Editor's note: The following story originally was part of a series and appeared in the October, 1999 issue of Architectural Record magazine. Kubany is a former staff member and Linn is currently deputy editor.
Architects are looking for the holy grail, the secret of what to charge clients. Our profession's attitude toward fees has rendered this the single most confusing topic for architects, when making money should be a natural reward for hard work, ideas, talent, and knowledge. But to understand why architects have such a problematic attitude toward fees, we have to comprehend the problem.