Workplace reviews and discussion: 劉培森建築師事務所

Over the more than 30 years since the firm was established, it has won countless design competition awards. The team led by the principal architect is highly competitive internationally, making the firm a good choice for young people seeking long-term career development.

The principal architect was educated in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, France, and the United States, an uncommon background in Taiwan. Since founding the firm, the principal architect has personally led employees in design work, demonstrating admirable dedication.

Many senior employees have worked with the principal architect for more than 20 years. The team has strong cohesion and competitiveness, and the project managers and principal architect have developed considerable rapport.

The firm participates in landmark design competitions every year, providing an excellent learning opportunity for young designers who enjoy taking part in innovative architectural design.

The firm has a large volume of work and a high demand for staff, so capable young employees who are new to the firm can easily be given important responsibilities and opportunities for promotion.

The firm's working environment is elegant and comfortable, with comprehensive facilities. Colleagues are friendly, the atmosphere is quiet, management is open-minded, and employees all take the initiative to complete their work.

During design competitions, employees can choose either compensatory time off or overtime pay for overtime work, reflecting a people-oriented management style.

The firm's library houses more than 5,000 architecture-related books and has long subscribed to 12 international design magazines, which employees can read and learn from during working hours.

The firm regularly holds training sessions and lectures by prominent figures, allowing employees to expand their interdisciplinary knowledge.

The firm holds a birthday luncheon once a month, giving employees opportunities to interact and exchange ideas. Every year, it also holds a year-end Christmas party with a gift exchange and a year-end banquet with a raffle, allowing employees to relax, enjoy themselves, and unwind from their normally rigorous work.

The firm is one of the three largest architectural firms in Taiwan. It has many employees and finely divided team responsibilities. After 30 years, its management system has become mature and well established, but also relatively inflexible. Employees who dislike following established procedures and rules may find it difficult to adapt.

The principal architect is personally involved in every aspect of both design and management and demands perfection in the work and the projects. Especially during design competitions, the principal architect's working hours become very long each day, placing a considerable physical burden on participating employees.

During regular daytime working hours, the principal architect is busy meeting and discussing matters with clients for various projects and must also visit construction sites for inspections. As a result, design meetings for competitions generally continue from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Design staff participating in competitions often need to work overtime with the principal architect to complete the work, and employees who lack sufficient stamina can easily burn out.

The principal architect values reason, pursues perfection in design, and maintains a rigorous work attitude. Employees who are careless or lack sufficient ability can easily feel pressured and develop the intention to resign.

The firm has numerous design projects and a tremendous workload. Senior employees are generally busy with official duties, so newcomers who encounter difficulties at work must take the initiative to ask their supervisors for guidance. Overly passive employees may easily resign due to frustration or difficulty adapting.