#Architects' rates
Minimum rates for architectural projects in Poland - are they needed, how should they be charged, and how much could they be? We asked representatives of studios, both small, medium and large, developers and lecturers. One of those who shared their opinion is Monika Arczynska. What does the architect think about minimum rates?
The dire situation of architectural offices in Poland is a fact. In the worst position are medium and small studios, whose profitability and viability are often on the verge of survival. At the same time, investments, especially from the residential sector, are increasing, which means there is something to design. In January 2025, more apartments were completed than a year ago, also the number of those whose construction has begun is higher (CSO data). However, the average quality of what is being built is not satisfactory. It is being built quickly, most often at a low cost, but at a record high profit. So why are architects one of the lowest-paid links in the industry?
When we discussed at this year's Budma what the quality of residential architecture in Poland depends on, the topic of architects' salaries dominated the debate. Mateusz Mastalski, a partner at the Danish studio Henning Larsen, who was present at the meeting, pointed out that in Denmark quality is due not only to tradition, good architectural education of the society or professional solidarity of architects, but also to the fact that they have more time for designing than in Poland and are better paid for their work. This correlation seems obvious.
So we continue the debate on architects' salaries in Poland and ask Monika Arczynska about architects' earnings.
Monika ARCZYÑSKA - co-founder of A2P2 architecture & planning, a consulting and design firm that deals with master plans, public spaces, architectural competitions and participatory activities across the country, among other things. She studied at Gdansk University of Technology and TU Delft, and is an assistant professor at Gdansk University of Technology. From 2006 to 2017, she was associated with Heneghan Peng Architects, where she designed public buildings, including the Aga Khan Award-winning Palestine Museum in the West Bank and the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo. She has worked with "A&B" and the Czech "INTRO" and is a member of the Gdansk MKUA and the Gdansk Architecture Council.
Should there be a guaranteed minimum rate per square meter of a project? Please briefly justify your answer.
Undercutting the price of documentation (not to mention performing the concept for free) loses not only architects, who are running their studios with increasing difficulty, but also the ordering parties who receive projects for which there are not enough limited man-hours to refine and optimize them. Everyone loses, because it is difficult to demand that under-priced projects respond to the expected degree to climate challenges or spatial governance issues. Good projects need to be priced well, because they require adequate attention and time, as well as the study of various options before final design decisions are made. Thousands "saved" on documentation ultimately translate into millions lost - both during implementation and use of the facilities.
How much should the minimum rate without tradesmen be per square meter for multifamily residential architecture?
The Decree of the Minister of Development and Technology, dated December 20, 2021, on determining the methods and bases for preparing the investor's cost estimate, calculating the planned costs of design works and the planned costs of construction works specified in the functional-utility program, defines the cost of performing documentation as a percentage of the value of the planned construction works, depending on this value and the complexity of the object. They include the cost of branch studies and are similar to environmental price lists. They amount to a maximum of 9.4 percent for the most complex facilities. The rates specified in this regulation, in my opinion, fairly well define the real cost of performing documentation and should be used when pricing projects.
How much should the minimum rate without tradesmen be per square meter for single-family houses?
As above.
How much should the minimum rate without tradesmen be per square meter for office buildings?
As above.
How much should the minimum rate without tradesmen per square meter be for public buildings and spaces?
Public buildings and public spaces are different categories - for cubic objects I recommend using the values from the above-mentioned regulation, and for public spaces an individual valuation depending on the scope (among other things, the scale of reconstruction of infrastructure networks).
If the minimum rate should not be guaranteed, how to work out favorable salaries for architects?
I'm afraid that only top-down minimum rates can guarantee favorable salaries for projects. It is enough to look at public procurements: contracting authorities rarely specify the amounts allocated for the execution of the contract, but if it happens, usually the bid prices are not unduly underestimated, especially when qualitative criteria were used in addition to price criteria. The risk of being called upon to explain an abnormally low price is quite effective in discouraging dumping. However, the problem is wide-ranging: from the insufficient resources of public institutions and local governments, to the high competition between small, often one-person studios with minimal business costs, to the lack of awareness among investors, public and private, that higher rates can bring them real savings in the future, thanks to high quality projects. Solidarity in the industry seems crucial, but it is hard to find in a market for services for which demand is changing dynamically.
Should architects as a professional group have trade unions to deal only with the issue of architects' salaries?
I don't see this issue as a task for unions - the salaries of architects working in design studios are tied to project rates, and if these rates continue to be undercut, it is difficult to expect adequate salaries.
Monika Arczynska
architect
more: A&B 6/2025 - WARSAW,
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