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I regularly translate Hungarian articles into English, and an expression that keeps coming up is architectural firm. Now, these companies in Hungarian are called studios, thus some of my colleagues keep insisting that in English they should be referred to as architecture studios. Nevertheless, that sounds to me as a calque, as I believe an 'architecture studio' is the name of a course for university students. Could someone clear this up for me?

Laurel
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meghatas
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    Have you read the Wikipedia article architectural firm? You could also look at the meaning of the word "studio" in this context, and try googling "architectural studio". Whether or not terms apply will depend on the precise nature of the businesses (what services do they provide, how they are organised, where they are based, etc), and on where in the world you are. – Stuart F Aug 15 '22 at 12:12
  • Hi Stuart, yes I have and the results I got were not satisfactory. I know that 'architectural firm' is a good translation, however, I am interested in whether 'architecture/-ral studio' would be an acceptable synonym for a native English speaker in a magazine article. – meghatas Aug 15 '22 at 12:40
  • Does this answer your question? What is the difference between "electric" and "electrical" and their usage? – FumbleFingers Aug 15 '22 at 12:40
  • Thanks, but sadly it doesn't. My question is whether in everyday language 'architecture studio' can be used interchangeably with 'architectural firm'. – meghatas Aug 15 '22 at 12:54
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    I would assume an architectural firm is a business, and an architectural studio is a room in a building. – Peter Aug 15 '22 at 14:30
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    I suspect that the reason why your colleagues prefer studio is that (because of its association with other arts) it brings out the artistic aspects of architecture, unlike firm, which brings out its business aspects. If this is the effect one is striving to produce, there is nothing to prohibit one from using studio, but one should be aware that it is unusual (and that one may be perceived as trying too hard to produce that effect). – jsw29 Aug 15 '22 at 15:15
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    We just don't usually say studio here to refer to an architect's office or place of business. – Lambie Aug 15 '22 at 15:28
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    @Lambie. There are quite a lot of those cultural differences with naming workplaces and organisations. For instance a American would go to a "doctor's office" if he had a respiratory complaint but a British person would go to a "doctor's surgery". If this sort of difference exists betweeen two dialects of English how much more likely are they to exist across language demarcation lines. – BoldBen Aug 15 '22 at 23:28
  • @BoldBen The surgery versus office argument is specious with regard to office versus studio. This is not about a variety of English. It's about usage. I suspect that studio in Hungarian is probably more akin to workshop (the place, not a course) in English. – Lambie Aug 16 '22 at 18:38
  • In English, I think the only time that "studio" is used to refer to a business rather than a place is film studios. – Barmar Aug 18 '22 at 23:40
  • Can you say whether you're looking for a literal, or an idiomatic translation? At the same time, why only "Architectural firm v. architecture studio"? Why are "Architectural studio" and "Architecture firm" ruled out? – Robbie Goodwin Sep 01 '22 at 21:23
  • @Barmar Even if you see "photographers' studios" as some sub-set of "film studios" what about "design" or "art"? – Robbie Goodwin Sep 01 '22 at 21:25
  • @RobbieGoodwin You're right about "design", but "art studio" doesn't sound like a business, it sounds like the part of their home that an artist devotes to their work. So it's ideosyncratic. – Barmar Sep 01 '22 at 21:27
  • @Barmar Sorry and wherever an artist works is a studio. Who doubts that, please now say why. – Robbie Goodwin Sep 01 '22 at 21:58
  • @RobbieGoodwin That's my point -- it's a place where they work, not the firm that they work for. – Barmar Sep 01 '22 at 21:59
  • @Barmar Consider what it meant for an artist to work "in" Michelangelo's studio, or Raphael's? – Robbie Goodwin Sep 01 '22 at 22:05
  • @RobbieGoodwin "Why are "Architectural studio" and "Architecture firm" ruled out?" - they aren't, for all I know (knew) they could have both worked, however, the question focused on studio vs. firm (or the appropriate expression) as opposed to architecture/architectural. – meghatas Sep 23 '22 at 13:47
  • @Barmar No, not in English Language it's not. In common parlance, 'architectural firms…' and '…studios' are broadly interchangeable.

    A 'firm' might have or operate, own or run a 'studio' but that's about technical terms used in architecture, employment or the workplace… not Language generally.

     – Robbie Goodwin Sep 23 '22 at 19:01
  • I haven't actually worked in the architecture industry, so I don't know their jargon well. But to me an architecture studio sounds like a room, not a business. @RobbieGoodwin It might be different for "architectural studio", though. – Barmar Sep 23 '22 at 19:03
  • @Barmar Thanks for that detail. Why is it not clear that technical terms and English and languages in general can be very, very different?

    The point is that in general language there is no and in industry-specific jargon, there is no useful difference between a firm and a studio.

    That has nothing to do with the fact that both in general English and in terms of artistry, 'a studio' often describes nothing more than a work-room.

     – Robbie Goodwin Sep 23 '22 at 19:12
  • @RobbieGoodwin I was wrong to be so absolute. I should have said that it's one of the rare timeds, not the only time. – Barmar Sep 23 '22 at 19:17
  • @meghatas Thanks and such things are ruled out by people who insist their own education or experience must be all.

    That I can't now cite an example because it's 40 years or more since, nevertheless I have spoken to architects who used studio to refer both to a room and to the firm/company/partnership/whatever-corporate-body which owned both, and whose people worked in one and for the other. Why not, for Goodness' sake?

    I suggest there is no useful clash between architectural firm v architecture studio

    Go with what you know, and let the rest flow, Guys

     – Robbie Goodwin Sep 25 '22 at 16:16

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