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    sometimes a glass is just a glass....

    Gregory Walker
    Mar 22, '13 1:38 PM EST

    interesting dichotomy of numbers out today.

     

    on the one hand, the aia's architecture billings index (which i am a participant with) is truly picking up steam over the past few months. at the very least, reading through the tea leaves, it indicates that work is picking up overall. and i can anecdotally back up that claim - we've brought in more staff over the past two months than the past four years combined. 

     

    on the other hand... you get a survey like this one produced by BD in the UK, which indicates a truly staggering number: only 24% of British architects are currently employed by a "company" (i'm not including self-employed in this number, although that's about 45%). 

    24%. 

    22% of architects are unemployed (staggering in itself) and 9% have just given up architecture to move on to other pursuits. the numbers are doubly worse for 'non-qualified graduates.'

     

    cripes. what are we supposed to think? maybe the glass is just a glass, depending on where you're drinking...



     
    • 7 Comments

    • curtkram

      and sometimes that's ok.  here's to you gregory.  stay thirsty.

      Mar 22, 13 4:40 pm  · 
       · 
      x-jla

      I would drink those numbers "with a grain of salt" 

      Mar 22, 13 5:23 pm  · 
       · 
      ∑ π ∓ √ ∞

      GB is an anomaly Greg, their ridiculous austerity program will send them into a triple or quad dip recession. Now, if the republicans have their way, then, we're all fucked.

      Mar 23, 13 6:22 pm  · 
       · 

      beta - i agree (and mentioned austerity in my tweet for the post). but, i'm having a hard time accepting it's the full reason for the difference. 

      curkram - if that's 15 year single malt, i'll drink that with you every day.

      jla-x... yeah, not feeling the drink there. but i appreciate the offer...

      Mar 23, 13 8:26 pm  · 
       · 

      I wonder how the number of architecture school graduates relates to the number who have dropped out of the architecture field altogether?  Meaning, are we graduating so many more degreed graduates these days that even if we were back to pre-recession construction levels would we still just have too many grads and therefore a high percentage dropping out of the field?

       

      On a side note: I rarely fill a glass all the way.  Generally glasses look more aesthetically pleasing to me when they are less than half full for a short glass and about 2/3 full for a tall one.  But I do love a pint of beer right to the brim.

      Mar 24, 13 12:20 pm  · 
       · 
      Lightperson

      Yeah, design is great and all, but man it is a crappy profession. 

      Mar 24, 13 2:16 pm  · 
       · 
      JayCon

      I like to think of myself as a glass completely empty and needing a refill kind of guy...

      May 9, 13 11:25 am  · 
       · 

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Central to the blog is a long running interest in how we construct practices that enable and promote the kind of work we are all most interested in. From how firms are run, structured, and constructed, the main focus will be on exploring, expanding and demystifying how firms operate. I’ll be interviewing different practices – from startups to nationally recognized firms, bringing to print at least one a month. Our focus will be connecting Archinect readers with the business of practice.

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