I have worked in higher education (on the student affairs/residence life side) for a number of years and am looking for new opportunities. A few years ago, we had several focus groups and meetings with an architecture firm while they came up with a design for a new residence hall. It was fascinating to be able to sit in those meetings!
I don’t have architecture experience and am not interested in a degree (I already have 2)- but the research part of it is what I would love to work on. Are there positions at architecture firms that don’t require degrees in architecture to help with research/problem-solving? Specifically, the running of focus groups, sorting and theming data- that kind of thing. I’d love to work on the higher education side and put my master’s degree and work experience to use with what is needed in those kinds of spaces. If something like this does exist, I’d greatly appreciate some example position titles so I have a better idea of what to look for. Thanks!
Anon_grad2.0
Jun 9, 19 12:10 am
seems like that’s kind of what most marketing departments do at firms. Your best bet is to find those large enough to have a team dedicated to marketing.
randomised
Jun 9, 19 2:44 am
Research ≠ marketing
Marketing (and branding too), according to the late Stanley Tigerman, are the diminution of architecture. Architecture should also be an ethical pursuit, otherwise it is just building.
Anon_grad2.0
Jun 9, 19 11:24 am
@randomised
Maybe....
I’ve seen departments labeled as “marketing” doing exactly what OP asked. Especially in education. Someone has to organize/work meetings with districts, parents, etc.
Tigerman’s work was a joke...anyone who cites Ayn Rand as an influence is
Sitting Duck
Jun 9, 19 9:30 pm
The position title is going to change with each firm, honestly. It sounds like your looking for "design researcher." Research is separate from Marketing. However marketing benefits from the specifically from all the fun data research can synthesize into those adorable info-graphics we love. Clients LOVE evidenced back process, so they work well together.
Larger firms with research branches are one option. If you go the architecture firm route, each firm is going to have different specialties or areas of research depending on that particular firm's expertise. Their research may only pertain to one subject like "healthcare", "schools", "senior homes" etc. Look into firms that are known for their work with schools. That might be an easier horizontal move, given your background. Firms that assist with master planning is another idea...those specifically entail coordinating with community members to field a cohesive proposal. Then finally there are research firm consultants.
Off the top of my head, Keiran Timberlake/ HOK/ Perkins + Will in Boston, Woods Bagot MIGHT have positions like that. For the life of me I can't remember this research firm whose work I looked through for a recreation campus plan that excels at schools. I'll just update it tomorrow.
Sitting Duck
Jun 10, 19 12:30 pm
Brailsford & Dunlavey, Inc. is who I was thinking of.
Witty Banter
Jun 10, 19 12:11 pm
At the AIA Conference this past week the Firm of the Year award went to Payette. They had a couple of their principals talk about their firm and their process and part of that was the research behind their work. I believe one of the staff (she may have been a principal) they had speaking used a title along the lines of "Building Scientist."
That is one specific example of a firm but yes there are (usually larger) firms that have research positions available. I believe they usually lean on the technical side (healthcare, etc.) but the last few posts should give enough information for you to continue researching the position you're looking for.
Tra2260
Jun 10, 19 12:58 pm
Thank you everyone! I appreciate your comments!
senjohnblutarsky
Jun 10, 19 12:58 pm
Contact the firm you met with. See what they have going on.
Gloominati
Jun 10, 19 1:43 pm
Some large-ish firms that specialize in higher ed or K-12 projects have a staff person or two who come from those backgrounds (think former high school teacher or principal, or former university administrator) who act as a specialist within the firm and as a primary client liaison, especially during the project procurement (marketing) and programming and early design phases.
I guess you could call it a research position, in that these people tend to spend a lot of time at education-related conferences, and informing the rest of the firm about design-related trends in those project types. But the primary function seems more people-facing - i.e. PR and marketing. It's somebody who speaks the client's language, and who the client trusts to really understand their day-to-day operational needs. Usually these people have at least some design education (since the goal is to be a liaison between the design firm and their former career, it's pretty important that they understand the inner workings of a design project too!)
I have worked in higher education (on the student affairs/residence life side) for a number of years and am looking for new opportunities. A few years ago, we had several focus groups and meetings with an architecture firm while they came up with a design for a new residence hall. It was fascinating to be able to sit in those meetings!
I don’t have architecture experience and am not interested in a degree (I already have 2)- but the research part of it is what I would love to work on. Are there positions at architecture firms that don’t require degrees in architecture to help with research/problem-solving? Specifically, the running of focus groups, sorting and theming data- that kind of thing. I’d love to work on the higher education side and put my master’s degree and work experience to use with what is needed in those kinds of spaces. If something like this does exist, I’d greatly appreciate some example position titles so I have a better idea of what to look for. Thanks!
seems like that’s kind of what most marketing departments do at firms. Your best bet is to find those large enough to have a team dedicated to marketing.
Research ≠ marketing
Marketing (and branding too), according to the late Stanley Tigerman, are the diminution of architecture. Architecture should also be an ethical pursuit, otherwise it is just building.
@randomised
Maybe....
I’ve seen departments labeled as “marketing” doing exactly what OP asked. Especially in education. Someone has to organize/work meetings with districts, parents, etc.
Tigerman’s work was a joke...anyone who cites Ayn Rand as an influence is
The position title is going to change with each firm, honestly. It sounds like your looking for "design researcher." Research is separate from Marketing. However marketing benefits from the specifically from all the fun data research can synthesize into those adorable info-graphics we love. Clients LOVE evidenced back process, so they work well together.
Larger firms with research branches are one option. If you go the architecture firm route, each firm is going to have different specialties or areas of research depending on that particular firm's expertise. Their research may only pertain to one subject like "healthcare", "schools", "senior homes" etc. Look into firms that are known for their work with schools. That might be an easier horizontal move, given your background. Firms that assist with master planning is another idea...those specifically entail coordinating with community members to field a cohesive proposal. Then finally there are research firm consultants.
Off the top of my head, Keiran Timberlake/ HOK/ Perkins + Will in Boston, Woods Bagot MIGHT have positions like that. For the life of me I can't remember this research firm whose work I looked through for a recreation campus plan that excels at schools. I'll just update it tomorrow.
Brailsford & Dunlavey, Inc. is who I was thinking of.
At the AIA Conference this past week the Firm of the Year award went to Payette. They had a couple of their principals talk about their firm and their process and part of that was the research behind their work. I believe one of the staff (she may have been a principal) they had speaking used a title along the lines of "Building Scientist."
That is one specific example of a firm but yes there are (usually larger) firms that have research positions available. I believe they usually lean on the technical side (healthcare, etc.) but the last few posts should give enough information for you to continue researching the position you're looking for.
Thank you everyone! I appreciate your comments!
Contact the firm you met with. See what they have going on.
Some large-ish firms that specialize in higher ed or K-12 projects have a staff person or two who come from those backgrounds (think former high school teacher or principal, or former university administrator) who act as a specialist within the firm and as a primary client liaison, especially during the project procurement (marketing) and programming and early design phases.
I guess you could call it a research position, in that these people tend to spend a lot of time at education-related conferences, and informing the rest of the firm about design-related trends in those project types. But the primary function seems more people-facing - i.e. PR and marketing. It's somebody who speaks the client's language, and who the client trusts to really understand their day-to-day operational needs. Usually these people have at least some design education (since the goal is to be a liaison between the design firm and their former career, it's pretty important that they understand the inner workings of a design project too!)