I'm coming to a watershed moment in my architectural career. Nine years out of school, and I don't quite have my license. For the first six years out, I worked for a starchitect, and learned a lot about conceptual design, marketing, salesmanship, etc.
Then, because of my wife's job, we moved. In our new location, I had the opportunity to work for another starchitect, but I turned it down. Instead, I took a position in a two person office where I would manage all of the projects, most of which are under construction. I did this consciously to get experience I hadn't had. This has been hugely rewarding, also frustrating (not from a career perspective, but from a learning how to deal with contractors and construction perspective.) I also teach in a university.
Nonetheless, I currently feel like I'm only using a small part of my abilities. In the "starchitect" firm, I was actually using more of my talents, because each project was totally unique and original—no standard details and no "styles." Lots of conceptual, high-level thinking. Lots of engagement with the worlds of art, literature, and culture, for lack of a better word.
In a few months, we're moving again, again because of my wife's job. And we're moving to a city not known for its good architecture. Or rather, a lot of outsiders have built good work there, but there's not a single firm in the city that would be known outside the city.
My eventual goal is to open my own practice. I want it to blend research with making. But I won't be able to do this in a brand-new city where I don't know anyone.
I'm sort of at a loss as to what to do in this new city. I'll apply for a few teaching positions—which will be competitive and are by no means guaranteed. But for day to day work, I really don't like the idea of working for a big or even a medium-sized firm. I don't like hierarchies, and I don't work well within them. I've enjoyed the small firm experience, but I've also found that some of the conceptual rigor is missing.
Frankly, I feel like this is a crucial moment for the rest of my career. I don't want to spend the rest of my life doing kitchen remodels or even traditional homes. I don't want to be a project manager in a big firm hierarchy. I hate and am bored by traditional work (only to work on, not in general.) I like modern and innovative work.
I know the answer is probably "tough." But I'm sure many of you, and especially the older/wiser architects, have had just such a watershed in your careers. How did you approach this moment? Have you been happy with your choices? Have they involved some monumental sense of letting your dreams go, or settling for something that wasn't why you'd gone into architecture in the first place?
Add to this that there are family pressures for career stability, and a lack of understanding about how architectural careers tend to develop.
if you plan on opening your own practice, just realize that you have to do everything from marketing/meetings/design/etc.. it's alot of work and you could get burned out really quick.
i would say search for a teaching gig and maybe work part time in a firm so you can still be in the 'realm' of architecture.
luckily you have the 'office' experience and some teaching experience so i don't think you will have any issues in finding something.
My issue isn't really finding something. It's finding the right thing.
I know people will probably say, well, the right thing is different for everyone. I'm just hoping that others out there who have been through this defining or watershed moment in their career can offer advice about how to approach it.
you'll probably have to get to the new city, take something for the time being, and then learn what the place has to offer you. sounds counter to what you want - like you want to make the right move right away, but i doubt it will happen that way. each city has its own architecture culture. you'll have to get acclimated and then you might figure out the best thing for you.
believe me, i'm in a city that sounds like the one to which you're moving. it's a different environment from the one to which you've become accustomed, but it can be good - if not exactly what you planned.
i'm in the same 'career' situation but i'm coming from the other side of things. being on my own since i was 23, 32 now, and looking for another outlet thats leaning more towards office/teaching.
you could also work on some competitions just to keep your mind off of things while you teach.
you don't mention your financial situation, but if you can survive by doing some teaching, and you are able to get some sessional teaching, then seems to me that you should just pursue whatever line of development you are interested in.
it is not the easiest route, but doing competitions, formulating exhibitions, or other events, is one route to follow. the difficulty is in having the financial backing to allow you to not have to follow a regular path - if this can be achieved either by teaching or using your skills for limited employment elsewhere. in that sense the location is not important as you may not be addressing a local audience. getting new work completed (competitions or otherwise) and getting it published is one means of establishing a position.
the advantage of teaching can be in allowing for sufficient time outside of school to develop new projects, in keeping active and engaged with contemporary architectural debates and discourse, in sharpening your own position, and in having contact with students and/or other staff in order to have others who might be interested in pursuing some of the speculative projects. working alone on a competition/speculative project is particularly difficult.
as SW says, it may well take some time to understand the new location and what it has to offer before it becomes clear as to the best way forward.
i guess the question then is how to overcome location. one way is to become a teacher and do work that you can export through exhibitions and start from there. the other is to just be really really good and try to pull a zumthor. however i don't believe the latter would be very easy in USA. europe is not america.
all is not lost though...a few days ago i met an architect/educator who is doing some very interesting work with digital design, and he explained how he was doing an exhibition a few years back (i think in paris) that was noticed, purely by chance by issey miyake, and from there he got a series of commissions that has taken his work quite far as a result ( check out my blog if interested in seeing his work). he is currently based in new orleans, which is a bit conservative, all in all, though perhaps less so than many places.
anyway, i think the lesson with his career path is that the most important thing is to have work out there and visible, of whatever type and scale, be it furniture, installations, whatever. over time that can lead to all kinds of things. the problem is to get that sort of momentum going. however it seems to be something that can be done regardless of location, as long as you are willing/able to get out there and get noticed...
i am not sure how that sort of thing can be made into a plan, but teaching seems to me to be a good way to open up some room to experiment without worrying about money...
working for generic office, is probably not going to help, except financially. however it will also make some of the above rather difficult to undertake. it is a bit of a catch-22 in some ways...on other hand you seem to be in better position than most to make a go of it regardless....
It takes time to build contacts with a progressive clientele even in the most progressive cities in the USA. If your eventual goal is to have your own practice, doing non-traditional work, the best advice is to negotiate a location with your wife that allows you to foster and develop the connections you need to accomplish your goals. To build a practice, you need to stay in one place. Teaching is okay but it is usually the slow road to creating a viable office/studio.
It sounds like you will find an answer once you get there and poke around. If there isn't something seemingly obvious to you, maybe there will be after a couple of months of relocation. From your post, it sounds like you might be able to corner a market that isn't served?
I would agree with previous posters that starting your own gig is dependent on good contacts in that location, be it clients, consultants or contractors. Being able to rely on a good network you can call on can make a world of difference in your own practice.
Contacts take time to develop and build good relationships...I've been in LA about 6 months and still feeling my way around. What's awesome about this city is that it is so huge, there are many possible personal and professional connections to be made. When I was living in LV it was certainly different, but there are good people to be found in every city. Or, you're just going have to inspire your students and create a culture of your own!
Mid sized office with project management experience could be a good step into this new city for you as well - you get to build on the small office experience, but also manage a team of people / consultants. It's a tough skill to learn, but will help a lot if you want to go out on your own eventually. Running your own business will probably mean letting go if the day to day design tasks as you work on new projects, marketing, accounting etc.
My stuggle is also where and when do I start my own thing...I have different countries, let along different cities to choose from! I try and keep the connections I have in different places alive, so that when the time is right, I can pull them altogether and make something great happen. Good luck!
It's a unique quality of my wife's job that we have to move around a bit. I don't mind, because being an architect is much more mobile than what she does. But we have agreed that after this move, we will be stationary. Mainly so that I can build a practice in a city where I know people and have contacts.
One difficulty is that in order to build a resume of my own work—whether it's furniture or competitions or real projects—will require working on my own. Besides not having a steady income, this worries me in terms of both a perception by outsiders and my own perception that I would not be pulling my weight, so to speak.
The key would be to find enough work that I could make a reasonable income while still having time to pursue these other, individual goals. Any thoughts about ways to make $30 or $40,000 a year in a part time or contractor situation?
I have a theory that it takes three years to build up enough contacts that you can make stuff happen. That happens to be exactly the amount of time I was in my last two cities, and this one. And in all cases, just as I was about to move, amazing opportunities presented themselves that I had to forego because of the move.
Any chance you could go back to one of the other cities that you built up good contacts? I'd be interested in knowing if a remote studio situation would work...hell, I've had bosses that have travelled across the country every week for a project, why couldn't a sole practitioner?
We'll I guess it would be expensive...but then I love to travel, so if it was me, I would justify it to myself. Another option is to live in another city from your wife for a while. We've been able to live in separate cities for months / a year at a time, with regular weekend visits, but it is not for everyone.
Loneliness and isolation are hard to overcome when you work for yourself, so some part time contract work or teaching would be a good idea.
I wanted to add something if you're still thinking about this. I agree with some of the comments here, particularly as it relates to the financial situation. This is important, and if money is a factor then your options become fewer. But as far as establishing a clientele, this may not be the determining factor that people think it is. For one, you may never find a good client, anywhere. It depends on the work and your ability to sell it, especially if you don't want to remodel bathrooms and kitchens in 'tudor' style. I didn't / don't either. I decided to go around the whole issue by acting as developer on my own projects. I am also trying to supplement this endeavor with teaching.
I made some of these decisions at about the same time you are having to make them. I never worked for a starchitect however; I didn't think I could handle the heavy ideological imposition. I also needed to make a reasonable amount of money, I'm from a working class background.
I think I was coming to the 'realization' that you mentioned when I won an award I never thought I could, and my work was published in a few places. (I had been working on this weekends and evenings.) This convinced me there might be something more, and I went back to grad school. About this time I also realized how much I disliked working in a firm, for someone else. Anyway, as I said, right now I am trying to hold all of this together. I love it and I really hope it is going to work out. Just thought I'd share.
Jan 4, 09 4:43 am ·
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Career Advice - Nine Years in Practice
I'm coming to a watershed moment in my architectural career. Nine years out of school, and I don't quite have my license. For the first six years out, I worked for a starchitect, and learned a lot about conceptual design, marketing, salesmanship, etc.
Then, because of my wife's job, we moved. In our new location, I had the opportunity to work for another starchitect, but I turned it down. Instead, I took a position in a two person office where I would manage all of the projects, most of which are under construction. I did this consciously to get experience I hadn't had. This has been hugely rewarding, also frustrating (not from a career perspective, but from a learning how to deal with contractors and construction perspective.) I also teach in a university.
Nonetheless, I currently feel like I'm only using a small part of my abilities. In the "starchitect" firm, I was actually using more of my talents, because each project was totally unique and original—no standard details and no "styles." Lots of conceptual, high-level thinking. Lots of engagement with the worlds of art, literature, and culture, for lack of a better word.
In a few months, we're moving again, again because of my wife's job. And we're moving to a city not known for its good architecture. Or rather, a lot of outsiders have built good work there, but there's not a single firm in the city that would be known outside the city.
My eventual goal is to open my own practice. I want it to blend research with making. But I won't be able to do this in a brand-new city where I don't know anyone.
I'm sort of at a loss as to what to do in this new city. I'll apply for a few teaching positions—which will be competitive and are by no means guaranteed. But for day to day work, I really don't like the idea of working for a big or even a medium-sized firm. I don't like hierarchies, and I don't work well within them. I've enjoyed the small firm experience, but I've also found that some of the conceptual rigor is missing.
Frankly, I feel like this is a crucial moment for the rest of my career. I don't want to spend the rest of my life doing kitchen remodels or even traditional homes. I don't want to be a project manager in a big firm hierarchy. I hate and am bored by traditional work (only to work on, not in general.) I like modern and innovative work.
I know the answer is probably "tough." But I'm sure many of you, and especially the older/wiser architects, have had just such a watershed in your careers. How did you approach this moment? Have you been happy with your choices? Have they involved some monumental sense of letting your dreams go, or settling for something that wasn't why you'd gone into architecture in the first place?
Add to this that there are family pressures for career stability, and a lack of understanding about how architectural careers tend to develop.
Thanks for any and all responses.
if you plan on opening your own practice, just realize that you have to do everything from marketing/meetings/design/etc.. it's alot of work and you could get burned out really quick.
i would say search for a teaching gig and maybe work part time in a firm so you can still be in the 'realm' of architecture.
luckily you have the 'office' experience and some teaching experience so i don't think you will have any issues in finding something.
good luck
b
Thanks Cyborg.
My issue isn't really finding something. It's finding the right thing.
I know people will probably say, well, the right thing is different for everyone. I'm just hoping that others out there who have been through this defining or watershed moment in their career can offer advice about how to approach it.
you'll probably have to get to the new city, take something for the time being, and then learn what the place has to offer you. sounds counter to what you want - like you want to make the right move right away, but i doubt it will happen that way. each city has its own architecture culture. you'll have to get acclimated and then you might figure out the best thing for you.
believe me, i'm in a city that sounds like the one to which you're moving. it's a different environment from the one to which you've become accustomed, but it can be good - if not exactly what you planned.
Ditch the wife - she sounds like dead weight. If you want to really make it sacrifice everything.
i'm in the same 'career' situation but i'm coming from the other side of things. being on my own since i was 23, 32 now, and looking for another outlet thats leaning more towards office/teaching.
you could also work on some competitions just to keep your mind off of things while you teach.
sometimes a break is a good thing
b
you don't mention your financial situation, but if you can survive by doing some teaching, and you are able to get some sessional teaching, then seems to me that you should just pursue whatever line of development you are interested in.
it is not the easiest route, but doing competitions, formulating exhibitions, or other events, is one route to follow. the difficulty is in having the financial backing to allow you to not have to follow a regular path - if this can be achieved either by teaching or using your skills for limited employment elsewhere. in that sense the location is not important as you may not be addressing a local audience. getting new work completed (competitions or otherwise) and getting it published is one means of establishing a position.
the advantage of teaching can be in allowing for sufficient time outside of school to develop new projects, in keeping active and engaged with contemporary architectural debates and discourse, in sharpening your own position, and in having contact with students and/or other staff in order to have others who might be interested in pursuing some of the speculative projects. working alone on a competition/speculative project is particularly difficult.
as SW says, it may well take some time to understand the new location and what it has to offer before it becomes clear as to the best way forward.
i guess the question then is how to overcome location. one way is to become a teacher and do work that you can export through exhibitions and start from there. the other is to just be really really good and try to pull a zumthor. however i don't believe the latter would be very easy in USA. europe is not america.
all is not lost though...a few days ago i met an architect/educator who is doing some very interesting work with digital design, and he explained how he was doing an exhibition a few years back (i think in paris) that was noticed, purely by chance by issey miyake, and from there he got a series of commissions that has taken his work quite far as a result ( check out my blog if interested in seeing his work). he is currently based in new orleans, which is a bit conservative, all in all, though perhaps less so than many places.
anyway, i think the lesson with his career path is that the most important thing is to have work out there and visible, of whatever type and scale, be it furniture, installations, whatever. over time that can lead to all kinds of things. the problem is to get that sort of momentum going. however it seems to be something that can be done regardless of location, as long as you are willing/able to get out there and get noticed...
i am not sure how that sort of thing can be made into a plan, but teaching seems to me to be a good way to open up some room to experiment without worrying about money...
working for generic office, is probably not going to help, except financially. however it will also make some of the above rather difficult to undertake. it is a bit of a catch-22 in some ways...on other hand you seem to be in better position than most to make a go of it regardless....
It takes time to build contacts with a progressive clientele even in the most progressive cities in the USA. If your eventual goal is to have your own practice, doing non-traditional work, the best advice is to negotiate a location with your wife that allows you to foster and develop the connections you need to accomplish your goals. To build a practice, you need to stay in one place. Teaching is okay but it is usually the slow road to creating a viable office/studio.
It sounds like you will find an answer once you get there and poke around. If there isn't something seemingly obvious to you, maybe there will be after a couple of months of relocation. From your post, it sounds like you might be able to corner a market that isn't served?
I would agree with previous posters that starting your own gig is dependent on good contacts in that location, be it clients, consultants or contractors. Being able to rely on a good network you can call on can make a world of difference in your own practice.
Contacts take time to develop and build good relationships...I've been in LA about 6 months and still feeling my way around. What's awesome about this city is that it is so huge, there are many possible personal and professional connections to be made. When I was living in LV it was certainly different, but there are good people to be found in every city. Or, you're just going have to inspire your students and create a culture of your own!
Mid sized office with project management experience could be a good step into this new city for you as well - you get to build on the small office experience, but also manage a team of people / consultants. It's a tough skill to learn, but will help a lot if you want to go out on your own eventually. Running your own business will probably mean letting go if the day to day design tasks as you work on new projects, marketing, accounting etc.
My stuggle is also where and when do I start my own thing...I have different countries, let along different cities to choose from! I try and keep the connections I have in different places alive, so that when the time is right, I can pull them altogether and make something great happen. Good luck!
Thanks.
It's a unique quality of my wife's job that we have to move around a bit. I don't mind, because being an architect is much more mobile than what she does. But we have agreed that after this move, we will be stationary. Mainly so that I can build a practice in a city where I know people and have contacts.
One difficulty is that in order to build a resume of my own work—whether it's furniture or competitions or real projects—will require working on my own. Besides not having a steady income, this worries me in terms of both a perception by outsiders and my own perception that I would not be pulling my weight, so to speak.
The key would be to find enough work that I could make a reasonable income while still having time to pursue these other, individual goals. Any thoughts about ways to make $30 or $40,000 a year in a part time or contractor situation?
Antipo,
I have a theory that it takes three years to build up enough contacts that you can make stuff happen. That happens to be exactly the amount of time I was in my last two cities, and this one. And in all cases, just as I was about to move, amazing opportunities presented themselves that I had to forego because of the move.
you can always offer a 'service' to other firms and just be a contractor.
you could also look into the exhibit industries and builders for some side cad work.
Any chance you could go back to one of the other cities that you built up good contacts? I'd be interested in knowing if a remote studio situation would work...hell, I've had bosses that have travelled across the country every week for a project, why couldn't a sole practitioner?
We'll I guess it would be expensive...but then I love to travel, so if it was me, I would justify it to myself. Another option is to live in another city from your wife for a while. We've been able to live in separate cities for months / a year at a time, with regular weekend visits, but it is not for everyone.
Loneliness and isolation are hard to overcome when you work for yourself, so some part time contract work or teaching would be a good idea.
I wanted to add something if you're still thinking about this. I agree with some of the comments here, particularly as it relates to the financial situation. This is important, and if money is a factor then your options become fewer. But as far as establishing a clientele, this may not be the determining factor that people think it is. For one, you may never find a good client, anywhere. It depends on the work and your ability to sell it, especially if you don't want to remodel bathrooms and kitchens in 'tudor' style. I didn't / don't either. I decided to go around the whole issue by acting as developer on my own projects. I am also trying to supplement this endeavor with teaching.
I made some of these decisions at about the same time you are having to make them. I never worked for a starchitect however; I didn't think I could handle the heavy ideological imposition. I also needed to make a reasonable amount of money, I'm from a working class background.
I think I was coming to the 'realization' that you mentioned when I won an award I never thought I could, and my work was published in a few places. (I had been working on this weekends and evenings.) This convinced me there might be something more, and I went back to grad school. About this time I also realized how much I disliked working in a firm, for someone else. Anyway, as I said, right now I am trying to hold all of this together. I love it and I really hope it is going to work out. Just thought I'd share.
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