kids and adults are always dealing with what is myth and what reality, so we are letting our kids figure out santa on their own. good practice for when they are confronted with the bigger lies ;-)
in the meantime it is fun.
man i am seriously exhausted and desperately would like to have a drink and relax.
however, on the mildly cool side of things I am the MC for first day of two-day symposium, starting tomorrow at the university. on 2nd day maki fumihiko and kazuyo sejima are going to be chatting and presenting work so am looking forward to it quite a bit.
of course our office has 2 deadlines right about now so not much room for sleeping, and zero time to get christmas shopping done. nothing like a bit of stress to make the holidays just a bit edgy...;-)
Rusty, you thought I was a big fat dude posting from mom's basement? That's great.
This probably goes without saying, but if your kid already knows Santa isn't real, you don't have to perpetuate the myth by insisting he is real, but do try to instill in them that it would ruin another kid's fun if they went to school and blabbed to everyone that Santa isn't real and not to do that. Like jump says, they eventually figure it out and that is an excellent excercise for a kid to go through, and they will not resent you for lying.
Human and child development is a subject I never knew I was interested in, but it now far surpasses architecture on my interest scale. I can't nail down the feeling, like a traitor, or that maybe I was midled or confused by going into architecture. Wishing I had a formal education in my new field, but I guess you can't beat learning on the job.
Vintage? Well it's gonna depend on the crowd. I mean, first thing I think of is a nice 50s era party dress with dress-apron, but I know you're a man, and well, like I said, it depends on the crowd. You could always don a turtleneck and festive sweater. Maybe a nice pipe to complete the ensemble.
That reminds me, I used the word heinous yesterday amongst freshman boys. I don't suggest it.
I hope you don't think I'm a traitor when I give up Architecture to become a Macy's Santa...next year. I'm working on the Marketing Director at this very point in time and he doesn't even know it.
snook - were you a member of the amalgamated order of real bearded santas when all the shit went down?
my parents were religious nutjobs so no santa for me growing up. he, in fact, represented the evils of consumption, and by believing in him you were inviting the devil into your house....
That Bowie/Bing video blows my mind - what blows my mind about is the fact that during the 80s it DIDN'T blow my mind - I guess I was so stoned all the time everything was just cooooool, dude.
beta, I was thinking a vintage cardigan, not unlike Bing wears in the video, except perhaps with a Christmas theme. I bet you could rock a pair of 50s dress trousers.
Also, what you said to manta is perfect, so I'm going to repeat it: manta, don't worry about it, architecture will always be here, and besides nothing's permanent.
We had a family over for a school break kick-off dinner tonight, and I realized bourbon is more fun when drunk with someone else who enjoys it, too. Then I watched Jon Stewart kick some ASS over the 9-11 first responder thing. Man.
n_ ...i don't think it's a question of cutting christmas...it's more about removing santa claus from christmas...i think there are many religious homes that don't hype santa...i know my parents never really told us about santa..i don't know if it was because my parents are religious or because my mom is norwegian... they have a different tradition..
is it weird that i don't feel as though i 'owe' this profession anything? i understand/appreciate the compunction that those have about not wanting to leave and the guilt that that brings..but really isn't it weird that we should feel that? i understand the reasons less and less...the profession barely pays my bills, is highly effected by sways in the economy, is marginalized by the population so as to make fees ridiculously low, has a government agency (DOB) that it has to comply with that takes more and more time to pass through and takes more and more potential creativity out of possible designs and is constantly coming up with more restrictions and codes that are poorly written and hard to interpret...
the main thing i appreciate about my education is that it has taught me to think critically and adapt and potentially move in different directions..within and outside of the profession... increasingly i'm hoping it's outside...because otherwise i don't think i'll ever be able to retire...or keep my apartment for that matter.
or at least that's where i am right now....thank god for white russians.
Sometimes when I read what ya'll say about this profession on Archinect, I feel like I should be hating this profession. But I don't. So far anyway. There is definitely room for improvement, but what profession doesn't?
Am I the lucky few? Or is it still early and should I be expecting something to go awry? Don't most people hate their careers at some point, which could be a catalyst for some great change in their career path or affirmation of their choice in profession? Not to downplay the possibility of unemployment and instability, but that was also systemic at a larger scale than our profession combined with the premise of our profession.
Frankly, I love hearing stories about architecturally trained folks doing other things. Not only to survive, but because thats what they want to do, or out of a combination of will and chance.
But I'm not only content/satisfied with this profession/career, but optimistic at its potential. Still. Hope I'm not alone.
i am a sentimental tool when it comes to christmas. but donna, you were a stoner in the 80's.
i am resolved to separate Architecture from the "Profession". my practice and love of Architecture has nothing to do with the "Profession". trust me, it helps to frame it that way.
What impresses me about the video is that it really isn't funny; its just good. Maybe I'm missing something. My sense of humor has never been mainstream. I'm not weird, or dark, and I don't think that I'm above it, just that maybe I come to it too late. SNL usually isn't very funny, but then again, I never watched it until the 2000s - I had better things to do on Saturday nights, and they don't have electricity in the fields/woods.
Mad TV was always just odd, and obnoxious, and don't even get me started on South Park - its mostly just people yelling at each other.
On the other hand, I think Monty Python's Holy Grail is hilarious, and Cougar Town is great.
i love bing. and bowie too for that matter. amazing to think bowie is an old dude now.
lots of green discussions at symposium today. it seems i have fallen in with people who want to make the planet better.
we had santa growing up but were told the smurfs were satanic. which seems even more pointless thing to teach a kid, but probably not as interesting as a book.
snl was awesome in the 70's and 80's. monty python remains awesome too. they just don't get unfunny.
I agree wholeheartedly with beta too. Loving architecture is completely different than making it a career choice. New Man loves architecture (wanted to be an architect growing up) but chose mechincal engineering as a career path instead.
lars, you don't owe the profession of architecture anything except to continue to love good buildings, which you probably can't help but do anyway.
It's a rough profession, definitely, but I'm still generally optimistic about it, certainly about the good parts.
More snow today. Snow is like having children: the sublime joy, beauty and wonder is totally overwhelmingly wonderful, but you still have to deal with all the pain-in-the-ass drudgery of managing it day to day. Suppose the profession is similar, too.
Donna, I've never thought about it like that, but you are so right about snow. At least with snow, you can lock it outside!
My parents (mom) wouldn't let me watch HeMan because he was satanic. At least that's how I remember it. Something about how he says "I am power!" Parents are funny.
Oh, and Melt, you could also get NewMan -Numan?- some awesome oldsxhool building toy like Kinex, or whatever that metal strap and bolts one was.
I wasn't allowed to watch the Simpson's or SNL growing up, this was high school though. It was considered heinous.
Sarah, we use nonsense words to teach phonics and I came across the nonsense word 'ganous' in the teaching material. I was in training and neither me nor the student, a 14 yr old boy, even thought about it but the observing teacher busted out laughing... awkward!
My devoutly Christian mother watched the Simpsons with us all the time - it was one of our family shows. We would all wait with anticipation each week to watch it. She knew about the show from day one because she's a huge fan of Matt Groening - had every "Life Is Hell" book and let us grow up reading them, even though we didn't understand half the references (they made us laugh anyway). She also inducted me into the wonders of Monty Python, George Carlin, Eddie Murphy, and Richard Pryor. And she taught us about Jesus.
The only thing she wouldn't let us do growing up was read girly magazines ("they're all about sex, consumerism, and making you feel bad about your weight and you don't need that stuff in your head") and for some reason, watch Roseanne, which she said was trashy. Married With Children would probably have been banned too if we'd evinced any desire to watch it. She let us stay up late and watch SNL with her and my dad however.
My parents are socialists however, which my mother sees as her christian duty. I realize most americans don't grow up this way, but I sure appreciated it.
Smurfs were banned in my house, but the Simpsons were encouraged. The Roseanne vs. girly mags thing is a little funny to me manta, because someone pointed out recently that Roseanne was one of the only really progressive shows in terms of body image. The two main characters were fat, which is occasionally acknowledged but not a main plot point, and is actually a way better attitude than many shows today are taking (Mike & Molly, Huge, etc.) where if someone's fat that becomes their whole character (unless they're a guy, in which case they are given an inexplicably hot wife).
This afternoon's the office Christmas party, and everyone else is off at meetings all morning so I practically get the office to myself. Oh, and I have a date after the party, so I'm telling myself that I can only have a couple glasses of wine.
Santa doesn't appear much in our social consciousness here, religion aside I think trying to explain a snowy Christmas, a man in a red velvet suit and reindeer to kids lounging around in shorts it's a hard sell.
Develop those imaginations! What would it be like to live at the North Pole and make toys all year, then deliver them the entire world over in one night!?
slart, donna, etc.... ok my comments could be more constructive.. and i don't want to be labeled as one of 'those' who hate the profession and just whine and complain...
i do love buildings...and i love building, both within architecture and also doing actual construction...i actually like physical labor a lot more and have considered joining the carpenter's union...especially when they complain about starting out at 'only' 65k..this doesn't include overtime and they work from 7 to 2...and that's for the guys that push the shovels around...
but i like having the control over the details and problem solving and drawing so i remain an architect...(a design build environment would probably be ideal for me actually..)
the problems i've had recently are:
1. there's not enough work to keep me employed for more than 20 hrs per week and soon i won't even have that.
2. of the three projects i've been working on for the past two years only one has started construction...and the other two have been in the DOB dealing with various legal and code issues for about a year and a half...we have expeditors on both of these jobs, but that doesn't really help. the home that is under construction is a simple addition and still took 6 months to go through the DOB. will legislation regarding architecture and codes continue to get more and more restrictive and time consuming? it may be that i'm starting to become more senior and i'm reacting to that...i seem to have more paperwork and less drawing and design time...and i just want to avoid that i think.
3. consultants. somehow we as architects are paid the least amount of those working on the job, but we tend to do alot of other people's work in the process. i'm often doing drawings and/or finding specs for my structural and mechanical consultants...and coordinating and checking their drawings... even when the consultants are in the same office they don't seem to talk to each other. i feel like our profession is misunderstood and not publicized and given enough credit for the many hours that we put in to getting projects built...and we have a governing body that doesn't do enough to educate the public about that
i do love architecture and buildings and i really want to build something (especially challenging, well detailed, original stuff)..but i also want to do other stuff (like art, making furniture, iphone apps etc) and when i'm working a real job i often don't have time for any of that.
i guess i just need to figure out a way to be balanced and happy within the profession...and be more creative about how i spend my time...but i guess that i also want bosses and companies that understand that the profession needs to be more flexible and diverse (i know they're out there) and more proactive about telling others how great and important it is.
i'm just tired of fighting for a 5k raise after three years of working at a place and fighting for healthcare and hoping for a bonus etc etc...not that i want to be rich, but just want to be able to afford a nice place to live and not worry about when i'll be able to save.
i know i'm just frustrated at the moment and i'll come around...i don't want to discourage anyone with enthusiasm and happiness at all...i've definitely had very good experiences within architecture and look forward with longing for the next one...but while i wait i may take a foray into furniture for a bit.
Sorry to hear Phillip... maybe it is time we all move to Nebraska. And from what Lars just wrote it may be time to. Like Nam I'm almost drunk, we had an office Christmas party at the firm I work with. Three 3 beers later and some samosa's I ready for bed. Good thing I've finished all my marking and inputting of grades so I'm done until January.
Aw, Phillip, I'm so sorry. It does suck anytime, but especially right before Christmas. Hugs to your wife.
lars your burnout is understandable, and yes I recall the years of wondering "why am I the one looking this up when it's the mechanical engineer's job and he's being paid as much or more than I am for me to do it?!?" A break may do you good, f you're not so worried about finances that you freak out.
financially, i have been in ruins few times. this is a tough one right now. i also been very well made few times. been there done that.. hang in there phillip, she will find another job hopefully soon.
things must be much worse than we are hearing in the news.
there is an interesting situation in my neighborhood;
there is a cvs pharmacy next to a 99cent store next to a gourmet wholefoods store. i have just been to all of them in that order this evening. most crowded was 99 cent store where i spent more than the others, than, the whole foods which was a lot less people roaming around than it was first opened and people were buying very little, i bought three cans of dog food. cvs stop was for tylenol... groceries i buy at thai, mid eastern and mexican markets where everything we eat is plenty, fresh and half the price. one of the nice things about living in los angeles is variety of ethnic food stores.
I have come to the conculsion in this last major down turn in the profession, that I'm going to have to pull a Frank Lloyd Wright.....or even an Oscar Neimeyer and work till I'm a 103. Yes, Oscar hit the 103 mark this past week.
As like you have said this one has hit us harder than all of the ones I have know since the 70's.
Lars, if only we lived in the same city I'd love to grab a beer with you. I understand exactly what you mean and have been coming to similar realizations myself lately. I don't usually say anything about them around here, because I feel like there's a big attitude (not in TC, but elsewhere) like, if you start to think about a life outside the profession, then that means you 'couldn't hack it' or weren't passionate enough, or talented enough, or whatever. But lately I've been thinking a lot about the job aspects of a life in architecture, as distinct from the passion for it. And the bottom line (to me) is that it's a job. I feel a bit like we all bought too much into the line - and I KNOW we've all had someone tell us this, in exactly these words - "It's not a job, it's a lifestyle." That's a recipe for future disillusionment and depression if I ever heard it. The bottom line is that I'm here on earth for a short time, I don't have anyone else to support me (no spouse, no rich parents, no rich benefactors) and I've got to do what I've got to do. And if architecture is offering 24k, for 60 hours a week, and some random other job is offering 60k, for 40 hours a week which will allow me to paint/read/pursue woodworking/learn another language/volunteer on the side, then I refuse to feel guilty, or like a failure, for taking the 60k non-arch job.
...ok, rant over. I haven't done that in awhile, have I? sorry guys.
I have to be brief, as Holiday Baking Extravaganza 2010 is about to start, but lars and manta you are talking about one of the things I really despise about our profession: this sense of superiority about suffering through staying in the profession or not. There are so many reasons why people switch professions, not only ours. I think here on Archinect we - myself included - tend to get snippy about "giving up" when someone starts tossing around, as a self-protective device, bad attitude about leaving - namely, implying that those of us who stay in the profession are fools.
Similarly, I've heard from MANY of my students this semester that they've always felt inferior because they know they aren't the best designers in the class, as if design, especially along the lines of the Big Shiny Icon with a Hole In It, is the only thing that architecture is about.
We all need to chill. To that end, I'm having wine and baking at 2 in the afternoon.
architecture is a trying lifestyle alright if you are young, but as you get older, that lifestyle must be more secure. mine isn't yet, and i don't want to walk on the high wire all my life. i made some conscious decisions in last 7-8 years and shifted my focus from being a hands on building architect to more of a discourse architect increasingly engaging in teaching and writing. telephone calls from potential clients are now effectively stopped and i realized what i used to provide as an experienced designer is now provided by contractors and designing people who learned few tricks from dwelling magazines and neighbors. that is the big picture of residential work in los angeles.. commercial and big scale work is pretty much stopped due to financing dry-up. that is the big reason of archi-unemployment here.
residential work alone is impossible to sustain an architect's practice for the long haul. i have friends and acquaintances who were widely published for their single family residential work and who exclusively worked in that typology have always been in roller coaster ride but the ride is now on a stand still. people are afraid to spend their money on architected 'lifestyle' right now and that is the majority of residential work for the professionals..
yes there are some some construction activity but not enough. the construction is really down and losing steam everyday. the other day i was at home depot to buy a toaster and i have never seen so many employees asking me if i needed help. that never happened before and you always had to wait in line to get somebody's attention just a few years ago.
i think this is the time a lot of pressure particularly put on architects. yes there are a lot of casualties, but the situation is also causing us to think our profession in different ways than before and that is the real hope we have. i keep lecturing my students about this all the time. by the time they graduate, they will have a different reach than all the previous graduates in this country.
in the face of bigger picture, these tough and transitional times are also the most exciting ones for architects and our role in the world (if we can find a way to survive them that is.)
phillip - that sucks - hopefully things turn out for the best...
orhan - your neighborhood sounds like my neighborhood (right down to the super busy dollar store).... except I can't get fresh (local?) veggies in the winter and we don't have a whole foods - just a bunch of fancy food shops where you can get $100/lb cheeses and truffle oil.
I was at my first Posada Navideña earlier tonight - it was a lot of fun (even though I had no idea what I was singing), and I had no idea there were so many Mexicans in my neighborhood. I spent the better part of the evening drinking something called champurrado (basically hot chocolate with cinnamon and cornmeal)- IMO - probably the best cold weather drink if you're both cold and hungry.
I made dough for 7 batches of cookies tonight. Tomorrow I bake.
Orhan, this part of your post is true and sad: what i used to provide as an experienced designer is now provided by contractors and designing people who learned few tricks from dwelling magazines and neighbors.. Sigh.
donna...the reason i'm considering other ideas (including furniture) is because i am already freaking out about finances...i think i may have more luck making money if i'm selling design objects instead of working as an architect..
also related to what orhan and donna are saying..i think i could get into far more homes with good design as a furniture designer than as an architect...and who knows how that may set people on the path toward other types of good design?
i'm thinking in the realm of eames, the bauhaus, etc. affordable well designed objects that are intended to last..and hopefully become design standards..and if not then a lot of fun to create...i'm going to hopefully cut some pieces this week on my friend's cnc while i'm home for christmas.
time to pile the kids in the car and drive up to donna's for cookies!
had a great night out last night with friends we don't see enough. awesome dinner and three lovely drinks and a late-night order of fries = easygoing night of yammering for hours about the state of everthing in the world. decorations are lovely, but this is what i love about the holidays: we make time for each other!
Some every good discussions above. I think the issues of lifestyle vs job is something alot of people have been talking about lately. I was just talking with some friends along those lines recently.
Along the lines of well they get a cool job and love what they do, but have to work like a dog to make ends meet, whereas i don't enjoy my job (from a lifestyle perspective) but it allows me time and money to do all the things that i do enjoy on the side. Like volunteering at local urban gardening projects, or being involved in city boards, traveling to Dallas etc...
So either way it means working hard and not having a lot of free time. I am just thankful I have a job... I mean it seems as if the economy is getting better on some levels, but i know alot of people who are still struggling..
Finished most of my xmas shopping yesterday, took about 4 hours. also made me realize how much more i prefer shopping online...
And finally, i have to say didn't think the DADT repeal was going to actually pass this year.
Thread Central
kids and adults are always dealing with what is myth and what reality, so we are letting our kids figure out santa on their own. good practice for when they are confronted with the bigger lies ;-)
in the meantime it is fun.
man i am seriously exhausted and desperately would like to have a drink and relax.
however, on the mildly cool side of things I am the MC for first day of two-day symposium, starting tomorrow at the university. on 2nd day maki fumihiko and kazuyo sejima are going to be chatting and presenting work so am looking forward to it quite a bit.
of course our office has 2 deadlines right about now so not much room for sleeping, and zero time to get christmas shopping done. nothing like a bit of stress to make the holidays just a bit edgy...;-)
Rusty, you thought I was a big fat dude posting from mom's basement? That's great.
This probably goes without saying, but if your kid already knows Santa isn't real, you don't have to perpetuate the myth by insisting he is real, but do try to instill in them that it would ruin another kid's fun if they went to school and blabbed to everyone that Santa isn't real and not to do that. Like jump says, they eventually figure it out and that is an excellent excercise for a kid to go through, and they will not resent you for lying.
Human and child development is a subject I never knew I was interested in, but it now far surpasses architecture on my interest scale. I can't nail down the feeling, like a traitor, or that maybe I was midled or confused by going into architecture. Wishing I had a formal education in my new field, but I guess you can't beat learning on the job.
Vintage? Well it's gonna depend on the crowd. I mean, first thing I think of is a nice 50s era party dress with dress-apron, but I know you're a man, and well, like I said, it depends on the crowd. You could always don a turtleneck and festive sweater. Maybe a nice pipe to complete the ensemble.
That reminds me, I used the word heinous yesterday amongst freshman boys. I don't suggest it.
hi all..
Sounds like everyone is ready for holidays and looking forward to new year?
I know I am some (hopefully) big things coming down the pipe....
beta, sarah's idea is great... you should totally go with nice 50s era party dress with dress-apron... that would be GREAT!!!
also, i might apply for a job up there in the northern woods too...
beta - you should go as both david bowie and bing crosby.
Toaster, I'm not up on my SNL or Christmas tunes... did they actually do that, or were they miming?
I hope you don't think I'm a traitor when I give up Architecture to become a Macy's Santa...next year. I'm working on the Marketing Director at this very point in time and he doesn't even know it.
Ho...Ho...Ho....
sarah they did it. and it wasn't SNL but funny or die..
I am drunk, watching Always Sunny in Philadelphia's 1 hr holiday special and going to bed. night all.
sarah here's the original.
snook - were you a member of the amalgamated order of real bearded santas when all the shit went down?
my parents were religious nutjobs so no santa for me growing up. he, in fact, represented the evils of consumption, and by believing in him you were inviting the devil into your house....
I could write a book about my childhood.
^ Wow.
I have heard of religious nut jobs not celebrating Halloween but I have never heard of them cutting Christmas out.
I would love to read that book.
That Bowie/Bing video blows my mind - what blows my mind about is the fact that during the 80s it DIDN'T blow my mind - I guess I was so stoned all the time everything was just cooooool, dude.
beta, I was thinking a vintage cardigan, not unlike Bing wears in the video, except perhaps with a Christmas theme. I bet you could rock a pair of 50s dress trousers.
Also, what you said to manta is perfect, so I'm going to repeat it: manta, don't worry about it, architecture will always be here, and besides nothing's permanent.
We had a family over for a school break kick-off dinner tonight, and I realized bourbon is more fun when drunk with someone else who enjoys it, too. Then I watched Jon Stewart kick some ASS over the 9-11 first responder thing. Man.
n_ ...i don't think it's a question of cutting christmas...it's more about removing santa claus from christmas...i think there are many religious homes that don't hype santa...i know my parents never really told us about santa..i don't know if it was because my parents are religious or because my mom is norwegian... they have a different tradition..
is it weird that i don't feel as though i 'owe' this profession anything? i understand/appreciate the compunction that those have about not wanting to leave and the guilt that that brings..but really isn't it weird that we should feel that? i understand the reasons less and less...the profession barely pays my bills, is highly effected by sways in the economy, is marginalized by the population so as to make fees ridiculously low, has a government agency (DOB) that it has to comply with that takes more and more time to pass through and takes more and more potential creativity out of possible designs and is constantly coming up with more restrictions and codes that are poorly written and hard to interpret...
the main thing i appreciate about my education is that it has taught me to think critically and adapt and potentially move in different directions..within and outside of the profession... increasingly i'm hoping it's outside...because otherwise i don't think i'll ever be able to retire...or keep my apartment for that matter.
or at least that's where i am right now....thank god for white russians.
Sometimes when I read what ya'll say about this profession on Archinect, I feel like I should be hating this profession. But I don't. So far anyway. There is definitely room for improvement, but what profession doesn't?
Am I the lucky few? Or is it still early and should I be expecting something to go awry? Don't most people hate their careers at some point, which could be a catalyst for some great change in their career path or affirmation of their choice in profession? Not to downplay the possibility of unemployment and instability, but that was also systemic at a larger scale than our profession combined with the premise of our profession.
Frankly, I love hearing stories about architecturally trained folks doing other things. Not only to survive, but because thats what they want to do, or out of a combination of will and chance.
But I'm not only content/satisfied with this profession/career, but optimistic at its potential. Still. Hope I'm not alone.
Anyway, happy holidays folks.
i am a sentimental tool when it comes to christmas. but donna, you were a stoner in the 80's.
i am resolved to separate Architecture from the "Profession". my practice and love of Architecture has nothing to do with the "Profession". trust me, it helps to frame it that way.
Beta, that is exactly how I frame it.
What impresses me about the video is that it really isn't funny; its just good. Maybe I'm missing something. My sense of humor has never been mainstream. I'm not weird, or dark, and I don't think that I'm above it, just that maybe I come to it too late. SNL usually isn't very funny, but then again, I never watched it until the 2000s - I had better things to do on Saturday nights, and they don't have electricity in the fields/woods.
Mad TV was always just odd, and obnoxious, and don't even get me started on South Park - its mostly just people yelling at each other.
On the other hand, I think Monty Python's Holy Grail is hilarious, and Cougar Town is great.
Must just be me.
i love bing. and bowie too for that matter. amazing to think bowie is an old dude now.
lots of green discussions at symposium today. it seems i have fallen in with people who want to make the planet better.
we had santa growing up but were told the smurfs were satanic. which seems even more pointless thing to teach a kid, but probably not as interesting as a book.
snl was awesome in the 70's and 80's. monty python remains awesome too. they just don't get unfunny.
I agree wholeheartedly with beta too. Loving architecture is completely different than making it a career choice. New Man loves architecture (wanted to be an architect growing up) but chose mechincal engineering as a career path instead.
lars, you don't owe the profession of architecture anything except to continue to love good buildings, which you probably can't help but do anyway.
It's a rough profession, definitely, but I'm still generally optimistic about it, certainly about the good parts.
More snow today. Snow is like having children: the sublime joy, beauty and wonder is totally overwhelmingly wonderful, but you still have to deal with all the pain-in-the-ass drudgery of managing it day to day. Suppose the profession is similar, too.
I think I'm going cross-country skiing on Christmas Day. That's how religious I am.
Donna how are the chicks with the snow? It's slow at work today. The calm before the new year storm.
Donna, I've never thought about it like that, but you are so right about snow. At least with snow, you can lock it outside!
My parents (mom) wouldn't let me watch HeMan because he was satanic. At least that's how I remember it. Something about how he says "I am power!" Parents are funny.
Oh, and Melt, you could also get NewMan -Numan?- some awesome oldsxhool building toy like Kinex, or whatever that metal strap and bolts one was.
I wasn't allowed to watch the Simpson's or SNL growing up, this was high school though. It was considered heinous.
Sarah, we use nonsense words to teach phonics and I came across the nonsense word 'ganous' in the teaching material. I was in training and neither me nor the student, a 14 yr old boy, even thought about it but the observing teacher busted out laughing... awkward!
Love Bing. Love Bowie. Love the video.
Donna - I laughed out loud with your stoned comment. Yep, that's about accurate for most stoners.
Love Bing. Love Bowie. Love the video.
Donna - I laughed out loud with your stoned comment. Yep, that's about accurate for most stoners.
My devoutly Christian mother watched the Simpsons with us all the time - it was one of our family shows. We would all wait with anticipation each week to watch it. She knew about the show from day one because she's a huge fan of Matt Groening - had every "Life Is Hell" book and let us grow up reading them, even though we didn't understand half the references (they made us laugh anyway). She also inducted me into the wonders of Monty Python, George Carlin, Eddie Murphy, and Richard Pryor. And she taught us about Jesus.
The only thing she wouldn't let us do growing up was read girly magazines ("they're all about sex, consumerism, and making you feel bad about your weight and you don't need that stuff in your head") and for some reason, watch Roseanne, which she said was trashy. Married With Children would probably have been banned too if we'd evinced any desire to watch it. She let us stay up late and watch SNL with her and my dad however.
My parents are socialists however, which my mother sees as her christian duty. I realize most americans don't grow up this way, but I sure appreciated it.
Smurfs were banned in my house, but the Simpsons were encouraged. The Roseanne vs. girly mags thing is a little funny to me manta, because someone pointed out recently that Roseanne was one of the only really progressive shows in terms of body image. The two main characters were fat, which is occasionally acknowledged but not a main plot point, and is actually a way better attitude than many shows today are taking (Mike & Molly, Huge, etc.) where if someone's fat that becomes their whole character (unless they're a guy, in which case they are given an inexplicably hot wife).
This afternoon's the office Christmas party, and everyone else is off at meetings all morning so I practically get the office to myself. Oh, and I have a date after the party, so I'm telling myself that I can only have a couple glasses of wine.
*melt here's another cool link
Santa doesn't appear much in our social consciousness here, religion aside I think trying to explain a snowy Christmas, a man in a red velvet suit and reindeer to kids lounging around in shorts it's a hard sell.
Develop those imaginations! What would it be like to live at the North Pole and make toys all year, then deliver them the entire world over in one night!?
Stawberry,
I wonder if Santa makes $27.000.00 a year?
I wasn't allowed to go to a Judas Priest concert, because my mom didn't like the name.
snook, no, he makes a cool mil.
slart, donna, etc.... ok my comments could be more constructive.. and i don't want to be labeled as one of 'those' who hate the profession and just whine and complain...
i do love buildings...and i love building, both within architecture and also doing actual construction...i actually like physical labor a lot more and have considered joining the carpenter's union...especially when they complain about starting out at 'only' 65k..this doesn't include overtime and they work from 7 to 2...and that's for the guys that push the shovels around...
but i like having the control over the details and problem solving and drawing so i remain an architect...(a design build environment would probably be ideal for me actually..)
the problems i've had recently are:
1. there's not enough work to keep me employed for more than 20 hrs per week and soon i won't even have that.
2. of the three projects i've been working on for the past two years only one has started construction...and the other two have been in the DOB dealing with various legal and code issues for about a year and a half...we have expeditors on both of these jobs, but that doesn't really help. the home that is under construction is a simple addition and still took 6 months to go through the DOB. will legislation regarding architecture and codes continue to get more and more restrictive and time consuming? it may be that i'm starting to become more senior and i'm reacting to that...i seem to have more paperwork and less drawing and design time...and i just want to avoid that i think.
3. consultants. somehow we as architects are paid the least amount of those working on the job, but we tend to do alot of other people's work in the process. i'm often doing drawings and/or finding specs for my structural and mechanical consultants...and coordinating and checking their drawings... even when the consultants are in the same office they don't seem to talk to each other. i feel like our profession is misunderstood and not publicized and given enough credit for the many hours that we put in to getting projects built...and we have a governing body that doesn't do enough to educate the public about that
i do love architecture and buildings and i really want to build something (especially challenging, well detailed, original stuff)..but i also want to do other stuff (like art, making furniture, iphone apps etc) and when i'm working a real job i often don't have time for any of that.
i guess i just need to figure out a way to be balanced and happy within the profession...and be more creative about how i spend my time...but i guess that i also want bosses and companies that understand that the profession needs to be more flexible and diverse (i know they're out there) and more proactive about telling others how great and important it is.
i'm just tired of fighting for a 5k raise after three years of working at a place and fighting for healthcare and hoping for a bonus etc etc...not that i want to be rich, but just want to be able to afford a nice place to live and not worry about when i'll be able to save.
i know i'm just frustrated at the moment and i'll come around...i don't want to discourage anyone with enthusiasm and happiness at all...i've definitely had very good experiences within architecture and look forward with longing for the next one...but while i wait i may take a foray into furniture for a bit.
ugh... today my wife rejoined the ranks of the unemployed... merry f'n xmas...
Sorry to hear Phillip... maybe it is time we all move to Nebraska. And from what Lars just wrote it may be time to. Like Nam I'm almost drunk, we had an office Christmas party at the firm I work with. Three 3 beers later and some samosa's I ready for bed. Good thing I've finished all my marking and inputting of grades so I'm done until January.
philip, fuck. man, i'm sorry to hear that.
Aw, Phillip, I'm so sorry. It does suck anytime, but especially right before Christmas. Hugs to your wife.
lars your burnout is understandable, and yes I recall the years of wondering "why am I the one looking this up when it's the mechanical engineer's job and he's being paid as much or more than I am for me to do it?!?" A break may do you good, f you're not so worried about finances that you freak out.
financially, i have been in ruins few times. this is a tough one right now. i also been very well made few times. been there done that.. hang in there phillip, she will find another job hopefully soon.
things must be much worse than we are hearing in the news.
there is an interesting situation in my neighborhood;
there is a cvs pharmacy next to a 99cent store next to a gourmet wholefoods store. i have just been to all of them in that order this evening. most crowded was 99 cent store where i spent more than the others, than, the whole foods which was a lot less people roaming around than it was first opened and people were buying very little, i bought three cans of dog food. cvs stop was for tylenol... groceries i buy at thai, mid eastern and mexican markets where everything we eat is plenty, fresh and half the price. one of the nice things about living in los angeles is variety of ethnic food stores.
Ohran,
I have come to the conculsion in this last major down turn in the profession, that I'm going to have to pull a Frank Lloyd Wright.....or even an Oscar Neimeyer and work till I'm a 103. Yes, Oscar hit the 103 mark this past week.
As like you have said this one has hit us harder than all of the ones I have know since the 70's.
Lars, if only we lived in the same city I'd love to grab a beer with you. I understand exactly what you mean and have been coming to similar realizations myself lately. I don't usually say anything about them around here, because I feel like there's a big attitude (not in TC, but elsewhere) like, if you start to think about a life outside the profession, then that means you 'couldn't hack it' or weren't passionate enough, or talented enough, or whatever. But lately I've been thinking a lot about the job aspects of a life in architecture, as distinct from the passion for it. And the bottom line (to me) is that it's a job. I feel a bit like we all bought too much into the line - and I KNOW we've all had someone tell us this, in exactly these words - "It's not a job, it's a lifestyle." That's a recipe for future disillusionment and depression if I ever heard it. The bottom line is that I'm here on earth for a short time, I don't have anyone else to support me (no spouse, no rich parents, no rich benefactors) and I've got to do what I've got to do. And if architecture is offering 24k, for 60 hours a week, and some random other job is offering 60k, for 40 hours a week which will allow me to paint/read/pursue woodworking/learn another language/volunteer on the side, then I refuse to feel guilty, or like a failure, for taking the 60k non-arch job.
...ok, rant over. I haven't done that in awhile, have I? sorry guys.
holy smokes... DADT beats cloture, meaning it should pass barring any shenanigans. bout f*cking time. small bone for the base - too little, too late.
I have to be brief, as Holiday Baking Extravaganza 2010 is about to start, but lars and manta you are talking about one of the things I really despise about our profession: this sense of superiority about suffering through staying in the profession or not. There are so many reasons why people switch professions, not only ours. I think here on Archinect we - myself included - tend to get snippy about "giving up" when someone starts tossing around, as a self-protective device, bad attitude about leaving - namely, implying that those of us who stay in the profession are fools.
Similarly, I've heard from MANY of my students this semester that they've always felt inferior because they know they aren't the best designers in the class, as if design, especially along the lines of the Big Shiny Icon with a Hole In It, is the only thing that architecture is about.
We all need to chill. To that end, I'm having wine and baking at 2 in the afternoon.
architecture is a trying lifestyle alright if you are young, but as you get older, that lifestyle must be more secure. mine isn't yet, and i don't want to walk on the high wire all my life. i made some conscious decisions in last 7-8 years and shifted my focus from being a hands on building architect to more of a discourse architect increasingly engaging in teaching and writing. telephone calls from potential clients are now effectively stopped and i realized what i used to provide as an experienced designer is now provided by contractors and designing people who learned few tricks from dwelling magazines and neighbors. that is the big picture of residential work in los angeles.. commercial and big scale work is pretty much stopped due to financing dry-up. that is the big reason of archi-unemployment here.
residential work alone is impossible to sustain an architect's practice for the long haul. i have friends and acquaintances who were widely published for their single family residential work and who exclusively worked in that typology have always been in roller coaster ride but the ride is now on a stand still. people are afraid to spend their money on architected 'lifestyle' right now and that is the majority of residential work for the professionals..
yes there are some some construction activity but not enough. the construction is really down and losing steam everyday. the other day i was at home depot to buy a toaster and i have never seen so many employees asking me if i needed help. that never happened before and you always had to wait in line to get somebody's attention just a few years ago.
i think this is the time a lot of pressure particularly put on architects. yes there are a lot of casualties, but the situation is also causing us to think our profession in different ways than before and that is the real hope we have. i keep lecturing my students about this all the time. by the time they graduate, they will have a different reach than all the previous graduates in this country.
in the face of bigger picture, these tough and transitional times are also the most exciting ones for architects and our role in the world (if we can find a way to survive them that is.)
phillip - that sucks - hopefully things turn out for the best...
orhan - your neighborhood sounds like my neighborhood (right down to the super busy dollar store).... except I can't get fresh (local?) veggies in the winter and we don't have a whole foods - just a bunch of fancy food shops where you can get $100/lb cheeses and truffle oil.
I was at my first Posada Navideña earlier tonight - it was a lot of fun (even though I had no idea what I was singing), and I had no idea there were so many Mexicans in my neighborhood. I spent the better part of the evening drinking something called champurrado (basically hot chocolate with cinnamon and cornmeal)- IMO - probably the best cold weather drink if you're both cold and hungry.
masa, cornmeal doesn't work (at least according to me mexi-loving wife)
I made dough for 7 batches of cookies tonight. Tomorrow I bake.
Orhan, this part of your post is true and sad: what i used to provide as an experienced designer is now provided by contractors and designing people who learned few tricks from dwelling magazines and neighbors.. Sigh.
donna...the reason i'm considering other ideas (including furniture) is because i am already freaking out about finances...i think i may have more luck making money if i'm selling design objects instead of working as an architect..
also related to what orhan and donna are saying..i think i could get into far more homes with good design as a furniture designer than as an architect...and who knows how that may set people on the path toward other types of good design?
i'm thinking in the realm of eames, the bauhaus, etc. affordable well designed objects that are intended to last..and hopefully become design standards..and if not then a lot of fun to create...i'm going to hopefully cut some pieces this week on my friend's cnc while i'm home for christmas.
time to pile the kids in the car and drive up to donna's for cookies!
had a great night out last night with friends we don't see enough. awesome dinner and three lovely drinks and a late-night order of fries = easygoing night of yammering for hours about the state of everthing in the world. decorations are lovely, but this is what i love about the holidays: we make time for each other!
happy sunday all.
Some every good discussions above. I think the issues of lifestyle vs job is something alot of people have been talking about lately. I was just talking with some friends along those lines recently.
Along the lines of well they get a cool job and love what they do, but have to work like a dog to make ends meet, whereas i don't enjoy my job (from a lifestyle perspective) but it allows me time and money to do all the things that i do enjoy on the side. Like volunteering at local urban gardening projects, or being involved in city boards, traveling to Dallas etc...
So either way it means working hard and not having a lot of free time. I am just thankful I have a job... I mean it seems as if the economy is getting better on some levels, but i know alot of people who are still struggling..
Finished most of my xmas shopping yesterday, took about 4 hours. also made me realize how much more i prefer shopping online...
And finally, i have to say didn't think the DADT repeal was going to actually pass this year.
WooHo!!!!
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