This is Life of an Architect, a podcast dedicated to all things architecture with a little bit of life thrown in for balance.

We’ve all had days where the drawing set grows by thirty pages and the inbox doubles before noon. A consultant goes silent, a client changes their mind, and just when the printer jams, someone asks if you’ve “had a chance to think big.” The pace is relentless, the roles are blurred, and the weight of expectations never really lets up. Some of it is systemic. Some of it is self-imposed. But all of it demands more from architects than the job description ever promised. Today, Andrew and I are unpacking the stress points, the structural cracks, and the deeply human experience of navigating them. Welcome to Ep 178: Under Pressure

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This was an interesting topic to prepare for – mostly because like all of the posts I write, or topics Andrew and I discuss, we ultimately want them to be of some value.

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There’s a moment in almost every architect’s career where the idea first surfaces—quietly at first, then louder over time: What if I started my own firm? Maybe it’s the itch for creative freedom, maybe it’s frustration with someone else’s decisions, or maybe it’s just the instinct to build something of your own. I’ve had this conversation more times than I can count—at desks, on job sites, over drinks after a long day. It’s a topic that stirs up excitement, fear, pride, and possibility all at once. Today, we’re stepping into that mindset—the leap, the hustle, the vision behind doing your own thing. Welcome to Episode 177: Hanging Out Your Shingle

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We have a special guest to assist us with discussing today’s topic.

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We’ve all stared at the calendar, convinced there’s a hidden twenty-fifth hour—plenty of room to redline that section, nudge the model, and squeeze in just one more detail. “We’ll sort it during bidding,” we promise ourselves, and the optimism buys another day of breathing room. Architects thrive on this kind of self-talk; some versions are harmless, others lurk like change-order booby traps. Today Andrew and I are spotlighting the greatest hits—the stories we repeat, the messes they create, and the habits that can stop the cycle before it snaps back on us. Grab your favorite red Sharpie … Welcome to Episode EP 176: Little White Lies.

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I’ve Got Plenty of Time jump to

This may be the single most prevalent lie we tell ourselves the most during our career.

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Nobody wants to be the person who asks a question that causes everyone else within ear shot to turn and look at them. We spend the early part of our careers trying to prove we deserve a seat at the table, hoping we sound competent, sharp, with just the right amount of confidence. But architecture isn’t a field you get good at by pretending. It’s a craft you grow into by doing, which ultimately leads to asking questions early, often, and sometimes awkwardly. We are going to embrace that process. We’re digging into how architects keep learning after school, what a real internship should feel like, and how long it really takes to get good at what we do. Welcome to EP 175: Stupid Questions.

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Today, Andrew and I are going to be talking about why becoming an architect takes a long time, that this process involves doing a lot of different things, and how “stupid” questions play an important role in the education process of everyone in this profession.

Continue reading Ep 175: Stupid Questions at Life of an Architect.

There are bits of advice that one collects over a 30 year career and when given the chance, some are worth passing on to those who care to listen. While this could have been a lessons from my father sort of episode, we decided to keep things focused on those of us who either are, or want to be, architects, and we are going to pass along a handful of things that we wish we had known at the start of our careers. Welcome to Episode 174: Dear Future Architects.

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Today we are going to be talking about those interesting considerations and bits of advice that have been shared with us during our career. While they might not be applicable to everyone, I feel pretty confident that all the items we will be discussing today are of value.

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Mentorship turns confusion into clarity, builds confidence, and connects you with people who help you grow faster than you ever could alone.

The post Ep 173: Mentorship Matters first appeared on Life of an Architect.

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Being an Architect is difficult and there is plenty of evidence that this is not a vocation that is suitable for everyone. The coursework you will take in college is all over the place – from the drawing and design classes to physics and upper level math requirements, you seem to have to be both an artist and a scientist to go down this path. This begs the question, Just how smart do you need to be in order to become an architect? Welcome to Episode 171: The IQ of an Architect

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Today Andrew and I are going to be talking about intelligence quotient and architects. This was a topic that I tackled with the 3rd blog post I ever wrote (titled IQ’s and Jobs), and for years, it was a foundational blog post in the development of my website because so many people read that article.

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There is a moment of realization that occurs when you get your first real job in an architectural office that maybe architecture school and what is now going to be expected from you are a little out of phase with one another. Are you prepared, do the differences matter, and what happens when you come to the conclusion that your job and almost everything you have experienced so far based on your time in college, seem so different. Have you made a terrible mistake, or are things about to get amazing? Welcome to Episode 170: Studio versus Real Life

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today we are going to be talking about the differences between the studio experience of architecture students versus the realities of an actual job.

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