Generation Y Unfolding – DesignIntelligence Article
In addition to all the posts on Shoegnome and BIM Engine, I’ve had the pleasure to write for some other venues this year (both print and digital). I’m proud of all of those articles, but there are two that I’m exceedingly excited about. One’s not out yet, so I can’t say anything about it (other than that it’s awesome); but I can tell you about the other. I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to write for DesignIntelligence. Below is a link to my article Generation Y Unfolding, which also shows up in their March/April 2013 issue. I’m especially pleased that it’s not about BIM, ArchiCAD, or even technology in general. I love writing about those issues, but it’s nice to expand into some other topics-though BIM does get name dropped once in the article and it’s hard not to bring up technology when discussing Generation Y architects (or millennial if you prefer that term, which I don’t).
Generation Y Unfolding
Oh and I noticed the sidebar from the article isn’t in the link above (the large text above, FYI). So I’ll include that below, because it’s kind of a sobering anecdote:
Imagine you went to college at the same time as Mark Zuckerberg, graduated when he would have in 2006, went straight to graduate school to get your MArch, and then found a job upon graduation. Odds are that your official job title, if you’re even still in the field of architecture, is intern. Not designer. Not architectural whatever. And unless you did your internships and tests perfectly, definitely not architect. While that’s an extreme example-not every intern thinks, why aren’t I worth $9.4 BILLION-the journey to licensure is long and offers a mixed bag of rewards.
Crazy, huh?
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Roy Noggle, AIA LEED AP BD&C
Anyone can beat themselves up with jealousy over another person’s success. Look at Dominos Pizza: The CEO is a drop-out architect!! Why do this? One wants to be an Architect so one can have the satisfaction of seeing huge pieces of sculpture which GIVE FORM TO THE FUNCTIONS WITHIN. The relative remuneration is not the only form of reward achieved. A sterling example of a successful Architects is John Portman, who developed his own projects. Now, we all can’t do THAT, either, but he provides a more attainable avenue for Architects than does Mark Zuckerberg.
Another comparison that may help here: Architecture projects are more often than not one-off types of items purchased by companies who borrow millions of dollars, not a situation where millions of similar, low dollar items are desired and purchased by all levels of income earners. It is a different and difficult market.
Just get out there and be yourselves, work yourselves to the bone, do your Architecture and be proud of it!!
Jared Banks
Roy, the anecdote about Mark Zuckerberg isn’t about the money or power, but about entrepreneurism, opportunity, and intrinsic rewards. The full article covers all that and more. Also, since it’s a pet peeve of mine… we all get into architecture for different reasons. It’s not just about seeing huge pieces of sculpture. Our profession is much more complex than that; there’s a whole set of different, equally valid types of architects.
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