Igor Marsenić, Executive Manager ASAP - There has never been a better time for architects than now

However, there are challenges. It is for this very reason that the organization representing the interests of architectural entrepreneurs was founded. There are currently 85 member companies from 10 cities in Serbia. What problems does this young economic branch face, who is responsible for the challenges faced by architectural entrepreneurs - the state, investors or themselves, why architects have a deep distrust towards publicly organized tenders and procurements - these are just some of the topics we discuss with Igor Marsenić.

The interlocutor of eKapija explains that the formation of the Association of Serbian Architectural Practices (ASAP) is a necessary consequence of a series of changes in Serbian society, primarily economic and cultural. As he says, for a long period of time there was no organization that would represent the interests of architectural entrepreneurs and that would influence the character of those changes. According to Marsenić, ASAP is the theme of a generation that has created its own architectural firms in a very complex business environment.

- They have become aware of their possibilities and abilities, aware of the fact that the success of each individual company is actually the success of the entire ecosystem, that each individual successful project moves the limit in the perception of architecture among the general public and encourages investors. This is a generation that understands wider contexts, the power of community and connection, does not think in particular and wants to take the place that belongs to them in Serbian society, just as their generational counterparts from the film and IT industry did. That generation knows that it is an important factor of the national economy and believes that it can make a key contribution to changing the perception of Serbia in the world.

We are immensely proud of the fact that we are gathering a large number of architectural entrepreneurs from all over Serbia, and I would like to add that this kind of social enterprise has not happened in our country in a while - says Marsenić.

eKapija: The association recently adopted a Work Plan on interior architecture projects. What does the plan contain, who is it intended for, and why was it important to bring it in?

- In public speaking, you can very often hear that others are to blame for the challenges architectural entrepreneurs face. In this sense, the culprits are the state, politics and investors. Few have asked the question whether we are responsible for some of the problems ourselves. The document "Work plan on interior architecture projects", as a kind of book of standards, was created from the desire of the members of the Association to take part of the responsibility for the further development of the profession. We wanted to show how many things depend solely on us and that we can define and improve business standards ourselves. Also, this document is a consequence of the basic values ​​on which the Association is based, namely openness and sharing of knowledge. The document was created thanks to the selfless sharing of past business experiences of a large number of companies and the long-term process of codifying those experiences into a consistent document.

The "Work plan for interior architecture projects" is written in such a way that it can be easily applied to any project of design and execution of interior architecture projects, regardless of its complexity or size. He explains the roles and interests of all actors in the implementation process, from the initial idea of ​​the investor to putting the space into final use. Therefore, we believe that it is intended for everyone who participates in the process, i.e. colleagues, professional associates, contractors, investors, end users. Equally important to us are the students, the generations that will be the bearers of architectural life in Serbia and the region in the future.

We believe that this document will decisively influence the formation of the "mainstream" business culture in the years ahead.

During this fall, we will intensify its promotion both for the professional public and colleagues, but also for students at several faculties in Serbia.

(Photo: Dragana Udovičić)

eKapija: Running a successful architectural practice requires a number of skills that architects have not been trained for, which is why ASAP organizes workshops on presentation skills, meetings where budgets and funding sources are openly discussed. What skills do professionals in this field lack the most?

- A significant part of the activities is aimed at improving the business skills and knowledge of our members through numerous trainings and workshops that we subsidize from our budget. During their education, our members generally did not have the opportunity to learn how to lead teams or their own business, and that is why we consider this as the Association`s contribution to the maturing of the business culture within the architectural community.

Due to socio-historical circumstances, architectural entrepreneurship is a very young economic branch, which needs a lot of care and support so that it can make its full contribution to Serbian society. And this means that architectural entrepreneurs could work more, employ more people, pay more taxes and contributions to the budget, so that our reality and future would be more sustainable.

I really couldn`t single out any particular topic as the biggest deficiency within our community. Currently, every training, workshop or meet-up that is organized on any of the business-related topics is fully booked in advance. We have introduced several different fields and experts, we believe that in the near future we will further expand the number and quality of training available to our members.

eKapija: One of the objectives of the Association is for Serbian architecture and design to be recognized and acknowledged in the world. What is the situation today in that respect?

- We are still paying the price for the 90s and the isolation we spent a lot of time in. The development vectors of us and the "world" were drastically different, and that simply cannot be compensated "overnight".

The current circumstances are still not in our favor, a lot is being designed and built, often of very questionable quality. Given that the culture of the organization is based on taking responsibility, we really do not want to judge anyone and therefore we intend to issue a new standardization document in the near future that would concern the organization of tenders for both public and private investments. We think that there are many omissions and that this area can be further improved.

Only 39% of our members participate in public tenders, and only 18% of companies from our ecosystem participate in public procurement of design services, and they generate less than 10% of the company`s revenue. I think that this data speaks volumes about the deep distrust towards publicly organized tenders and procurements.

eKapija: What would you single out as the biggest problem of Serbian architecture today? Is it precisely the lack of networking, the lack of business skills, or investors who do not want to listen to professionals, and the regulatory framework that protects investors more than the interests of citizens...?

- Like other professions, architecture has suffered the consequences of the transition that we have been going through as a society for almost thirty years. When you move from large social design houses to small offices, studios and atteliers, until today the dominant architectural firms specializing in certain market niches, we can only talk about radical changes.

In the Association, we have only four companies that were established in the period 1990-2000. It is possible that another person would answer differently, in my opinion, the accumulation of knowledge and experience and passing it on to new generations without radical cuts is necessary for architecture in our country.

eKapija: Are you also in contact with the new generations of architects and designers? What are they bringing us? How do they differ from the former?

- Our research has shown that we are a dominantly "young" ecosystem and that 66% of people within it are between 20-40 years of age. A more precise question would be if we are in contact with senior architects and designers.

My personal experience in working with the members of the Association is that they are very practical and pragmatic, and that these traits, which I perceive as dominant, were of key importance both for the formation of the association and for its further development and life.

eKapija: What are the Association`s plans in the near and distant future? Can you restore importance to the profession, which seems to have been suppressed by business interests and investor demands?

- Your question implies one of the most prevalent phenomena in our public space, which is the myth of the "golden age" or "the past in which we were good". Each profession and community has invented its own golden past in which "order was known". It is a matter of personal perception, which, like tastes, is not worth arguing about. I could only add a very personal comment that in the past we have never had it better. If, based on your question, we still consider the period of the 70s and 80s to be the reference point on the basis of which we take positions and evaluate, I would say that regardless of the authors who marked that time and whose houses became part of cultural history, the present much more dynamic, more diverse, less stylistically monolithic, incomparably more people are creating. Therefore, the competition is greater, there is a market competition, and in the end, significantly more skills and knowledge are necessary.

Changes in the position of the architectural profession are necessary and that process will be long. It will be important for us to be persistent, courageous, patient. So that we never forget the strategic goals of the organization contained in the ASAP 2030 strategy.

For that, first and foremost, an organization is needed, which is stable and self-sustaining. An organization open to good people, capable people, people who are ready and willing to share their knowledge with others. People who are persistent and courageous, for young and old, for experienced and beginners, for withdrawn and visible, for loud and silent heroes.

That`s why I`m taking this opportunity to invite everyone who isn`t yet an ASAP member to join us so we can be better together!

M. Dedić