Episodes | Life of an Architect: Recent Episodes
Bob Borson and Andrew Hawkins
When I say the word “value”, the meaning that typically comes to mind is generated by that persons position or context. Andrew and I were having a chat about how employees think of value versus how employers think of value and is there a disconnect between these two groups that should be concerning? Welcome to EP 160: Determining Value
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As someone who’s been on both sides of the employee-employer equation, I’ve come to understand that value is a fluid concept that shifts depending on where you stand. For employees, value can be anything from a paycheck and benefits to growth opportunities or simply feeling appreciated for their hard work. I’ve seen this firsthand as a mentor, where the definition of value varies wildly from one person to the next.
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It is time for the second and last installment of the Life of an Architect “Ask the Show” episode for 2024. Once again, as is our practice we solicited questions to be submitted through our Instagram channels and selected as many as we thought we could reasonably get through in the time allocated for the show. If there were duplications, that simply made that question more likely to get answered. All this and more on today’s episode as Andrew and I answer your burning questions… Welcome to EP 159: Ask The Show Fall 2024
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What are some challenges facing part-time workers? Or for those hiring them? jump to Question submitted by Makieliamir
Bob: From a management position, I’ve found that part-time work can be a challenge, especially when it comes to workflow and productivity.
Continue reading Ep 159: Ask the Show Fall 2024 at Life of an Architect.
For architects, todays post is a analysis of why you want to use an iPad and what applications are worth your consideration and money.
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You sit down at your desk, you turn your computer on, maybe you sharpen your pencils, you lay out your rolls of trace and your sharpie pens – whatever your creative process – and you are about to start work solving the problems at hand … But where do you start? Sitting before you are all the normal tools and a big fat blank piece of paper. This is a moment where you have to make a make a decision on what happens next. Where do you start? How do you set the priorities to the issues you will be addressing? Andrew and I are going to discuss the process of when you start, what happens next. Welcome to Episode 157: Blank Page versus Project Constraints.
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The word “constraints” often carries a negative connotation, as if they are problems we have to deal with.
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We are discussing residential projects that focus on incorporating high value building science techniques with guest Steven Baczek.
The post Ep 156: Build a Better House first appeared on Life of an Architect.
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The vast majority of practicing architects view the time spent practicing their craft as a calling, but what happens when you don’t want to get out of bed? Today we discuss the role of "optimism" in architecture.
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Today we are tackling a topic that we have never covered before, not even a little. Imagine walking into a crowded room and not knowing who to talk to or what to say, a situation I have found myself uncomfortably in more times that my therapist can ignore. The ability to build meaningful relationships and strategic alliances is a critical part of the success of any business. Today, Andrew and I will discuss a topic that at least from my side of things, have zero training in but is nonetheless a part of my job description and responsibilities in the office. Time to have a frank conversation about the indispensable practice of turning professional interactions into valuable assets. Welcome to EP 154: Networking
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Today we are going to be discussing the topic of Networking as it pertains to business development, not the cat5 cables running from your computer to some windowless closet in the building.
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Inspiration can come from many different sources - but can you actively seek it out when you are feeling like you are in a dry spell?
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When you are starting a new job, even you very first job, here are some tips that might make the transition a bit easier and potentially, more fruitful.
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We are finally conceding to a request that’s been made a thousand times – do an episode on starting an architectural business – a topic that I have resisted for essentially 6 years, and I think I’ve finally broken. This is not as easy of a topic to discuss as you might think because there are a million different ways you could answer a question this broad. In an attempt to make this conversation of value, we are going to start at the beginning, and we are going to eat this whale one bit at a time. Welcome to EP 151: Starting a Business
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Starting at the Beginning jump to
Business plans are not that difficult to prepare, and when created properly, they can be used as a guide to help make long term decisions on to best set up you new firm.
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So here we are … Episode 150, and I am a little surprised that I made it this far into this Life of an Architect experiment, but due to the support and interest we have received over the last 6 years, we find ourselves as what I believe to be a fairly significant milestone. When it came time to pick today’s subject matter, there was really on one topic that was up for consideration … Welcome to EP 150: Drawing Stuff!
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Today we are going to be talking about “drawing stuff”, and if you are wondering what that really means, you are in the right place because that’s what Andrew and I are going to try and figure out.
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This will be the 5th time in 5,209 days that I have put my opinions about taking on extra work outside of your normal job and typically during ridiculous hours of the day and night. This practice has come to be known as “moonlighting” and depending on your age and where you are at in your career, it is either the light at the end of the tunnel or an oncoming train. Andrew and I originally had something else scheduled for today’s show but this topic has been forcing itself into my brain over the past month or so and I want to talk about it . Welcome to EP 149: Moonlighting.
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Today we are going to be talking about moonlighting.
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You check the time and realize that you have 4 minutes before your next meeting. Maybe it’s an internal meeting, maybe clients are coming in. Is it in person or online? Depending on how you answer those questions, time to start scrambling so that you are where you need to be and have the information required to make this meeting a good use of your time. But guess what? I promise that you will end up waiting on someone … maybe you are that someone. Either way, you aren’t getting that time back and you haven’t even started yet. Welcome to EP 148: Meetings are a Waste of Time
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I wrote a post on this topic 11 years ago – and it was also titled “Meetings are a Waste of time.” When I wrote this down as a topic, it wasn’t because I had already covered this topic a decade ago, it was because I had forgotten that I had covered it and I most likely had just come out of a meeting that I felt was an unproductive waste of time.
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How good do you need to be at drawing if you want to become an architect? Or … How can I be an architect – I can’t draw? Is there an easy answer to these questions? Of course there is, but that doesn’t mean the getting is easy.
The post Ep 147: Draw Like an Architect first appeared on Life of an Architect.
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Tracking productivity, Bucket list vacation, Leadership styles, and Learning how to Draw Details ... We answer these questions and more today on Ep 146: Ask the Show Spring 2024
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Management transition, Where to start a design, the Role of Artificial Intelligence in architecture, and What Cocktail Should Architects drink ... We answer your questions today on Ep 133: Ask the Show. Fall 2023
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You have made the decision where to study architecture. You've chosen the architecture school and your degree path. So now what? How much work is this going to be? How much will this cost? We covered some issues in Part 1, and now we will finish the monumental task of summarizing what it's like to start architecture school.
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So you are thinking about starting architecture school or looking to study architecture. Well, no matter your situation; we’ve got you covered today with all the introductory info in Episode 131: Starting Architecture School Part 1.
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In this episode we discuss the role that structured and organized employee evaluations have a valuable role to play in the process of evaluating the role that employees fill in any office environment
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Historically, modern trends in the AEC industry do not provide for buildings with a longer life span. In 'Built to Last' we will discuss ways to improve the lifespan of buildings through mitigating various aspects of impact on the built environment.
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Do architects have a responsibility to acknowledge the time, place and style of architecture they design? How does form based zoning figure into this? Context and Design are the topics we are exploring in today's episode.
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How do you define a great employee? The answer is most likely dependent on who is attempting to respond, the employee or the employer. I will concede that I have told previous employers that I would be the best employee they have ever had. And I actually meant it when I said it. Did it happen? I like to think so; at least once or twice, but it’s not for me to say. Andrew and I have been both employee and employer, and this is a topic that I think deserves a little time in the spotlight … Welcome to Ep 125: A Great Employee
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A Great Employee – Definitions jump to
As a primer to the conversation, I thought it would be useful to get an understanding of what other people think makes a great employee.
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In Ep 124: Show Me the Money, we discuss the current architectural marketplace, where we can find value, what’s the going salary rate based on skill set and experience, and how badly we need this spot or that spot filled. Understanding your value involves a lot of variables and this will help you set your own priorities when making a decision on your worth.
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You’re about to graduate from architecture school, or maybe you already have a job, and you’re just simply looking for a change. Going through interviews is part of the sequence of getting a new job, and there are some things that are worth knowing before you step into the room.
The post EP 123: Interviews Just Aren’t that Hard first appeared on Life of an Architect.
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Even though artificial intelligence can conceptually trace its roots back to the 1950s, the reality is AI and Machine learning went mainstream not too long ago, but what does this mean to the profession of architecture?
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When you think of a building – whatever scale or project type, the items that go to create that building are most frequently associated with the materials that are selected that define the appearance of the building. Brick, glass, wood, and metal are all great choices – but the decision on what to clad your project in goes a long way towards deciding things beyond the appearance. . … Welcome to EP 121: Material Selection
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The “When” jump to
When does it happen in the process? Is it early? Late? All the time? Do architects do it differently?
These were the questions we discussed in this section and one revelation that I discovered was that I have never had a conversation with another architect about when in the process they choose their materials.
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Deficiencies of the Architectural Profession? Best non-architecture source for creative inspiration? When are you going to retire? We answer questions and more on Ep 120: Ask the Show - Spring 2023
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There are a lot of things going on behind the scenes on the Life of an Architect podcast. In today's episode, we cover some changes that we think you will find amazing and some other changes that might merely be incredible. We are pulling the curtains back and discussing 2023 in a way that we've never done before.
The post Ep 119: Architectural Defrag first appeared on Life of an Architect.
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Getting a job as an architectural intern is important, it is critical to gain an understanding of what type of firm and what sort of projects you will want to work on as a practicing architect. Welcome to Episode 118: Architectural Interns.
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Architects still communicate their designs through the use of graphics – and there are a lot of techniques that are up for consideration ... these are Graphic Matters.
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Does the architectural profession expect more time out of its employees compared to any other highly educated service provider? Architects do seem to romanticize the amount of time and effort that goes into our craft, but are we actually a workaholic?
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Architecture is not a trade, it’s a craft … and since this suggests that time and evolution are a consideration to development, it also suggests that architects don’t always get it right. Today we are discussing Architects and "The Art of Getting it Wrong"
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For the 13th consecutive year, Life of an Architect presents THE definitive holiday gift guide for architects.
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We are talking about "Final Presentations in Architecture School" today as we review what that process looks like, how to prepare, and discuss what really matters.
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In this episode of our Talking Shop series. we are joined by Kevin Rice of Diller Scofidio + Renfro and we discuss careers, office culture, and architecture.
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We are starting a design exercise called the "Modern Home Challenge" with the intent to go through a design process that would help us understand how to design a modern house that people could afford and would actually want to live in.
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Most architects are able to get out of the office and travel as part of their job ... but is work-related travel as awesome as we all thought it would be? In today's post and podcast, we discuss the pros and cons of "Traveling for Work".
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Learn about what happens during the design development phase of a residential project when you hire an architect. This is typically the phase the clients enjoy the most as they see their project come to life and start to get an understanding of what their new home will look like once completed.
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Around this time every year that a new crop of potential future architects are about to start their first year of architecture school, and they have questions. What equipment and supplies do I need? Well, get ready as we talk about everything you could possibly need in Episode 106: Architecture School Equipment.
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Architecture is a field with a wide variety of possible pathways and careers. Today we will focus our attention on the closely related field of Interior Architecture. We have a conversation with award-winning architect Joey Shimoda to discuss all things interior architecture.
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Depending on your age, sooner or later you will end up at one convention or another. For some people, this is a yearly migration full of can’t-miss opportunities. For others, it’s three days of questionable decisions and most likely, a lot of fun. Welcome to Episode 104: Conventions – The Best and Worst of Times
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Architects and the Art of Being Happy is a difficult topic but there are some direct and simple steps you can take that will improve your daily experience.
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Today, we are discussing the concepts around business development, which is something that, with almost 99% certainty, no architect was ever taught in school. So we invited our long-time friend, who has dedicated himself to improving the business aspects of small firms across the country, to join us in this conversation.
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The design process for each person is different even though there will always be some similarities. I assembled my own sequence process of Discovery - Exploration – Presentation – Modification – and then Execution. This is a formulaic process that I use that allows creative people a methodology to going about their business without needing “inspiration.”
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It's taken almost 4 years to get here, but the Life of an Architect is celebrating a milestone. Welcome to the 100th Episode where Andrew and I take exactly 100 minutes to tell you all the insider secrets as well as behind-the-scenes stories of things that went wrong.
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Construction Drawings are the documents architects use to convey architectural intent - size, location, quantity - and learning how to properly prepare them is getting harder and harder.
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Being an architect for some people means standing up in front of a bunch of people and talking about your architectural decisions. If you are a student, you definitely will be architecture presentations so you might as well learn some tips that will make those moments wildly more successful.
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The architectural profession seems to unnecessarily romanticize the amount of work it takes to do our job so it was only a matter of time before we discussed "Burnout" in today's post and episode 97 of the Life of an Architect podcast.
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Every good architecture project has a concept. Every. Single One. This is the Big Idea that you will build your entire project around and if you look at your project and can’t recognize it, you need to keep working until you’ve developed one. Today, Andrew and I will be discussing what this might mean and what it possibly looks like.
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Whenever an architect sits down with a client on a new residential project, the first phase that happens is “Schematic Design”, the initial part of the process where everyone tries to figure out what exactly the project is supposed to accomplish.
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Bob Borson and Andrew Hawkins from Life of an Architect answer the most commonly asked questions about being an architect
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Ever wondered if you should be an Architect? Here are the Top 10 Reasons NOT to be an Architect - revisiting the list I wrote 12 years ago.
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Here are the Top 10 Reasons to be an Architect - a list that has been revisited since I originally wrote it 12 years ago.
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Traveling is an important part of being an architect - Seeing different cultures, climates, materials, and spatial solutions is an ongoing life adventure. Welcome to Architects and Traveling.
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Graphics are the language that architects use to communicate intent to the people we serve. We draw to explain our designs, to explain the materials, and much more ... so welcome to Episode 90: Architectural Graphics.
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