Hi good people
I'm an architectural intern working in a corporate firm in Minneapolis and about to graduate with M.Arch degree this spring. I'm looking to relocate to California (mainly because of weather otherwise I love this city). I've been looking at mainly LA and SF and I know they are very different (I don't even think I can afford to live in SF with an architect intern salary) but I wanted to just get an idea from anyone who works there about the general culture of architecture offices there. It might be different from one office to another so whatever input you can provide would be great. I really like my firm now. It is very supportive of interns, always trying to find interesting work for me to do. They are flexible with hours, they pay overtime. People are allowed to work at home if they want (not me but more experienced architects). They don't expect interns to work overtime and most young architects or interns don't as long as they finish their task. It is a nice place to start as a young architect. I have few passions that I like to pursue in my free time and so to have some time after work is really important to me to grow as a designer. So what I am wondering about is would this be very different in big cities like LA or SF? Is there as much consideration for life/work balance in where you work? Not only in these two cities but other places in California too. Thanks!
If nice weather is the primary concern, or should I say better winter weather, you can also consider the south west and south if you are OK with the weird (as compared to Minnesota) politics that you find at a stet level in the suburbs and backwoods.
I am in LA, and I don't expect that you will find work life balance here unless you own your own firm. At that point you will have the freedom to work any 80 hours a week you like.
You can find work life balance in both cities - I think more so in LA in a small to medium firm setting. If you allow yourself to be taken advantage of by working 80 hours weeks that is on you, your choice of employer, and the precedent you set when you start working wherever you choose. If you are moving for better weather - go to LA, as Mark Twain said, "the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in SF"
I guess I can agree with Chigurh with some clarification - if you are working in single family residential for a small firm, some developer oriented firms, schools or healthcare you have a better chance of maintaining a reasonable (non-monetary) quality of life. Design oriented firms here all have long hours, as do the firms doing commodity corporate architecture (Gensler, AECOM, etc).
What kind of weather do you like - SF has no summer - it's cold - But if you live in the east bay and take the tube into the city - at least there is sunshine in Oakland -
San Francisco is soooo expensive it is probably only realistic if you have a second source of income from mom and dad or someone else. Having lived in both San Francisco and now Los Angeles I think LA is a much more exciting city to work in as an architect anyway.
As a matter of in 2010- 2013, I had two jobs - my 40hr a week job at a firm in Jackson square and my moonlight jobs at two other offices in the city - sometimes all night, then have to continue at my regular day job " where did all these walls come from?) seeing double - just to pay the rent and all the 1099 taxes
I don't have any other source of income and definitely don't have rich parents to support me to live in SF. Thanks for your feedback on this. I am narrowing my search to LA. I took a look on the rent prices in SF and yikes....LA looks so much more reasonable by comparison.
Jan 10, 17 2:27 pm ·
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General firm culture in LA or SF
Hi good people I'm an architectural intern working in a corporate firm in Minneapolis and about to graduate with M.Arch degree this spring. I'm looking to relocate to California (mainly because of weather otherwise I love this city). I've been looking at mainly LA and SF and I know they are very different (I don't even think I can afford to live in SF with an architect intern salary) but I wanted to just get an idea from anyone who works there about the general culture of architecture offices there. It might be different from one office to another so whatever input you can provide would be great. I really like my firm now. It is very supportive of interns, always trying to find interesting work for me to do. They are flexible with hours, they pay overtime. People are allowed to work at home if they want (not me but more experienced architects). They don't expect interns to work overtime and most young architects or interns don't as long as they finish their task. It is a nice place to start as a young architect. I have few passions that I like to pursue in my free time and so to have some time after work is really important to me to grow as a designer. So what I am wondering about is would this be very different in big cities like LA or SF? Is there as much consideration for life/work balance in where you work? Not only in these two cities but other places in California too. Thanks!
I used to work in LA before moving to Chicago. Here's a good thread about this very thing
http://archinect.com/forum/thread/108753934/employment-help-in-los-angeles
^ Why are you still here trolling koz?
^ NOT koz
In all seriousness, the cost of living in either city is ridiculous. That's part of the reason I took a job in Chicago
I apologize...
Koz's name was modified to Rick_Roll_2.0 last night
So who is the real rick roll?
I thought it was Rick B.
The hero archinect needs, not the one it deserves...
The Dark Knight reference - nice.
(it's not me)
If nice weather is the primary concern, or should I say better winter weather, you can also consider the south west and south if you are OK with the weird (as compared to Minnesota) politics that you find at a stet level in the suburbs and backwoods.
I am in LA, and I don't expect that you will find work life balance here unless you own your own firm. At that point you will have the freedom to work any 80 hours a week you like.
You can find work life balance in both cities - I think more so in LA in a small to medium firm setting. If you allow yourself to be taken advantage of by working 80 hours weeks that is on you, your choice of employer, and the precedent you set when you start working wherever you choose. If you are moving for better weather - go to LA, as Mark Twain said, "the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in SF"
I guess I can agree with Chigurh with some clarification - if you are working in single family residential for a small firm, some developer oriented firms, schools or healthcare you have a better chance of maintaining a reasonable (non-monetary) quality of life. Design oriented firms here all have long hours, as do the firms doing commodity corporate architecture (Gensler, AECOM, etc).
Seems like plenty of people in LA are working around 40 hour work weeks to me...
While cost of living in LA is high respective to most cities in the US, it's positively reasonable next to SF. Big factor.
Thanks all for your feedback. From my initial search as well, LA seems to be the more reasonable city for an entry level architect to work in.
SF would likely require you to have roomates in the city, you might be able to commute from east bay and live alone in a studio.
Do you have pets?
What kind of weather do you like - SF has no summer - it's cold - But if you live in the east bay and take the tube into the city - at least there is sunshine in Oakland -
Lots of sunshine in Oakland. Quick escape to the sierras too.
San Francisco is soooo expensive it is probably only realistic if you have a second source of income from mom and dad or someone else. Having lived in both San Francisco and now Los Angeles I think LA is a much more exciting city to work in as an architect anyway.
As a matter of in 2010- 2013, I had two jobs - my 40hr a week job at a firm in Jackson square and my moonlight jobs at two other offices in the city - sometimes all night, then have to continue at my regular day job " where did all these walls come from?) seeing double - just to pay the rent and all the 1099 taxes
I don't have any other source of income and definitely don't have rich parents to support me to live in SF. Thanks for your feedback on this. I am narrowing my search to LA. I took a look on the rent prices in SF and yikes....LA looks so much more reasonable by comparison.
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