, I have managed to work for every single architecture firm that ever existed in Houston…..so I know what I am talking about.
I was employed with EDI for nearly 2 years, before going on to my next stepping stone.
I had enough of the antics from management and coworkers and decided to leave.
And “Jeff,”…..
You are making this into something else. People are “venting” about their experience with the firm, however all comments seem to be a negative experience.
Sure all firms are suffering now, but the blog was just another example of what other firms are going through….get over it; this is freedom of speech.
Mark,
It is not possible to have worked for every Houston firm in a twenty year timeframe unless you worked only a month or two at each company. In which case, you are not employable.
You pointed out you decided to go elsewhere when you had had your fill of the management treatment without publicly ridiculing a professional service firm, right approach. Free speach in a professional environment should NOT include ridiculing other professionals, it simply is unethical plain and simple. Not to mention very poor career judgement and disrespectful to your own dignity of the profession as a whole. Why have you stooped so low, many unemployed Architects may never work in the profession again by the time things do correct and activity returns to the market in many sectors, multi-family is not alone. I don’t condon disrespect by management nor the disgrunteled staff ridiculing them in a public forum under banner of free speach. They also have the right to not every be employable in architecture again, are they so choosing this option as well as part of their unprofessional free expression?
Management’s consistently bad apporoach for many years is shameful in and of it’s self and the ridicule here is just as shameful to the whole profession, thus has no positive direction to offer on either end. So why would anyone outside of architecture profession reading this stuff think Architects are not a bunch of cry babies who deserve no respect for what they bring to the table the postings confirm that rather than dispute it. True respect is earned by every single member of a profession and will only be as great as the weakest link of its members demonstrated clearly in this ridicule of EDI Arch. I see none even considering the ethics side of this or they would be shamed to silence. I see no free speach, but disrespectful and harmful ridicule contrary to our high level of professional ethics aspired to in this profession, if professional ethics is not practiced what value do lofty empty words hold?
More new lows in communication/ expression and of course professionalism/ethics, bunch of hard headed cry babies is right, I find this pathetic and no longer of value especially toward the profession as a whole. Enjoy those unemployment checks you may have to get real creative about making them stretch with the attitude expressed here. Get a life and find a job you can handle such as flipping burgers or collecting garbage at the curb.
Architecture is a pleasureable, mentally intensive, creative profession of dignity bridging art and technology together through collaboration of many to create space in functional assemblages challenging to the perceptions and visual sensabilities of all who interact with the structures created not just those of conceptual vision and can’t execute them in their full complexity of structure, complex related assemblies, inter related building systems and energy utilization.
The architecture profession does not deserve to be disgraced in such a pathetic manner. But you really already know that, if you don’t you should not be working in the field in the first place and with such an attitude likely will not again. It really is much simpler to just choose to be nice, move on and build bridges to a future you can embrace, not disgrace, pay forward, don’t tear down, reap rewards of gratitude not disgust and distrust. It all comes with honor in the heart, ethics above getting mad or irritated for selfish silly gain. In a word professionalism!
“Jeff,”
You are the ONLY one on here that is whinning. In all your post, you keep whinning. It is obvious you are trying to defend the firm, and that is fine; please stop repeating yourself. In all your post, you just ramble about nothing. It doesn’t make any sense.
Move on to another topic.
No defense of EDI Arch in the least, the market will take care of their legacy not I. I’m not whinning in the least, but I am defending the professionalism of our profession, dignity and dedication to a value system of honor through creative endevors and certainly not some poorly contrived sense of free speach at the expense of others be they employees or employors, just lacks all taste, honor and dignity and is the exact opposite of ethical professionalism, which was the original cry baby complaint, EDI Arch was ridaculed for in the first place by disgrunteled staff now on the street for very obviously good reasons.
Jeff, I saw your profile in Linkedin, and it seems incredible that an architect of your qualifications, experience and education has such terrible composition, grammar and spelling problems (aside from a lot of free time to rant on this forum). So you see Jeff, that is also part of the dignity of this and any other profession. I see why you don’t have your own firm.
You have just clearly demonstrated the demeaning culture of EDI Arch and does not dignify a real creative or emotion laiden response. I am actually running a small consulting practice, like many I wished it were much busier, but for no lack of efforts on my part to find the opportunities. There are many Architects of strong qualifications with much more time on their hands than they would like to see, it is a sign of the very hard times and specialization focus of many in the profession, we all hope passes more quickly than it will likey run a course or redirection of careers is inevitable necessity for some. Being nice is just simply not in the culture of EDI Arch management style or fostered through their former disgrunteled unprofessional employees clearly demonstrated by many including the last post.
man, Jeff..you sound like a troll who posts on every internet forum. one of those guys who claims to know everything and justs goes off in tangents just to piss people off.
not every firm is perfect. most firms don’t even have a BA degree to know how to run business. The top level at EDI has been there too long and doesn’t care about staff.
but one defense to Jeff, it is kinda of hard to type in this little comment box. if you are going to have long-winded rants,type in Word and copy/paste. :)
Use your own advice, that would be an “MBA” not BA, most firms only have BA’s with little deep business skill sets and of course precious egos, volitile combination and explains why many are so poorly managed in spite of themselves, many remain in practice for lengthy periods.
There is no excuse for the disgrunteled employee who attacks others to feel good be it a former employer or professional colleague, no professionalism in intent or delivery. Your words bother me little, clearly you have nothing to learn in life and speaks volumes alone. Enjoy your ridicule, it just shows the low levels you have become. Get a job and be nice, make the world around you a better place for the touch you have upon it as a whole, not one less desirable to behold or endure your acerbic behavior. I have no delussion any change is in the future so this is at end for my contribution.
It wasn’t a contribution Jeff, just a wasteful, over and over booooring rant of the same crap.
Well,….the latest update on the firm is as follows.
Payroll has not been given to employees for the month of July, nor has a date been given to expect payment!
I don’t know the intimate details about the management styles of all the EDI bosses. (If it’s true, that would be unfortunate, because our firm works to keep Architects and interns happy in their jobs, and EDI does some breathtakingly beautiful work.) But I’ve worked with Darcy as a consultant and can attest that he was one of the sharpest people I’ve worked with in the field of architecture. And we work with 250 architecture firms all over the world.
The reality is that we’re all trying to endure circumstances that possibly could be described as the Great Depression in architecture. Spoke to a Boston Architect last week who said the unemployment rate there is 50%. That’s not a recession… that’s a depression in our industry.
So, we’re all enduring a brutal time. We can all get testy and nasty… which would be human nature. Or, we can work together to endure these hard times. Somebody please pass the soup. :)
“Somebody please pass the soup.”
Chicken or Pepper Pot? Seems as though both were served up here… looks like it’s all you can eat — or serve — as well.
I am grateful that I was given the opportunity to work at EDI. I learned alot about Document Control, my checks never bounced and the experience I gained has helped very much. It is easy to blame life and what happens to us on other people. We are responsible for ourselves and have choice everyday. Every company has issues and I can say that when I went to management with any problems, they were addressed.
I am neither defending or attacking
EDI. I am taking reponsibilty for myself and have learned to let go of the past. Life is too short to be miserable. We never know when our journey ends so lets let go, get along, and live in the now.
Things will get better in no time and everything passes so be happy and focus on the positive. We live in America, we have food, we have shelter, we have running water…get the picture? Simplify your lives so you can make it at times like these. Love, Peace, Happiness
We live in America, we have food, we have shelter, we have running water…get the picture? Simplify your lives so you can make it at times like these.
_____________________________________
A growing number of Americans are simplifying their lives by becoming homeless.
well that’s pretty typical because architecture is a brutal profession to be in. i heard edi actually just phoned employees at their ’emergancy’ contact number and told them they are now laid off and to not come into the office. i’ve been in this industry for twenty years (i’m a licensed architect), and if i could do something else to make a decent living i’d gladly do it. architect’s like to say it’s either ‘feast or famine’, but in my experience even in good times none of the money finds it’s way down to the people who actually produce the work and clock billable hours to a job.
and they are still responsible for that very ugly high rise condo tower over in the galleria…talk about an eyesore.
Dave Ramsey might be able to teach us all a thing or two.
Message to “d”
Yes, infact EDI did call everyone personally to lay us off. I was part of the current round of lay-offs.
I got a call from the cfo, and office manager on a conference call.
In all honesty, I am a much happier person since leaving. I felt like a prisoner working at EDI. Most of the problems are ALL brought on by management.
The CFO likes to sneak up behind people to look at their computer screen in an attempt to catch them looking on the internet.
One principal lives in a fantasy world and thinks magical projects will start pouring in “any day now…..”
And one team member is a middle-eastern woman who has caused every single problem in the office since her arrival. She announced her Jihad on EDI Employees prior to the first round of lay-offs in May 2008! I think everyone here is clever enough to figure that one out.
EDI Management approves new work schedule:
“+1/8 Plan”
One team member is quoted with this to say about the new program:
“Talking about make important things on a free day is great…
I can have long conversations with my wife, help to my daughter’s homework, go to the soccer practice with my son, make the yard, wash the car, practice music, and more!
But… maybe I will not take that free day, because all these things are depending of my job at the office and I believe that if I take this free day at this moment when the economy market is so tight, I will be enjoying only for a very short period of time these moments. Why? Because I am the only one who will receive the benefits with this arrangement, and sooner or later it would be getting affected my job cause the actual economical crisis.
If we are asked to give a day from each ten, (9/72) then we need to really give it, and we need to come to work (using the complementary plan + 1/8).”
i’ve been trying to unearth a job since i was let go of a firm back in april. good luck. 10 years with a license, master’s degree, etc. this is just more tale that leads me to say, don’t let your kids grow up to be architects.
Here is a story related to EDI that shows part of the “mentality” that the management had at the end of 2006 or so. Sometime around ’05 a 48 or so year old guy started with the firm, and he claimned to be an architect from D.C. The guy was not only not a registered architect, but could not draw a wall section to save his life. It took him 2 weeks to draw an elevation that wasn’t worth a damn and always seemed to be working in slo-mo. His real agenda became evident when he started trying to recruit people to buy into his “business”, nothing more than a pyramid scam he was running. Later on EDI moved to the Williams tower and soon after this guy threw a huge party in a lavish home in Royal Oaks, displaying all kinds of luxury. He then dissapeared for a while and it was later known that he had some legal problems and had been arrested. To the surprise of everybody (especially to the ones who knew him), not only did he return but they made him a project manager, and misteriously enjoyed a protected status. He then took it as his mission to get rid of everybody that knew him from his days at the old office, the slo-mo, pyramid-scheme, days. He succeded partially, convincing the CFO and others to get rid of some very valuable people, but could not himself draw (much less manage) a decent set of plans. Then, he disappeared once more. Some time later, it became known that he had been detained, judged and convicted of fraud, theft and other crimes and sentenced to 20 years in prison. His family put up a website decrying that it was all an injustice, a racially-motivated veredict and sentence against an innocent, hard-working man. When in ’08 his appeal was denied a better picture of what had really happened became evident. He did in fact commit fraud via a bogus lawsuit settlement on behalf of his then partner in crime (a.k.a the wife) and theft against a mortgage company and a builder, to the tune of about 1.5 million. During his crazy spending spree, he somehow convinced (con artist, is what the judge called him) the EDI management to let him invest part of his “new found riches” in new high rise condominiumns, and yet again EDI believed him. So once again, the illusion of easy money blinded many people, including this guy himself. EDI is not completely at fault here of course, how could they have known? Architectural firms like all other businesses cannot control or know everything there is to know about the people they hire, but good management helps to identify these potential problems before they become a liabilty. These things can be nipped at the bud or ruin a reputation and bring down an empire.