sloArch » The Studio http://www.sloarch.com architecture in the real world Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:30:41 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Join us every week as we interview Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Architecture alumni and students and talk about the things that matter to us! sloArch no sloArch thestudio@sloarch.com thestudio@sloarch.com (sloArch) 2010 sloArch.com the only podcast for Cal Poly students and alumni CalPoly, San Luis Obispo, Architecture, Alumni, Students, Architect sloArch » The Studio http://www.sloarch.com/thestudio/TheStudioAlbumArt.jpg http://www.sloarch.com/category/the-studio/ The Studio 37: The Smartest Freshmen Ever http://www.sloarch.com/2010/09/the-studio-37-the-smartest-freshmen-ever/ http://www.sloarch.com/2010/09/the-studio-37-the-smartest-freshmen-ever/#comments Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:30:41 +0000 Tim Alatorre http://www.sloarch.com/?p=1591 0037-The Smartest Freshmen Ever: Cal Poly Basketball, 1924

Carly Althoff, incoming Cal Poly Architecture freshman (B’Arch ’15), brings some energy to the show.  She shares with us why she chose architecture and Cal Poly.   40,941 applicants for this fall term and only 4,100 open seats sets the bar high.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about us, join our Facebook Group, leave reviews on iTunes, vote for us on Podcast Alley, and follow us on Twitter!

Show Notes

Site News

  • New Facebook fans
    • Erin Mjelde
    • Sergio Lopez
    • Cheryl Lipang Lima
    • Smari Amman
    • Mila Cobian
    • Pierre Cabral

Cal Poly News

  • Alex Woodhouse, architectural designer
  • New Student Stats
    • More than 3,500 new freshmen and 550 transfer students. This fall’s new students faced the toughest entry competition in Cal Poly’s history.
    • 40,941 freshmen and transfer students applied for roughly 4,100 open undergraduate seats.
    • Average GPA of the first-time freshmen heading to campus is 3.84, up from 3.81 last year.
    • Average ACT score is 26.8, up from 26.3 from fall 2009.
    • The fall 2010 freshmen have an average SAT Reading score of 589, up from 579 last year; Average SAT Math score is 626, up from 623 last year.
    • This fall, 26 National Merit and National Hispanic Scholars are enrolled as new students.
    • Cal Poly students (pdf)
  • Tim and Haley are going to be on campus for the close of WOW week!!!

General News

Rapid Fire Questions

  • Cal Poly or Berkeley? Cal Poly
  • Autocad or Revit? Revit
  • Parallel bar or T-Square? um… the first one…
  • Facebook or LinkedIn? Facebook
  • Arch Record, Arch Digest, or Architect? Architect
  • Drafting dots or tape? dots
  • Yellow trace or white? white
  • Ad Markers or Prisma? prisma
  • Pen or Pencil? pencil
  • Mac or PC? Mac, all the way!
  • What’s the Meaning of Life? can’t answer that yet, she needs more life experience

SCORE: 3,310

Interview

  • How did you get suckered into doing this show?
    • Carly took an office tour at Darden Architects, where Haley works, and decided to pursue an education in architecture at Cal Poly. She was awarded the Darden Architects student scholarship in June and recently contacted Haley regarding her first architecture assignment from Cal Poly where she had to interview a professional.
  • Why Architecture
    • She’s always loved to draw, especially perspectives.
    • She loves math
    • So she did some research and decided that architecture was the perfect mix of both art and math
  • Why Cal Poly
    • When she visited she felt like she belonged, she could see herself living there
    • The program is top notch too
    • The overall atmosphere is great, with a perfect location and college town
    • Plus it’s super affordable, which is always a good thing
  • What are you most excited about with the coming first year at Cal Poly
    • Kind of everything!
    • What are you most nervous about with the Architecture program
    • Maybe the workload and managing time and stress, and making the transition from High School to college as well as being on her own
  • What have you heard about the Cal Poly Architecture program
    • She’s heard the professors are great and the program is really hands on but tough
    • Learn by doing
  • Has she participating in SOAR and is planning on attending WOW week?
    • Yes and yes
    • SOAR was a great program, broken into colleges, went to seminars, had small break out sessions with current students to plan out classes and schedules for the next few quarters
    • She’s excited for WOW week since it’ll be such a fun filled week!!
  • What are some of your goals for the coming year
    • Have a successful transition and adjust to college life
    • Stay on top of school work and balancing studies and life
    • Learn more about architecture
  • Do you have any long term goals for after graduation…
    • Not sure yet… hopeing to get a job out of college and maybe have her own firm someday!
    • Someday work at a great firm with an environment that she can love what she does everyday.

]]> http://www.sloarch.com/2010/09/the-studio-37-the-smartest-freshmen-ever/feed/ 0 ACT,Admissions,Chicago,Economy,GPA,SAT,SOAR,WOW Carly Althoff, incoming Cal Poly Architecture freshman (B'Arch '15), brings some energy to the show. She shares with us why she chose architecture and Cal Poly. 40,941 applicants for this fall term and only 4,100 open seats sets the bar high. Carly Althoff, incoming Cal Poly Architecture freshman (B'Arch '15), brings some energy to the show. She shares with us why she chose architecture and Cal Poly. 40,941 applicants for this fall term and only 4,100 open seats sets the bar high. Don't forget to tell your friends about us, join our Facebook Group, leave reviews on iTunes, vote for us on Podcast Alley, and follow us on Twitter! sloArch no The Studio 36: Googoo Eyed Neophytes http://www.sloarch.com/2010/09/the-studio-36-googoo-eyed-neophytes/ http://www.sloarch.com/2010/09/the-studio-36-googoo-eyed-neophytes/#comments Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:30:05 +0000 Tim Alatorre http://www.sloarch.com/?p=1575

We reach 100 fans on Facebook, talk about finding jobs, AutoCad is back on the Mac, and Tim rambles on about architects working for free.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about us, join our Facebook Group, leave reviews on iTunes, vote for us on Podcast Alley, and follow us on Twitter!

Show Notes

Site News

  • 20 new fans this week, we broke 100!
    • Joseph Smith
    • Carol Horn Davis
    • Rosa Elva Alvarado
    • Jennifer Lynn Richardson
    • Spencer Bittner
    • Greg Poloynis
    • Lili Etessam
    • Elahe Khodaei Gheidari
    • Lindsey Engels
    • Daryl Wells
    • Forest King
    • Ryan Ghere
    • Theresa Stanton
    • Dan Angelesco
    • Bob Hightower
    • Taryn Mickus
    • Farid Shahid – number 100!!
    • Alexander Tsai
    • Eric Stimmel
    • Steve Grossenbacher

Cal Poly News

General News

]]> http://www.sloarch.com/2010/09/the-studio-36-googoo-eyed-neophytes/feed/ 0 ARE,AutoCad,City Beautiful,Employment,Frank Gehry,Mac,St. Louis,Week Of Welcome,WOW We reach 100 fans on Facebook, talk about finding jobs, AutoCad is back on the Mac, and Tim rambles on about architects working for free. - Don't forget to tell your friends about us, join our Facebook Group, leave reviews on iTunes, We reach 100 fans on Facebook, talk about finding jobs, AutoCad is back on the Mac, and Tim rambles on about architects working for free. Don't forget to tell your friends about us, join our Facebook Group, leave reviews on iTunes, vote for us on Podcast Alley, and follow us on Twitter! sloArch no The Studio 35: The Facebook Thirteen http://www.sloarch.com/2010/08/the-studio-35-the-facebook-thirteen/ http://www.sloarch.com/2010/08/the-studio-35-the-facebook-thirteen/#comments Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:30:53 +0000 Tim Alatorre http://www.sloarch.com/?p=1551

Ben Mickus, B’Arch ’02, M’Arch ’03 (UCLA), AIA, NCARB gives some insight into the New York skyline as well as what it has been like working for some of the most notable firms in the nation.  Oh, and did we mention that he has his own furniture company?

Don’t forget to tell your friends about us, join our Facebook Group, leave reviews on iTunes, vote for us on Podcast Alley, and follow us on Twitter!

Show Notes

Site News

  • 13 New Facebook Fans!! It’s a record!
    • Steve Shimmin
    • Khoa Trang
    • David Spittler
    • Allan Timko
    • Seung Paek
    • Mark Gelvoria
    • Rikki M. Dy-Liacco
    • Alex Ceballos
    • Erika H. Mendoza
    • Gregory Benson
    • Sean Lahijani
    • Bryan Quiton Panen
    • Janice Hahn

General News

Rapid Fire Questions

  • Cal Poly or Berkeley? Poly
  • Autocad or Revit? CAD
  • Parallel bar or T-Square? Parallel bar
  • Facebook or LinkedIn? both
  • Arch Record, Arch Digest, or Architect? Architect
  • Drafting dots or tape? Dots
  • Yellow trace or white? White
  • Ad Markers or Prisma? Ad
  • Pen or Pencil? Pen
  • Mac or PC? PC
  • What’s the Meaning of Life? Construction

SCORE: 4,742,411

Interview

  • What is the story with being NCARB Certified?
    • He’s actually registered in California and New York.
    • He started licensure in CA, but was living and working in NY.
    • He got licensed in CA and thought he could just get reciprocity in NY, but found out that NY would make him do IDP, which he ended up logging all at once and got his NCARB Certification and then was able to get reciprocity in NY.
  • What has he been up to since graduation?
    • He went directly to UCLA to pursue a Masters, which coming from Cal Poly with a NAAB degree he only had to complete 1 year.
    • UCLA was very different from Cal Poly, it was a 12 month intensive program almost entirely digital and different type of design work.
  • Why did he decide to pursue a Masters?
    • After attending the Denmark program he felt like he wanted to pursue the digital world of architecture more in depth.
    • He became interested in digital architecture in Denmark and came back and decided to further his education in the subject at UCLA.
  • What was the UCLA process like compared to that of Cal Poly?
    • While at Cal Poly he felt more free to design and create, where the professors felt more like consultants.
    • At UCLA the professors were more instructional rather than advisory, there were more complex questions to answer with less freedom to explore. Almost like the professors were interns in the professors studio.
  • What was the next move after grad school?
    • He moved to New York and ended up working at Diller Scofidio Renfro for 6 years
    • He and his wife then wanted to move back to California to be near family and being from the bay area he landed a job at SOM and has been there for about a year now.
  • He’s renovating his home in Alameda…
    • 2 story Victorian built in 1900, they live in the 2nd story and the bottom level is split into two rental, which has been a whole different experience of architecture working on his own home.
  • Comments on Cal Poly grads out in the industry
    • The grads that he keeps in touch with seem to be doing well. They seem to gravitate to leadership roles in the firms they work in and become great assets to their firms.
  • Is there something you wish you had done or known when you were still at Cal Poly?
    • No, he just really enjoyed his time there!
  • What kind of advice can you give to current Cal Poly students?
    • Never be afraid to cold call. While it’s important to have a network and connections, but there’s nothing wrong with just cold calling and trying!!
    • Keep asking question in design, keep challenging yourself there’s always room to learn and improve.
  • Ben has also started his own furniture company.

]]> http://www.sloarch.com/2010/08/the-studio-35-the-facebook-thirteen/feed/ 0 Alameda,Diller Scofidio Renfro,Disney,Facebook,Los Angeles,NAAB,NCARB,UCLA Ben Mickus, B'Arch '02, M'Arch '03 (UCLA), AIA, NCARB gives some insight into the New York skyline as well as what it has been like working for some of the most notable firms in the nation. Oh, and did we mention that he has his own furniture company? Ben Mickus, B'Arch '02, M'Arch '03 (UCLA), AIA, NCARB gives some insight into the New York skyline as well as what it has been like working for some of the most notable firms in the nation. Oh, and did we mention that he has his own furniture company? Don't forget to tell your friends about us, join our Facebook Group, leave reviews on iTunes, vote for us on Podcast Alley, and follow us on Twitter! sloArch no The Studio 34: Journeyman International http://www.sloarch.com/2010/08/the-studio-34-journeyman-international/ http://www.sloarch.com/2010/08/the-studio-34-journeyman-international/#comments Fri, 20 Aug 2010 14:30:55 +0000 Tim Alatorre http://www.sloarch.com/?p=1538

Steven Shimmin, B’Arch ’10, and co-founder of Journeyman International tells us how a small idea turned into a non-profit organization, a senior thesis, a construction project, and a life changing event.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about us, join our Facebook Group, leave reviews on iTunes, vote for us on Podcast Alley, and follow us on Twitter!

Show Notes

Site News

  • New Facebook Fans:
    • Alia Talina Barajas

Cal Poly News

General News

Rapid Fire Questions:

  • Cal Poly or Berkeley? Poly
  • Autocad or Revit? Revit
  • Parallel bar or T-Square? Huh?
  • Facebook or LinkedIn? LinkedIn
  • Arch Record, Arch Digest, or Architect? Arch. Record
  • Drafting dots or tape? Dots
  • Yellow trace or white? White
  • Ad Markers or Prisma? Ad
  • Pen or Pencil? Pencil
  • Mac or PC? PC
  • What’s the Meaning of Life? Love

SCORE: 2,552

Interview

  • Tell us about yourself..
    • Grew up in Marin County, loves the Bay area it was a great place to grow up
    • Just finished up his 5 years at Cal Poly
    • He decided to pursue architecture due to his love of math and science but also incorporate design and creativity
    • He loves the challenge of architecture, finding the human element of the profession
  • What are your plans now after graduating
    • Despite the economy, he’s still job hunting in the bay area
    • He’s open to any opportunity, even abroad since he went through the Denmark program at Cal Poly
    • Continue working with Journeyman International
  • Tell us about Journeyman International (JI)
    • http://www.journeymaninternational.org/
    • J.I.’s Mission in Belize
    • Project that came out of his 5th year project, a humanitarian based project in a developing world that could be actually built.
    • Journeyman International’s mission statement is: “Our vision is to responsibly integrate sustainable design and construction methods with humanitarian projects worldwide. When implemented appropriately, sustainable methods prove financially feasible, socially acceptable, and environmentally responsible. At the point in time when green construction is demonstrated to be beneficial among impoverished cultures, we will see the Green Revolution spreading throughout developing nations.”
    • Journeyman International – Business Plan
  • The first JI project is the Belize Dental Clinic
  • How did this desire come to fruition
    • When Steve was in 2nd year he saw a 5th year project for a humanitarian project in Kenya, so he became inspired to start thinking about how to find a humanitarian need and focus his own thesis project in a similar manner
    • PDF: Belize Dental Clinic Overview
    • Partnering with a friend and fellow construction management student, Daniel Wiens, continued to bring his passion to reality
    • He coordinated with Global Outreach Mission (GOM)
  • Steve takes us through the design of the Belize Dental Clinic
  • The realities of doing a “real life” project as your thesis project
  • The future of Journeyman International…
  • He plans to get licensed!! But he has to get a job first to start the process!
  • The experience of building in Belize
    • Lack of building codes
    • The difference in climate zones, Belize has a tropical climate which has it’s own set of challenges
  • Find Journeyman International on Facebook
  • For students thinking about making their design project become a reality: GO FOR IT!!!
    • Reach out, network, there are many opportunities

]]> http://www.sloarch.com/2010/08/the-studio-34-journeyman-international/feed/ 0 Belize,Humanitarian,Journeyman International Steven Shimmin, B’Arch ’10, and co-founder of Journeyman International tells us how a small idea turned into a non-profit organization, a senior thesis, a construction project, and a life changing event. - Don't forget to tell your friends about us, Steven Shimmin, B’Arch ’10, and co-founder of Journeyman International tells us how a small idea turned into a non-profit organization, a senior thesis, a construction project, and a life changing event. Don't forget to tell your friends about us, join our Facebook Group, leave reviews on iTunes, vote for us on Podcast Alley, and follow us on Twitter! sloArch no The Studio 33: Life, Architecture, and Everything http://www.sloarch.com/2010/08/the-studio-33-life-architecture-and-everything/ http://www.sloarch.com/2010/08/the-studio-33-life-architecture-and-everything/#comments Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:30:00 +0000 Tim Alatorre http://www.sloarch.com/?p=1529

Alex Ceballos, B’Arch ’08 engages us in an important conversation about the meaning of life and Architecture.  We discuss important changes to the IDP and tips on how to get the most out of your job.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about us, join our Facebook Group, leave reviews on iTunes, vote for us on Podcast Alley, and follow us on Twitter!

Show Notes

Site News

  • New Facebook Fans:
    • Rebecca McKay ’07
    • Jay Hoskinson ’00 (has a dalmatian)
    • Anthony Silva ’03
    • Stephanie Silkwood ’08

Cal Poly News

Discussion

]]> http://www.sloarch.com/2010/08/the-studio-33-life-architecture-and-everything/feed/ 1 Alex Ceballos, B’Arch ’08 engages us in an important conversation about the meaning of life and Architecture. We discuss important changes to the IDP and tips on how to get the most out of your job. - Don't forget to tell your friends about us, Alex Ceballos, B’Arch ’08 engages us in an important conversation about the meaning of life and Architecture. We discuss important changes to the IDP and tips on how to get the most out of your job. Don't forget to tell your friends about us, join our Facebook Group, leave reviews on iTunes, vote for us on Podcast Alley, and follow us on Twitter! sloArch no The Studio 32: The Robot Revolution http://www.sloarch.com/2010/08/the-studio-32-the-robot-revolution/ http://www.sloarch.com/2010/08/the-studio-32-the-robot-revolution/#comments Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:30:54 +0000 Tim Alatorre http://www.sloarch.com/?p=1520

Stephanie (Green) Silkwood, Assoc AIA, LEED AP completely disrupts the order of the show, Haley is in the future and the title of Architect is being undermined by the IT industry.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about us, join our Facebook Group, leave reviews on iTunes, vote for us on Podcast Alley, and follow us on Twitter!

Show Notes

Cal Poly News

General News

Not so Rapid Fire Questions

  • Cal Poly or Berkeley? Cal Poly
  • Autocad or Revit? AutoCAD – she can’t work on Revit and listen to our show at the same time
  • Parallel bar or T-Square? T-square – it’s much more affordable
  • Facebook or LinkedIn or Myspace? LinkedIn
  • Arch Record, Arch Digest, or Architect? Record – JOE WEBER!!!
  • Drafting dots or tape? Tape – it also makes a good bandaid in studio
  • Yellow trace or white? White – it scans better
  • Ad Markers or Prisma? Ad – because Haley says they’re better
  • Pen or Pencil? Pencil – she likes to shade things
  • Mac or PC? Mac, even though she uses a PC, but it’s only becuase she’s a native to Cupertino
  • What’s the Meaning of Life? Vitality!

SCORE: 80,103

Interview

  • Who are you?
    • Graduated in ’08 from Cal Poly
    • Since then she’s gotten married (she used to be Stephanie Green)
    • She works in San Jose with RMW
    • She’s become very involved with the AIA and is currently the Associate Director for AIASCV (Santa Clara Valley).
  • Why did she become involved with the AIA?
    • She was involved with AIAS and CSI back at Cal Poly, got pretty involved while she was a student so it carried on after graduation.
    • She’s found it’s helped with knowledge of licensure, networking, and such.
  • What’s going on with her AIA Santa Clara Valley Chapter?
    • They do monthly events, social and educational
    • She has a great committee (made up of lots of Cal Poly Grads)
    • Recent manufacturer tour
    • Recent tour of Adobe Headquarters
    • Weekly ARE study group
    • Coming IDP Presentation in October
  • Involvement in the AIA California Council Academy for Emerging Professionals (AEP)
    • Last weekend was the Statewide Forum, down in Burbank at Woodbury University
    • Many regions throughout the country are looking to the AIA California Council AEP to see what they do and perhaps model their own Emerging Professional groups after their work
    • The AEP supports Emerging Professionals, their interests, provides support in their career path, mentorship opportunites, networking, fellowship, leadership opportunities, and so on!!
    • Emerging Professionals Survey
  • Economy talk…
    • Stephanie came into her job just before the economy really started to turn downhilll
    • She works at a firm where she feels that she really belongs there, it’s a culture she wants to be a part of and that’s factored into her work there and dedication
    • Enthusiasm and having a good attitude are always a good thing
  • Facebook privacy settings…
    • Just be careful, be aware of what’s out there about you…
    • Google yourself and see what others can see!

]]> http://www.sloarch.com/2010/08/the-studio-32-the-robot-revolution/feed/ 0 AIA,AIAS,BIM,Chicago,Facebook,Haiti,LA Metro Program,Santiago Calatrava,Unemployment Stephanie (Green) Silkwood, Assoc AIA, LEED AP completely disrupts the order of the show, Haley is in the future and the title of Architect is being undermined by the IT industry. - Don't forget to tell your friends about us, join our Facebook Group, Stephanie (Green) Silkwood, Assoc AIA, LEED AP completely disrupts the order of the show, Haley is in the future and the title of Architect is being undermined by the IT industry. Don't forget to tell your friends about us, join our Facebook Group, leave reviews on iTunes, vote for us on Podcast Alley, and follow us on Twitter! sloArch no The Studio 31: The Overuse of Truncated Domes http://www.sloarch.com/2010/07/the-studio-31-the-overuse-of-truncated-domes/ http://www.sloarch.com/2010/07/the-studio-31-the-overuse-of-truncated-domes/#comments Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:30:44 +0000 Tim Alatorre http://www.sloarch.com/?p=1513

Another fun filled episode where we discuss the new IDP 2.0, the 2010 California Building Code, and why Haley loves Frank Gehry.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about us, join our Facebook Group, leave reviews on iTunes, vote for us on Podcast Alley, and follow us on Twitter!

Show Notes

Site News

  • Welcome to Justin Ribble

General News

]]> http://www.sloarch.com/2010/07/the-studio-31-the-overuse-of-truncated-domes/feed/ 0 ADA,Building Codes,Elevators,Frank Gehry,Green Architecture,IDP,Rainwater Another fun filled episode where we discuss the new IDP 2.0, the 2010 California Building Code, and why Haley loves Frank Gehry. - Don't forget to tell your friends about us, join our Facebook Group, leave reviews on iTunes, vote for us on Podcast Alley, Another fun filled episode where we discuss the new IDP 2.0, the 2010 California Building Code, and why Haley loves Frank Gehry. Don't forget to tell your friends about us, join our Facebook Group, leave reviews on iTunes, vote for us on Podcast Alley, and follow us on Twitter! sloArch no The Studio 30: Playhouses and Dropped Calls http://www.sloarch.com/2010/07/the-studio-30-playhouses-and-dropped-calls/ http://www.sloarch.com/2010/07/the-studio-30-playhouses-and-dropped-calls/#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:30:06 +0000 Tim Alatorre http://www.sloarch.com/?p=1499

Kim Hoffmaster, Architect, B’Arch 03, joins us for a brief discussion about Project Playhouse before technical difficulties terminate the show prematurely.  Kim also shares how she was able to power through the ARE exams.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about us, join our Facebook Group, leave reviews on iTunes, vote for us on Podcast Alley, and follow us on Twitter!

Show Notes

Site News

  • New Facebook Fans
    • Chris Weber
    • Kim Hoffmaster

Cal Poly News

  • Amtrak Train Kills Teen Near Cal Poly
    • http://920kvec.com/Amtrak-Train-Kills-Teen-Near-Cal-Poly/7708561
    • The accident occurred (Fri. July 16th) about 350 in the afternoon not far from Foothill and California streets. Friends of the teen yelled at him to get out of the way, but he did not hear them.
    • This is the 4th train related death in that area in the last 35 years.

General News

  • What’s Your Time Worth?
    • http://www.architectmagazine.com/business/whats-your-time-worth.aspx
    • the fixed or flat fee for full design services has emerged as the most popular model
    • The AIA does not recommend fees, discuss the basis of fees, or offer fee guidelines for its members. This is the result of a 1990 consent decree with the U.S. Justice Department settling an antitrust suit alleging that the association tried to discourage price competition for architects’ services by suggesting a uniform, sliding-scale fee structure. According to the decree, the institute agreed not to adopt policies dictating pricing practices.
    • Comment: “Percentage based fees auomatically index to inflation”

Rapid Fire Questions

  • Cal Poly or Berkeley? Cal Poly
  • Autocad or Revit? Revit
  • Parallel bar or T-Square? what are those?? T-Square
  • Facebook or LinkedIn? Facebook
  • Arch Record, Arch Digest, or Architect or Good Housekeeping? Architect
  • Drafting dots or tape? dots
  • Yellow trace or white? white
  • Ad Markers or Prisma? Ad markers
  • Pen or Pencil? pencil
  • Mac or PC? Mac
  • What’s the Meaning of Life? love

SCORE: 2300 BCD

Interview

  • What has she been up to since Cal Poly?
    • Working for LPA in Irvine since graduation
    • http://www.lpainc.com/
    • She works on the Corporate team now
    • Originally she worked on schematic packages, coloring, presentations, then moved on to more site maps..
  • Over time she felt that she wasn’t getting much experience in learning how a building goes together… so she signed up for IDP in an effort to have some ammo to go to her employer to ask more more exposure to the process
    • Now her official title is Project Coordinator and she works with construction documents and consultants
    • Now she mainly works on office buildings
  • Effects of the economy?
    • Developer type clients have slowed down significantly
  • Project Playhouse
    • http://www.projectplayhouse.org/
    • http://www.homeaid.org/
    • A fundraiser for “HomeAid”, through the local Orange County organization, where they build a playhouse and it then gets auctioned off and the proceeds go towards the charity
    • Her firms play house concept is more of a jungle gym theme where you can climb and play on, in addition to incorporating green themes into the design and using materials.
  • Kim is licensed!!!
  • What are her plans, what’s next?
    • Now that’s she’s through the licensure process and done with everything she’s made time for all the things she was never able to do while she was going through it all, she’s able to enjoy getting into dance, read books for fun, pretty much enjoy life outside the world of licensure
  • What advice does she have for people taking the ARE?
    • The biggest hurdle is scheduling the first exam, it’s easy to put off
    • She enlisted the role of her IDP Mentor to help keep her accountable, they would schedule an exam 6-8 weeks in advance, 2 weeks after he would ask her to schedule the next one, it kept her on the ball and kept her plugging through all the exams

]]> http://www.sloarch.com/2010/07/the-studio-30-playhouses-and-dropped-calls/feed/ 1 ARE,HomeAid,Project Playhouse Kim Hoffmaster, Architect, B'Arch 03, joins us for a brief discussion about Project Playhouse before technical difficulties terminate the show prematurely. Kim also shares how she was able to power through the ARE exams. Kim Hoffmaster, Architect, B'Arch 03, joins us for a brief discussion about Project Playhouse before technical difficulties terminate the show prematurely. Kim also shares how she was able to power through the ARE exams. Don't forget to tell your friends about us, join our Facebook Group, leave reviews on iTunes, vote for us on Podcast Alley, and follow us on Twitter! sloArch no The Studio 29: Shout-Out to Stephanie! http://www.sloarch.com/2010/07/the-studio-29-shout-out-to-stephanie/ http://www.sloarch.com/2010/07/the-studio-29-shout-out-to-stephanie/#comments Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:30:46 +0000 Tim Alatorre http://www.sloarch.com/?p=1473
Nicholas Williams, B’Arch ’06, CM minor, M’Arch, and owner of nicholas WILLIAMS; develop + design + build talks about his latest projects and why he doesn’t have a desire to get his Architect’s license.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about us, join our Facebook Group, leave reviews on iTunes, vote for us on Podcast Alley, and follow us on Twitter!

Show Notes

Site News

  • New Facebook Fans
    • Jeremy J. Steinmeier
    • Joel Chapin
    • Michaelle Goodman
    • Stephanie Burton

Cal Poly News:

General News

Rapid Fire Questions

  • Cal Poly or Berkeley? CP
  • Autocad or Revit? Sketchup
  • Parallel bar or T-Square? Nothing, he doesn’t like straight lines
  • Facebook or LinkedIn? Facebook
  • Arch Record, Arch Digest, or Architect? Residential Archtiect
  • Drafting dots or tape ? Dots
  • Yellow trace or white? Yellow
  • Ad Markers or Prisma? Prisma
  • Pen or Pencil? Pen
  • Mac or PC? PC
  • What’s the Meaning of Life? show-up ?? (is that what he said??)

SCORE: AV152A-B

Interview

  • What has he been up to after graduating from Cal Poly?
  • Working on Remington Court inspired him to go out on his own and he has 6 projects now
    • He now works with Robert Dunner Rowon Ogden, a general contractor who owns sunrise construction
      • (correction 9/1/2010, Rowon Ogden is a graphical designer Nick works with)
    • http://sunrise-cd.com/profile/about-us/
    • He’s doing projects that he loves and seeing them actually get built
  • Advice for others thinking of going out on their own
    • It’s scary at first but it takes time and dedication
    • The economy is forcing many people to make that decision, but that could be a really great thing
    • It’s not rocket science, it’s building, so once you start thinking like a builder you can do it, it’s like an erector set
    • Once you understand how to build it you can try to build it for less, push the envelope
  • His Railyard project:
    • It’s a speculative project, and the banks aren’t really loaning to these types of projects
    • Even though banks aren’t giving as much as they used to it could be a good thing to challenge designers to do more with less
  • Observations of the economy and current state of things:
    • It’s a matter of survival right now, but maybe only the strongest will survive
    • It’s a great time for architects because people are recognizing that architects create value
    • Even if you aren’t working, go out and be a laborer, have a good attitude and learn from everything you’re doing
    • Watching a building go up is an education in itself, regardless of the perspective that you see it from
  • Currently working towards licensure? progress?
    • No, he’s not licensed and he’s not seeking it right now
    • He can do a lot right now without a license
    • He would love to have his license, but at the same time he can do a lot that architects can’t
    • Plus there are the issues of liability, and he doesn’t want to be sued 20 years down the line
    • A stamp on a drawing is liability, everytime you stamp a drawing you’re adding more liability
    • When you’re working with a great engineer they may take that risk from you based on your Errors and Omissions insurance
    • The buildings we create are greater than we are individually, there are many people that are involved and take part in creating and building them
  • Getting the Square Footage cost down is a big part of what he’s doing, what are some strategies
    • Optimal Value Enginnering (OVE) Framing, Advanced Framing: placing studs at 24″ on center saves your 33% on the cost of wood. You have to line up every joist with the stud, plus you get more insulation with the decrease in studs, there’s other strategies of streamlining and cutting out wood from the framing.
    • Manage the site well, sequence things, manage the people working so there is more efficient time spent doing the hard labor.
    • Having a trusting relationship with a great contractor, having a good buisness relationship is being able to bring something to the table that the other person doesn’t have.
  • What were factors that helped him get to where he is now, how did Cal Poly prepare him:
    • Cal Poly was a great foundation for what he’s doing, but he highly recommends the Woodbury program
    • Learning about the business of developing and building is really key
    • Being in the construction industry in general helped
    • The biggest part of what makes you successful is being able to talk to people from all walks of life
  • There are other ways to achieve sustainable design that don’t involve LEED
  • Words of wisdom:
    • Don’t be scared
    • Working in a huge firm they have huge projects to cover their overhead
    • You can do things for less when you go out on your own
    • Develop relationships with good people
    • People want champagne on a beer budget, many clients want to do more than they can afford.
    • It’s a business, we all want to do great buildings, but we have to get them built
      • Value Engineering is the bane of our existence
    • Learn Spanish
    • A lot of architects come on the jobsite and they don’t understand how the building goes together
  • Final thoughts on Cal Poly
    • More nails and studs rather than theory!

]]> http://www.sloarch.com/2010/07/the-studio-29-shout-out-to-stephanie/feed/ 0 Advanced Framing,LEED,Licensure,OVE FRaming Nicholas Williams, B'Arch '06, CM minor, M'Arch, and owner of nicholas WILLIAMS; develop + design + build talks about his latest projects and why he doesn't have a desire to get his Architect's license. - Don't forget to tell your friends about us, Nicholas Williams, B'Arch '06, CM minor, M'Arch, and owner of nicholas WILLIAMS; develop + design + build talks about his latest projects and why he doesn't have a desire to get his Architect's license. Don't forget to tell your friends about us, join our Facebook Group, leave reviews on iTunes, vote for us on Podcast Alley, and follow us on Twitter! sloArch no The Studio 28: Disconnected http://www.sloarch.com/2010/07/the-studio-28-disconnected/ http://www.sloarch.com/2010/07/the-studio-28-disconnected/#comments Fri, 09 Jul 2010 14:30:54 +0000 Tim Alatorre http://www.sloarch.com/?p=1456

Greg Wynn, Architect, Cal Poly Lecturer and Cal Poly Alumni teaches us a lot!  We discuss how to be a successful Architect, Greg’s theory on life and throw in a story about Dean George Hasslein for good measure.  We also talk about the alumni NAAB survey and saving La Sagrada Familia!

Don’t forget to tell your friends about us, join our Facebook Group, leave reviews on iTunes, vote for us on Podcast Alley, and follow us on Twitter!

Show Notes

Site News

  • New Facebook Fans
    • Sergio Pena
    • Philip Li
    • Pete Rosado

Cal Poly News:

  • Updates to Architecture Department Sustainability Links:
  • NAAB ALUMNI SURVEY (SUMMER 2010)
    • Strongly Disagree – Disagree – Neutral – Agree – Strongly Agree
    • Industry Readiness – Recent Cal Poly graduates are able to make a positive contribution to the workplace as a result of their practice business and practice knowledge.
    • Productivity & Supervision – Recent Cal Poly graduates are productive in the workplace with minimal supervision.
    • Graphic Skills – Recent Cal Poly graduates are able to employ appropriate representational media, including freehand sketching and mechanical drafting, to convey essential formal elements at each stage of the programming and design process.
    • Leadership Skills – Recent Cal Poly graduates are able to quickly assume project management responsibilities, including but not limited to coordinating communications among all parties, managing personnel and budgets, and administering contractual agreements.
    • Communication Skills – Recent Cal Poly graduates are able to speak and write effectively on subject matter contained in the professional curriculum.
    • Computer Skills – Recent Cal Poly graduates are able to employ appropriate representational media, including computer technology, to convey essential formal elements at each stage of the programming and design process.
    • Research Skills – Recent Cal Poly graduates are able to employ basic methods of data collection and analysis to inform all aspects of the programming and design processes.
    • Critical Thinking Skills – Recent Cal Poly graduates are able to make a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of a building, building complex, or urban space.
    • Design Skills – Recent Cal Poly graduates are able to apply basic organizational, spatial, structural, and constructional principles to the conception and development of interior and exterior spaces, building elements and components.
    • Collaborative Skills – Recent Cal Poly graduates are able to identify and assume divergent roles that maximize individual talents and to cooperate with other professionals when working as members of a design team and in other settings.
    • Detailing Knowledge – Recent Cal Poly graduates are able to provide details regarding design specifications, systems, consultants, and materials.
    • Structural Systems Coordination – Recent Cal Poly graduates are able to implement and coordinate structural systems, communicate with structural consultants, and integrate all documents.
    • MEP Systems Coordination – Recent Cal Poly graduates are able to implement and coordinate MEP systems, communicate with MEP consultants, and integrate all documents.
    • Design Theory – Recent Cal Poly graduates are conversant in principles of architectural design, history or architecture and theory.
    • Quality of Graduates – My company is satisfied with the quality of Cal Poly graduates
    • Comparative Quality – Overall, Cal Poly graduates are stronger when compared to graduates from other universities.

Other News:

Rapid Fire Questions:

  • Cal Poly or Berkeley? Cal Poly
  • Autocad or Revit? Microstation
  • Parallel bar or T-Square? Parallel Bar
  • Facebook or LinkedIn? Facebook
  • Arch Record, Arch Digest, or Architect? Record
  • Drafting dots or tape? Tape
  • Yellow trace or white? White
  • Ad Markers or Prisma? Ad
  • Pen or Pencil? Pen
  • Mac or PC? PC
  • What’s the Meaning of Life? Enjoy!

SCORE: 2,541

Interview

  • Why did you become an Architect?
    • Coming from a very small High School, he got to take drafting and architecture classes and then actually build the house they designed on campus. (Lindsay H.S.)
    • Over the summer they’d auction it off to a contractor that would move the house to the desired location and the proceeds would then go to fund the following year.
    • Cal Poly and Architecture just made sense at that point. It took him 8 years, he was working while going to school.
  • What did you do after graduation?
    • Left to work in Santa Barbara at a medium size firm for 3 1/2 years then came back to SLO to work and eventually teach in 2000.
  • Why did you decide to teach?
    • Was a good opportunity to meet new people and do something different.
    • Great balance of teaching and working.
  • What would you recommend for someone wanting to pursue a career in architecture education?
    • Being a practitioner is very important, it helps create that middle ground of design and practice and it’s great for the university to have that
  • How do you balance your working and teaching schedule?
    • They both influence each other, but you have to work at that balance.
  • What is the worst part of teaching at Cal Poly?
    • Grading is hard, design is so subjective and you have to get into the quality of the design, the effort, the student participation, it’s a very difficult aspect of teaching. It’s about the learning not always the assessment of the learning.
  • What is the best part of teaching at Cal Poly?
    • Getting out of the studio to go visit and see things, walking through buildings, gaining knowledge just from looking at building elements and components.
    • The hands on aspect makes the students light up and absorb the building.
  • What is the one thing that you hope to teach your students?
    • What we do is totally teachable, it’s not a profession where you either have it or you don’t, it’s very process driven so if you can teach the process and teach the “how we do it” part and someone works hard to learn it then they can become a great architect.
    • His role is more of coach and mentor than design instruction.
    • It’s about collaboration and love of the profession.
  • Architect License = License to be Creative
  • One of favorite books: “The Universal Traveler“, Don Koberg, Jim Bagnall
  • What advice would you give the recent graduation class?
    • He writes a lot of letters of recommendation and currently most of those letters are for grad school rather than jobs.
    • If you have the grades and funds to do grad school then pursue that.
    • Things will recover, we’re seeing signs of it now, for the 2nd year students they’re in a great position.
    • For grads it’s great to stay active, even if it’s working construction or doing a kitchen remodel.
    • Be the best that you can at everything you do, even if it’s working in a jewelry store you can still apply the “process”.
    • Shout out to “Rolling Scones” up in the bay area
  • Lengthy talk on being a successful business person in architecture.
    • It’s not that hard, just do it
  • Parting words:
    • This is the best job in the entire world, take a break if you need to, but come back
    • Get your license, that’s the ultimate goal. Then do whatever you want after that.

]]> http://www.sloarch.com/2010/07/the-studio-28-disconnected/feed/ 1 Business,CalPoly,construction,design,Economy,Educational,George Hasslen,Greg Wynn,NAAB,Spain Greg Wynn, Architect, Cal Poly Lecturer and Cal Poly Alumni teaches us a lot! We discuss how to be a successful Architect, Greg's theory on life and throw in a story about Dean George Hasslein for good measure. Greg Wynn, Architect, Cal Poly Lecturer and Cal Poly Alumni teaches us a lot! We discuss how to be a successful Architect, Greg's theory on life and throw in a story about Dean George Hasslein for good measure. We also talk about the alumni NAAB survey and saving La Sagrada Familia! Don't forget to tell your friends about us, join our Facebook Group, leave reviews on iTunes, vote for us on Podcast Alley, and follow us on Twitter! sloArch no