Senior Technical Architect

3north; Richmond (VA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Comprehensive benefits

Profit-sharing program

Long-term ownership potential

Job summary

3north in Richmond, VA is seeking a Senior Technical Architect to lead technical detailing on complex projects in cultural, hospitality, and educational markets. The ideal candidate will have 15+ years of architectural experience, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Architecture, and mastery in complex detailing. The firm offers competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and a primarily in-person studio environment with occasional remote work flexibility. Join a recognized practice that values craft and collaboration.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in architectural practice with a demonstrated focus on technical excellence and design integration.
• Demonstrated mastery of complex detailing, including complex envelope assemblies and custom millwork.
• Meticulous eye and collaborative spirit.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical detailing on complex project types across cultural, hospitality, and educational markets.
• Develop and champion construction documentation that reflects the ambition of the design.
• Mentor and elevate the technical abilities of project team members.

Skills

Technical excellence

Collaborative engagement

Detailing

Mentorship

Revit proficiency

BIM 360 proficiency

Bluebeam Revu proficiency

MS Office proficiency

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Architecture

Tools

Revit

BIM 360

Bluebeam Revu

SketchUp

Adobe Creative Suite

AutoCAD

Job description

3North is a 42-person multidisciplinary design practice with studios in Richmond, VA and San Francisco, CA. For 27 years, we have built a body of work spanning cultural institutions, hospitality, education, and luxury residential commissions that consistently earns recognition at the highest levels of the profession. This includes AIA Virginia’s T. David Fitzgibbon Distinguished Firm Award, the Commonwealth’s foremost acknowledgment of sustained design excellence and professional contribution.

We bring architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture together under one roof, and we believe that integration among design disciplines is essential to meaningful work. We’re not a firm that talks about culture and design commitment as aspirational goals. They are simply how we work. If you’ve been waiting for the right opportunity to move, this is worth your attention.

We are seeking a Senior Technical Architect to join our studio and take an integral role in delivering some of our most complex and ambitious projects. This is not a document‑production role — it is a position of craft and leadership. You will own the technical architecture of intricate building types, mentor project teams, and help elevate the standard of what our drawings communicate and achieve.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead technical detailing on complex project types across cultural, hospitality, and educational markets
• Develop and champion construction documentation that reflects the ambition of the design
• Engage actively with contractors and construction processes — from pre‑construction coordination through site observation — ensuring that design intent is realized in the field
• Collaborate closely with architects, interior designers, and landscape architects in an integrated studio environment
• Mentor and elevate the technical abilities of project team members
• Partner with project leadership to navigate building codes, consultant coordination, and constructability
• Contribute to the firm’s evolving documentation standards, details library, and technical knowledge base

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Architecture
• 15+ years of experience in architectural practice with a demonstrated focus on technical excellence and design integration
• Demonstrated mastery of complex detailing — including complex envelope assemblies, custom millwork, and high‑performance building systems
• Experience across one or more of our core market sectors: cultural, hospitality, or education
• A track record of collaborative and productive engagement with contractors and construction teams — some who earns trust in the field while holding the line on design intent.
• A meticulous eye, a collaborative spirit, and the professional confidence to own your work
• Proficiency in Revit, BIM 360, and Bluebeam Revu; working knowledge of SketchUp, Adobe Creative Suite, and AutoCAD is a plus
• MS Office proficiency assumed

WHY 3NORTH?

• A distinguished 27‑year practice built on design excellence and sound business leadership — with the stability and financial health to attract ambitious projects and support the people who deliver them
• An award‑winning portfolio of published, recognized work built with intention across cultural, hospitality, and educational markets
• Genuine multidisciplinary integration of architecture, interiors, and landscape under one roof, collaborating daily
• A 42‑person studio culture that values craft, conversation, and continuous growth — large enough to do consequential work, small enough that your contribution is visible and valued
• Competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and participation in the firm’s profit‑sharing program
• Long‑term potential for ownership and meaningful participation in the future of the practice
• A primarily in‑person, studio‑based environment in Richmond, VA, with flexibility for occasional remote work
• A home base in Richmond — a city with a thriving arts and culinary scene, a walkable urban core, exceptional outdoor recreation, and a cost of living that lets you actually enjoy it

3North is an equal opportunity employer.