took the evening off to have pizza with a bunch of veteran architects in tokyo. drank too much and ate too much, but is sooo nice to have a break.
if any of you remain interested in japan disaster, one of my partners recently wrote a two part article on where we might go from here. Its pretty good. and i would say that even if we hadn't been friends for 10 years.
manta, are you physically fabricating this thing? why don't you post some pics and have TC have at it!
in the past, i've learned that no one will critique the elements that you are nervous about, code stuff, structural stuff (unless its an engineer looking at calcs), even complex "will they really build this thing" details sometimes as well. And I'm always left with more questions than I have answers. Which is good at certain stages of the project.
In the end, you have to satisfy your own demons. Do the research that you need to do to allow yourself to sleep at night. And then execute. I get nervous, I get anxious. I feel like I'll unroll a set of drawings one day and everyone will laugh. And to a certain extent, it keeps me on my toes. Makes me go the extra mile to satisfy myself. You will always be your toughest critic.
I spent an absolute absurd amount of hours on a tiny side project once. I mean, once it was over I went back and looked at all the details I had drawn and all the stress and pressure I put on myself. It was ridiculous. And since then, I've tried to step back and not just gauge the work, but think about how I'm approaching the work. How much time and effort and meaning I'm assigning to things. It helps to refocus on that end and execution aspect of the job and not get sucked down into "will this fastener hold, oh my god, what if it doesn't hold, aaaah, can't sleep, i know nothing about kwikbolts, need to research kwikbolts, all night, pull out strength, ANSI what?, shit need to read ANSI, all of it... aaah" Maybe that's just me, though.
I would be curious to hear how others manage their internal quality control and confidence.
Congrats Barry! Knowing your a New Englander at Heart, you will not miss a thing about Mpls, until your gone. I was hoping you would stick around as my niece is entering the HHH Graduate Program this year. I have no idea what she will be studying but I was going to try to direct her in your direction for and elective or a required course. So know I guess I will not have an opportunity to provide you as an option.
I hope the "Weed" is excited about the move along with the Mrs. Barry. I'm sure California is a lot better for her profession. You know how those Californians have to take care of themselves.
very cool barry. must be nice to have things sorted after all the drama. and you get to work with orhan, which is way cool indeed.
@ manta, i know how you feel. mostly i manage by having a business partner to bounce ideas off. in the end it is about accumulating experience as the boss. it's a strange thing to learn, but after awhile you won't even notice it. in the meantime there is nothing to do but enjoy the experience !
congrats barry!!! glad that it is finally official!!!
in other news, i got my license from the state of florida in the mail today... i figured that after passing the last exam that i would have to fill out some paperwork and pay some money before getting it, but it just showed up...
Sarah, dress like a preppy (or a hippie) and you'll fit right in. Just up the road is the Monteray Bay Aquarium - a very good bit of 80s adaptive re-use (and a fine aquarium too). There are tons of name-brand houses around carmel, but don't know if you can tour any. An hour down coast is the Esalen Institute & hot springs in Big Sur - one of the cultural icons of the 60s. Also, drop a note to tumbles, she lives nearby (and might give you a tour of here dairy/herd of goats).
jump, it IS nice to have stuff finalized with Pomona - the effort was worth the results.
Snook, your niece will get a great education at HHH, have her drop me a note, I'll still know most of the folks there. My shrub wants to go to california 'now!' so we're using this to teach patience.
we are thinking of moving across city to reduce my commute time and be closer to the office. we live in fantastic place right now with trees and birds and lots of kids to play with etc. My youngest daughter says we should move NOW too. but she wants to go to the same school . AND get a puppy.
We are using the experience to teach her about geography.
she is way cute though. and she is right. it would be better to stay here. instead we are heading off to the urban jungle most likely. yikes.
Woo-hoo Barry!!! Congrats on the new position. When do you leave the tundra?
SH - I agree with Barry. Are you guys heading toward San Fran too. Oh so envious, it's absolutely gorgeous there. Eat some fresh seafood for me while you are there. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
i worked late and am watching new Louie. brilliant!
Sarah i too am planning a trip (just avacation) in Sept/Oct to Cali for a wedding and visit with friends. hoping to drive coast hghwy from so cal to San Fran. maybe stay overnight on the way.
I spent an absolute absurd amount of hours on a tiny side project once. I mean, once it was over I went back and looked at all the details I had drawn and all the stress and pressure I put on myself. It was ridiculous.
This is COMPLETELY me. I am driving myself crazy. I keep thinking "but it's going to be the face of this organization for at least 50 years!!! and it doesn't quite look right!
I don't usually stress about buildability - I've learned over the years that that part is really changeable in situ (well not if you've ordered a bunch of parts you then can't use) - but I mean - you can massage constructability during construction, and once you're out there with the GC staring at the thing at the jobsite, you usually figure out the best way to do it, and it's usually a slight tweak of whatever you drew. So I guess I'm more confident about building - or at least I've had the pleasure of working with some great craftsman who have helped me learn to be way less hung up about how something is detailed in the drawing and let the detailing happen more in the hands of the craftsman in the field. Or at least, between the two of us in the field. That's why I'm always looking for a good something to help with field-sketches... probably an ipad, in the future... like jump.
For me - the current problem is one of proportions / aesthetics. It just doesn't... LOOK RIGHT! And I don't know why or what's bugging me about it. I feel like I could figure it out if I had someone to converse with about it. I have spent soooooooo much time on this project, I cannot believe it. Thank god its pro bono or I'd be eating a ton of fee. (Yes I know that doesn't make logical sense.) Like you said - it is ridiculous how much time I've spent on this thing. It's been in process for literally TWO YEARS. And it is A SIGN. That's it. A fairly large monument sign, but STILL. AAAACK!
I have a hang-up about anonymity so if anyone DOES want to take a look and tell me what you think, feel free to email me. I'm always happy to throw my work out there!
Yes I suppose I am the type that thinks through things while in conversation. (Actually maybe that's the reason I like archinect so much! ...like an on-going conversation that helps me develop my thoughts.) So when I work on my own I often feel like I'm missing half of my brain. I suppose it's ultimately a lack of confidence of some sort... like you said - you have to get the hang of the being "the boss". A scary thought!
I will say that I have much more confidence when working on clients' projects than on my own. I mean than on something like this, that I have a stake in. I'm both client and architect at this point. Eek, I wonder what that means for me when I eventually work on my own living space...
btw, postal, I agree with you on that other thread that if anything, the ARE could actually be made harder. Just didn't want to put it in that thread because I got tired of it.
it's tuff manta, being the boss. especially with no one to confirm your intuitions and fears, or set you straight when you have the wrong end of the stick. For me that is why a sole practice would not be much fun at all.
i suppose part of the process is to learn to be comfortable with getting it wrong. that feeling you are having about it being not quite right though, i absolutely get that. not sure if it ever goes away...
Donna, you crazy yank, it's y'all.
You guys were quick on the suggestions. Were only going to be there for two whole days and three nights. I'm looking into wine and hang gliding. There's a hot spring open to the public from 1am to 3am, but I'm not sure we could swing that. Thats effing late!
yeah, i'm in chicago, if you want me to check out what you've got, i wouldn't mind. but, i'm no aesthetician. so, we don't have the ability to privately email anyone now right?
we're moving at the end of august. I'll be out in SoCal next month looking for a place to live. Still need to figure out where I'm staying while house hunting (hint - anybody with a sofa?)
nam, hope we can meet when you're in SoCal! (but I'll be in Pittsburgh oct 9-12th for a conference)
Difficult decision, WWTCD?: I have an" investor" who is willing to invest in me to start my own office, money on the table and an office space. What sounds like a dream come true is not allowing me to sleep at night. I am a risktaker but this is huge and no doubt it will be a difficult and winding road. I have rejected architecture but obviously dont want to let go and don't want to make a decision I will regret. Any insight? One thing I don't have is clients but with this deal I can take my time getting them.
I don't know that I have all the skills it takes to do this, nor the time. I would have to do it part time. Is it worth the stress?
do it. you never know if you can unless you try. the part that worries me is the 'part-time' schedule. in my experience, the best way to succeed at something new (and scary) is to not give yourself any other options...if it's only a side project, you'll never give it your full attention, and this kind of thing will need your full attention. good luck!
Reminds me of that show "#1 ladies' detective agency" where a woman sells all her cows and moves to capital of Botswana in order to become a private investigator. Opening the office and designing the sign seems like the hardest part. After that you sit back and wait for the clients to rush in.
How much sex is your 'investor' expecting in return?
I have to go part time because I'm an owner in another business that needs me at least 20 hours a week. I can't give that up because it will keep me afloat.
(No sex rquired, rusters, ya wierdo.)
Life as and Architect: Went to a job to do some field measuring and came across a door with a real formal sign on it which said "Do Not Open Door." What is one to do, what goes on behind a door with that kind of sign? I didn't want to mess with the Gods, so I left the door closed and went along the way measuring the rest of the building.
This afternoon my car would not start, it did this a couple of weeks ago so I took it to the dealer and $138.00 later they couldn't find the problem. So it happened to me again two days ago, after driving around for a while. I let the engine block cool down and it started right up. Well it happened again, earlier in the day. I let the engine block cool down and it started once again. I did some more driving around and decided I should deposit a check in the bank before the long weekend and wouldn't you know it it died again. I was but maybe three blocks from the dealership and it was 4:30. If I called for a tow I wouldn't see a tow truck for an hour so it would be 5:30.....and well it is a long weekend , I wouldn't see my car back from the shop until the middle of next week. I left it in the bank parking lot and hitched a ride home from a retired neighbor who drives a mercedes convertable. He starts telling me how his mercedes has had the same problem from time to time. So I guess I will go see if it starts in the morning. If not guess I'm looking at a rental for a couple of days....or maybe I will find a package store that delivers and just sit under the lawn sprinkler and drink Beer, and think about what my client might be hiding behind that door, which merits a sign which reads "DO NOT OPEN"
becca, I think then that you should find some clients before considering such a thing. Put it out that you're looking for projects, and once you've got one or two lined up THEN consider opening a business.
Erin, I would get most of my expenses paid for for about 8 months, so it wouldn't cost me anything to start it is the thing. I still think it is too tough do it though. My non-arch friends think I'm crazy for not jumping on this, they think if I open up shop that people will just walk in, but I know better.
beccabec it depends entirely on the work you can line up. i wouldn't start without work in hand, but maybe this is a good excuse to start doing just that. personally i find the hardest part of this job is finding the next client the next project. the rest is challenging but not impossible.
hi sarah, i have no idea what you are talking about, so i guess none of us noticed. which royals are visiting where?
Sarah, I'm Southern by blood but Western by experience, so I pronounce it "yuu-all" not "yaawl". It's my own version.
becca, clients will definitely not just walk in so if you're willing to put in serious time getting some clients while investor pays the bills you could end up making it work after a year or so. But I thought you loved your current business too much to go back to architecture.
Please accept kindest regards from Canada day long weekend evacuee. While I am in the drunk tank, my free healthcare payments have been frozen by Alberta tar sand barrons. If you can help me transfer them to your fine country, I will gladly give you 20% of my benefits (catscans for life, complementary colonoscopy, AND a bag of hockey pucks with queen mother's face on them). Please shave your eyebrows and send them to my escrow account, and I will promptly make payment to your facebooks.
I give thanks to your kind nature and look forward to destroying err enriching your life!
Thread Central
Sounds pun phil. Where did you kayak?
time for siesta! ok, no maybe it is a little early, but who cares?
melt, my in-laws have a mountain house in western north carolina about 30 minutes west of bryson city... we went down the nantahala river...
Still painting. How is everyone else? Busy it seems.
took the evening off to have pizza with a bunch of veteran architects in tokyo. drank too much and ate too much, but is sooo nice to have a break.
if any of you remain interested in japan disaster, one of my partners recently wrote a two part article on where we might go from here. Its pretty good. and i would say that even if we hadn't been friends for 10 years.
it's official, got the letter this morning !!!!!! I'm now an Assistant Professor at Cal Poly Pomona. Can't wait to collaborate with Orhan!
manta, are you physically fabricating this thing? why don't you post some pics and have TC have at it!
in the past, i've learned that no one will critique the elements that you are nervous about, code stuff, structural stuff (unless its an engineer looking at calcs), even complex "will they really build this thing" details sometimes as well. And I'm always left with more questions than I have answers. Which is good at certain stages of the project.
In the end, you have to satisfy your own demons. Do the research that you need to do to allow yourself to sleep at night. And then execute. I get nervous, I get anxious. I feel like I'll unroll a set of drawings one day and everyone will laugh. And to a certain extent, it keeps me on my toes. Makes me go the extra mile to satisfy myself. You will always be your toughest critic.
I spent an absolute absurd amount of hours on a tiny side project once. I mean, once it was over I went back and looked at all the details I had drawn and all the stress and pressure I put on myself. It was ridiculous. And since then, I've tried to step back and not just gauge the work, but think about how I'm approaching the work. How much time and effort and meaning I'm assigning to things. It helps to refocus on that end and execution aspect of the job and not get sucked down into "will this fastener hold, oh my god, what if it doesn't hold, aaaah, can't sleep, i know nothing about kwikbolts, need to research kwikbolts, all night, pull out strength, ANSI what?, shit need to read ANSI, all of it... aaah" Maybe that's just me, though.
I would be curious to hear how others manage their internal quality control and confidence.
congrats barry! also, big thanks for uploading all the are material!
vado, good luck studying!
Congrats! Hope you and your family enjoy the warmer climate.
Do you have to start wearing corduroy blazers with elbow patches now?
was thinking bow ties, tweed shorts, and tie die shirts would be appropriate.
Tweed shorts?! They would have to be cuffed. And I think you'll need some suspenders.
barry prepping for class:
via
I don't use pomade nor have a mustache - but the sock garters are quite becoming!
Toaster, are you on pinterest? I swear I've seen that image there
Congrats Barry! Knowing your a New Englander at Heart, you will not miss a thing about Mpls, until your gone. I was hoping you would stick around as my niece is entering the HHH Graduate Program this year. I have no idea what she will be studying but I was going to try to direct her in your direction for and elective or a required course. So know I guess I will not have an opportunity to provide you as an option.
I hope the "Weed" is excited about the move along with the Mrs. Barry. I'm sure California is a lot better for her profession. You know how those Californians have to take care of themselves.
very cool barry. must be nice to have things sorted after all the drama. and you get to work with orhan, which is way cool indeed.
@ manta, i know how you feel. mostly i manage by having a business partner to bounce ideas off. in the end it is about accumulating experience as the boss. it's a strange thing to learn, but after awhile you won't even notice it. in the meantime there is nothing to do but enjoy the experience !
I just found out I'm going to Carmel, CA next month. It's was a surprise from Husband. Anyone ever been? What should I wear? What should we not miss?
congrats barry!!! glad that it is finally official!!!
in other news, i got my license from the state of florida in the mail today... i figured that after passing the last exam that i would have to fill out some paperwork and pay some money before getting it, but it just showed up...
Sarah, dress like a preppy (or a hippie) and you'll fit right in. Just up the road is the Monteray Bay Aquarium - a very good bit of 80s adaptive re-use (and a fine aquarium too). There are tons of name-brand houses around carmel, but don't know if you can tour any. An hour down coast is the Esalen Institute & hot springs in Big Sur - one of the cultural icons of the 60s. Also, drop a note to tumbles, she lives nearby (and might give you a tour of here dairy/herd of goats).
jump, it IS nice to have stuff finalized with Pomona - the effort was worth the results.
Snook, your niece will get a great education at HHH, have her drop me a note, I'll still know most of the folks there. My shrub wants to go to california 'now!' so we're using this to teach patience.
great news philip !
we are thinking of moving across city to reduce my commute time and be closer to the office. we live in fantastic place right now with trees and birds and lots of kids to play with etc. My youngest daughter says we should move NOW too. but she wants to go to the same school . AND get a puppy.
We are using the experience to teach her about geography.
she is way cute though. and she is right. it would be better to stay here. instead we are heading off to the urban jungle most likely. yikes.
Woo-hoo Barry!!! Congrats on the new position. When do you leave the tundra?
SH - I agree with Barry. Are you guys heading toward San Fran too. Oh so envious, it's absolutely gorgeous there. Eat some fresh seafood for me while you are there. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
hi all barry so glad that's resolved.
i worked late and am watching new Louie. brilliant!
Sarah i too am planning a trip (just avacation) in Sept/Oct to Cali for a wedding and visit with friends. hoping to drive coast hghwy from so cal to San Fran. maybe stay overnight on the way.
nite all
I'm so freaking tired, you'all. Kentucky teenagers are wearing me out.
oooh Carmel, awesome! have fun sarah!
Postal:
I spent an absolute absurd amount of hours on a tiny side project once. I mean, once it was over I went back and looked at all the details I had drawn and all the stress and pressure I put on myself. It was ridiculous.
This is COMPLETELY me. I am driving myself crazy. I keep thinking "but it's going to be the face of this organization for at least 50 years!!! and it doesn't quite look right!
I don't usually stress about buildability - I've learned over the years that that part is really changeable in situ (well not if you've ordered a bunch of parts you then can't use) - but I mean - you can massage constructability during construction, and once you're out there with the GC staring at the thing at the jobsite, you usually figure out the best way to do it, and it's usually a slight tweak of whatever you drew. So I guess I'm more confident about building - or at least I've had the pleasure of working with some great craftsman who have helped me learn to be way less hung up about how something is detailed in the drawing and let the detailing happen more in the hands of the craftsman in the field. Or at least, between the two of us in the field. That's why I'm always looking for a good something to help with field-sketches... probably an ipad, in the future... like jump.
For me - the current problem is one of proportions / aesthetics. It just doesn't... LOOK RIGHT! And I don't know why or what's bugging me about it. I feel like I could figure it out if I had someone to converse with about it. I have spent soooooooo much time on this project, I cannot believe it. Thank god its pro bono or I'd be eating a ton of fee. (Yes I know that doesn't make logical sense.) Like you said - it is ridiculous how much time I've spent on this thing. It's been in process for literally TWO YEARS. And it is A SIGN. That's it. A fairly large monument sign, but STILL. AAAACK!
I have a hang-up about anonymity so if anyone DOES want to take a look and tell me what you think, feel free to email me. I'm always happy to throw my work out there!
postal - aren't you in chicago?
@ jump -
Yes I suppose I am the type that thinks through things while in conversation. (Actually maybe that's the reason I like archinect so much! ...like an on-going conversation that helps me develop my thoughts.) So when I work on my own I often feel like I'm missing half of my brain. I suppose it's ultimately a lack of confidence of some sort... like you said - you have to get the hang of the being "the boss". A scary thought!
I will say that I have much more confidence when working on clients' projects than on my own. I mean than on something like this, that I have a stake in. I'm both client and architect at this point. Eek, I wonder what that means for me when I eventually work on my own living space...
btw, postal, I agree with you on that other thread that if anything, the ARE could actually be made harder. Just didn't want to put it in that thread because I got tired of it.
it's tuff manta, being the boss. especially with no one to confirm your intuitions and fears, or set you straight when you have the wrong end of the stick. For me that is why a sole practice would not be much fun at all.
i suppose part of the process is to learn to be comfortable with getting it wrong. that feeling you are having about it being not quite right though, i absolutely get that. not sure if it ever goes away...
Donna, you crazy yank, it's y'all. You guys were quick on the suggestions. Were only going to be there for two whole days and three nights. I'm looking into wine and hang gliding. There's a hot spring open to the public from 1am to 3am, but I'm not sure we could swing that. Thats effing late!
sh, make sure you walk to the south end of the carmel beach and see walker residence of flw and its cantilevered windows.
yeah, i'm in chicago, if you want me to check out what you've got, i wouldn't mind. but, i'm no aesthetician. so, we don't have the ability to privately email anyone now right?
Do they not have tours of the residence? And dang, hang gliding is EXPENSIVE!
we're moving at the end of august. I'll be out in SoCal next month looking for a place to live. Still need to figure out where I'm staying while house hunting (hint - anybody with a sofa?)
nam, hope we can meet when you're in SoCal! (but I'll be in Pittsburgh oct 9-12th for a conference)
Difficult decision, WWTCD?: I have an" investor" who is willing to invest in me to start my own office, money on the table and an office space. What sounds like a dream come true is not allowing me to sleep at night. I am a risktaker but this is huge and no doubt it will be a difficult and winding road. I have rejected architecture but obviously dont want to let go and don't want to make a decision I will regret. Any insight? One thing I don't have is clients but with this deal I can take my time getting them.
I don't know that I have all the skills it takes to do this, nor the time. I would have to do it part time. Is it worth the stress?Ya know nevermind that is a silly thing to ask on the internet that's how confused I am. Life. Sigh.
well I think it depends on whether you think you can make the business succeed or not. Do you have projects lined up?
Nope. And I'm not confident I could.
do it. you never know if you can unless you try. the part that worries me is the 'part-time' schedule. in my experience, the best way to succeed at something new (and scary) is to not give yourself any other options...if it's only a side project, you'll never give it your full attention, and this kind of thing will need your full attention. good luck!
Reminds me of that show "#1 ladies' detective agency" where a woman sells all her cows and moves to capital of Botswana in order to become a private investigator. Opening the office and designing the sign seems like the hardest part. After that you sit back and wait for the clients to rush in.
How much sex is your 'investor' expecting in return?
I have to go part time because I'm an owner in another business that needs me at least 20 hours a week. I can't give that up because it will keep me afloat. (No sex rquired, rusters, ya wierdo.)
Life as and Architect: Went to a job to do some field measuring and came across a door with a real formal sign on it which said "Do Not Open Door." What is one to do, what goes on behind a door with that kind of sign? I didn't want to mess with the Gods, so I left the door closed and went along the way measuring the rest of the building.
This afternoon my car would not start, it did this a couple of weeks ago so I took it to the dealer and $138.00 later they couldn't find the problem. So it happened to me again two days ago, after driving around for a while. I let the engine block cool down and it started right up. Well it happened again, earlier in the day. I let the engine block cool down and it started once again. I did some more driving around and decided I should deposit a check in the bank before the long weekend and wouldn't you know it it died again. I was but maybe three blocks from the dealership and it was 4:30. If I called for a tow I wouldn't see a tow truck for an hour so it would be 5:30.....and well it is a long weekend , I wouldn't see my car back from the shop until the middle of next week. I left it in the bank parking lot and hitched a ride home from a retired neighbor who drives a mercedes convertable. He starts telling me how his mercedes has had the same problem from time to time. So I guess I will go see if it starts in the morning. If not guess I'm looking at a rental for a couple of days....or maybe I will find a package store that delivers and just sit under the lawn sprinkler and drink Beer, and think about what my client might be hiding behind that door, which merits a sign which reads "DO NOT OPEN"
becca, I think then that you should find some clients before considering such a thing. Put it out that you're looking for projects, and once you've got one or two lined up THEN consider opening a business.
Erin, I would get most of my expenses paid for for about 8 months, so it wouldn't cost me anything to start it is the thing. I still think it is too tough do it though. My non-arch friends think I'm crazy for not jumping on this, they think if I open up shop that people will just walk in, but I know better.
Hey Jump, what does your family think of the visiting royals? I'm just curious.
beccabec it depends entirely on the work you can line up. i wouldn't start without work in hand, but maybe this is a good excuse to start doing just that. personally i find the hardest part of this job is finding the next client the next project. the rest is challenging but not impossible.
hi sarah, i have no idea what you are talking about, so i guess none of us noticed. which royals are visiting where?
Sarah, I'm Southern by blood but Western by experience, so I pronounce it "yuu-all" not "yaawl". It's my own version.
becca, clients will definitely not just walk in so if you're willing to put in serious time getting some clients while investor pays the bills you could end up making it work after a year or so. But I thought you loved your current business too much to go back to architecture.
rusty check your email please.
I checked my e-mail.
Donna, are you the Nigerian prince? If so, I'm totally in!
No wait! I got distracted by something shiny on the internet and haven't emailed you yet. Will do it now.
i got a mail from a japanese evacuee last week asking if i would take care of his millions of government entitlements while he was indisposed.
any of you get that one? it was more creative than the nigerian prince and proof that no disaster will go without being used by someone.
Dear jump,
Please accept kindest regards from Canada day long weekend evacuee. While I am in the drunk tank, my free healthcare payments have been frozen by Alberta tar sand barrons. If you can help me transfer them to your fine country, I will gladly give you 20% of my benefits (catscans for life, complementary colonoscopy, AND a bag of hockey pucks with queen mother's face on them). Please shave your eyebrows and send them to my escrow account, and I will promptly make payment to your facebooks.
I give thanks to your kind nature and look forward to destroying err enriching your life!
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