Hard work, Revit savvy, knowing how a building goes together, managing a team of consultants, and Details magazine quality details have been my calling card for the better part of my 9-year professional career. One of the best in all the above categories. I'm registered, and I participate in community organizations.
The flip side is that my favorite part of the entire process is getting to work with clients, I love programming, and I love design - and SD is where all that happens. I think I have some potential here.
I like to see a building through from the beginning to the end, but I usually get brought on to messy projects around the time of DD/CD's; I kind of feel like the "clean up" guy sometimes.
I really like the design sense of the firm I'm at, and I have no issue with my current pay; but I'm in my 30's and I'm seeing younger people be given some of the opportunities I've craved. I've asked leadership about that, and the general response is that I'm always caught up in something too important to pull me off of. My projects generally turn profits, and I was just promoted; but I'm not the Project Leader, and was just recently assigned to a big project in DD where my technical expertise is needed, but I won't be project designer or project lead. I live in a smaller market, where good design firms aren't plentiful & have a family to support. Works OK now, but technical guys don't move up to the leadership positions that fund my kids' tuition as they reach school age. I fear that if I move into the second half of my 30's on the same course, I'm effectively labeled & doomed.
How do I shake the label? The article on Archinect about "Don't learn Revit" rings true (although it got me through the recession), as does the saying making its way around LinkedIn that goes "Endorsements are like little pats on the head, until they become unshakeable labels."
when Glenn Murcutt gave a Lecture at Kansas, literally a day after it was announced in the media he would be receiving the Pritzker Price, with a packed room he talked about his career and one of the few things I remember is him quoting his father -
"Start your career the way you want to end it." Then he went on to note how he decided to keep taking the bus to work at the time instead of buying a car, etc...
With 12 years into it now, this statement makes far too much sense as your post further supports. Wife, kids, mortgage, can't exactly bail now right?
If you chase work to put food on the table you often will do anything to get it and that often means doing what no one else wants or can - typically technical. Those who can afford to not chase work this way can hold out until they get a great client and find you to clean-up their mess.
With that said - Reading a book on Gehry's projects with Gehry talking about his career he noted that he essentially hit the reset button at 50 years old while experimenting on his house and look him now.
First off, don't concern yourself with who your bosses are promoting. That's one thing that is wrong with architects today, this idea that we have to climb someones corporate ladder. When someone has a big corporate label, I think thats nice, but does that mean they are a good architect? A corporate label just means that person makes more than you do. As an architect we should all be striving to be our own boss one day, do your own thing. What that thing is, is up to you.
Second I think that is great that you actually care about how a building is built, i.e. put together. Its a skill that is becoming scarce in architecture. Keep bettering your skills you cant ever know too much.
Shaking the label huh? that is a tough one if you stay in the same office. You know there is this big concern about age, and getting older, and 80 percent of the time its the younger people concerned about age. First off get out of that market move to a bigger market. Rent a cheap apartment for example in Chicago. You are going to have to be willing to get a new job if you want to shake that label. There are other entities that hire architects, and you are licensed! thats great, you can go anywhere. Look into jobs with the government for example. I don't let my current company define who I may become in the future, or what my future goals are, and yes you can still have goals even if you are in your 30's. Don't worry about aging, we all age, it's the law of nature, What you should worry about is where you are moving on.
Thanks for the thoughtful responses. I'm not a hotshot (hope I didnt come off that way) when it comes to design; but I think I'm better than I'm given credit for. And I lack experience in programming & working with clients.
I don't pay much attention to corporate titles, because I was promoted, but people below my rank are still getting all the opportunity.
I have no fantasies of becoming a starchitect; but I do have dreams of being able to work with clients, solve problems, have an opportunity to get involved in design more, and manage projects.
I can count the good design firms in my area on one hand, and I'm probably taking a step back in that regard if I leave my firm. Might be a necessary step to get where I want to be, though.
Owning and running a firm is a far different skillset than designing a building. People shouldn't be punished for working for a living or even for wanting to work for a living.
"Reading a book on Gehry's projects with Gehry talking about his career he noted that he essentially hit the reset button at 50 years old while experimenting on his house and look him now".
Saint, I thought I read it in "Gehry Talks: Architecture + Process" 2002. Had not read the book or looked at it in about 10 years, figured I'd try to find you the section. From a quick glance through it may be from the intro authors and not his commentary...There were a few other points I thought were in that book but weren't...and then I found the Jim Glymph bit I couldn't find for years when posting on archinect, ha...
must be getting old.
Mar 15, 14 3:18 pm ·
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Shaking the labels...
The flip side is that my favorite part of the entire process is getting to work with clients, I love programming, and I love design - and SD is where all that happens. I think I have some potential here.
I like to see a building through from the beginning to the end, but I usually get brought on to messy projects around the time of DD/CD's; I kind of feel like the "clean up" guy sometimes.
I really like the design sense of the firm I'm at, and I have no issue with my current pay; but I'm in my 30's and I'm seeing younger people be given some of the opportunities I've craved. I've asked leadership about that, and the general response is that I'm always caught up in something too important to pull me off of. My projects generally turn profits, and I was just promoted; but I'm not the Project Leader, and was just recently assigned to a big project in DD where my technical expertise is needed, but I won't be project designer or project lead. I live in a smaller market, where good design firms aren't plentiful & have a family to support. Works OK now, but technical guys don't move up to the leadership positions that fund my kids' tuition as they reach school age. I fear that if I move into the second half of my 30's on the same course, I'm effectively labeled & doomed.
How do I shake the label? The article on Archinect about "Don't learn Revit" rings true (although it got me through the recession), as does the saying making its way around LinkedIn that goes "Endorsements are like little pats on the head, until they become unshakeable labels."
when Glenn Murcutt gave a Lecture at Kansas, literally a day after it was announced in the media he would be receiving the Pritzker Price, with a packed room he talked about his career and one of the few things I remember is him quoting his father -
"Start your career the way you want to end it." Then he went on to note how he decided to keep taking the bus to work at the time instead of buying a car, etc...
With 12 years into it now, this statement makes far too much sense as your post further supports. Wife, kids, mortgage, can't exactly bail now right?
If you chase work to put food on the table you often will do anything to get it and that often means doing what no one else wants or can - typically technical. Those who can afford to not chase work this way can hold out until they get a great client and find you to clean-up their mess.
With that said - Reading a book on Gehry's projects with Gehry talking about his career he noted that he essentially hit the reset button at 50 years old while experimenting on his house and look him now.
You have time.
First off, don't concern yourself with who your bosses are promoting. That's one thing that is wrong with architects today, this idea that we have to climb someones corporate ladder. When someone has a big corporate label, I think thats nice, but does that mean they are a good architect? A corporate label just means that person makes more than you do. As an architect we should all be striving to be our own boss one day, do your own thing. What that thing is, is up to you.
Second I think that is great that you actually care about how a building is built, i.e. put together. Its a skill that is becoming scarce in architecture. Keep bettering your skills you cant ever know too much.
Shaking the label huh? that is a tough one if you stay in the same office. You know there is this big concern about age, and getting older, and 80 percent of the time its the younger people concerned about age. First off get out of that market move to a bigger market. Rent a cheap apartment for example in Chicago. You are going to have to be willing to get a new job if you want to shake that label. There are other entities that hire architects, and you are licensed! thats great, you can go anywhere. Look into jobs with the government for example. I don't let my current company define who I may become in the future, or what my future goals are, and yes you can still have goals even if you are in your 30's. Don't worry about aging, we all age, it's the law of nature, What you should worry about is where you are moving on.
If you're such a hot shit why don't you have your own firm?
I don't pay much attention to corporate titles, because I was promoted, but people below my rank are still getting all the opportunity.
I have no fantasies of becoming a starchitect; but I do have dreams of being able to work with clients, solve problems, have an opportunity to get involved in design more, and manage projects.
I can count the good design firms in my area on one hand, and I'm probably taking a step back in that regard if I leave my firm. Might be a necessary step to get where I want to be, though.
Owning and running a firm is a far different skillset than designing a building. People shouldn't be punished for working for a living or even for wanting to work for a living.
Clients aren't all they are cracked up to be.
"Reading a book on Gehry's projects with Gehry talking about his career he noted that he essentially hit the reset button at 50 years old while experimenting on his house and look him now".
What book is that, Chris?
"Clients aren't all they are cracked up to be."
Wisest of wise, this little bit of understatement.
So Clients are Just Cracked UP!...
Saint, I thought I read it in "Gehry Talks: Architecture + Process" 2002. Had not read the book or looked at it in about 10 years, figured I'd try to find you the section. From a quick glance through it may be from the intro authors and not his commentary...There were a few other points I thought were in that book but weren't...and then I found the Jim Glymph bit I couldn't find for years when posting on archinect, ha...
must be getting old.
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