Life of an Architect

Taking the architectural registration exam is a crucial step in the process of becoming an architect. The test is long, difficult, and stressful, but it is an absolute necessity if you want to be an architect.

Your college architecture projects will be silly because they are designed to make you think outside what you already know. They are also supposed to force you to evaluate your own belief system, your own understanding of how spaces work, and the things that shape your ideas.

Do Architects have obsessive personalities? I tend to think so, and only partially based on my own behavior. I should throw out the caveat that I don’t think you should have to explain why you obsess over something. Isn’t that the nature of any obsession – that there is some level of irrationality associated behind it? Of course, people seem to typically feel that their logic is flawless and that they are completely justified in their behavior and if you can’t see the wisdom in their...

Is It the dream of every architect to start their own architecture firm? Most architects think about it at one point or another and Austin Architect Michael Hsu sits down to talk about how he started his own firm.

In order for social media to have an impact, you first have to decide on what you want to achieve and from there, you actually have to put yourself out there as an individual because social media only functions when you are social - which means there has to be a 1st person narrative. I should point out that this doesn't necessarily mean talking about yourself, it means talking about things from your perspective.

How much time have you spent thinking about the legal side of architecture? If you are like most architects, you probably haven't spent enough time thinking about it. While it may not be the sexiest part of the architectural profession, it is something that every licensed architect must consider on every single project.

“Your first architectural job is important.” I’m not talking about summer jobs or internships … those don’t really count because they have a known shelf-life associated with them. I’m talking about the first job a person takes once they’ve graduated from college – the job that signals the beginning of their professional career.

Today we are talking about Architectural Bucket lists. Everyone knows what a bucket list is – things you want to do or achieve in your life. For an architect, this could be visiting Therme Vals in Switzerland by Peter Zumthor, or if this was prior to 1969, maybe it would be smoking cigars with Mies van der Rohe. [Note: If you are reading this via email, you will have to click here to access the on-site audio player] Items that an architect would put on their Architectural Bucket list could...

Unlike most professions, architects are fairly accustomed to standing up in front of a group of people and public speaking ... but that doesn't mean they like it (or even worse) - that they are any good at doing it. The concern going through almost everyone's head before they get up in front of a group is that they will look stupid, sound stupid, or generally come across as someone who shouldn't be talking about whatever it is they are talking about. If that's you, the good news is that you...

Sometimes bad things happen, and it impacts you in a way that you weren’t anticipating – takes you out of your normal head space. Since I don’t like feeling bad, we’re going to do something about it. Welcome to "The Fun Show". [Note: If you are reading this via email, you will have to click here to access the on-site audio player] Just like the occasional blog post, the podcast (and blog post) today will be a "life" day because we are talking about, well, whatever we want to a certain...

Residential construction costs are not that complicated unless you really want to make them that way. There are some general broad stroke pieces of information that if you know them, you will not be surprised when it comes time to plan your budget.

Becoming an architect is the dream of many people, but it is rare that these individuals learn enough about themselves and what it means to be an architect prior to finding themselves in a position to have to make the decision to actually become an architect.

Every client wants to know what their project is going to cost and who’s going to build it. That means sending the drawings out and getting contractors involved … Let’s get ready to rumble because “The Construction Bid Process ” is today’s topic. [Note: If you are reading this via email, you will have to click here to access the on-site audio player] For those of you who might not know, a construction bid is the process in which the contractor takes the drawings and specifications as...

Architectural Fees are a mystery to most people and there is no shortage of methods that architects charge for their services. How do you make sense of the options, which method works best for you, and how do you provide a method that suits the needs of both the architect and their clients.

For today's episode, Andrew and I sit down with photographer Poul Ober to discuss the role photography plays in telling an architectural story, as well as the evolving impact photography is having on popular culture.

It happens to almost all of us eventually, and for pretty much everybody, the experience ranges from unpleasant to downright panic-inducing … so get your moving box ready because “Quitting Your Job” is today’s topic, something that I, unfortunately, know a lot about.

What is it like to be an architect? Architecture in the real world is a lot different than people think. Does school prepare you for being an architect?

All industries have specific tools that make their business work - and architects are no different in this regard. Today, we will be discussing virtual reality, 3D printers, drafting software and many more modern day tools for architects.

As an architect, every space I walk in to, I look at … intensely. I scrutinize, evaluate, process, and redesign. Every. Single. Space.

For the 9th year in a row, Life of an Architect presents its "What to buy an architect for Christmas" - gift ideas that will please even the most particular and demanding of architects.