Architectural practice is risky. While new models continually emerge and reshape the practice landscape, the institutional, financial, and social pressures toward normalization as a way to mitigate risk remain substantial. This paper considers three collaborative models that, while operating within the normative constraints of practice, exhibit a measure of deviation from these constraints while providing outlets for project innovation and creativity. By examining these discrete forms of practice experimentation through the lens of institutional heterogeneity, we may anticipate new models for future practice.