Hourig Ayanyan McCray, LEED AP, Assoc. AIA, B’Arch ‘06 gives Tim a reason to proclaim his love for angry birds.  We talk about the role of women in architecture and the artificial leaf.

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Show Notes

Site News

We dissect why you might want to rethink being an architect, the world’s largest chimney, and would you want to live over a freeway?

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Show Notes

Site News

• New Facebook Fans
  • Steve Jones
  • Carlos De Haro
  • Jeannette Senn
  • Ryan Fetters

Cal Poly News

• “Deconstructing Japanese Architecture”
  • Lecture by Prof. Don Choi
  • Thursday, November 4th, 2010 11:00 to 12:noon
  • Bldg. 186, Room C-103.
  • Don’s lecture is part of the Asian Studies Lecture Series presented by the Asian Studies Minor.
  • Don is currently writing a book that addresses major themes of architecture in modern Japan form 1850 to the present.
• Hearst Lecture: Jason K. Johnson and Nataly Gattegno, Future-Cities-Lab
  • 4-5pm in the rotunda
  • Grasshopper Workshop with Future-Cities-Lab
  • Saturday, November 6th, 2010, 10:00am – 4pm, Berg Gallery, Room 05-105
• AIAS Cal Poly Presents: Pecha Kucha Night
  • See 6 Current 3rd year professor present information about their studios in the unique format of 20 slides for 20 seconds each for a total of 6 minutes and 40 seconds.
  • Monday, November 8 · 6:00pm – 9:30pm
  • The Fishtank (Courtyard Gallery, 21-105A)
  • http://www.pecha-kucha.org/
• Vellum Competition winners
  • http://www.arch.calpoly.edu/exhibitions/vellum/vellum-10.html
  • Congratulations!

Pop Culture Feature

• “So You Want To Be An Architect? Think Twice”
  • http://blog.archpaper.com/wordpress/archives/9543

General News

• More on the USGBC Class action lawsuit
  • http://www.glassguides.com/index.php/archives/1706
• Church implodes buildings to make way for $115 million project
  • http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/5832/53/
  • http://www.5gstudio.com/newsletter/2010/november/implosion.html

• Exactly how many architects in the U.S. are unemployed?
  • http://archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/2010/10/101025real_employment.asp
  • NCARB’s 2010 Survey of Registered Architects-there are 105,312 of them
  • We already talked about this, but it popped up again and wasn’t sure if it would relate to anything we talk about tonight. If anything is serves as good reference for the previous article.
  • http://blog.aia.org/nac/2010/10/ncarbs_2010_survey_of_register_1.html
• Foreign work keeps Denver firms flying
  • http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_16504428
  • Colorado claims employment among architects in the state was down 25 percent last year, leading some to work overseas.
• Tallest structure proposed
  • http://architect-media.com/portal/wts/cemc6Fa9iBibaAnseezbyxa-jQFF2c
  • Planning is underway for a $700 million “solar chimney tower” that would be more than twice as tall as the Empire State Building. David Zax reports that EnviroMission hopes to get its concept going after receiving a contract for green power from the Southern California Public Power Authority. “The tower represents a hybrid of solar and wind technology,” Zax writes. “The bright surface at the bottom of the artist’s rendering is an expansive glass-covered greenhouse that bakes in the sun, heating air that pours into the 1,000-meter-high chimney, churning 35 electricity-generating turbines.”
• Freeway views
  • http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/01/roadside-attraction/
  • Architect Ronnie Self has built himself the ultimate Houston home, with skyline views and a freeway at his front door. William Middleton reports that the architect built his house in Houston’s Third Ward for its artsy vibe and inexpensive real estate. And the location next to 20 lanes of highway protects his views from Houston’s notoriously lax zoning rules. “It seemed that it was pretty much a guarantee that no one was going to block your view,” Self says.

My neck on the proverbial chopping block.

You see, up until about a month ago, I considered myself one of the lucky ones.  I was working in an office that had yet to be touched by the big, bad economy monster.  I wasn’t blind though, I could see what was happening out there and when the lay-offs started hitting closer to home, it wasn’t all that much of a surprise really.  Every time another friend was let go, I counted my lucky stars that I still had a job to return to.  None of this should be news to any of you.

Then it finally happened and it was my neck on the proverbial chopping block.  My turn to step up and take one for the team.  What I’ve witnessed in the time since then, has honestly and truly scared me beyond all belief.

After the initial numbness wore off, I made a trip to the local AIA chapter office to update my contact information.  I chatted with the helpful woman at the front desk and that’s when she said something to me that still shakes me to the core.  “Just be sure to stay in the industry, we’d hate to lose you.”  The way it was said, as if she’s seen an army of traitor architects abandon ship and head off for parts unknown.  The thought of leaving this profession had never crossed my mind until she said those words.  I mean, there was that one time in college but isn’t that something we all went through back then?  My point is, is that for the last 10+ years, architecture is all I’ve ever wanted to do.  In all honesty, I knew I wanted to be a part of this industry since my childhood.  I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.  “Just be sure to stay in the industry,” she said.  I laughed it off and tried to think nothing of it.

Fast forward a few weeks and I’m starting to realize just what she was talking about.  Between ARE study sessions I’ve been looking for work here and there, cold-calling some offices and replying to job postings that I’m only slightly qualified for.  When I can’t sleep at night I pull out my laptop and hunt the state job boards until the early hours of the morning.  Long story short, it’s pretty barren out there.  But none of this should be news to you.

At times, when I’m tired of having my nose buried in a Kaplan book, and too frustrated scanning a job board that I know isn’t going to look any different than it did yesterday, I get to thinking…What other “professions” are like ours?  How many out-of-work doctors or lawyers do you know right now?  Maybe that’s a bad example and I’m far from an expert on the subject, but I can’t imagine those very same individuals even considering leaving all of their schooling and hard-work behind.

What really gets me though, is that very little of this is happening because there’s a bunch of bad architects out there doing shoddy work.  I don’t want to venture too far out into the politics of this thing, but no matter which way you look at the economic downturn, none of this is our fault.  Our profession is at the mercy of the economy and there’s little we can do to protect ourselves from getting gobbled up.  Remember the horror stories from all the old-timers in your office, when they talked of the profession in the 80′s and 90′s?  Um, hello!!!  History is repeating itself and by the looks of it, there’s very little we as professionals have learned from the past.

Who is the steward for our profession?

This brings me to my final thought.  Just who is the steward for our profession?  Who is out there looking out for us, protecting us, lending a hand when we need it the most?  We don’t have a union that can help elect public officials and apply pressure where needed to further our cause.  We don’t have anyone marching on Capitol Mall with signs demanding change.  All we have is an ever-growing group of unemployed workers who are having to be reminded, “Just be sure to stay in the industry.”

(Stay tuned to sloArch.com for further editorials on this and other subjects of interest.  Do you have some thoughts to share?  Please leave a comment below!)

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.

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General News

• A Font of Ideas From a ‘Nomadic’ Humanitarian Architect
  • http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/02/arts/design/02iht-design2.html?src=mv
• Everyone’s an architect
  • http://www.architectmagazine.com/architects/im-an-architect.aspx
  • Digital issue of Architect:
  • http://mydigimag.rrd.com/publication/frame.php?i=41861&p=&pn=&ver=swf
• Calatrava Unveils Design for Major Denver Airport Project
  • http://archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/2010/07/100730calatrava.asp
  • “The bridge and hotel are expected to be completed by 2013. The train station will be completed two years later, and commuter-rail service is scheduled to begin service in 2016.”
• Building Information Modeling: Risks and Rewards
  • http://www.law.com/jsp/lawtechnologynews/PubArticleLTN.jsp?id=1202464217869&Building_Information_Modeling_Risks_and_Rewards
  • “If those proficient in using BIM are not the individuals making design judgments, the initial architectural firm runs the risk of miscommunication, which can lead to design errors.”

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
    • http://www.aia.org/practicing/AIAB085555
• 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!

Haley is out this week but Elise Drakes fills in as co-host and Seth Pare-Mayer, Kelli Franz, and Alaina McBride join us for an unusual show on Architectural entrepreneurship and how to market yourself.

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Show Notes

Site News

• Tim’s Big News… he passed the California Supplemental Exam!!
• New Facebook “likers”
  • Chris Allen
  • Chris Foisy

Cal Poly News (no general news this week)

• Hearst Lecture: 04/23/10 Ray Landy Business Rotunda, 4:00pm
• reKINETIC exhibit still ongoing
  • http://lib.calpoly.edu/learningcommons/gallery/10spring/
  • Thursday, April 15 – Sunday, June 6, 2010
• Spring Job Fair, Thursday (4/22/10)
• Henry DeHahn updated his image gallery http://gallery.me.com/henridehahn

The Show!

• Seth and Kelli decided to go out on their own the day after graduation
  • Atelier-KS
  • They did their IDP and gained experience with Architects part-time throughout school then they moved to San Francisco and worked for a couple years with firms similar to the type that they wanted to start.
• Were you scared? Tim is!
  • Never afraid, it was always a goal, and they had good training in the firms they worked for.
  • Seth was laid off at the same time they got a job, that pushed them to go out on their own.
  • Seth has finished the IDP, Kelli is almost done and they are starting to take the ARE’s.
  • Their goal is to do small residential and light commercial projects.
• How are you getting work?
  • Networking. Shmoosing everybody. Farmers market as a networking tool.
  • Were listed in Dwell online: http://www.dwell.com/articles/sunset-district-renovation.html
  • Also on Daily Candy: http://www.dailycandy.com/san-francisco/article/80802/Local-Mission-Eatery-Opens
• Alaina’s perspective
  • How to use Social Networking for marketing:
  • How to use a Facebook fan page
  • Collaborations – a key marketing trend as a way to offer unique combination services
    • Seth and Kelli have been collaborating with Chris Allen: http://www.cwastudios.com/.  Chris designs and builds custom casework into their residential projects.
    • Building relationships with contractors
• Kelli and Seth: What is it like to work with contractors right out of school?
  • Worked with other firms and learned not to have an adversarial relationship with the contractor
  • Working towards a common goal
  • Involve builder as soon as possible
  • Sometimes they have better ideas, it’s a give and take
  • Clear communication prevents problems
• Elise’s question to Seth and Kelli: How do you avoid being taken advantage of (i.e. underpaid and overworked) by Owners because you are young/still gaining experience?
  • Kelli and Seth feel as though they bring energy to their projects, and typically they establish a pay schedule which allows them flexibility to put in as many long hours as needed, while not feeling underworked/overpaid
  • Alaina encourages Seth and Kelli to use their youth as a marketing advantage; older consumer generations are realizing that younger generations are more receptive and skilled at innovative technology
• Whats the greatest challenge of working on your own?
  • Realization of how long the process is from the first contact to getting a signed contract
• Where do you splurge and save?
  • Splurged on their desk, made by Chris Allen
  • Save everywhere else they can
  • Many tasks often outsourced by other architects (i.e. photography of projects, editing, website building) are done by Seth and Kelli to lower costs and keep work in-house (Elise’s side note: they are fantastic photographers
• Alaina’s perspective:
• Gorilla Marketing = Time, Energy, Imagination, not a large marketing budget
  • The farmer’s market architect is a great example of marketing yourself and gaining contacts to sustain work
  • Linked-In! (www.linkedin.com/) Your profile is highly ranked in Google
  • Typically an older demographic, more professionals are on Linked-In
  • Twitter! (http://www.twitter.com/sloarch), find out what your competitors are doing
  • Google Local (http://www.google.com/local/add/); puts you on a map literally; gets more reviews by local residents to increase your search visibility
  • Use the “ladder effect” to get noticed
    • Contact local media, they love talking to business owners!
    • Yelp.com – Ask your clients to add your firm’s link to their profile
    • Mission Eatery: http://www.yelp.com/biz/local-mission-eatery-san-francisco
• Some general business advice from Alaina
  • Have a good understanding of the cash flow process
  • Have six months working capital when you start so you can wait out the start up process. Assume you are working for 6 months without pay
  • Get good business advice
    • Some free sources
      • http://www.score.org – Service Core of Retired Executives contributing their time
      • http://www.sba.gov – Small business administration to find a Small Business Development Center http://www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/sbdc/index.html
    • Business development classes
    • Find local non profit business organizations
    • Find good mentors, don’t be afraid to cold call people
    • The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich -
• For unemployed designers, you have the skills, design and sell something
  • Ponoko.com – use digital manufacturing to design something to buy or sell directly on the site
  • http://www.etsy.com/ - Make and sell stuff (jewelry, furniture, art)
• Do Seth and Kelli plan on growing or staying a small firm?
  • They hope to maintain a steady workflow of projects, working side by side, in close contact with people they enjoy collaborating with
  • Seth and Kelli saw a Cal Poly presentation and were inspired by the motto, “Start your career how you want to end your career.”
• The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It – Michael E. Gerber
• Get to know your ideal clientèle then you can learn to attract other people like them
• Baby-boomers are looking to younger professionals to leverage technology which gives younger people a competitive advantage
• Tim predicts Baroque Architecture being the next big thing
• Using your cat as your financial adviser; establish a person at your office (fictional or real) as the “financial person”; you want the face of the company to remain loved by all
• What are our best memories from Cal Poly?

Alexander Tsai, Cal Poly class of  ’98, Associate AIA, Regional Associate Director for AIA California Council and good friend of Haley gives Tim a lesson on the importance of The American Institute of Architects and joins in a great conversation.

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Show Notes

Site News

• 6 new fans on Facebook
• Email from Somer

Cal Poly News

• 2009-10 Hearst Lecture Series – Spring 2010 Integrated Practices.
  • “Under the directorship of Prof. Mark Cabrinha, the College has been fortunate to draw to campus a number of distinguished guest speakers who have shared their knowledge with students, faculty, and guests. Please mark your calendar, and we hope that you will be able to join us this quarter and enjoy several of the lectures.”
  • Elena Manferdini: Atelier Manferdini, Friday, April 2nd, 2010, 4:00pm, Business Rotunda (03-213) For additional information, visit Elena Manferdini’s web page.
  • http://www.ateliermanferdini.com/
• Alpha Rho Chi sponsors Portfolio workshop
  • Berg Gallery
  • Saturday, April 10th, 12-5pm
  • Lunch will be provided

Other News/Topics

• Revit 2011 new features
• Autodesk Assistance Program Extended through Jan 31 2011
  • http://www.autodesk.com/assistance
• Architects float prison-in-the-sky idea
  • http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20000681-1.html
• Why there isn’t a market for modern homes?
  • http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/26/AR2010032600029.html
• What Next: Skyscrapers
  • http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126890098467863863.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines
• Old-school architect creates an iOpener
  • http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/88796897.html

Rapid Fire Questions… maybe not so rapid

• Cal Poly or Berkeley? Cal Poly
• Autocad or Revit? Revit
• Parallel bar or T-Square? T-Square
• Facebook or LinkedIn? both
• Arch Record or Arch Digest? both… or record
• Drafting dots or tape? dots
• Yellow trace or white? yellow
• Ad Markers or Prisma? primsa
• Pen or Pencil? both
• Mac or PC? PC

Score: 90080-02
Alex questions the philosophical reasoning behind our Rapid Fire Questions… so perhaps he is the ultimate winner?

Interview

• What’s your story?
  • born and raised in Taiwan, moved here when he was 13
  • went to Cal Poly, graduated and opened his own practice in the bay area.
• Currently serving as the Regional Associate Director (RAD) for the AIA California Council, he was also the first Associate member to sit on the AIA California Chapter Board of Directors, and has also sat on the Board for AIA San Francisco and been the chair of BAYA (Bay Area Young Architects).
  • http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BAYA/
  • BAYA – Bay Area Young Architects on Facebook
• His Rad position means that he currently serves on the AIA National Associates Committee (NAC) representing the Associates of California at the National level of the AIA.
  • http://www.aia.org/professionals/groups/nac/AIAS078702
  • As the California RAD he also sits on the Council of Advisors for the AIA CC Academy for Emerging Professionals (AEP) along with Haley.  The AEP brings together Emerging Professionals in California in various career stages; students, interns pursing licensure, or perhaps not pursuing licensure; and architects licensed in the past 10 years.  This group offers cross mentorship.
  • http://www.aiaccaep.org/
• What brought him to AIA?
  • He wasn’t involved in the AIA until later in his career
  • While at Cal Poly he was the vice chair of the CAED council at Cal Poly but not really involved with the AIAS.
  • After Cal Poly he started his own business and it got lonely as a sole practitioner, so he got involved with BAYA to help start a network and from there he started getting more and more involved.
  • He started to realize there are many resources that the AIA offers, and wanted to get involved.
  • The AIA isn’t perfect, that’s why he’s involved to help change it!
• How does he keep in touch with the needs of Associates in California?
  • The main source of information is the AEP
  • We have a network throughout the state that helps gives us information through all of the local chapters
  • The AEP works to develop this network so members in those various career stages of Emerging Professionals feel that their membership is of value and their needs are represented accurately.
• We put Tim on the spot!!!  Why has Tim never been involved with the AIA, and what would be the reasons for him to get involved?
  • There are events you can attend for free
  • All recent Cal Poly (or Arch. Program) graduates get a free Associate AIA membership for 1 year and entry into the National Convention
  • Networking, meeting people locally in your profession
  • Fellowship and commradory with other professionals
  • Advocacy, not only for AIA members but all Architects, on state and national issues
  • Public awareness and outreach
• Is there something you wish you had done or known when you were still at Cal Poly?
  • Don’t dwell in the past, it distracts from the now!  – a quote from one of Alex’s favorite movies, “The Incredibles.”
• What kind of advice can you give to current Cal Poly students?
  • Encourage them to get out of the studios, get out and look around, it’s important to have a full and complete college education and experience, get involved with student council and sports, it’s important to broaden your horizons with things outside the world of architecture
  • While we sometimes travel in packs, it’s important to be able to communicate with those outside of the CAED
  • Get involved, even the best looking resume won’t necessarily get you the job, sometimes it’s the network you’ve built, how effectively you communicate and how plugged into your community you are
• AIASF.org has a jam packed calendar of events!!!

Adam Mayberry, Cal Poly B’Arch ’05, joins us as we start our campaign to designate intern architects, RGLAI’s.  Adam talks about the exciting things he is doing while in between jobs.

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Show Notes

News:

Cal Poly

• Big Thanks to Henri De Hahn, we are now on the front page of the Arch Dept’s webpage!
• Spring Career Fair
  • Thursday, April 22, 2010
  • 9:30 Chumash
• Best of Show Review Mar 12th
  • http://www.arch.calpoly.edu/exhibitions/best%20of%20show/bestofshow-third%20year-031210.html
• Suggest a link for the Arch Department’s Sustainability Link’s Page
  • http://www.arch.calpoly.edu/current/sustainability.html
  • email links to thestudio at sloarch.com or architecture at calpoly.ed

Other

Interview:

Rapid Fire Questions

Final Score: RGLAI!

Questions of Normal Speed

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Show Notes

News:

• Last Hearst Lecture for the season, this Friday
  • Scott Marble: Marble Fairbanks
  • Friday, February 26th, 2010, at 4:00pm
  • Business Rotunda, Room 03-213
  • Teaches at Columbia and taught one of the first “paperless” design studios.
  • His Firm website: http://www.marblefairbanks.com/
• New Practice/Un-Practice
  • As traditional jobs vanish, startups bloom.
  • Recessions tend to accelerate the formation of new firms.
  • Gen X & Y are perhaps better equipped to startup their own practices more than their predecessors were.
  • With the lack of internships and associate positions, they have to set their own career path.
  • Improved technology makes communication more accessible.
  • Many low to no overhead business models are sprouting up across the country.
• US architecture billings index down in January-AIA by 2.9 pts to 42.5
  • New project inquiries index lowest since July.
  • Lenders set stringent equity requirements.
  • All 4 US geographic regions stayed below 50 in billings for January, as well as 3 of the 4 construction sectors.
  • The AIA’s billings index, begun in 1995, is considered a measure of construction spending nine to 12 months in the future.
  • Billings and Inquiries Indices Last 4 Years
• AIA Names 9 Recipients for the 2010 Young Architects Award
  • The Award is given to professionals who have been licensed for 10 years or fewer (regardless of age) and have demonstrated leadership as well as made significant contributions to the profession early in their careers.
• Architects Synthesize Carbon Nanotube Buckypaper
  • http://nanoarchitecture.net/
  • Decker Yeadon Lab Synthesis Video
  • Decker Yeadon, a NY Firm that focuses on applying advanced materials in architecture, has developed a substance called “Buckypaper”
  • Buckypaper is made from carbon nanotubes, or buckytubes.
  • sidenote: carbon nanotubes are cylindrical Fullerenes, sometimes they might also be spherical as in the buckminsterfullerene C60 molecule, regardless of the variety of shapes they come in, all the molecules in the Fullerene family are composed entirely of carbon.
  • This is another reason why Haley LOVES Bucky
  • Buckypaper is said to be hundreds of times stronger than steel, it can filter particles, conduct and disperse heat like metals and can conduct electricity.
  • Being the first architects to make Buckypaper, a great deal of interest from the scientific community has surrounded the research of Buckypaper.

Rapid Fire Questions

• Cal Poly or Berkley? CAL POLY
• Autocad or Revit? AutoCAD
• Parallel bar or T-Square? Parrellel bar
• Facebook or LinkedIn? Facebook
• Arch Record or Arch Digest? Arch Record
• Drafting dots or tape? Tape
• Yellow trace or white? indifferent! – white
• Ad Markers or Prisma? Prisma
• Pen or Pencil? Pencil
• Mac or PC? indifferent!  Again!! – only had PCs, but Cal Poly runs on Mac’s so they’re the same in her book

Score: monosodiumgluteate: MSG

Interview:

• What is she up to?
  • Graduated in 2008, currently not working in an architecture firm.
  • Prior to graduation she had a job lined up in SLO but a week before graduation the department she was to work in was dissolved.
  • Moved to Idaho, where her sister lives and had a bunch of interviews and things looked promising but most of the firms were waiting to decide on any new hires.
  • Trying to figure out where to go, what to do… currently working as a general manager in a restaurant?
  • Planning to come back to architecture when things turn around.
  • While it’s driving her crazy that she’s not currently working in architecture she’s still trying to stay plugged into architecture by visiting a local firm, Modus Architects, and sitting in on meetings and she used their study materials to get LEED Accredited, this firm is awesome for doing that!!!
  • Entering competitions to stay creative and involved.
  • Arquitectum Competitions and Events
  • Death By Architecture
  • Trying to make the most of keeping her skills and using them so she doesn’t lose touch with the design process.
  • Writing articles, reading articles to keep her mind from “going to mush”.
  • Looking at possibilites to do things locally, like converting an empty lot into an openair market.
• Are you currently working towards licensure? If so what is your progress?
  • She’d like to get going on it, but money is an issue right now.
  • Haley mentions some resources to work towards your IDP requirements without working in architecture:
  • Refer to NCARB for opportunities to gain IDP experience while unemployed:
    • IDP Activities You May Complete While Unemployed
  • Use the FREE online resource: the Emerging Professionals Companion, where you can complete activities and exercises that count towards your IDP experience requirements:
    • http://www.epcompanion.org/
  • Attending AIA Continuing Education seminars/lectures can also count towards IDP.
  • But you NEED an NCARB Record to record these hours ($285)
• Noelle talks about her cross country trip, since she’s unemployed she has time to travel.
  • Being speechless while visiting buildings that she loves and studied in school keeps her inspired and driven.
• Current observations of economy
  • Directly, trying to make it for the time being until she can find a job in a firm.
• Any thoughts on Cal Poly grads out in the industry?
  • Love, love, loves her education from Cal Poly!!
  • She feels that her education has given her a great background of design in general, architectural design skills are the mother of all other design skills.
  • Use your vocabulary of design skills can be applied to a myriad of other fields, she’s gotten into jewelry design.
• Any thoughts on how the program is changing/improving?
  • More integration of technology and having to learn programs on your own as well as the need of hand drawing, it would be good if they offered a whole quarter to learn programs but still emphasized the importance of hand drawing becuase there are still applications where it is appropriate.
• Is there something you wish you had done or known when you were still at Cal Poly?
  • Wished she would have gotten into IDP at the time she was in school and had interned every summer, so she missed out reporting those hours.
• What kind of advice can you give to current Cal Poly students?
  • Try to intern as much as you can. Cal Poly teaches you the design aspect, but working in a firm helps you see how a firm really functions and how to apply your drafting skills.
  • Most of the time the job offers you get are from the firms you’ve work for in the past.
  • Take advantage of the work shop.

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Mail Bag:

• Ellen, LEED AP – CSE Study Groups
  • Check out http://areforum.org/ to organize study groups and get questions answered
  • Visit the California Aarchitects Board website for info on the California Suplimental Exam http://www.cab.ca.gov/candidates/index.shtml
• Steve – Keynoting in Revit
  • http://www.sloarch.com/2009/07/emc2-architects-releases-keynote-manager-7-1/
  • Let us know how you structure your key reference notes! Do you use the master format? Do you have a custom format?

News:

• Senator Calls on Cal Poly to Stop Allowing Donor Influence of Curriculum
  • http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/view/137701
  • What is the appropriate influence of doners in acedemia??
• Another interesting Haiti article
  • http://www.architectmagazine.com/blogs/postdetails.aspx?BlogId=beyondbuildingsblog&PostId=91771
  • the author is a prof at Cal Poly Pamona
  • Architecture is a team endeavor Architects need to be team players.
• Architect or whatever:
  • http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/garden/21architects.html
  • Tim read about John last year.  He’s been doing this for almost a year!! Things have been bad for some time. In Mar. of 09 Architectual Record did an entire issue on the recession.
    • http://archrecord.construction.com/news/newsmakers/0903johnmorefield.asp
  • Many of those who have been laid off are discovering new talents often unrelated to architecture…
  • “He was seated at a homemade wooden stand under a sign reading ‘Architecture 5¢,’ with a tin can nearby awaiting spare change. For a nickel, he would answer any architectural question.”
  • “According to the latest data available from the Department of Labor, employment at American architecture firms, which peaked last July at 224,500, had dropped to 184,600 by November.”
• Tim’s BIG news! Whoo hooo!
  • send job opportunities to theStudio at sloarch.com

Interview:

• Alex is still at the first job that he got straight out of Cal Poly
• He has started the IDP program but isn’t sure if he wants to start the ARE’s. We try to convince him to start.
  • It’s hard to get all the IDP hours when your firm doesn’t do all services.
  • Emerging Professionals Companion offers IDP units, http://www.epcompanion.org/
  • Have consultants do a learning luncheon and give a homework assignment to those working on IDP
• Started doing freelance residential drawings when he started college
  • First client was his uncle
  • At the peak in 2007 he was doing 40-50 projects a year
  • Friends called him a work-a-holic. For two years almost every weekend he drove to the central valley for work.
• Alex talks about the legalities of a non-architect doing residential construction drawings and how he learned how to do the drawings.
• We are left speachless
• Doing real world work made it difficult to think really out of the box in design studio because he instinctively thought about constructability of the design.
• Cal Poly’s motto of learn by doing is great but teachers controlling what technologies to use is something to possibly change.
• Find a job related to Architecture while you are still in school to see if it’s really what you want to do.
• Jake Feldman talked Alex into not changing majors to Architectural Engineering. Studing vs having fun with models.
• Alex came to the United States from Mexico at 14 not knowing any English. He worked really hard to learn the language in less than two years. He couldn’t go directly to Cal Poly because he didn’t have 4 years of required English.
  • During his senior year of high school and the summer after graduation he completed most of his freshman college courses at the local junior college.
  • He transfered to Cuesta and then to Cal Poly. Still completed the entire program in the 5 year period because of transfer credits.
• How does Alex feel about all the layoffs at his firm?
• Hasn’t had any outside architecture work for 3 months, has started a side business with another person in the firm to create an alternate revenue stream
• Even if he’s vacationing in Cabo San Lucas he will still be designing Architecture