Area architect redesigns industry's pay model

One of Barron Schimberg’s business mottos is to never get too comfortable — even though the longtime Sarasota architect is all about making clients comfortable in their space, home or work.

Schimberg’s latest move to break the contentedness is to flip his firm’ payment model, from a project-by-project basis to a retainer model, more akin to concierge medicine. Schimberg, who founded his firm, Schimberg Group, in 2004 after a decade working for another architect, says he’s the only architecture firm he knows of nationwide shifting to a retainer-style pay model.