Consulting Services

For Practitioners, Project Team Leaders & Entrepreneurs

BRAHAM is a consultancy that provides management guidance to architecture and design practices, large project teams, and startups by helping them effectively mind the business of design.

Whether you are an owner or operational officer leading a design firm; a developer or organization building a large project; or an entrepreneur launching a new product or service, we can bring our extensive experience and seasoned expertise to help solve challenges with your business as a trusted advisor.

Practitioners

We admire those who lead design firms with the myriad of skills required for success. We can help practice leaders:
  • Improve financial performance and profitability
  • Strengthen business strategy and organizational structure
  • Enhance talent retention and leadership development
  • Refine marketing and communication strategies and process

Project Team Leaders

We are passionate about promoting processes that are as good as the designs they produce. We can help project team leaders:
  • Hone team effectiveness
  • Calibrate organizational structure
  • Commit to schedule and budget
  • Develop processes for tracking decision making, resolving open issues, and change management

Entrepreneurs

We are inspired by entrepreneurs exploring innovations in design and delivery that push the built environment forward. To advance your success and impact, we can help leaders:
  • Align the digital technology genius with the design process and targeted users
  • Leverage our broad industry networks to pilot ideas
  • Build a qualified team
  • Increase business effectiveness

Team

Thomas Braham, Founder

Tom is the voice of reason. His approach to leadership combines empathy for different points of view and project contexts with creative problem solving and calm, rational judgment.

He is an accomplished architect with an extensive career leading studios and award-winning projects for several nationally recognized firms. Through his seasoned experience, Tom has become a proven partner to the complete range of professionals involved in the built environment: creatives and inventors, owners and developers, technical and financial professionals.

Tom has developed strategic relationships with long term collaborators that bring specific domain experience and expertise: in finance, in coaching for executives and teams, in entrepreneurship, and in business development and communication ‒ all specifically focused on the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry.

During his time at Gensler, Tom successfully led a variety of studios ranging in size from 20 to 45 people with an eye toward cultivating talent, teams, and culture; improving productivity and financial performance; exploring innovative design and delivery approaches; and building client relationships. With a passion for helping individuals and teams be their best, Tom has led his studios to overcome the most intractable challenges in the design industry such as combating low productivity, harmonizing dysfunctional teams, expanding practices, and turning around poor financial performance.

Throughout his career, Tom successfully led a variety of complex, multi-disciplinary projects, which involved building effective teams, successfully managing performance, and meeting client goals. Over the years, Tom earned a reputation for artfully navigating the industry’s toughest challenges. He became the go-to architect to successfully turn around projects inherited from other design teams that had specific performance challenges and required significant transformation to meet client goals, like the Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital. Tom also embraced projects that explored innovation in design or delivery, like full volumetric modular guest rooms in the M Social Hotel Sunnyvale. Navigating these challenges, Tom and his teams not only accomplished the given project objectives but also developed a passion for innovative design and delivery.

Through a process of observation, assessment, and analysis, Tom and his collaborators will apply their experience, expertise, and business acumen to help clients effectively overcome similar challenges, co-create solutions with key stakeholders, and transform your practice, large project, or start up.

Team

Thomas Braham, Founder

Tom Braham Headshot with Border

Thomas Braham,
FAIA, LEED AP BD+C

Founder & Principal

Collaborators

The best work happens in collaboration. Not only with the client but with partners who have specific expertise needed to solve distinct challenges. The following domain experts have long and trusted relationships with Tom and may be part of the client engagement when beneficial.

circle cropped photo of Patrick Robey, Financial Consultant with Braham

FINANCE

Patrick Robey

Financial Consultant

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photo of Anne Scarlett, LEED AP, Scarlett Consulting with Braham

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
& COMMUNICATION TRAINING

Anne Scarlett, LEED AP

Scarlett Consulting

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photo of David Lewis Bradley, AIA, PCC, Blueprint for Living Coaching with Braham

EXECUTIVE COACHING

David Lewis Bradley, AIA, PCC

Blueprint for Living Coaching

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Thomas Braham Headshot with Colorful Circular Border

Connect With Us

We Are Here To Help

BRAHAM is an architecture, design, and construction consulting business. If you are a design firm, project leader, or entrepreneur searching for coaching around business operations, organization, talent, culture, or communication, let’s have a conversation.