Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexander Sheft.
Hi Alexander, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Talks of starting a firm had been stewing since about 2017 when we were both working together at Standard Architecture. At the time, we were sitting in a coffee shop one evening, thinking – ‘of course we can do this, we’ve worked here for three years, know everything there is to know, time to go for it’.
Ultimately – that’s not really how it worked (and it turns out there was a lot more to know & learn and always is). We ended up staying at Standard for another 2 years before going to work in different fields for a couple of years (John – Interior Design, Alex – Construction). Branching out in those different directions really gave us the additional perspective that we needed to go off on our own. So while the early whisperings began in 2017 during a late evening in East Hollywood, it wasn’t until 2021 that things really got off the ground.
We’ve worked as architects, interior designers, general contractors, & owner’s reps – so when we’re doing a project, we can come at it from all angles and question our work from the perspective of these other various team members. This has allowed us to create very cohesive projects with less road bumps than if we had not anticipated what – say – a contractor might have interpreted from our design.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
High level – it’s actually been quite smooth considering all the difficulties small businesses face – not to mention the added struggles of launching a business during a global pandemic.
I think had we kicked things off in 2017 when we originally planned, we definitely wouldn’t have gotten nearly as far! I actually wonder if we would have even made it a few months – our network was significantly smaller and we were much less developed as designers.
That said – we’ve had our fair share of minor struggles – days where we went from having projects lined up for the whole year turning into not having projects lined up for a whole week. Those moments are much fewer and far between now as we’ve learned to be more patient and methodical with our practice but it took a bit to settle in and learn to not ride those emotional waves. That first year was definitely a rollercoaster.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Sheft Farrace?
Architecture, at the scale we operate, tends to be very intimate in both a literal sense – we’re working on people’s private residences & boutique businesses – but also in the relationship we have with clients. Sometimes our residential projects can take upwards of several years and you end up spending a lot of time with clients, their partners, their kids – and ultimately, you want to make sure anyone you spend that much time with is enjoyable to be around and someone you consider a friend by the end of it.
A lot of times, architecture firms tend to consider projects on the basis of the architecture only – Is this aesthetically in line with what we do? Is the budget available for our vision? Is this the type of project we want to work on? We find that instead, asking questions like – Would we get along with this client? Do they share the same passion for design as us? Can we have an interpersonal relationship?– yields a better outcome.
Of course, the aesthetics & architecture itself matters – but if we can work well with our clients and share a common vision & values – we find that not only will everyone remember the entire experience positively, but the work will be reflective of that and be better off because of it.
A lot of our clients have done multiple projects with us or come through referrals from past clients and we attribute that to not only doing the obvious – high-quality architecture – but also making sure that we’re going to get along on a personal level with everyone before accepting a job.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I’d like to think I’m the more risk-averse one between myself and my business partner, John. I tend to shy away from risk – whether it be taking on more complex projects or proposing more radical design ideas – and I think John’s desire to take ‘risk’ head-on creates an overall balance for our firm.
We’re in the business of providing extremely high-end, thoughtful design and without venturing into the territory of what some may call ‘risky decision making’ – we’d end up with pretty banal results. And honestly, that’s not why clients hire us – they want us to give things that extra push when others may back away. We’re here to create things that may not have originally been on anyone’s radar but exist because of that additional risk-taking.
So as a practice – we try to be both open to risk and risk-averse, we can’t be dogmatic about it or else we’d end up at one side of the extremes – creating boring design or blowing up our business. Every new project needs to be approached through an individualized lens and approach to risk.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sheftfarrace.com
- Instagram: @sheftfarrace
