bob gurney isn't young, and the pomo geometry of on the cover of the latest inform was a little much for me, but definitely has some nice projects. a devout modernist.
The DC market is pretty hot right now. Most firms are hiring. When I was contemplating coming here a year ago, I was able to set up several interviews on a weeks notice.
I agree with checking out the DC AIA website and looking at recent award winners. That is what I did to learn about area firms.
but why would anybody choose to live here if they didn't have to? dc is a company town through and through. if you don't work for the government you'll never feel as though you fit in here yet as an architect your firm will likely be doing at least some work for the government.
dc is a 9-5 town and unlike many other urban areas, housing and businesses are extremely seperated even in the older parts of the city, leaving some areas desserted during the day and others desserted on nights and weekends. this robs the city of the sustained level of energy and activity found in places like new york and forces everyone into a depressing routine of commuting. for some reason, it seems this commute is never less than 45 minutes unless you live within walking distance of your office.
although the subway is bright and modern it can be extremely frustrating in that it has become a victim of its own success. it has been plagued by breakdowns and overcrowding in recent years. this combined with the high fares can actually make driving an attractive option in many cases! there are also many areas of the city not well served by the subway, or not well connected to other areas.
as far as choosing a place to live here it's depressing both because the neighborhoods seem to have no soul and because costs are high for what you get. most people come here to start a government, non-profit, or law career and move on after being here about 5 years. in other cities (although it is becoming less so everywhere), people tend to settle in one place and build communities. in some cases those communities have been around for generations. except in the poorer neighborhoods, you'll never find anything like that in dc. what's worse, you could be paying over $1000 for a tiny studio in a neighborhood with no metro, no nightlife, few stores, and neighbors who just give you blank, awkward stares.
as far as going out, thursday, friday, and saturday are the nights. any other night, unless some special event is taking place in town, you could roll a bowling ball through some of the restaurants, bars, and clubs without hitting a soul. i guess it's no surprise that dc isn't known for entertainment and nightlife, but would it kill people to not go straight home after work so they could stop to maybe take in an exhibit or grab a drink? one good thing i can say about dc is that it does have a lot of movie theaters compared to other cities.
overall i think dc is a great place if you're a career-driven, power hungry socialite (esp. in the fields noted above, not so much in architecture!) just looking to build your resume and score a few powerful connections. although i know there are great people here who are looking for more than that, most are too cowed by the influence the government institution has on shaping the buttoned-down, conformist culture of this city to attempt to subvert it in any meaningful way.
Bryan - what's got you down on DC? How is your claim that people work in different areas than they live any different than most north American cities? Many downtowns turn into relative ghost towns on weekends. From my personal experiences DC is far from the worst of this. It seems tourists would keep the place vibrant, which I'll grant you could be an annoyance, but better than a vacant city.
I found there to be quite decent nightlife, midweek, in the various neighborhoods in the district as well as out in Alexandria. Even read once that it's supposed to be the best place for singles in the entire country.
Just look around the country and you can find much worse places to be.
I have been living in the Wash/DC area for 5.5 yrs and can offer the following: Many of bryan's observations are spot on. A, your right...there are many little pockets where life is pretty active, but within the scope of the city, there is much lacking. From a singles perspective, there are plenty of college bars and hangouts but not much for the young (not so rich) professional.
However in answer to the original question...yes the area is currently booming, specially the suburbs around Dulles/Loudon County, VA (30min out of the city) With the Tech. Sector's steady growth, many of the companies are hiring=new work. However the new work tends to be tenant improvement type of work. Most companies still have long term leases (circa 2000) which they are unable to break, and are occupying 30-50% of the space they lease. Most of the work is not exciting, but there is potential for building solid future relationships. As stated, the majority of work in this area is for the Govm't or Govm't related. We have seen an increase in work from Law firms and Defense contractors: Boeing, Aerospace, etc.
With the increase in population, our residential studio is doing pretty well. Many mixed use projects in VA.
As of tomorrow, we do not have any more seats open in my studio, although we still have the need for more employees. We actually have some people working remotely from their homes.
i was born and raised in dc, and i couldn't wait to leave. i'm sure a lot ot you have had the same feeling about the place you spent all of you life growing up in. i went west, and i'm glad i did. dc was just too conservative for me. at the time i left, it was also known as the murder capital of the nation with 500+ homicides a year. the mayor had just been arrested while being videotaped for smoking crack with a hooker in a hotel room. both san francisco and seattle are nice alternatives to cities that are inhabited day and night and allow you to work in your neighborhoods. i walked to every job i had in san francisco, and i work at home in seattle. the weather is a lot better than dc too.
bryan4arch, that was a (hilaraiously) bitter rant. I admit that there was a bit of truth in all of it, but most was exagerated (imo).
DC is a government town, most people do work for the government. Also, most arch firms here either do some govt. work, or work for companies who do govt. work (i.e. law firms). With the creation of Design Excellence program and GSA though, govt. offices have surpassed corporate ones in terms of sustainibility, and is on par design wise with the private sector.
10 years ago DC was a pure commuter town. Very few professionals lived in the city. Now, there is a huge influx of young professionals into the city. Neighborhoods like Shaw, Columbia Heights, Eastern Market, Gallery Place, and U st Corridor have undergone huge changes and are close in price to Dupont and Adams Morgan.
Traffic is still horrible here, but I live on the Metro and don't even own a car, so it doesn't bother me.
The metro here is way cheaper than in nyc (I just moved down from there). I pay $1.35 each way on my commute. In nyc it is $2.00.
Housing prices in the city have skyrocketed in the past 10 years, but they are still only 60% of nyc. Large (by nyc standards) one bedrooms near the metro are around $1000.
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights are definately the busy nights out, with most bars and clubs full, but I frequently go out for drinks with my co-workers on a Monday or Tuesday and the bars are still half full.
As for DC not being known for entertainment, I will agree that the art scene here is very anemic. We do have a very active indie rock scene however, with long established venues such as 930 club or blackcat hosting the best bands still touring.
Granted DC does not compare culturally to nyc, nor does it have the "electricity" nyc has, but you need to remember that nyc is 40 times larger than dc. (8 million vs 200,000)
I definately miss living in nyc, and I still visit once a month or so. But when I factored in cost of living it seemed like a good option to me.
So if you have to live off of an architects salary, and want to live in an urban area, DC is a pretty good option. Maybe not the best, but definately not the worst.
d.c lacks some artistic flair and electricity, however...its people like byron4art that bring the moral down. i can't even count the amount of dc people who complain about the same things....funny enough no one does anything about it.
LA and ny are a town of doers. if people want to go out on a mon, or host an art gallery opening for their collection of pez dispensors in an abandoned warehouse , then people actually would JUST DO IT....they don't wait around for " everyone to do it first "......
if everyone who complains about the lack of artscene get together ...there will be something to talk about in DC.
the city has tremondous potential. i look forward to being there when i am in NY because i can breathe easy and there is a sense of community and culture brewing.
the pay aint that bad either.........i would reccomend it for those who are looking for an opportunity for fast promotions, and quick raises. the housing and commercial real estate market is ON FIRE...
sorry red, i guess some of us aren't natural born leaders and/or rich like you appearently are. organize an art event? sounds good until you think about what it costs to rent a space (or pay the legal fees to defend yourself if you get arrested for trespassing). plus you have to promote it, find other people to show up, etc.--sounds like a full time job. buy housing? ha!! i can't afford to buy anything in this city except maybe a burnt out crack house in SE.
Is no one aware of the cyclical nature of neighborhoods? That all american cities were in horrible shape in the 70's and 80's?
NYC was one of the worst cities to live in back then, with the city almost going bankrupt. 20 years ago, no one not born in Brooklyn would consider living in Brooklyn, now it is the hottest real estate market in the city. Soho, which was recently named (along with tribeca) the most expensive neighborhood in the US, was nothing but "burnt out crack homes" 30 years ago.
How do you think Trump made his money? He bought "blighted" land from nyc for pennies in the early 70's, waited until the late 80's to rebuild, and made a fortune.
My advise, find some adventerous friends and buy up a block of "crack homes" that have metro access and "historic charm" (ie brick victorian rowhouses). Once the stadium is built and the Anacostia waterfront redevelopment is finished, the property values are going to skyrocket.
I mean, who would have thought 15 years ago that gallery place/chinatown would be a great neighborhood? Besides the developers and planners who worked to make it happen that is.
What do you mean by a conservative place to live? The district is arguably the most politically liberal place in the entire country. Northern VA might be a conservative area but the district itself seems quite socially and politically liberal.
If you want a conservative place to live try a place like Salt Lake City.
reedtimothy hit the nail on the head. After reading posts for well over a year it seems everyone loves to hype NYC. I remember a childhood trip to NY where times square was only porn shops and drug dealers in every alley. A solid growing economy in the DC area can only mean good things to come for that city.
seriously......... i hope ray ray isn't from there....if you are, why don't you get out. noone wants people like that in our city.
how very BLAH ....!
I LOVE reedtimothy's advice....! that is totally the way to go !! The funniest thing about some people , is they lack imagination. You don't need alot of money to buy ....you need vision, and anyone who becomes wealthy does so because they become inventive with what they have ! you also don't need funds to start an art movement. pull out a book and look at how SOHO, and most MAJOR art movements begin....i can tell you its not with Money, its time , dedication, passion, and a motivation to dare to be different and not lazy ...
lets see where you are at in 5 years byron4arch...still complaining? still unmotivating people? still in the same shit job you hate? i suggest you wake up and turn around your attitude while you are still young and able.... sorry to be harsh, but i really despise people that are so negative in life....
dc was conservative for me. mostly, i found that it was a conservative place to practice architecture. i'm glad that those who enjoy it do so. i wish the best for my hometown, but i needed a change. valsperia is right about the complaining. that's why i moved. i didn't want to complain about where i live. i enjoyed living in san francisco and seattle much more than dc. i hope you all are happy in the city or town you live in.
sorry so negative before - did move...as i said just my opinion - and of course
there is a positive side to DC. plenty of good places to work and plenty of nice people too (not everyone is a lawyer (gross generalization) and some lawyers are allright) - enjoy your time there, I did.
ok now i feel bad for being so harsh...rayray...i was thinking about it yesterday and started to count the interesting looking people i passed by on the street as i walked down it.( i know thats a surface approach).....guess how many interesting looking people walked by me downtown within 3 blocks...15 minutes ( 4) and they are all bike messengers.......
thank you for that observation V.
I too have done that "visual" survey on the Metro and 18th St. on my way to work, and I get similar numbers. The same cannot be said about the other cities I frequent (NYC/Miami)
the good news is that all the messengers hang out at happy hour, with your rush deleiveries, on thursday at happy hour - the bar just north of the empanada shop on conn. ave - a fun time for sure best V! : )
Si Señor! Lucky Bar! Great TV coverage inside too! none of that frat Sh!t! just some good 'ol European Soccer/sports!
BTW
Anyone know what goes on @ 1223 Conn. on Wed. nights? there's people lining up outside by 4:30p.
I'm moving back to D.C. in a month...I lived there a couple years back its not that bad. A great city to walk around. Bryan your just plain bitter. try to be creative about it
May 11, 07 3:35 am ·
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Washington D.C. Firms
Anyone know of any young, talented firms in the D.C. area? Thanks
do a search, several archived topics on this
when i was contemplating dc-hood the aia awards website gave me a good idea of the current crop of semi-interesting district architects
aia award winners
studio 27 arch caught my eye back then. small firm, doing interesting work. the laundrymat renovation is pretty rad. uva alum maybe, i forgot.
studio 27 arch
bob gurney isn't young, and the pomo geometry of on the cover of the latest inform was a little much for me, but definitely has some nice projects. a devout modernist.
bob gurney
the website has a busted flash detector, so if that link doesnt work - you can see some of his work here:
aia bob link
for the rest - google it my man. i don't live in dc and got this info in five. minutes that is.
CC, thanks, i appreciate the help.
group goetz architects
studio 585
Lehman-Smith McLeish
Adamstein & Demetriou Architects
Ayers/Saint/Gross, Inc.
studios
Division 1 Architects
William McDonough + Partners
check out www.aiadc.com to look up these firms (they all have websites)
Is the DC/Northern VA area really booming as much as I hear about? Are the firms out there on a current hiring binge?
After a visit last year I'm contemplating DC being my next move. Maybe 2005 is as good of year as any.
Bonstra Architects
The DC market is pretty hot right now. Most firms are hiring. When I was contemplating coming here a year ago, I was able to set up several interviews on a weeks notice.
I agree with checking out the DC AIA website and looking at recent award winners. That is what I did to learn about area firms.
Is Washington D.C. architectural job makert hoter than LA or chicago?
there isn't a job market in LA !
but why would anybody choose to live here if they didn't have to? dc is a company town through and through. if you don't work for the government you'll never feel as though you fit in here yet as an architect your firm will likely be doing at least some work for the government.
dc is a 9-5 town and unlike many other urban areas, housing and businesses are extremely seperated even in the older parts of the city, leaving some areas desserted during the day and others desserted on nights and weekends. this robs the city of the sustained level of energy and activity found in places like new york and forces everyone into a depressing routine of commuting. for some reason, it seems this commute is never less than 45 minutes unless you live within walking distance of your office.
although the subway is bright and modern it can be extremely frustrating in that it has become a victim of its own success. it has been plagued by breakdowns and overcrowding in recent years. this combined with the high fares can actually make driving an attractive option in many cases! there are also many areas of the city not well served by the subway, or not well connected to other areas.
as far as choosing a place to live here it's depressing both because the neighborhoods seem to have no soul and because costs are high for what you get. most people come here to start a government, non-profit, or law career and move on after being here about 5 years. in other cities (although it is becoming less so everywhere), people tend to settle in one place and build communities. in some cases those communities have been around for generations. except in the poorer neighborhoods, you'll never find anything like that in dc. what's worse, you could be paying over $1000 for a tiny studio in a neighborhood with no metro, no nightlife, few stores, and neighbors who just give you blank, awkward stares.
as far as going out, thursday, friday, and saturday are the nights. any other night, unless some special event is taking place in town, you could roll a bowling ball through some of the restaurants, bars, and clubs without hitting a soul. i guess it's no surprise that dc isn't known for entertainment and nightlife, but would it kill people to not go straight home after work so they could stop to maybe take in an exhibit or grab a drink? one good thing i can say about dc is that it does have a lot of movie theaters compared to other cities.
overall i think dc is a great place if you're a career-driven, power hungry socialite (esp. in the fields noted above, not so much in architecture!) just looking to build your resume and score a few powerful connections. although i know there are great people here who are looking for more than that, most are too cowed by the influence the government institution has on shaping the buttoned-down, conformist culture of this city to attempt to subvert it in any meaningful way.
just my $0.02
Bryan - what's got you down on DC? How is your claim that people work in different areas than they live any different than most north American cities? Many downtowns turn into relative ghost towns on weekends. From my personal experiences DC is far from the worst of this. It seems tourists would keep the place vibrant, which I'll grant you could be an annoyance, but better than a vacant city.
I found there to be quite decent nightlife, midweek, in the various neighborhoods in the district as well as out in Alexandria. Even read once that it's supposed to be the best place for singles in the entire country.
Just look around the country and you can find much worse places to be.
I have been living in the Wash/DC area for 5.5 yrs and can offer the following: Many of bryan's observations are spot on. A, your right...there are many little pockets where life is pretty active, but within the scope of the city, there is much lacking. From a singles perspective, there are plenty of college bars and hangouts but not much for the young (not so rich) professional.
However in answer to the original question...yes the area is currently booming, specially the suburbs around Dulles/Loudon County, VA (30min out of the city) With the Tech. Sector's steady growth, many of the companies are hiring=new work. However the new work tends to be tenant improvement type of work. Most companies still have long term leases (circa 2000) which they are unable to break, and are occupying 30-50% of the space they lease. Most of the work is not exciting, but there is potential for building solid future relationships. As stated, the majority of work in this area is for the Govm't or Govm't related. We have seen an increase in work from Law firms and Defense contractors: Boeing, Aerospace, etc.
With the increase in population, our residential studio is doing pretty well. Many mixed use projects in VA.
As of tomorrow, we do not have any more seats open in my studio, although we still have the need for more employees. We actually have some people working remotely from their homes.
i was born and raised in dc, and i couldn't wait to leave. i'm sure a lot ot you have had the same feeling about the place you spent all of you life growing up in. i went west, and i'm glad i did. dc was just too conservative for me. at the time i left, it was also known as the murder capital of the nation with 500+ homicides a year. the mayor had just been arrested while being videotaped for smoking crack with a hooker in a hotel room. both san francisco and seattle are nice alternatives to cities that are inhabited day and night and allow you to work in your neighborhoods. i walked to every job i had in san francisco, and i work at home in seattle. the weather is a lot better than dc too.
bryan4arch, that was a (hilaraiously) bitter rant. I admit that there was a bit of truth in all of it, but most was exagerated (imo).
DC is a government town, most people do work for the government. Also, most arch firms here either do some govt. work, or work for companies who do govt. work (i.e. law firms). With the creation of Design Excellence program and GSA though, govt. offices have surpassed corporate ones in terms of sustainibility, and is on par design wise with the private sector.
10 years ago DC was a pure commuter town. Very few professionals lived in the city. Now, there is a huge influx of young professionals into the city. Neighborhoods like Shaw, Columbia Heights, Eastern Market, Gallery Place, and U st Corridor have undergone huge changes and are close in price to Dupont and Adams Morgan.
Traffic is still horrible here, but I live on the Metro and don't even own a car, so it doesn't bother me.
The metro here is way cheaper than in nyc (I just moved down from there). I pay $1.35 each way on my commute. In nyc it is $2.00.
Housing prices in the city have skyrocketed in the past 10 years, but they are still only 60% of nyc. Large (by nyc standards) one bedrooms near the metro are around $1000.
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights are definately the busy nights out, with most bars and clubs full, but I frequently go out for drinks with my co-workers on a Monday or Tuesday and the bars are still half full.
As for DC not being known for entertainment, I will agree that the art scene here is very anemic. We do have a very active indie rock scene however, with long established venues such as 930 club or blackcat hosting the best bands still touring.
Granted DC does not compare culturally to nyc, nor does it have the "electricity" nyc has, but you need to remember that nyc is 40 times larger than dc. (8 million vs 200,000)
I definately miss living in nyc, and I still visit once a month or so. But when I factored in cost of living it seemed like a good option to me.
So if you have to live off of an architects salary, and want to live in an urban area, DC is a pretty good option. Maybe not the best, but definately not the worst.
i live and work between d.c and ny.
d.c lacks some artistic flair and electricity, however...its people like byron4art that bring the moral down. i can't even count the amount of dc people who complain about the same things....funny enough no one does anything about it.
LA and ny are a town of doers. if people want to go out on a mon, or host an art gallery opening for their collection of pez dispensors in an abandoned warehouse , then people actually would JUST DO IT....they don't wait around for " everyone to do it first "......
if everyone who complains about the lack of artscene get together ...there will be something to talk about in DC.
the city has tremondous potential. i look forward to being there when i am in NY because i can breathe easy and there is a sense of community and culture brewing.
the pay aint that bad either.........i would reccomend it for those who are looking for an opportunity for fast promotions, and quick raises. the housing and commercial real estate market is ON FIRE...
buy now.
sorry red, i guess some of us aren't natural born leaders and/or rich like you appearently are. organize an art event? sounds good until you think about what it costs to rent a space (or pay the legal fees to defend yourself if you get arrested for trespassing). plus you have to promote it, find other people to show up, etc.--sounds like a full time job. buy housing? ha!! i can't afford to buy anything in this city except maybe a burnt out crack house in SE.
I hear that bryan!
Bryan, I'm also born and raised in DC and you hit the nail on the head.
It's just depressing to see it all summed up in one post though! And the market is booming. Everyone is swamped with work.
Is no one aware of the cyclical nature of neighborhoods? That all american cities were in horrible shape in the 70's and 80's?
NYC was one of the worst cities to live in back then, with the city almost going bankrupt. 20 years ago, no one not born in Brooklyn would consider living in Brooklyn, now it is the hottest real estate market in the city. Soho, which was recently named (along with tribeca) the most expensive neighborhood in the US, was nothing but "burnt out crack homes" 30 years ago.
How do you think Trump made his money? He bought "blighted" land from nyc for pennies in the early 70's, waited until the late 80's to rebuild, and made a fortune.
My advise, find some adventerous friends and buy up a block of "crack homes" that have metro access and "historic charm" (ie brick victorian rowhouses). Once the stadium is built and the Anacostia waterfront redevelopment is finished, the property values are going to skyrocket.
I mean, who would have thought 15 years ago that gallery place/chinatown would be a great neighborhood? Besides the developers and planners who worked to make it happen that is.
that doesn't change the fact that dc is a very conservative place to live. that more than the rough shape of the city was what drove me to leave.
What do you mean by a conservative place to live? The district is arguably the most politically liberal place in the entire country. Northern VA might be a conservative area but the district itself seems quite socially and politically liberal.
If you want a conservative place to live try a place like Salt Lake City.
reedtimothy hit the nail on the head. After reading posts for well over a year it seems everyone loves to hype NYC. I remember a childhood trip to NY where times square was only porn shops and drug dealers in every alley. A solid growing economy in the DC area can only mean good things to come for that city.
full of type a personalities - guess what the a stands for...surprised?
the primary industry is law | lobbying | politics.....the a is for anus!
sorry to be so down on DC - but it is a terrible place in my opinion.
no wonder no state wants it - condemed to be w/o representation
but heh, all that's changing...got a baseball team now : ) go DC.
seriously......... i hope ray ray isn't from there....if you are, why don't you get out. noone wants people like that in our city.
how very BLAH ....!
I LOVE reedtimothy's advice....! that is totally the way to go !! The funniest thing about some people , is they lack imagination. You don't need alot of money to buy ....you need vision, and anyone who becomes wealthy does so because they become inventive with what they have ! you also don't need funds to start an art movement. pull out a book and look at how SOHO, and most MAJOR art movements begin....i can tell you its not with Money, its time , dedication, passion, and a motivation to dare to be different and not lazy ...
lets see where you are at in 5 years byron4arch...still complaining? still unmotivating people? still in the same shit job you hate? i suggest you wake up and turn around your attitude while you are still young and able.... sorry to be harsh, but i really despise people that are so negative in life....
dc was conservative for me. mostly, i found that it was a conservative place to practice architecture. i'm glad that those who enjoy it do so. i wish the best for my hometown, but i needed a change. valsperia is right about the complaining. that's why i moved. i didn't want to complain about where i live. i enjoyed living in san francisco and seattle much more than dc. i hope you all are happy in the city or town you live in.
sorry so negative before - did move...as i said just my opinion - and of course
there is a positive side to DC. plenty of good places to work and plenty of nice people too (not everyone is a lawyer (gross generalization) and some lawyers are allright) - enjoy your time there, I did.
ok now i feel bad for being so harsh...rayray...i was thinking about it yesterday and started to count the interesting looking people i passed by on the street as i walked down it.( i know thats a surface approach).....guess how many interesting looking people walked by me downtown within 3 blocks...15 minutes ( 4) and they are all bike messengers.......
oh geez. still there is hope, and faith.
thank you for that observation V.
I too have done that "visual" survey on the Metro and 18th St. on my way to work, and I get similar numbers. The same cannot be said about the other cities I frequent (NYC/Miami)
the good news is that all the messengers hang out at happy hour, with your rush deleiveries, on thursday at happy hour - the bar just north of the empanada shop on conn. ave - a fun time for sure best V! : )
Si Señor! Lucky Bar! Great TV coverage inside too! none of that frat Sh!t! just some good 'ol European Soccer/sports!
BTW
Anyone know what goes on @ 1223 Conn. on Wed. nights? there's people lining up outside by 4:30p.
mmm, empanadas. i love empanadas. my wife is chilean, and she introduced me to the empanada. i can hardly wait until we make them again.
I'm moving back to D.C. in a month...I lived there a couple years back its not that bad. A great city to walk around. Bryan your just plain bitter. try to be creative about it
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