Architectes . . . sans frontières

Across boundaries of national origin, ethnicity, gender and age, architects seem to share interests and values. We are attracted to the same kinds of buildings and places, and often speak about them in similar terms. Global markets in development and capital make cross-border collaboration -- both for marketing and for project execution -- a mounting imperative for US architecture firms. This is true at all scales of practice: In Europe, large firms carry smaller firms along, as consultants and subcontractors, while some smaller firms with sufficient specialized experience simply carry themselves.