Life of an Architect

It’s almost that gift-giving time of the year and if you have an architect in your life, you know that getting them a gift is possibly among the most agonizing experiences possible – but that’s why we’re here. Now in its 15th consecutive year, Life of an Architect is putting out the increasingly difficult yet still definitive gift guide for architects so that you don’t have to figure these things out completely by yourself. Welcome to Episode 164 Holiday Gift Guide for Architects 2024

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Like last year, Andrew and I had the same categories to select a gift. For some of the items selected for this year's list, they were extremely easy additions, whereas others were extremely difficult. I will also go on record – right at the beginning of the show – that I either already have these things (and therefore Bob verified and approved) or I want them … which means if you buy them, we are both at some risk. Am I going to tell you which one is which? Maybe

We are going to do the big reveal to one another and then talk about them – we are going to take turns, and Andrew is going to kick things off with:

Best Gift for your Bar jump to 7:10

Whiskey Peaks Rocks Glasses 

Andrew's Selection -$38

I recently wanted some new whiskey type glasses or low balls. So, I took a mountain biking trip a summer or two ago and when I started looking I came across these glasses and they resonated with me for that reason. These glasses are a typical low ball glass, but have a “special feature” in the bottom of the glass. There is a topographical 3D form of a mountain range in the bottom. There are several different mountain ranges to choose from depending on your preference. While these are not anything extremely fancy or extravagant, I don’t think they are a unique and cool item. As mentioned they do not work well with iced drinks or on the rocks, unless you have pebble ice. But you can also put any mixed or shaken drink in them that is already cold.

Higonokami VG10 Folding Knife

Bob's Selection - $80

Coming up with just a single gift selection for your bar was probably the most difficult choice I had to make on this list. I make my fair share of craft cocktails, and more times than not there are people watching me at work. I was gifted a handmade knife a few years ago by Joshua Hiett and it has been AMAZING ... but it is showing the effects of a lot of use (don't judge me) and I need to send it back to him for some repairs to the edge. As a result, I have been on the hunt for another cool knife that I can use in my bar and I stumbled onto this Higonokami knife. The issue with this particular knife is that you can't get it yet. If you follow the link provided, there are all sorts of other knives you can choose from if you aren't willing (or capable) of waiting. You can also join the waiting list like me.

Best Gift for your Desk jump to 12:02

Dual Monitor Stand

Bob's Selection - $125

Is a monitor stand an exciting gift? Yes - if it is someone who spends a lot of time at their desk and appreciates the freedom of moving their monitors wherever they want while enjoying the luxury of reclaiming the entirety of their work surface. I spent a fair amount of time looking for these (which I do not own but currently want ... badly) because of two very important details. First, I can attach very large monitors to this stand - 35", and secondly, I can move each monitor independently IN ALL DIRECTIONS! The stand I currently have does not allow me to move my monitors inde...

One of the most enjoyable activities is traveling on vacation – at least for most people, but it takes a special sort of individual who actually loves to plan the activities when it comes to traveling. I know I don’t love it, but I am also willing to admit that I have opinions on where to go and what to see. Today we are going to have a conversation where wanted interest and unwanted responsibility intersect. …  Welcome to EP 163: Architectural Wanderlust.

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Today Andrew and I are going to talk about traveling for architects and how certain technologies have emerged that have made the process of planning excursions and itineraries a joy. Gone is the laborious process of buying travel books, searching the various “activities” based websites, where you are hoping that the comment and review from Frank from when he visited Bilboa last September actually is in some alignment with your own perceptions (or even values … is Frank an Architect?)

The premise for today's post and conversation are simple ... what happens when you use Artificial Intelligence to plan a vacation for you? What does the problem solving process look like, what sort of questions should you ask, and finally, a look about the sort of returns you get in response.

Question #1 jump to 6:02

Prompt Entered:

You are an architect going on vacation with the goal of selecting a place that is rich in its architectural culture as well as the opportunities to visit and experience significant architectural projects and properties. Once we have completed this exercise, I will ask you to put together a daily itinerary of things to see and places to visit. We will start this exercise by having you recommend 10 potential destinations for me to visit, but I want you to ask me a series of questions to make sure that you have the information and guidance you need to make an appropriate recommendation.

The Response:

To recommend the perfect architectural destination for your vacation, I’ll need to ask you a few questions to better tailor the suggestions to your preferences:

Style of Architecture: Do you have a specific architectural style you're most interested in (e.g., modernism, classical, vernacular, sustainable design, etc.)?

Cultural Experience: Would you like to immerse yourself in a place with a deep historical architectural legacy, or do you prefer contemporary and cutting-edge architecture?

Travel Comfort: Are you comfortable with long-distance travel, or do you prefer something closer (considering travel time as part of the week)?

Interests Beyond Architecture: Would you like a mix of architectural exploration with other cultural experiences, such as museums, cuisine, or natural landscapes?

Activity Level: Do you prefer a more relaxed trip with guided tours and time to reflect on the buildings, or are you looking for an immersive, on-the-go experience?

Sustainability: Would you like to visit places known for sustainable architecture and environmentally conscious design, or is this not a priority for you?

The prompt above was a good starting place to begin this exercise. To better understand your holiday objectives, getting the program to engage with about what you hope to accomplish is a great place to start. You could get as specific as you want here, adding in all sorts of parameters, but for my process, I wanted to keep this fairly high level in order to potentially discover some place I should be visiting that I might not be considering.

Question #2 jump to 13:10

I asked ChatGPT to prepare a World map indicating the locations that were selected ... this was a completely failed experiment. This image is the result of 11 attempts.

Prompt Entered:

For each of these cities, can you rate how safe they are for tourists on a scale from 1-10 based o...

Some things are cool – even if you don’t know it yet. Andrew and I have prepared some stories today about some things you are probably familiar with but probably don’t actually know the whole story. We have each selected two things and we are going to share with you what we believe are some amazing stories …  Welcome to EP 162: Objects of Design

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Today we are going to share with you something we feel is meaningful to us and why, maybe, it should be meaningful to you. Rather than making this a list of things we like – and by extension – things we think you should like as well, we are going to dig a bit deeper and talk about the story behind each item we discuss today. In a sense, it’s that story that should make today’s podcast interesting … just that fact that WE think it’s interesting probably isn’t good enough, so we are stepping up our game.

Objects of Design - Bob #1 jump to 2:30

Evolution of Coca-Cola Bottles (image source)

The Coca-Cola bottle is one of the most recognizable designs in the world, and this story kicks off in 1915, at a time when Coca-Cola was exploding in popularity across the U.S. But they had a problem: competitors were copying their bottles and confusing consumers. They needed something unique, a design that wasn’t just about looking different, but one that could be identified by touch alone!

That’s when Coca-Cola issued a design challenge to glass manufacturers: come up with a bottle that would stand out, even in the dark or if it shattered on the ground. Enter Earl R. Dean from the Root Glass Company in Terre Haute, Indiana. His team turned to an unexpected source of inspiration—the cocoa pod. Sure, the sexy and curvaceous cocoa pod had nothing to do with the ingredients of Coca-Cola, but it had the perfect form and ridges that made for a unique, tactile experience. The result? The “contour bottle,” a masterpiece of industrial design. Its exaggerated curves and slim waist immediately set it apart from anything else on the market. Patented in 1915, by 1916 it became the Coca-Cola bottle—the one we all know today.

But the story doesn’t end with the creation of this iconic design. In fact, things really start getting interesting right around this point.

A Global Symbol and Wartime Necessity

As Coca-Cola became a part of everyday American life, it wasn’t long before it spread globally. And during World War II, Coca-Cola made a brilliant strategic move: they supported American troops by providing them with Coca-Cola wherever they were stationed. They even set up mobile bottling plants in war zones to make sure soldiers could get “a taste of home,” no matter how far from home they were. This wasn’t just about quenching thirst; Coca-Cola became a symbol of American culture and morale during one of the darkest periods in history.

By the end of the war, Coca-Cola had solidified its dominance, but with that success came new problems. Overseas, as Coca-Cola became a prized commodity, counterfeiters jumped at the chance to exploit its popularity. What’s even more fascinating (and scandalous) is just how involved the black market became in producing fake Coca-Cola. This is one of those lesser-known stories, but at the time, it had a major impact.

The Black Markets and Counterfeiting Rings

During WWII, many countries were hit with strict rationing and import restrictions, especially those under the control of the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, Japan). Western goods became scarce, and Coca-Cola was no exception. But where there’s scarcity, there’s demand—and the black market was all too happy to step in. In regions where American goods were banned or heavily restricted, underground factories started churning out fake Coca-Cola. These counterfeit operations were selling everything from watered-down soda to dangerous con...

It happens on every project – sometimes you know exactly what it is because you had a hand in bring it into existence. Other times, you might be visiting the work of another architect, or really, you could just be going to a nice restaurant … but if you look around, you can always find that something special that seemed to get just a little more attention than the rest of the project. Andrew and I are going to dive into this idea a bit today Welcome to EP 161: Wow Moments

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Andrew and I are going to be talking about wow moments in architecture. This is really about their existence and if possible, I wanted to use this conversation to like to look for some sort of pattern in my own thinking – whether or not it obviously presents itself. The reason today’s topic came into existence is that I taught a professional practice class last week and the professor asked me to discuss a pretty wide range of topics as part of that presentation. Most of the discussed topics were not really related to one another so I was challenged a little more than normal to develop a way to move from one topic to the next in a way that made sense … at least, that was the goal so I settled in on trying to make it interesting and to hold the attention of these college seniors for a 2-hour lecture.

It's All in the Details jump to 5:55

I’ve always thought the front door of a house holds a lot of potential as a "wow moment." In fact, the first time I wrote about it was back in October 2010, not long after I started my website, and that article in particular was about a spec house I designed for a developer - which means that there was no specific client in mind. When you're designing for a client who's really the developer and not the end user—it changes how you think. There’s a certain amount of "lowest common denominator" thinking involved, not in terms of cheap materials, but in the sense that the house needs to appeal to a broad audience. You don’t want one person to love it; you want a lot of people to like it. In the example above, we concluded that this special moment should be one of the very first architectural items you encounter ... the front door. To make things even more interesting, we added an exterior  skylight just above the entry door.

I believe that the front door "experience" can do a lot of heavy lifting. It's the porch, the steps leading up to it, the space around it—it all plays a role. I wanted to do something different for this spec house, so we decided to add a skylight right at the entrance. You’re still outside, but you get this incredible natural light coming through, which makes the whole area feel open and welcoming. And on top of that, we built in a strip light fixture so even at night, or on a cloudy day, the space feels bright and inviting—not like you’re walking into a dark tunnel. It turned out great. The detail worked exactly how I envisioned it. I think that’s when it really hit me—if you’re going to create a wow moment in a house, make it something most people are going to experience. Almost everyone who visits is going to come through the front door. That’s why I focus on that space. You’re not going to get the same reaction by putting all your effort into something like the kitchen pulls, which not everyone will even notice.

So apparently, as a result of the first front door experience, a seed was planted in my brain that this entry experience should be something special on all projects. The drawing above was a custom steel and wood infill door that really read more as a wall than the front door. Measuring in at 5'-7 1/2" wide, this was not a normal door and we wanted everyone who it to experience just how special this moment was - from the act of walking up to it, as well as the manner in which is swung open, revealing the passageway into the main social area of the house.

Steel Trellis jump to 15:26

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. Now that I’m in a leadership position, I try to stay mindful of those diverse perspectives, recognizing that what people prioritize in their work lives can change based on where they are in their career.

On the flip side, as an employer, I’ve learned to see value in terms of what an individual brings to the team—whether it’s their skills, attitude, or ability to help the company succeed. However, as an employee again, I find myself thinking more about what I get out of the job in return for my effort. Balancing these two viewpoints—what employees expect and what employers prioritize—is crucial in fostering a healthy, productive work environment.

So, let’s kick off by diving into the employee’s perspective on value: what drives them, what they’re looking for, and how they measure it. After that, we’ll switch gears and explore how employers define and recognize value from their side of the table.

Job Satisfaction and Personal Fulfillment jump to 4:18

Employee Perspective

From an employee’s perspective, value isn’t just about the paycheck—it’s about job satisfaction and personal fulfillment. Yes, fair compensation is important, but once that’s met, the real question becomes: are you doing meaningful work that you enjoy? Does your job align with your values?

As my career progressed, I realized money wasn’t my primary motivator. Sure, everyone wants to be paid well, but what really mattered to me was the type of work I was doing and how it contributed to something I believed in. Research supports this—89% of employees who enjoy their work and feel it aligns with their values report higher motivation and satisfaction. Once fair pay is in place, true value comes from feeling purposeful, enjoying your day-to-day tasks, and seeing your career heading in the right direction. (full report can be found here)

Monetary Compensation and Benefits jump to 7:12

Employee Perspective

From my perspective, while monetary compensation is important, it's crucial not to overvalue small differences. If you're earning $62,000 and your friend makes $64,000, it shouldn't be a deal breaker. However, if the gap is significant—like $90,000 versus $60,000—that's worth examining. What I see frequently is that employees often judge their value based on salary alone, and while that makes sense, as an employer, I have to manage broader considerations. I can't just give one person a substantial raise without considering how it affects everyone else in the company. People should appreciate that sometimes it's not about withholding; it’s about managing fairness across the board. It’s important to provide incremental raises regularly, like 3-4% each year, rather than waiting years for a big adjustment. Incremental increases help employees feel valued and prevent resentment from building up.

We also spent a fair amount of time discussing the idea that small incremental raises, even just 3-5%, go a long way in making employees feel valued. The frustration comes when you work hard year after year and don’t se...

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 3:50

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. We don't have a formal policy for or against part-time workers, but I can't deny that it complicates things—scheduling, coverage, and overall productivity management can become harder to manage. My main issue stems from the impact on the company's bottom line, where part-time employees often receive the same benefits as full-time workers, even though they're working less. Additionally, it affects opportunity distribution within the firm. Part-time workers don't get the same opportunities for leadership and career advancement because those responsibilities are usually added on top of a regular job. When someone is capped at working part-time, I have to be mindful of what I assign to them, and that limits their potential growth. It's a tricky balance, and while part-time workers can be incredibly efficient, there are inherent limitations in what they can accomplish compared to full-time staff.

Andrew: From my experience, having many part-time employees in my office, especially students, the key challenge is balancing their workload and availability with the needs of the firm. Setting consistent schedules is important; if someone is always available in the morning or afternoon, that works fine, but it can still be tricky ensuring that all tasks are covered effectively. The major issue is that part-time work might slow career advancement. While it works in smaller firms with proper management, larger firms might struggle with maximizing productivity or providing growth opportunities to part-timers. I believe it's important for part-time workers to find employers who don't have a bias against them and to have conversations about growth, even though it may take longer to climb the career ladder when you're part-time. Finding the right balance is critical, and part-timers should know the potential limitations upfront.

What can a new employee in the office do to stand out amongst the seasoned individuals? jump to 9:35

Question submitted by arch_jbrown

Bob: This is a question that comes up in my mentor/mentee meetings fairly frequently in my office. Standing out in an office, whether it's a small or large firm, starts with involvement. In a small firm, where everything you do is highly visible, participation is key. You can't just sit back and blend in; you need to actively engage with those around you. Even in larger firms, where you may primarily work with a smaller team, finding ways to connect outside of your immediate circle, such as joining design groups or attending firm-wide meetings, is essential. I’ve seen that new employees who are willing to step out of their comfort zones and get involved across the board are the ones who stand out the most. It’s not about mastering every technical aspect right away but rather showing that you care about your work and are eager to participate in different areas. It's about engaging with colleagues, speaking up, and showing that you're invested in the firm's success.

Andrew: I agree that involvement is crucial,

For architects, todays post is a analysis of why you want to use an iPad and what applications are worth your consideration and money.

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. When starting a new project and hearing about constraints, it can feel like they are already limiting our ability to pursue our passion and creativity. However, I believe that constraints are not something to complain about. They help us make decisions, prioritize, and move forward. Constraints are like rules that guide us, almost like a how-to book.

Andrew and I both agree that having complete freedom might actually freeze us. Too many options can be overwhelming, and without any limits or rules, it’s hard to know which direction to take. Even with the same constraints, different architects can come up with multiple solutions because we all have different values and priorities. Constraints shape our creativity and force us to think critically.

Budget jump to 7:00

Scope Limitation: A tight budget can limit the overall scope of the project, potentially necessitating compromises on materials, finishes, and features.

Quality Compromises: Lower budget constraints might force the selection of cheaper, less durable materials, which could affect the building's longevity and performance.

Design Adjustments: Innovative design solutions might be required to meet budget constraints, which can lead to creative outcomes but also might limit some design aspirations.

Project Delays: Insufficient budget can lead to delays if additional funds need to be sourced or if cost overruns occur.

In my conversation with Andrew, we spent a fair amount of time talking about budget as possibly the most critical constraint that owners and architect have to address. Many architects, myself included, fantasize about the ideal scenario where there is unlimited time, budget, and creative freedom. However, I have come to realize that this notion is neither realistic nor desirable. Constraints are essential and beneficial, as they provide a necessary framework that guides the design process and helps prioritize decisions. At first glance, constraints might seem limiting, but they actually facilitate creativity and problem-solving. Constraints can include budget limitations, client requirements, existing structures, and site conditions. Andrew was of the opinion that having too much freedom could be paralyzing, with endless possibilities leading to indecision.

I used residential projects to illustrate how constraints function - mostly because it is easier to explain because residential projects typically have fewer constraints. Building a new house on an empty lot might seem closer to having a blank page, but it still comes with constraints like zoning laws and environmental regulations. On the other hand, renovations and additions have more obvious constraints due to the existing structure. However, these constraints help narrow down options and inform design choices.

Time jump to 27:14

Accelerated Schedule: Tight deadlines might require an accelerated construction schedule, which can increase costs and potentially affect the quality of workmanship.

We are discussing residential projects that focus on incorporating high value building science techniques with guest Steven Baczek.

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.