African American Architects Survey 1999/2000

1. Which category best describes your primary activities?

Private Practice
165
65.7%
Public/Govt. Agency
47
18.7%
University Faculty
12
4.8%
Construction
3
1.0%
Retired
10
4.0%
Other
14
5.6%

 

2. Which most closely represents the organization of the firm where you work?

Sole Proprietorship
54
21.4%
%Partnership
19
17.3%
Lmtd Liability Corp.
7
2.8%
Sub-Chapter S Corp.
29
11.5%
Corporation
78
31.0%
Other
1
N/A
60
23.8%
No Answer
4
1.6%

 

3. Please mark your position in your primary place of employment

Principal/Senior Partner
128
50.6%
Junior Partner /Associate
21
8.3%
Project Architect
24
9.5%
Architect
16
6.3%
Faculty Member
8
3.2%
Other
45
17.8%
----Project Manager
11
----Director
15
----Other
19
No Answer
11
4.3%

 

4. My firm or the firm that I work with is

100% African American Owned
121
47.3%
Joint Afr. Amer./White owned
25
9.8%
White/Other minority owned
4
1.6%
White owned
36
14.1%
Female owned
0
Joint Male/Female owned
4
1.6%
N/A
54
21.7%
No Answer
12
4.7%

 

5 Which designation best describes your firm or the firm that you work for?
(some boxes were checked more than once)

Architecture
154
48.4%
Architecture/Engineering
33
10.4%
Engineering/Architecture
10
3.1%
Interior Design/Space Planning
19
6.0%
Planning
23
7.2%
Construction/Const. Mgmt.
25
7.9%
Other
35
11.0%
No Answer
19
6.0%

 

6a. How would you characterize the scope of your firm's practice?

Single State or metro area
99
39.3%
Multi-state or regional
75
29.8%
National
21
8.3%
International
30
11.9%
N/A
12
4.8%
No Answer
15
6.0%

 

6b. How would you characterize the scope of your firm's practice?
(OWNERS ONLY)

Single State or metro area
62
41.6%
Multi-state or regional
61
40.9%
National
11
7.4%
International
11
7.4%
N/A
4
2.7%
No Answer

 

7. What year was your firm founded?
(AFRICAN AMERICAN OWNED ONLY)

1945 - 1960
7
1961 - 1975
19
1976 - 1990
55
1990 -
57
 
N/A
46
No Answer
26

 

8. Including yourself, how many employees did your firm have on the payroll in each of these categories?

Principals/partners
 
One
91
Two
48
 
Three
16
 
Four
7
 
Five
10
Six or more
13
N/A
39
No Answer
28

Licensed architects other than principals/partners
 
Zero
61
 
One
49
Two
27
 
Three
16
 
Four
4
 
Five
11
Six or more
43
N/A
12
No Answer
29

Total Staff Size (full time)
 
One
26
Two
11
 
Three
10
 
Four
10
 
Five
17
Six
11
Seven
13
Eight
10
Nine
7
10 - 15
25
16 - 20
8
21 - 30
19
31 - 50
11
50 +
36
N/A
11
No Answer
28

 

9. Including yourself, how many principals/partners are African American?

None
0
 
One
107
Two
40
 
Three
2
 
Four
1
 
Five
1
N/A
41
No Answer
27

 

10. Not including yourself how many licensed African American architects (not including principals/partners) are employed in your firm?

None
113
 
One
70
Two
13
 
Three
10
 
Four or more
5
 
N/A
15
No Answer
25

 

11. How many other professionals (engineers, interior designers, etc.) are African American?

None
151
 
One
33
Two
15
 
Three
6
 
Four
4
 
Five
6
N/A
10
No Answer
27

 

12. What year were you born?

1920-30
16
 
1931-40
34
1941-50
65
 
1951-60
91
 
1961-68
36
 
Average Age = 51 yrs old

 

13. Estimate the percentage of your 1998 billings that are private contracts and public contracts.

Percent
Private
Public
 
0 - 25%
39
43
26 - 50%
30
26
51 - 75%
35
34
76 - 100%
65
33
 
N/A
32
No Answer
42

 

14. Approximately what percentage of your active clients in 1998 were African American?

0 - 25%
100
54%
26 - 50%
26
14%
51 - 75%
29
15.8%
76 - 100%
30
16.2%
 
N/A
27
No Answer
38

 

15. Approximately what % of your 1998 net billings were the result of a joint venture with a majority firm?

0%
117
0 - 25%
21
26 - 50%
10
51 - 75%
6
76 - 100%
2
 
N/A
46
No Answer
46

 

16. Approximately what amount of time do you or your firm members participate in community volunteer work, neighborhood assistance work, or community "pro bono" work? (Please estimate the number of hours per week over a year)

Zero
18
One
18
Two
38
Three
17
Four
26
Five
16
Six
7
Seven
4
Eight
8
Nine
0
Ten
22
11-20
11
20+
6
No Answer
50
N/A
13

 

17. Which of the following includes your average total compensation received in 1998 (including bonuses, profit sharing, and/or other incentive compensations.

less than $25,000
9
$25,001 - $37,500
11
$37,501 - $50,000
26
$50,001 - $62,500
36
$62,501 - $75,000
41
$75,001 - $100,000
42
$100,000 - $150,000
29
$150,001 - $200,000
14
$200,001 - $250,000
4
$250,000 or more
5
No Answer
42