Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)
Pratt Institute
Tulane University
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Temple University
University of Oregon
Cranbrook Academy of Art
Practice to academia?
Hello- anyone in the forums have any experience balancing practice and teaching full time? I’m thinking about taking a position where it would be a FT teaching position. I’m wondering if people have insights on how to keep your practice open and profitable and teach. I have a team of 8 people right now and they are wonderful people. We do commercial work (small office and multifamily). Or do most people close their practice and just go all in on teaching? What did you say to clients? Or did you balance both?
I’m considering teaching to try out another city and also to meet other creatives for collaboration. The school is design focused so has programs in photography, industrial design, textiles, fine arts as well as architecture and interior design. At the same time, I want to still be able to have family and leisure time. We live in an expensive city and the teaching position is in a less expensive place.
Thanks all for your insights and recommendations-
Fulltime teaching doesn't really cost 40hrs, no? It should leave you plenty of time to have an office, especially if you can delegate and have a staff you can depend on.
I've known a few people who had firms and taught design studios 3-4 days a week. They usually had a partner or trusted senior person to oversee the office while they were away. A few would co-teach the studio with someone who could cover for them when firm needs conflicted with their class schedule. About 99 percent of these people worked in the same town as they taught. Your idea of trying to teach and practice across two cites concerns me.
Good luck though, I firmly believe that architecture should be taught by real practitioners, as it was done up until abut 30 years ago.
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