Archinect - News

Value learning over money. In the long run, it will pay off

2020-01-17T13:47:00-05:00

In many of my conversations about career with soon to be graduates, recent graduates, early professionals, and even intermediate professionals salary is probably one of the most frequent topics. Here are some of the questions I hear from professionals looking for their first full time job, for example:

"How can I negotiate a good salary?"
"Salary is probably the most important factor in my search, which firms pay the most?"
"I was excited about this job, but I just found out my friend at another firm is getting paid more than me. Should I change firms?"

What's the problem here? The preoccupation with money is truly bewildering. Early on, it's quite simple: know what the average pay is for your experience level and make sure you aren't being underpaid. If you are at a firm that can pay you more, then kudos to you, but the obsession with money at this point in a career is misplaced. We should all be fairly compensated for our work, this is a given.

Thought experiment: what's the better o...

“It’s not fair to do anything less than your best”: Frank Gehry on how he started in architecture

2018-10-31T16:35:00-04:00

“With every project, no matter how small, act as if it’s the most important one. Make sure it’s technically and economically viable because you’ll be judged on the smallest things.”

Frank Gehry looks back on his illustrious career in architecture — from how an architectural drawing class had him hooked at age 17, to his current interest in designing concert halls at the age of 89. Plus, he offers some words of advice. You can hear more from Gehry's chat with Fortune in this video.

Just stop. Productivity may make you unproductive.

2018-09-28T02:47:00-04:00

Think about the artists who have put out too much work. How many lame Eddie Murphy or Adam Sandler movies must we suffer? What about Eminem’s cringeworthy new album? Or the last couple from U2, Coldplay, and Madonna? When was the last time a James Patterson novel was actually good?

Center for Urban Pedagogy accepting applications for inaugural Change in Design Fellowship

2017-03-30T20:18:00-04:00

As many recent surveys have noted, the design world has been slow to incorporate people from historically under-represented communities into its ranks, particularly in leadership positions. While a variety of causes lead to this, and greater efforts are required to address it, we are committed to using our resources to contribute to and catalyze that change in design.

At a time when inclusion is as crucial as ever in the architecture community and beyond, the non-profit Center for Urban Pedagogy in Brooklyn is encouraging designers from historically under-represented communities in the design profession to apply to their inaugural Change in Design Fellowship, a yearlong career training and mentorship program.

The call for applications is open to anyone who identifies as a member of an under-represented community (including but not limited to people of color, people from low-income, immigrant, or LGBTQ communities, formerly incarcerated people, and others), with a strong interest in CUP's work.

The fellowship is probably the best fit for recent design graduates, but applicants aren't required to have a degree. However, applicants will need to submit a portfolio and any evidence that demonstrates their design abilities and proficiency in design software. The fellowship is also a full-time position that includes a monthly stipend and benefits.

The Fel...

Architect-US: An Innovative International Architectural Training Program Calling For Host Firms Across The US

2015-07-13T14:40:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by Architect-US.

In a globalized market, it is increasingly important for design firms to have the contacts, skills and cultural sensitivity to work across borders. There are global issues affecting everybody that intersect the world and the industry is needed of platforms that promote cross-pollination and encourage global dialogues, breaking down bureaucracy and immigration barriers.

Conceived as a liaison between rising global architectural talents and U.S.-based firms, Architect-US is a groundbreaking professional career training program, that sponsors highly qualified bi/multilingual international architects and engineers to work in the U.S., as part of the U.S. Government J-1 Exchange Visitor Program. The program offers US firms a valuable resource to connect and deepen ties with designers in emerging and established markets, with young professionals -from Europe, South America, Asia and the Middle East- eager to learn from American techniques and me...

Career insights from the field of Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC)

2014-08-18T13:14:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by IE School of Architecture & Design:

In today´s competitive environment, a mastery of soft-skills coupled with an understanding of the broader picture of business realities and trends, plays a key role in the success of professionals working in the field of Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC). The Master in Architectural Management & Design, from IE School of Architecture & Design, was launched in 2011 with the overriding aim to train professionals that wish to acquire and apply business expertise in the AEC field. Heading in its fourth edition and amid challenging economic times, the program’s alumni report a great professional outlook. They hold positions in companies like Arup, Foster & Partners, OMA & Gensler, in diverse locations such as Azerbaijan, Qatar, Canada, Switzerland and Colombia. 37% of them are entrepreneurs and 75% where already working before graduating from the program. Click here to find out more about the Career Report f...

The City in the Classroom: Career and Technical Education in NYC Schools

2014-05-27T13:47:00-04:00

Various recent innovations in secondary education in New York have used the city itself as an organizing theme for curricular experimentation. Urban Assembly schools like the School of Design and Construction or the New York Harbor School focus students’ attention on the built and natural environment around them. [...] John Surico takes a closer look at CTE programs in New York City.

Why the unpaid internship may be on its way out

2014-05-05T18:27:00-04:00

“Any time you post an ad for an unpaid internship, you’re writing ‘Poor people need not apply’ in big letters at the top,” says Mikey Franklin, founder of the Fair Pay Campaign to end unpaid internships. If the fairness argument hasn’t been persuasive, the threat of lawsuits has been. Magazine publisher Condé Nast just settled a suit brought by some of its former unpaid interns. Rather than start paying, the company shut down its internship program altogether.

Previously

How do I become … a Legoland modeller

2014-04-18T14:25:00-04:00

When David Fautley takes his work home with him his children don't complain – they join in, because Fautley is a Lego modeller. "We did Dortmund football stadium in Germany last January which needed 3,000 mini-figures, so I had the boys and five of their friends come round for three nights after school to complete it. With slices of pizza going round, you can imagine they thought it was fantastic."

How Mad Men inspired an architecture student to start a fashion firm

2014-04-04T13:42:00-04:00

Barton Strawn didn’t set out to be a fashion designer. In 2009, he was an architecture student at N.C. State University, drafting by day in increasingly technical courses his senior year, which proved to be so taxing that Strawn needed an outlet. [...] And, inspired by college formals and a touch of Mad Men, he found one: Handmade neckties and bowties. [...] Over the years, Lumina has added pants and button-up shirts, all made in the United States.

How Women Are Climbing Architecture's Career Ladder

2014-03-17T13:48:00-04:00

In 1980, when Marsha Maytum was a fledgling designer at the San Francisco architecture firm EHDD, the majority of women on construction sites were centerfolds. [...] Nearly 35 years later, progress has been measurable but mixed. Women make up 25 percent of architecture staff in the U.S., though they now earn 42 percent of the architecture degrees.

Everyone’s an architect: 11 jobs common only in romantic comedies

2014-02-10T21:05:00-05:00

Lonely male architects star in The Lake House (Keanu Reeves), The Last Kiss (Zach Braff), Three To Tango (Matthew Perry), Sleepless In Seattle (Tom Hanks), My Super Ex-Girlfriend (Luke Wilson), Love Actually (Liam Neeson), Just Like Heaven (Mark Ruffalo), and It’s Complicated (Steve Martin)—apparently, architecture is a good cipher for “sensitive, but not girly.” Few of those men ever worry about the job market...

A Journey from Architecture and Design to Gourmet Dog Food

2012-03-02T13:40:00-05:00

After getting her Masters of Architecture from MIT in 2001, she was an architect for Delson or Sherman, and then was a designer for Fresh, but she gradually started to lose interest in her projects at work. “I decided I wanted to turn this passion of mine, to give my dog a well-balanced complete meal that made her healthy again, into a full-time job,” Liao said of her decision to quit her job at Fresh almost two years ago to start her own company.

Best Jobs 2012: Architect. Really?

2012-02-29T13:14:00-05:00

With steady migration to Sun Belt states and many baby boomers retiring in the next few years, there should be an uptick in demand for new homes, healthcare facilities, and office buildings. This means the job market for architects should remain solid. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects architect employment growth of 23.1 percent between 2010 and 2020, adding 31,300 more professionals to the 135,400 already-existing jobs in this field.

Why Architecture's Identity Problem Should Matter to the Rest of Us

2011-10-12T12:41:25-04:00

Rather than spending their energy protecting their territory and titles, what if architects and their associations focused on resolving our nation’s housing crisis, improving our schools, or generally creating more inspiring environments for people to live their best lives?