Stop Reinventing the Wheel: Templates Every Architect Should Use

Save time, reduce errors, and maximise profits with templates every architect honestly ought to at least consider.

Why Do So Many Architects Repeat Themselves?

You might wonder this yourself from time to time. I know I have. Most architects are known for their creativity. Some, not all, are also known for spending far too much time ‘doing things the hard way’. Or perhaps that’s just the ones I’ve worked alongside.

Take last week, for example. I spent about twenty minutes hunting for an old email I’d written to a client about plumbing fixtures, hoping to copy and paste a bit for a new project. Would’ve been quicker just to have a proper template. But, well, you know how it goes.

You write the same notes, prepare the same schedules, tweak a bit here and there, then get that odd sense of déjà vu while formatting a client brief that looks familiar for a reason. I suspect most studios run this way more often than they’re willing to admit, though I rarely hear anyone admit it outright.

All this repetition? It chews through time and, worse in some ways, puts a real dent in profit margins. The other problem is risk. Whenever something’s rushed or cobbled together from memory, mistakes inevitably creep in, don’t they?

It’s not just you, by the way. Working late, either to pick up admin tasks or to clean up after a preventable error, seems to be something of a rite of passage for most junior architects. Maybe old habits just stick.

So, what’s the solution then? Templates. There, I said it. Not exactly glamorous, but sometimes the unglamorous answer is the right one.

Honestly, I used to cringe a bit at the word. Templates felt corporate, maybe slightly sterile. Now, though, I think they’re almost liberating, let’s say they let you get on with the interesting parts of the job.

The Hidden Costs Few People Talk About

The costs aren’t always obvious, that’s probably why not everyone rushes to fix this problem. Let’s break it down.

Every time you repeat a routine task, you lose time you could spend on things that actually require thought. Design, for one. Or chatting through an idea with a client. Sometimes simply stepping back from the desk and thinking things over, the kind of work that’s actually valuable.

There’s a set of numbers I came across, which I’ll admit surprised me a bit:

• Studios using templates reportedly set up projects 40% faster

• They make about 70% fewer basic errors

• Apparently, profit margins can rise by as much as 20%

This is from the Practice Management Institute, so I assume they’re not just making it up.

Of course, it’s easy to resist change. Some architects worry that ’systematising’ will squeeze the life out of the creative process. I thought so, to be honest. Funny thing is, by reducing the distractions, you actually think more about the design and less about admin. Or so it seems, at least from what I’ve noticed.

Seven Templates That Could Spare You a Headache

Here’s the actual point: a handful of straightforward templates could save you hours, maybe days over the course of a project. I probably wouldn’t try introducing all of these at once. That might just cause a different sort of chaos.

1. Client Onboarding Pack

Set the foundation right. That’s the main argument for this one.

What works here?

• A welcome email template (though it shouldn’t sound robotic)

• A project brief questionnaire. If you can, make it easy for people to actually fill out.

• Pre-meeting checklist, so you don’t forget something silly

• Folder structure guide for sharing files

• Contact details list, sometimes, clients forget who does what

I’ve lost count of the number of projects that veered off course simply because something in week one wasn’t made clear. Residential jobs tend to produce different questions from clients than commercial ones, so adapt the form where it makes sense.

2. Project Initiation Toolkit

Get the scope and timeline sorted. If you do nothing else, clarify milestones before drawings start.

Include items like:

• Initial schedule and milestones

• List of everyone involved (and what they’re supposed to do)

• Project scope summary, as plain as you can

• Risk register (yes, even if you think you’ll never need it)

• A document that spells out how you’ll communicate

In my experience, the biggest problems are the ones nobody talked about or spotted at the start.

3. A Proposal Template That Works

This is where things can really make a difference. Most architects, in my experience, write these in a rush and forget crucial details.

A solid template should include:

• A proper breakdown of what’s included, and what isn’t (because that’ll come up later)

• Fees, but linked to actual deliverables, not just hours spent

• Any options for future work, if the client wants more later

• Payment points, try to tie them to agreed milestones

For smaller projects, condense this. For the big, complicated jobs, spell out more around external consultants and approvals.

4. Design Review Checklist

I miss things, you miss things, everyone does. That’s why this checklist exists.

Questions it should answer:

• Does this actually match what the client asked for?

• Are planning constraints covered?

• Have I checked regulations?

• Have I coordinated with engineers?

• Is it presentable, or will it need more work?

• Is the budget still under control?

A housing team I worked with once slashed their rework by around 70% after using a more focused checklist. Of course, that was after years of avoidable headaches.

5. Drawing Issue Checklist

Drawing chaos is surprisingly common, I think. Maybe nobody admits it, but files vanish, wrong versions get sent out… It happens.

Try including:

• A step-by-step file check

• Clear and consistent naming patterns (preferably agreed as a team)

• A simple log for coordination with consultants

• Easy record of who’s approved what

Even if this feels a bit mundane, it's probably better than paying for errors later.

6. Client Presentation Template

Meetings can drift unless you set boundaries. I find a basic structure helps.

• Meeting agenda (with realistic timings)

• Points where you actually ask clients to decide something

• Somewhere to record feedback, even if it’s just scribbled notes

• Follow-up actions, so nothing gets missed

It probably sounds obvious, but I’ve seen projects stalled for weeks over one small miscommunication. Better to avoid that.

7. Phase Transition Template

Handover is usually when loose ends appear. I won’t pretend I’m always perfect at this.

Make sure you track:

• What’s finished and what isn’t

• Which consultants still owe you something

• What the client has (and hasn’t) approved

• Whether the budget was respected

• Anything you learned, to avoid making the same mistake again

Different projects will need tweaks here, too. Big public jobs call for more paperwork, small private ones, maybe less.

Why Profit Margins Improve (and Why That’s Not the Only Reason to Change)

It’s tempting to focus on numbers, but honestly, the benefits aren’t all about money. Still, they matter.

• Less rework means you spend less fixing preventable mistakes

• Faster admin means there’s more room for design and for new business

• Consistency builds a better reputation (and happier repeat clients)

• Less time on admin leaves you less frazzled, in my experience

At one point, I saw a practice go from scraping by to freeing up much-needed capacity, a jump of around £45,000 per year, purely through efficiency. It adds up surprisingly fast.

But more than that, you end up a little less stressed. I think that’s what people rarely admit: a tidy system is good for your head.

Rolling Out Templates Without Losing Heart

Don’t try to change everything overnight. Start with a couple of templates for tasks you repeat the most.

A possible approach:

• Spend week one listing the admin tasks you hate the most. Start with those.

• Week two, turn past emails or documents into basic templates. Don’t worry if they aren’t perfect.

• Try them out in real projects. If they flop, adjust them.

• Add new templates gradually, otherwise, it’ll feel overwhelming.

Taking an incremental approach feels more natural, and actually more human. Mistakes will still happen, sure, but you’ll have a way to catch them sooner.

A Quick Anecdote

It wasn’t until I had to manage over two hundred social housing units, across more projects than I care to admit, that this all really clicked. Admin was eating entire weekends. Nobody was happy. Once we got template systems in (not immediately, and not without eye-rolling), everything felt lighter. Clients noticed. The work improved.

Were there still bumps? Absolutely. But the team spent less time firefighting and more time designing, and people stopped hiding from their inboxes.

If I could offer one last push, it’d be this: try one template. Pick the task that wastes your time most. See if you notice a difference in a month—chances are, you will.

You might not get it right straight away (almost nobody does). That’s normal. Just refine as you go. The important bit is starting somewhere.

If you’d like a bit of help, or want to talk through what would suit your own practice, why not have a chat with us? Book a free discovery call. There’s no pressure. We’ll look at what’s eating your time now, and I’ll walk you through simple ways to build a template library tailored for your practice.

It could mean better margins, a less stressful week, and more hours for the work you actually enjoy. Might be worth a go.