Episode 141: Season 8, Coffee Sketch Podcast

How will the architectural profession adapt and evolve to meet the ever-changing demands of the field?

Host Evelyn Lee is back for Season 8 of Practice Disrupted! In this episode, fellow podcasters of the Coffee Sketch Podcast, Kurt Neiswender and Jamie Crawley, join her for a conversation on the current state of architectural practice and their vision for its future. Jamie currently serves as the Design Lead for the Texas Historical Commission, while Kurt is an Assistant Professor of Practice at Lawrence Technological University and owner of Urban Colab Architecture. 

First, we reflect on the Young Architects Forum (YAF), where Evelyn and Kurt initially connected, and the significance of organizations like the National Associates Committee (NAC) in fostering professional growth, innovation, and collaboration within the field. 

Then, we discuss the evolving role of technology in design, the significance of interdisciplinary collaboration, and Jamie's viewpoint on preserving historical architecture alongside changing landscapes. Kurt also shares his experience of starting his own practice and the impact of diversifying his income.

How many studio projects in a typical architecture curriculum actually start out with the name system building as the prompt? Most schools don't have that. That's a reality that a lot of students moving into practice will have to face. I think it's important for them to be challenged by it to a certain degree. If it means education needs to up its game and teach in a different kind of way – I think it's really important. - Jamie Crawley

To wrap up the episode, Kurt and Jamie share their advice for studying young architects and their thoughts and goals as they move into 2024. 

Tune in next week for an episode about digital transformation in practice. 

Guests:

Jamie Crawley, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, NCARB

Jamie is a naturalized Texan originally from Montreal, Quebec Canada who currently serves as the Texas Main Street Architect and Design Lead having joined the Texas Historical Commission in 2019. In 2018, he was named one of 18 National Young Architect of the Year honorees by the American Institute of Architects. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University's College of Architecture, a registered Architect in the State of Texas and servant leader in his home through the Austin Soccer Foundation. As an artist, Jamie is cohost of the Coffee Sketch Podcast now in its sixth year and was featured as one of six commissioned installations during Waterloo Greenway (formerly Waller Creek Conservancy) Annual Creek Show in 2017. Most recently his sculpture, “fotan fable redux” was displayed at the UMLAUF Sculpture Garden + Museum in Austin. He has also taught in several Architecture programs, Texas A&M University, University of Texas at Arlington and as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Prairie View A&M University. As a citizen Architect Jamie has served in a variety of capacities to the profession notably serving as Co-Chair to the 2016 AIA Leadership Institute a program of AIA National Center for Civic Leadership as well as the Vice Chair of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards Experience Advisory Committee in 2017-18. Presently he is a member of the Association of Preservation Technology's Main Street Committee focused on code and development recommendations to the International Code Council (ICC), the National Main Street Disaster Preparedness and Resilience Advisory Committee and the AIA National Historic Resources Committee Preservation Standards Task Force.

Kurt Neiswender, AIA 

With Urban Colab Architecture it is "people first, profit second". Kurt provides design services that are focused on low-to-no energy consumption. He also extends this focus to developing the site and landscape design that equally serves to reduce environmental impact. As Assistant Professor of Practice, Kurt focuses on Building Systems, Sustainability, and Energy Modeling in his lecture courses. He aims to broaden the understanding of integrating building systems within architectural design solutions. Kurt is also a founder and cohost of The Coffee Sketch Podcast, an audio and visual podcast about sketching, architecture, and of course, coffee! 

📍 Show Links:  

Connect with Kurt on LinkedIn

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn

Follow Kurt on Instagram 

Follow Jamie on Instagram  

Learn more about Urban Colab Architecture

Learn more about Texas Historical Commission

📚Continue Learning:

Coffee Sketch Podcast

📚 Past Episodes Referenced:

PD # 140 Season 7 Finale, Behind the Scenes of Practice Disrupted

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