How NOT to talk about BIM: losing control of the message
Two upcoming seminars on BIM reveal some problems we have in the architectural community.
You’re just a lowly BIM Manager and you’ve got no goals
I wish I had been there when he said to my friend that all I ever wanted to be was a BIM Manager. What a misunderstanding of me and the role of a BIM Manager.
What’s in a name: Want to call yourself an Architect?
This is the second post dedicated to all the emotion and confusion surrounding the word architect. In all fairness, I could have used the person I singled out in the first post as the non-architect instead of Carlos for this
Unlicensed Architects: Why does it feel bad to be right?
This is the first of a few posts I am going to write on all the emotion and confusion surrounding the word architect: unlicensed architects, who can be called an architect, the licensing process itself, other industries co-opting the term
It Happened Again: someone reminded me that Computers are Just Tools
Today on Twitter, in response to this post about the most amazing BIMx model I've seen, I saw a Tweet that went like this: "4all their power computers are just tools #architects still need 2do the hard work of #design" Yes, but.
Starting an Architecture Firm? Let’s Discuss Software and Hardware Costs
Priorities in the 21st Century Architecture Office When starting an architecture firm, you are confronted with a lot of expenses. How do you prioritize or justify where to spend your money? For the 21st Century Architecture Office, IT costs come before
Inspire a Shared Vision: Architect as Leader
I was on Twitter earlier in the week and noticed that AIA National is looking for architect bloggers to write about "architect as leader", to help expand on the AIA 2013 National Convention theme of Building Leaders. So
What does my journey as an Architect look like?
My career has gone astray I followed the proper path. Summer internships, an architecture job right out of school, hopping between firms to climb the ranks, getting exposure with different project types, taking on leadership challenges where possible, moonlighting anytime the
What kind of Architect are you?
I talk with a lot of architects, interns, and people who studied architecture but went in different and/or non-traditional directions. There is a particular type of architect that comes up again and again in these conversations. A prototypical architect that
Reading the Economist hindered my job prospects, but helped my career
Maybe certain former co-workers won't like me sharing these kinds of stories. But I doubt they'll ever read them. And if they do, I hope they can understand that this isn't about us; it's about something much larger. I can't remember
First Memories, AutoCAD version 2.5, and 3D Studio R4
I've been using ArchiCAD since 2006. Over 7 years now
Ten Years Later, summer internships aren’t what they once were
I've seen into the Chasm. It's beautiful, ambitious, and not the architectural graduates of times past. Back in January I had coffee with two students from the University of Minnesota that I'm mentoring. I asked them a question, "do you have
Get on the Collaboration Bus. Or Quit. I don’t care which.
 The Generation Y Architect In February 2012, during a session at the AIA Minnesota Leadership Forum, I discovered that I am a stereotype. Painfully so. I am Generation Y. In a room with fifteen Generation X architects, I was the oddball.
A tale of Three (Capital A) Architects
Yesterday I wrote this other post. You might want to read it first. But you don't need to. In fact your ignorance of that discussion (amazing comments by the way), might help answer the riddle below. A tale of Three (Capital
Maybe Someday I’ll actually Design a Building and see it Built
That's what Architects are supposed to do, right? There's a big series of posts coming about this topic, but I wanted to foreshadow a bit and ask a question. If you were to give a two word description of the following
Great Recession Survival Tactics for Generation Y Architects: Become the BIM Manager
The traditional paths for a bright-eyed go-getter were virtually non-existent; both design opportunities and client interactions were meager and sparse.
You are a Dinosaur
If you are reading this you are a dinosaur. The digital natives will steal your job. But that's okay because you won't be qualified to do your job when they start taking responsibility from us. And I do mean us
Pantheon of Workmonsters
In a world of shoegnomes, there are workmonsters