How does one go about creating your voice or style within the profession?
As an architect that has been practicing for some time and starting to pick-up a few side projects, I realize it is very difficult to do something unique, interesting, and personal with the small designs that I get to be involved in. I try to get back into the mindset I had in school, where you just design whatever you want, concept driven, no concern for constructability. Projects where you were investigating personal ideas within the work, but that gets so watered down in the real world.
One huge constraint is obviously budget, so you just go to what you know is going to be cheap (standard construction and standard detailing) because you want the project to be built.
I had an instructor in school that warned of letting your employers, past or present, aesthetic become your own aesthetic. I try not to let that happen, but I do find that I will use a similar "tricks" time to time. It is interesting how working for others leads to non-thinking/uncritical work, where you become a robot, just waiting for the boss man to hand down the latest iteration of a project. The system doesn't promote individual thought or prepare people to one day go out on their own, especially from a design perspective.
I think it is super important to continue to explore personal ideas, but how? competitions? What else do you do to stay fresh?
My question is to those that have their own start-up firms, or working for others doing side work with tight budgets, how do you stay fresh, create interest in the work, explore personal ideas, while still being responsible to your client? How do you do cool, interesting work without unlimited starchitect budgets?
embrace constraints
never stop studying
teach yourself
draw
remain critical of all design
build small
build temporary
talk to the public
Aug 18, 14 1:30 pm ·
·
Remember this:
If the client isn't yourself, it is someone else's money. It is very unlikely that anyone will let you design whatever you want. After all, it is THEIR money NOT your money.
That is why professional practice of architecture is not a fine art like an artist painting or sculpture. It is more like an applied art than a fine art even though fine art principles can be applied as it can be in other applied arts. It is that, our work has a functional purpose that the structure must achieve.
That is why I see what we do is more like an applied art than fine art / sculpture.
Forget everything you learned in school. Project commissions are about satisfying the client's needs, not your ego. This is what will lead to more work.
If you can get your clients to add or increase energy efficiency, renewables, use of locally available / domestic materials, etc. within the program (all of the things we desperately need as a society) that is a big plus. That can be part of your voice: responsibility.
"Style" should fit both the use and the context. If you're hung up on style you're missing the most important stuff. The trick is to make it "fit" and look "good" while satisfying all the various practical and functional requirements. Of course "good" is entirely subjective ...
I think Richard & Miles have stated it perfectly, I would only add practical competitions as a way to stretch your wings between innings.
As an employer, is your employer aware you’re doing side-jobs? Also remember that your firm is getting work based on the past body of work they did, not you. You must work within the vernacular of the firms work which sounds like is coming from your principal. I would endorse competitions and pro bono work under the seal of the firm, but I’m looking over my glasses at you with side-jobs for a fee.
Aug 18, 14 7:16 pm ·
·
Yep, some firms have anti-"moonlighting" policies which they may use as grounds of laying off an employee caught moonlighting (doing side-jobs) without approval.
If the firm you work for doesn't do the projects that are the side-jobs and you do them at your own place on your own equipment under your own name (ie. DO NOT USE the business cards of the firm you work for.), then they will not have problems until you enjoin them to liability that you create with your side jobs.
This is an ugly truth about courts and insurance liability. There needs to be complete separation of your private activities and that of your employer. Things would be different in an independent contractor relationship.
I can get away with it when I was a contracted consultant with an architecture firm for a campus project and I was doing a project for a client involving what is basically an adaptive reuse as the building designer. This is because I wasn't a conventional employee to the architectural firm. I wasn't using the architectural firm equipment. It would be fairly clear cut about where the liability was in the case of the adaptive reuse project.
An employer by law is liable to their employees.
The other concerns about moonlighting that firm employers would have is employees that are exhausted and low quality work of the employees that are moonlighting.
Concern about quality of work and concerns about being enjoined to the liability of some moonlighting job of an employee.
If it firm happens to do the kind of work that the employee's moonlighting work was, then there is concerns about employees taking away the fish. If I was working as an employee for a firm that does residential and light commercial design work, I would probably not be moonlighting but bringing the project to the firm from which I may very well be doing. Otherwise, it maybe grounds for fast-tracking me onto the lay-off list.
Maybe I should look this up myself but it guys seem are very knowledgable in this subject. Im in the same position as chigurh. I've been keeping myself happy by doing some side projects, pro bono, and working with other architects and contractors on projects. I have my own equipment and a place to do some work after my 9-5 and on weekends. My quality of work has actually improved by the influx of knowledge and experience by working off the clock. My connections in the industry has also improved. (Main goal is to have a small Architecture/construction firm)
Is there a problem with the way Im doing this? Also I consider this basically my second job and the added benefit is it adds hours for my IDP credits.
Aug 18, 14 8:58 pm ·
·
I'm not sure if your independent work counts as IDP but take not above. If you take not above of concerns noted, it should tell you. It isn't always a problem. It depends a bit on your situation.
If you overwork yourself... it might be a problem if it degrades your quality of work. If it competes with your firm you are working with... maybe a problem. Especially if you are on their payroll.
Anob, it’s just a matter of your firm’s company policy. If you were not given one to read then you need to ask before you do anything. Today though I’d be very surprised to find any firm endorsing outside work, for reasons stated.
Chigurh, there really isn't any silver bullet advice here. All the comments about side work being a no-no aside (I have done side work for 10 years now and it's never been an issue), Joseph put it best with his little "to-do" list - the first and fifth items being the most critical. The limitations of any project are what will refine your design and critical thinking skills. And it is within those constraints that, if you work hard enough, will provide the most freedom and flexibility for design and innovation.
Next, always ALWAYS question and critique design - even the designs of your boss. (Disclaimer: some will hate you or even fire you for this. These are not employers you want to work for.) We are all always learning and our designs are never perfect. There is always room for improvement. If you see something you think you can make better - pitch the idea and see what happens. Maybe your boss says no or it doesn't fit within the limitations of the project program. That's fine. Move on and keep your eyes open for the next opportunity.
Above all the only thing that is going to keep you excited about architecture is YOU. Keep reading, keep studying, keep drawing (preferably by hand) and just keep refining your craft. Go out in the backyard and build something, anything. Keep moving forward.
Sep 2, 14 5:54 pm ·
·
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voice
How does one go about creating your voice or style within the profession?
As an architect that has been practicing for some time and starting to pick-up a few side projects, I realize it is very difficult to do something unique, interesting, and personal with the small designs that I get to be involved in. I try to get back into the mindset I had in school, where you just design whatever you want, concept driven, no concern for constructability. Projects where you were investigating personal ideas within the work, but that gets so watered down in the real world.
One huge constraint is obviously budget, so you just go to what you know is going to be cheap (standard construction and standard detailing) because you want the project to be built.
I had an instructor in school that warned of letting your employers, past or present, aesthetic become your own aesthetic. I try not to let that happen, but I do find that I will use a similar "tricks" time to time. It is interesting how working for others leads to non-thinking/uncritical work, where you become a robot, just waiting for the boss man to hand down the latest iteration of a project. The system doesn't promote individual thought or prepare people to one day go out on their own, especially from a design perspective.
I think it is super important to continue to explore personal ideas, but how? competitions? What else do you do to stay fresh?
My question is to those that have their own start-up firms, or working for others doing side work with tight budgets, how do you stay fresh, create interest in the work, explore personal ideas, while still being responsible to your client? How do you do cool, interesting work without unlimited starchitect budgets?
never stop studying
teach yourself
draw
remain critical of all design
build small
build temporary
talk to the public
Remember this:
If the client isn't yourself, it is someone else's money. It is very unlikely that anyone will let you design whatever you want. After all, it is THEIR money NOT your money.
That is why professional practice of architecture is not a fine art like an artist painting or sculpture. It is more like an applied art than a fine art even though fine art principles can be applied as it can be in other applied arts. It is that, our work has a functional purpose that the structure must achieve.
That is why I see what we do is more like an applied art than fine art / sculpture.
Forget everything you learned in school. Project commissions are about satisfying the client's needs, not your ego. This is what will lead to more work.
If you can get your clients to add or increase energy efficiency, renewables, use of locally available / domestic materials, etc. within the program (all of the things we desperately need as a society) that is a big plus. That can be part of your voice: responsibility.
"Style" should fit both the use and the context. If you're hung up on style you're missing the most important stuff. The trick is to make it "fit" and look "good" while satisfying all the various practical and functional requirements. Of course "good" is entirely subjective ...
Wow, this is a good answer.
I think Richard & Miles have stated it perfectly, I would only add practical competitions as a way to stretch your wings between innings.
As an employer, is your employer aware you’re doing side-jobs? Also remember that your firm is getting work based on the past body of work they did, not you. You must work within the vernacular of the firms work which sounds like is coming from your principal. I would endorse competitions and pro bono work under the seal of the firm, but I’m looking over my glasses at you with side-jobs for a fee.
Yep, some firms have anti-"moonlighting" policies which they may use as grounds of laying off an employee caught moonlighting (doing side-jobs) without approval.
If the firm you work for doesn't do the projects that are the side-jobs and you do them at your own place on your own equipment under your own name (ie. DO NOT USE the business cards of the firm you work for.), then they will not have problems until you enjoin them to liability that you create with your side jobs.
This is an ugly truth about courts and insurance liability. There needs to be complete separation of your private activities and that of your employer. Things would be different in an independent contractor relationship.
I can get away with it when I was a contracted consultant with an architecture firm for a campus project and I was doing a project for a client involving what is basically an adaptive reuse as the building designer. This is because I wasn't a conventional employee to the architectural firm. I wasn't using the architectural firm equipment. It would be fairly clear cut about where the liability was in the case of the adaptive reuse project.
An employer by law is liable to their employees.
The other concerns about moonlighting that firm employers would have is employees that are exhausted and low quality work of the employees that are moonlighting.
Concern about quality of work and concerns about being enjoined to the liability of some moonlighting job of an employee.
If it firm happens to do the kind of work that the employee's moonlighting work was, then there is concerns about employees taking away the fish. If I was working as an employee for a firm that does residential and light commercial design work, I would probably not be moonlighting but bringing the project to the firm from which I may very well be doing. Otherwise, it maybe grounds for fast-tracking me onto the lay-off list.
In part, it's an ethics thing.
Maybe I should look this up myself but it guys seem are very knowledgable in this subject. Im in the same position as chigurh. I've been keeping myself happy by doing some side projects, pro bono, and working with other architects and contractors on projects. I have my own equipment and a place to do some work after my 9-5 and on weekends. My quality of work has actually improved by the influx of knowledge and experience by working off the clock. My connections in the industry has also improved. (Main goal is to have a small Architecture/construction firm)
Is there a problem with the way Im doing this? Also I consider this basically my second job and the added benefit is it adds hours for my IDP credits.
I'm not sure if your independent work counts as IDP but take not above. If you take not above of concerns noted, it should tell you. It isn't always a problem. It depends a bit on your situation.
If you overwork yourself... it might be a problem if it degrades your quality of work. If it competes with your firm you are working with... maybe a problem. Especially if you are on their payroll.
Anob, it’s just a matter of your firm’s company policy. If you were not given one to read then you need to ask before you do anything. Today though I’d be very surprised to find any firm endorsing outside work, for reasons stated.
Chigurh, there really isn't any silver bullet advice here. All the comments about side work being a no-no aside (I have done side work for 10 years now and it's never been an issue), Joseph put it best with his little "to-do" list - the first and fifth items being the most critical. The limitations of any project are what will refine your design and critical thinking skills. And it is within those constraints that, if you work hard enough, will provide the most freedom and flexibility for design and innovation.
Next, always ALWAYS question and critique design - even the designs of your boss. (Disclaimer: some will hate you or even fire you for this. These are not employers you want to work for.) We are all always learning and our designs are never perfect. There is always room for improvement. If you see something you think you can make better - pitch the idea and see what happens. Maybe your boss says no or it doesn't fit within the limitations of the project program. That's fine. Move on and keep your eyes open for the next opportunity.
Above all the only thing that is going to keep you excited about architecture is YOU. Keep reading, keep studying, keep drawing (preferably by hand) and just keep refining your craft. Go out in the backyard and build something, anything. Keep moving forward.
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