Theory — If Apple Practiced Architecture
The Architecture business model is an ancient model built on inquiry, whimsy, creativity and criteria. I’ve practiced architecture in six different offices, including my own, and there are certain axioms that pervade every corporate philosophy. I’ve often wondered if this old, tired profession could benefit from a fresh, hybrid business model from an unrelated industry.. read more →
Interview — Nervous Energy
Sweaty palms, elevated heart rate, abbreviated respiration, dizziness. If you have these symptoms it’s time to see a doctor! Wait, these are also symptoms of nervousness, excitement and even preparing for a project interview. read more →
When a Mismatch is a Match — Happy Accident
If I ever reincarnated as dirty laundry, I’d want to be socks because socks definitely have the most fun on laundry day. Socks mix-it-up unlike any other laundry article. Socks disappear, wear out and when a sock’s original mate disappears or dies the sock pairs with another sock. This unlikely pair may not match exactly but together they create an interesting and functional mismatch. Yes, I’d definitely be a sock so my mismatch would still be a match. read more →
Project Could be a Dream — Sh Boom
Remember a time when music, people and life was light-hearted and pleasant. Ah, Life Could be a Dream, Sweetheart, but how about architectural projects? The dream project is the project that compensates the provider, in my case the architect, after design and construction completion and continues to pay dividends. Why would you need a project that pays and continues to pay? Because, architecture is a labor-task profession. A design firm exerts an amount of time/labor to finish tasks and receives compensation for design or consulting task completion. It’s a laborious trade similar to other Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) trades. Effort exerted = money received, but what if the initial architectural effort paid in perpetuity? read more →
Archi-scar – That Will Leave a Mark!
There’s a scar on my right external abdominal oblique where a set of 6-pack abs should be. It’s a lazy L-shaped mark with less pigment than the surrounding skin and a distant reminder of an injury sustained when a 5-year old me slid fireman-style down a swing set pole. A rusty bolt slowed my descent. Skin vs. metal? Yes, metal wins. The scar is neither ugly nor noticeable unless you search for it. When I notice it, I remember the incident and most importantly what I learned from the incident – look before you leap! read more →
Career – The News Knows
What do you want to be when you grow up? It’s a daunting question for most people. A purely acceptable answer is “I don’t know, but maybe I’ll try a few trades to discover what I like”. That’s exactly the way I approached the future career question and the first trade I tried was newspaper carrier. read more →
Words are Simple — Too Simple
Words hurt, Words are Power, Words are cheap, Words are Simple — Too simple and that’s why I add the Show-&-Tell step to The Sketch part of the design process. The Show-&-Tell solves the mystery behind personal word definitions. One of the most misused words in architecture is the word, “simple“. Every client uses it,.. read more →
The Dad — The Architect
Doctor, Officer, General. Those are titles that designate a particular status, position or employment. I don’t like them. It’s not these titles specifically that I don’t like. I don’t like titles, period; however, there are three titles I’ve earned in my life that I proudly wear. Husband, Dad and Architect. Over the years, my family learned those titles are not mutually exclusive. read more →
