Remember when I mentioned that my plan for 2013 was to write about a whole variety of issues and topics, both here at Shoegnome and elsewhere? Well here’s a piece I wrote for the new AIA CRAN Chronicle about my adventures going from a lowly intern to an architect and BIM Manager. The original link has long since died, so I’ve copied the article below. You can read the whole issue of the CRAN Chronicle here, if you want to read the other articles or search for mine.

Great Recession Survival Tactics for Generation Y Architects: Become the BIM Manager

For four and a half years, I worked for a prominent residential firm in Minneapolis, MN. During my tenure, I went from an intern with 40 hours of IDP remaining to a licensed architect. At my interview for the job in the summer of 2007, I chatted with my future bosses about how the residential market was softening. Needless to say, my entire time with SALA Architects was during the Great Recession. The traditional paths for a bright-eyed go-getter were virtually non-existent; both design opportunities and client interactions were meager and sparse. As such I had to find other ways to provide value to the firm and help grow my career. With previous BIM experience (I had been using ArchiCAD for two years prior to joining the firm) and having spent a few short years learning production at larger commercial firms (I did my Rice University Preceptorship at Gensler in Houston), I had a skill set that was unique to the firm.

The need for someone at SALA Architects interested in furthering the use of technology and modern methods was great. We had a mixed and tenuous relationship with everything digital–which I’ve learned is fairly typical for residential firms. In addition to my role as an intern and then architect, I quickly became the BIM manager for the firm. It was a nebulous role that I was in charge of defining and executing. I introduced everyone to the concepts of BIM, trained co-workers on ArchiCAD, developed and maintained our office standards, supported production teams, and advised on production in general. I had the opportunity to sit in on firm leadership discussions, consult on technology, and work closely with our IT manager. While these opportunities did pigeon-hole me to some extent (I struggled with being seen mainly as a production and tech guy rather than a well-rounded architect and designer), they also provided access to aspects of firm management and leadership I wouldn’t have otherwise seen. More importantly, because of my role and how it differed from my perception of what I thought my career would look like, I became much more self-aware about my direction within the profession. This has led me to seek out other leadership and career development opportunities outside a typical firm structure.

The role as BIM manager led to quite a few interesting opportunities-from speaking and outside consulting to being seen as a leader within the firm. I found that once people were accustomed to asking me for help about production, BIM, and technology, they were more likely to respect my opinions and thoughts on other topics. For example, that authority put me in a position to spearhead and run our social media campaign.

Jensen Residence – Jared Banks, AIA and Tim Fuller, AIA while at SALA Architects, Inc.

Finally, to the chagrin of the firm (and this is fodder for an essay unto itself), the experiences of finding my place within the firm during the Great Recession fortified me to strike out on my own in early 2012 and further develop my skills and talents in the larger architectural community.

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