I am starting a new thread that is about other threads. You can talk about other discussions taking a place in Archinect and make cross references to a particular link, picture, response and whatever else you deem necessary or entertaining or thought provoking about the other thread. thus the name: Thread Central
here are some examples of comments that comes to mind:
* hey did you read on --------- thread ------- thinks frank gehry is good. hahahaharhar..
or,
*i can't believe he said that. how stupid of him. asshole.on top of it he is got hundreds of posts. gimme a break.
or,
* this is the best thread.. fuck the others..
or,
*****Thread Alert******
read the -----thread yet??? there is a dog fight going on between ----- and-----.it is about gondolas and pollution in Venice..see you there.
or,
* yeaah, i don't read that thread either. its kind a boring.
or,
*i am thinking about starting a discussion about ------------- ---- ---- will you guys in Thread Central post in it and say wow it a great thread?. it was about time 'somebody' (insert my name please) picked up on it.. and discuss it?
like whatever..
Donna Sink
Aug 18, 17 4:42 pm
It's beer-thirty o'clock at my CAD station right now.
Miles Jaffe
Aug 18, 17 6:38 pm
Just finished hanging my one man show. After a week of flat-out fabrication. Hello Casamigos!
Donna Sink
Aug 18, 17 7:27 pm
You guys if you haven't yet watched the Tina Fey sheet cake skit, go do it. She makes an excellent architecture joke! That said, as deeply important as architecture is to my entire self/being, if I had to choose between architecture and sex I'd go for the latter. For sure.
Donna Sink
Aug 19, 17 10:34 am
I enjoyed WTF, but it was fiction, even if loosely based on a real person.
Donna Sink
Aug 20, 17 9:06 pm
Goddammit just lost an hour's worth of CADding fuuuuuuuucccckkkkkk......
Donna Sink
Aug 22, 17 5:15 pm
Coincidentally, today I seem to have misplaced my sketchbook. Moleskine is not always the answer!
Josh Mings
Aug 21, 17 12:20 am
If I were an architect in the Middle Ages, I'd design something like Dragonstone.
Josh Mings
Aug 21, 17 10:28 am
I want to see the Night King's castle. You know that thing has to be deconstructivist AF
TIQM
Aug 21, 17 10:34 am
I want to know what zombie ice dragons spit out of their mouths.
Josh Mings
Aug 21, 17 11:09 am
IcyHot Napalm
Miles Jaffe
Aug 22, 17 1:04 pm
I think I'm going to create a series of new users and have them each make a stupid comment on decades-old posts.
mantaray
Aug 22, 17 4:11 pm
For all these threads with people bitching about the profession and how miserable they are and how poorly paid, I would like to know where each of them is practicing. Here in the 2nd city things have never been that bad. Even during the recession with 40% architectural unemployment in the city, all the folks I knew who were laid off ultimately found gigs doing other stuff for decent pay. We're a very comfortably middle class profession even in the hard times. And we have good degrees and experience that can fairly easily be transferred to other biz if desired. Where are these ppl practicing where life is so miserable?!
Christopher Fisher
Aug 22, 17 10:25 pm
Joy :/ Found out my contract will end mid-Sept. Anyone know who's hiring 20+ years experienced architects in Denver... (or LA or DC where my wife can transfer)?
Or wants to open a branch in Denver (have a 20+ year old firm & portfolio I could sell too including a physical office I currently lease out if someone is looking for a startup)...
aka; the real mightyaa without the annonomous login
Miles Jaffe
Aug 23, 17 8:07 am
Nice to meet the face behind one of the top dogs here.
Wilma Buttfit
Aug 23, 17 9:51 am
Sorry to hear or congrats, not sure which is appropriate. Seems plenty of firms are hiring here and I know the LA market is busy too so you have good timing for being out of work at least. I'm available for grabbing a beer or two
you find yourself with some free time.
mightyaa
Aug 23, 17 12:29 pm
I've done niche... Forensic/litigation support. If I wanted to chase money, I know two firms hiring that; six-digit income again if I go that way. It just sort of sucks the life out of you. Another I'll probably at least pursue is City of Denver plans examiner and join the dark side for better pay oddly enough. Not much different than what I do now in QAQC redlining, code studies, and life safety drawings. I kind of liked though being involved in high design projects and working with young architects who still have that fresh new smell and glow.
mightyaa
Aug 23, 17 5:02 pm
Tattoo artist and Uber driver then :P
Donna Sink
Aug 23, 17 10:21 am
Oh dear. You guys, now I'm nervous.
mightyaa aka Christopher, I'm so sorry to hear about the layoff but I'm now scared because you are the second architect I've heard of *this morning* to be layed off. Is it great recession part 2 coming already? Fuck.
mightyaa
Aug 23, 17 12:36 pm
A issue is they are in hiring mode; but its production. I'm long since past that and not interested in being a cad monkey again. I do worry they over-estimate the technical abilities of staff and oversight in the rush to bang out projects. I figure what did me in was that I'm the grey hair telling folks 'no' for various technical reasons and it throws a wrench in the works. The result, based on my litigation world, is poorly executed drawings that result in issues down the road like blown budgets via unneccesarily expensive detailing/structure and/or defects after construction where contractors 'fill in the blanks'. The do have a few technical people, but they are stretched thin already since they've also been pushed into production instead of oversight.
Miles Jaffe
Aug 23, 17 12:43 pm
So that fresh new smell wasn't all it seemed to be?
archanonymous
Aug 23, 17 12:34 pm
mightyaa aka Christopher - sorry to hear that, Tryba does some nice work.
Why don't you go to Fentress? or Gensler? both decent Denver offices
mightyaa
Aug 23, 17 12:43 pm
Thought about it. What I'm trying to pursue though is more of a owner's rep in site acquisition, building/portfolio assessment, and design oversight (the other side of the table). Basically filling that gap between the ROI spreadsheet realtor guys and the reality of the idea that they aren't realistically looking at the buildings they are going to purchase and know what it will take or cost to bring it to their standards... So the architect has a realistic project and budget to work with. Essentially, all of us have been handed problem buildings then made the client angry with how much they have to pour into it just to make it mediocre.
Wilma Buttfit
Aug 25, 17 11:02 am
Who pays a consultant to tell them they are unrealistic?
mightyaa
Aug 25, 17 12:43 pm
lol... And who would want to pay the salary I'd want for having these experienced eyes versus just hiring a home inspector. I mean it's only a few million dollars on the investment, what could go wrong?... :/
archiwutm8
Aug 25, 17 10:00 am
A recruiter told me "money shouldn't be a issue, you shouldn't ask for salaries when getting a job. We never tell clients salaries because it makes them look like they're only at it for the money"
I laughed and said "I have to pay my bills, there's no way I'm going to accept a job that doesn't pay me close to what I need or earning. I find it disrespectful that you'll come to me with a intern salary with my experience"
Her "but working isn't about the money"
Non Sequitur
Aug 25, 17 10:08 am
I had a linkd-IN recruiter send me something a month or so ago looking for an architect to do sketch-up. Design-Build contractor type gig. My single line reply was that they can't afford me. A hilarious exchange of "pleasantries" followed.
Schoon
Aug 25, 17 10:11 am
That's so frustrating, archi. There's a disturbing trend developing of employers using the mantra of "live to work, not work to live" to justify offering lower compensation. The fact that you love your job does not mean you should be willing to do it for pennies.
tduds
Aug 25, 17 12:31 pm
Ask her to forego her commission, then we'll see how about the money her job is.
geezertect
Aug 25, 17 2:02 pm
You can always spot people who have lots of money. They're the ones telling you money doesn't matter.
Josh Mings
Aug 25, 17 10:35 am
I'm at the courthouse all day for jury duty. Really hope that it's just a day of sitting in the jury room and not being called for a trial.
Non Sequitur
Aug 25, 17 10:54 am
Just tell them you're late for a rally down south
geezertect
Aug 25, 17 2:08 pm
I was the last juror to be excused during the voir dire on a capital murder trial (he killed a witness in his friend's burglary trial). The trial I would have been on ultimately was declared a mistrial because two of the jurors were threatened by the defendant's associates midway through. That was as close as I ever want to come to hearing a bullet whiz past my ear. Good luck.
Josh Mings
Aug 25, 17 9:28 pm
Sat in the jury assembly room the entire day and was never called. Got a lot of reading done. Could have been worse. Off to Exhibit Columbus tomorrow!
Schoon
Aug 25, 17 10:56 am
IT bungled their rollout of Revit 2018 last night, in the process breaking all previous versions of Revit, other Autodesk software and somehow crippling software totally unrelated to Revit. Meaning everything on my to-do list today just got pushed to who-knows-when... At least I can spend today doing leisurely hand calcs / detail drawing. It must suck to be IT right now, though.
Josh Mings
Aug 25, 17 11:44 am
*cough* ArchiCAD is better than Revit *cough*
Non Sequitur
Aug 25, 17 1:57 pm
said quite literally by only one person in the history of the world.
Wilma Buttfit
Aug 28, 17 12:30 pm
Reggie Watts on architecture
I feel the same way.
archanonymous
Aug 29, 17 8:37 am
I couldn't get past the first 8 minutes. Do you have a hot take on why it is so great for those of us who don't immediately get it?
Wilma Buttfit
Aug 29, 17 1:16 pm
It's funny.
Josh Mings
Aug 31, 17 11:37 am
Yeah I'm not sure I'm getting this one, unless it's all one huge standup act poking fun at architects. (Also dude, you're not an architect)
Wilma Buttfit
Aug 31, 17 11:45 am
I think he actually likes architects, but is making fun of TED talks.
Josh Mings
Aug 31, 17 11:58 am
That would make sense. Some TED talks are great - others... Susan Cain's TED talk was pretty good, but I'm biased due to my own introversion. Also PechaKucha>TED
Off to NYC next weekend, gonna catch the FLW exhibit at MoMA, any suggestions by those in the know as to other things to see? Gonna catch the zoo at the High Line, and stop to marvel at the Bayard building. Wife has all the other touristy things planned out, but...
SneakyPete
Aug 30, 17 4:53 pm
Central Park, for sure.
Miles Jaffe
Aug 31, 17 10:01 am
565 Fifth Avenue (46th street).
It's touristy, but take a walk down Fifth. From MOMA you'll pass Rockefeller Center, NYC Public Library, Empire State. At 30th head west to pick up the High Line, which takes you down to the New Whitney. On the uptown side the Guggenheim, the MET, Central Park.
Mr_Wiggin
Sep 6, 17 5:45 pm
Hey Miles, just got back this morning. I hit every spot on your list, and had a hell of a great time doing so. MOMA was my favorite destination by far, didn't have enough time to really take it in, overwhelming is a good way to describe my experience there. My wife was patient with me when I got into a archi-discussion with a volunteer there. I don't get to do that much in my line of work, city and county gov't types don't seem to appreciate the finer philosophical details of our profession... I'll be back for sure!
Miles Jaffe
Sep 6, 17 11:03 pm
Glad you had a good trip. 565 is my father's building. I'm guessing you did the Wright exhibit?
Mr_Wiggin
Sep 7, 17 10:38 pm
Your assumption is correct, it was incredible. Not just knowing it was FLW, but the craft exhibited in the rendering, and modeling done by Wright and his people along with the folks who put the exhibit together made it an unforgettable experience. Just wish I could have had more time.
Non Sequitur
Aug 31, 17 9:49 am
In an Uber currently heading to site (3 buildings!) and the driver has some audio book playing. Strange.
Wilma Buttfit
Aug 31, 17 10:43 am
What is strange about audio books?
Josh Mings
Aug 31, 17 11:07 am
Most play top 40, which is ugh. I had one that played music from his home country (Nigeria) and we ended up talking about it the entire time.
Wilma Buttfit
Aug 31, 17 11:43 am
They usually ask me what I want. Advantage of being a lady I suppose. And I love audio books!
Non Sequitur
Aug 31, 17 12:30 pm
It sounded like a cross between a romance novel and self-help guide.
Josh Mings
Sep 1, 17 10:36 am
Aren't all romance novels self-help guides?
Josh Mings
Sep 1, 17 11:37 am
Get yo mind out of the gutter
Non Sequitur
Sep 1, 17 12:19 pm
the gutter is the best place to keep your mind
Josh Mings
Sep 1, 17 12:34 pm
I don't know man. That gutter eventually finds its way to a catch basin and that's where Pennywise lives
Donna Sink
Sep 7, 17 9:47 pm
I hate how mean we are to the "what style is this?" people but I also laugh my ass off reading the threads. We're a nasty bunch and I love us.
Day 3 of charetting door and window schedules on a project. I'm reeling a little.
Donna Sink
Sep 7, 17 10:38 pm
Those Avroko ads make my back hurt. Not in a good way.
Josh Mings
Sep 8, 17 12:14 pm
I know someone that works at one of their offices.
Josh Mings
Sep 8, 17 4:59 pm
Hi. Guess who injured their left foot this week after spending three months in a walking boot earlier this year for a stress fracture in their right foot? Bye.
At least I'm going to see Columbus tonight.
citizen
Sep 8, 17 5:05 pm
Yikes, Josh, that's rough. Best wishes for healing of that hoof =o]
JLC-1
Sep 11, 17 1:37 pm
somebody's going off the rails, "for the love of building".
Donna Sink
Sep 12, 17 9:04 pm
I'
m afraid of that thread...
Josh Mings
Sep 12, 17 3:06 pm
Animoji is a sign of the apocalypse.
Miles Jaffe
Sep 12, 17 4:45 pm
Had to look that up. Seems like a recipe for spectacular failure.
Donna Sink
Sep 12, 17 9:05 pm
NIGHTMARE!!!!!
b3tadine[sutures]
Sep 12, 17 11:08 pm
I can't wait!
Josh Mings
Sep 14, 17 12:37 pm
I'm gonna send a talking poop emoji to all of my future dates. Wish me luck.
Miles Jaffe
Sep 14, 17 12:59 pm
Better for potential clients.
proto
Sep 13, 17 2:01 pm
passed the Cali CSE test yesterday...yay, new liability!
b3tadine[sutures]
Sep 16, 17 11:09 pm
Proto, how long did you study for, and how difficult was the exam?
proto
Sep 17, 17 3:24 am
I studied a shitton (used David Doucette's Whole Enchilada for study guide www.cseprep.com ), and it was still hard! There was only so much I could cover being out of state. Sometimes I was looking for answer E: "fuck if I know." I.e. I could eliminate two; and then I was left with one answer that was 67% right and one answer that was 71% right...the study materials definitely helped me pass, but I felt there was a lot more detail I could have covered. Agencies and processes are critical; then local law, then AIA contracts were next in line in terms of importance. They do not tell you what constitutes a passing grade; you just find out at the end whether you did or not.
b3tadine[sutures]
Sep 17, 17 12:54 pm
proto, did you need NCARB or did you use the longer form? I'm looking at the same study material. Thanks for the info.
proto
Sep 17, 17 1:44 pm
I did it without NCARB (cuz I hate with a passion)
Mr_Wiggin
Sep 14, 17 11:35 am
Rumblings of dumping the CMAR off of our project, they're a huge contractor.... Can't help but feel it might be a good move.
Wilma Buttfit
Sep 14, 17 6:00 pm
I got 8 work related emails between 9 pm last night and 8 am this morning. What emoji should I use to respond to them? Something that says just because you are prescribed drugs, it doesn't mean you should take them.
Wilma Buttfit
Sep 14, 17 6:29 pm
I didn't even check my email till noon today. Oops.
mightyaa
Sep 14, 17 6:43 pm
Fax your response back with hand drawn smiley faces and golden stars...
Wilma Buttfit
Sep 14, 17 7:46 pm
2 were "check this out". One was a duplicate of one of those. Two were accusations. One was redacting one of the accusations. One had an action item that was supposed to be done by 9 am. One was an expression of frustration. Already "filed" em in I for ignore. We need emojis for this.
Miles Jaffe
Sep 14, 17 8:37 pm
I just ignore most email. If it's important they'll send it again. Or call.
Wilma Buttfit
Sep 14, 17 11:30 pm
Prescription. Ask your doctor.
Non Sequitur
Sep 15, 17 1:54 pm
Had a similar conversation with my GC earlier this week. I stopped by one site where 1 have 3 buildings in construction in between two other, non related, project visits. He asked me how I keep everything together. I told him that I check out at 5pm and that there is nothing that can't be answered the next day.
citizen
Sep 15, 17 2:31 pm
I just added "wet signature" to the dirty architecture terms thread.
Wilma Buttfit
Sep 15, 17 3:05 pm
And often times if you ignore it, it goes away anyways. Lol, citizen.
Ha, Miles and I totally attacked that "innovation" from the same angle.
Wilma Buttfit
Sep 15, 17 2:35 pm
- gone fishin' -
Not really but pretty much.
citizen
Sep 17, 17 7:54 pm
Time and change...
I just met some folks at a hip(ster) coffee house in this nice, old converted industrial building. I realized as I approached it that I'd worked on drawings for another renovation of it, like, 30 years ago.
Much more interesting use now. But, oy, the poison that it must be sitting on. Craft toxins, anyone?
Donna Sink
Sep 18, 17 7:44 pm
I find my self doing a bunch of free work for friends recently. Not sure it's a good idea as it's making me grumpy.
Miles Jaffe
Sep 18, 17 8:11 pm
No good deed goes unpunished.
quizzical
Sep 18, 17 8:18 pm
"free work" is never really free -- somebody always pays a price.
Wilma Buttfit
Sep 18, 17 9:24 pm
Working with or for friends is hard on the friendship. You end up with neither job nor project nor friends.
joseffischer
Sep 25, 17 11:46 am
I've got 3 or 4 peeps that we just refer work to eachother. We always pass along some sort of comment like "oh, and drop my name so he knows to give you friendship rates" Then we call each other to find out how much of a royal pain said associate is going to be and charge accordingly.
Non Sequitur
Sep 18, 17 9:16 pm
Not sure this Uber car will survive the 12min drive home. Things are shaking and grinding!
Josh Mings
Sep 18, 17 11:03 pm
That moment where you're so distracted by other things in the evening that you didn't get time to paint.
but if you had them, you would be overpaying them no matter what
Josh Mings
Sep 19, 17 11:44 am
Ugh, why you go have this as a sponsored post, Archinect? This isn't a race to the bottom.
quizzical
Sep 19, 17 12:58 pm
JLC-1 / Josh: relax -- the article's really about utilization rates and efficiency, not reducing anybody's pay.
If we're ever to improve the economics of our profession, we must focus on getting more work done at lower cost. It's clear we're not going to have much luck improving the income side of things.
JLC-1
Sep 19, 17 1:02 pm
quizz, right, that's why the title of the article is "utilization rates and efficiency", and not, "you're overpaying your employees"
Josh Mings
Sep 19, 17 2:23 pm
Quizz, your entire last paragraph is the race to the bottom I'm referring to.
Josh Mings
Sep 19, 17 2:24 pm
More work done at lower cost just equals more crappy work that no one is proud of, further devaluing the notion of an architect in the public's eye. Crappy work for low fees is not the way to run a business.
I'm not saying architects don't need help/more knowledge in running businesses, but what you mentioned isn't the right way - at least in my eyes.
file
Sep 19, 17 6:54 pm
This is an interesting conversation.
Wilma Buttfit
Sep 20, 17 4:32 am
I'm an employer outside if architecture and I pay my employees as much as I can afford which isn't a whole lot but they are happy and work hard. In my opinion, it is the best money I can spend. If I pay an employee an average wage, I would expect average performance. When I pay above average, I get employees who are driven, dedicated, happy, and loyal which is worth an extra few dollars an hour. Calculate that in terms of utilization, how that DOLLAR is "utilized", why don't you?
geezertect
Sep 20, 17 6:53 am
It won't do any good in the long run to be more efficient. Competitive forces will just drive fees even lower because we'll end up passing all the savings on to the client.
Sometimes I'm most efficient by not doing anything at all.
quizzical
Sep 19, 17 7:01 pm
Josh / JLC-1: ok - I see what happened there – you didn’t understand the point I was trying to make, which is totally my fault, not yours. I didn’t communicate clearly, so let me try again, please.
The “race to the bottom” began with the Consent Decree and has not yet abated. The profession reacted badly to the Consent Decree and, in hindsight, responded in a manner that was detrimental to our collective economic health. Much of the profession reacted exactly as Josh describes – “More work done at lower cost just equals more crappy work that no one is proud of, further devaluing the notion of an architect in the public's eye.” This began a very damaging downward spiral, from which we have yet to recover.
The point I was trying to make earlier has to do with “productivity” not “lower wages” – so let me set the stage for that a bit. When fee schedules went away and architects were forced to start competing on the basis of price, most of the profession simply tried to cut costs and shirk liability. This situation was made worse by increasing demands for more – not less – documentation. Client satisfaction declined, profitability went to hell and compensation at all levels suffered.
IMHO, what the profession SHOULD have done at the time of the Consent Decree was focus much more heavily on “productivity” instead of “reduced cost” – i.e. getting more high quality work produced both faster and cheaper. That approach would demand much higher skill levels at all levels of the firm and, if done right, would have resulted in higher wages across the board, not lower. Regrettably, in most firms, that is not what happened.
The article in question – with its lamentable click-bait title – really is about ‘productivity’ – that is, achieving a level of production from each employee that is appropriate to that employee’s cost to the firm. I think the author approached the subject in an overly dramatic manner that was designed to excite, rather than inform. Still, his basic message – i.e. firm’s must manage personnel in a manner that achieves both productivity and profitability – is not without merit.
Sorry for the confusion.
quizzical
Sep 19, 17 7:15 pm
It was a foundational event that wrought much disruption and, in many ways, shaped (not altogether positively) the profession in which we work today.
quizzical
Sep 19, 17 8:38 pm
Hmmm ... David, you and I may not be talking about the same thing. I'm referring to the 1971 and 1990 Consent Decrees between the AIA and the US Department of Justice, in which the profession agreed to abandon mandatory fee schedules under threat of anti-trust action by the DOJ.
Thanks for this, quizzical. I keep hoping at some point someone will write an article about the Consent Decree and how that has decimated architecture as a profession and that will cause us all to rise up and demand to be remunerated better.
Donna Sink
Sep 19, 17 8:51 pm
I also keep hoping a crew of hot shirtless and smiling men will show up to clean my house for me. One can dream.
Wilma Buttfit
Sep 20, 17 3:34 am
It was not necessarily the Consent Decree but the response to it that has led to the current state of the profession. The response by the doubly wounded AIA is to lament the loss of standard fee schedules and the strategy given by AIA advisors is to never discuss fees again out of fear of breaking the law again. Instead of picking a new way forward, the leadership gave up. Like a little kid, the AIA says if we can't break the law then we'll just whine and cry, and hope everyone will join the pity party and validate the loss of fee schedules that they needed in order to know how to charge for their services.
quizzical
Sep 20, 17 11:15 am
tintt: that's not exactly how I remember it.
Following the 1971 Consent Decree the AIA made a major effort to educate the profession about "Cost Based Compensation" -- i.e. basing fee quotes on what it actually costs to provide the services being requested by the client. The Institute published several truly excellent books dealing with this subject and provided companion seminars all across the country.
Unfortunately a) many in the profession felt this required too much work and thought (hey, you know it's just so much easier to calculate a fee based on % of anticipated construction costs, even if that isn't the 'correct' number);and b) even if you made a reliable quote based on what you thought your costs might be, some other firm was going to propose a much lower fee to secure the project.
Wilma Buttfit
Sep 20, 17 11:54 am
Good to know, quizzical, I wasn't around in 1971 to have witnessed it. I just experience the aftermath, points a and b.
joseffischer
Sep 25, 17 11:58 am
Only in architecture does anyone seem to even care about price fixing. Contractors share the info, gas stations, grocery stores, definitely lawyers and the healthcare insurance industry. Even architects at higher levels in hushed rooms discuss it, Principal to Principal... but when a junior architect brings up productivity, workflow and billings, asks legitimate questions on how it's decided who gets billed what, and desires a discussion across firms in the region, all the higher ups bring up the consent decree with a fear similar to "he-who-must-not-be-named".
Wilma Buttfit
Sep 20, 17 4:10 am
On a somewhat related note, I thought all architects (American at least) knew who NCARB was. I recently got my NCARB certificate and was talking about it with another architect who I thought would congratulate me but instead said, "NCARB? Never heard of them. It's a useless credential because nobody has ever of them. You wasted your money."
Wilma Buttfit
Sep 20, 17 4:50 am
Same person tried to tell me that masonry units could not be cut on site and that each non-whole unit needed would require someone to come out a take measurements for custom molds to cast custom units and it was very expensive and time consuming. I just said OK and got in the clown car.
curtkram
Sep 20, 17 7:07 am
congrats on the ncarb certificate:)
why would someone be so quick to tell you a credential they don't know anything about is useless? wouldn't it be more prudent to say they weren't familiar with ncarb, but then give you the benefit of the doubt and wish you the best in whatever direction your life is going?
Non Sequitur
Sep 20, 17 8:19 am
What are those units made of? Diamonds?
Wilma Buttfit
Sep 20, 17 8:40 am
Curt, because RA is the only credential that matters. What is funny too is that this person is talking about moving states and I told them they can't transfer their license and they don't believe me. I have a plane on standby to write "I told you so" in the sky cause I'm a bitch. Concrete pavers, NS. You mean there is a SAW that can cut them? Yes!
b3tadine[sutures]
Sep 20, 17 9:04 am
well, you can transfer credentials, each state makes you jump through hoops, some smaller than others.
Josh Mings
Sep 20, 17 11:26 am
Yeah, after my first free year with the certificate I let my NCARB lapse because I'm not planning on moving soon and don't stamp drawings at the office. I looked into Indiana's requirements without NCARB - increased fees and paperwork.
Wilma Buttfit
Sep 20, 17 11:50 am
But if you get licensed without doing IDP and later move to a state that requires IDP, I thought you were SOL. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe they still let you in.
b3tadine[sutures]
Sep 20, 17 11:53 am
well that's likely true in particular circumstances, right? many, if not most, do the idp.
Wilma Buttfit
Sep 20, 17 7:28 pm
I'm sure there is a way through, but going to have some hurdles. I was given the advice to take the strictest route by doing it all, NAAB, IDP, NCARB, ARE, cause that was required in the state I started in anyways and then you are never without. I would hate to be missing one of those and seeking reciprocity.
proto
Sep 20, 17 8:19 pm
it's just money, right?
cue "money for nothing"
kjdt
Sep 25, 17 10:02 am
It's possible in some states to get "direct comity" or "direct reciprocity" from certain other states, without submitting an NCARB record. So in some cases it's not required at all. As for getting licensed in another state if you never did IDP: that typically requires getting an NCARB certificate by documenting your experience retroactively. It's not impossible - I helped a former employer through the application/documentation process recently - it's just that it can be more difficult years later because some past firms may have closed, former employers may have died, etc.
Bloopox
Sep 25, 17 12:45 pm
A lot of states have a route for licensing for people who don't have an NCARB certificate... BUT it usually still requires transmittal of an NCARB record to prove IDP, and currently NCARB will refuse to transmit the record of anybody who is eligible for certification unless they get certified. Yes there are a few states that have direct reciprocity without submitting an IDP record directly from NCARB - but only a few. Essentially if you have an NAAB degree and you did IDP, you'll end up having to get certified in order to transmit your record to get reciprocity in most states. If you let your certification lapse then NCARB charges you all the back years plus a reinstatement fee of several hundred dollars - I think back fees are capped at $1500 max.
It's misleading, because what the map is showing is states that specifically require NCARB certification for reciprocity. The trick is that more than 40 states require an IDP record transmitted directly from NCARB, even if they don't specifically require certification - but NCARB refuses to transmit your record if you're licensed and eligible for certification UNLESS you get certified. The practical result of that is that only people who aren't eligible for certification (usually because they don't have an NAAB degree) can get through the non-certficate-holder reciprocity process in most of the other 26 states. The exceptions are the few states that accept certain other states' licenses for direct reciprocity, with no NCARB documentation required.
wurdan freo
Sep 20, 17 11:00 am
well... at least they're licensed... whew!
archiwutm8
Sep 21, 17 4:25 am
Company wide redundancy on the book! Time to figure out what to do hmmmm.
Bench
Sep 21, 17 6:16 am
Holy shit a.w., is that still at the dev company in central london? Any idea what the cause is, big project falling through or the like? I've been hearing more and more mass redundancies coming at large offices, but those were always archi-specific. Brexit is going to have a bigger effect as we approach March 2019...
archiwutm8
Sep 21, 17 6:20 am
55% down turn in London development. Everyone is sitting around or getting fired, I've seen it at and talked to folks all over
Bench
Sep 21, 17 6:22 am
Is your co focused on residential or otherwise? Most of what I've been hearing is that the effect is primarily in that sector, with a knock-on effect into the commercial area as well. The larger layoffs I've heard about have been coming mainly from res/mixed offices.
archiwutm8
Sep 21, 17 6:43 am
I work on everything, every large commercial project and developing project in London, I'm 80% sure we've worked on.
I'm not a robot
Sep 21, 17 5:07 pm
Th US underbuilt multifam for the past 40+ years. And demand is high b/c both boomers and millennials are competing over this housing type. What makes you think there's a bubble? Plus, the subprime auto loan debt is now well over a trillion $. If too many people lose their cars, they certainly aren't going to buy single family out in the sticks.
mightyaa
Sep 21, 17 5:53 pm
Multifamily is the new affordable & starter home. No one is building small single family.
I'm not a robot
Sep 21, 17 10:32 pm
is it 75 units of what - luxury? affordable? low-income? and you're basing your opinion off of the SF/CA market?
Wilma Buttfit
Sep 22, 17 9:42 am
4 pages of job ads on the local AIA page here...
Where are all the Houston transplants going to? Those cities are going to have multi-family markets.
JLC-1
Sep 21, 17 4:55 pm
A European background and love for extensive worldwide travel and photography, combined with a penchant for the historical details from the Ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Renaissance architectural styles influence our designs.
sometimes I go and look at the "about us" in arch. firms websites, once in a while you come across gold.
Donna Sink
Sep 22, 17 9:00 am
I'm going to see Ike Reilly and Cracker in a small private house concert tonight! Of course as an architect I won't be able to just enjoy the show as I'll also be hyper-aware of whether there are enough exits and clear paths to them.
Non Sequitur
Sep 22, 17 9:02 am
Unless the show is in Astoria, Or. I think it's safe to assume there is sufficient exiting.
Donna Sink
Sep 22, 17 8:26 pm
I'm such a dork I'm at this house party concert and I'm on the balcony thinking "This railing height doesn't meet code!!!"
Plenty of exits, tho.
geezertect
Sep 23, 17 2:35 pm
When you start doing plumbing fixture unit calculations you will know that the disease is terminal.
Donna Sink
Sep 24, 17 11:16 am
Christopher, I actually *do* travel with a tape, a cute little 10' leather-bound Edelman Leather swag piece that I keep in my purse pretty much everywhere I go. But I could stand next to this railing and know it wasn't 42"!
Wilma Buttfit
Sep 25, 17 9:38 am
I have a 100-foot tape in my purse. Got it out yesterday in fact.
joseffischer
Sep 25, 17 1:14 pm
I thought all architects knew where 42 was on their bodies.
A parody of bad design, which is of course all too abundant.
Volunteer
Sep 24, 17 3:04 pm
I always liked this chair. You could have them at the dining room table at Thanksgiving and watch your guests bleed out from the back of their knees as they stuffed themselves
Wilma Buttfit
Sep 25, 17 9:35 am
Seems the seat back could land precisely to that point in your back where you do not want a seat back to end, yikes. And the base, always wobbly. Stuff some coasters under there or build your abs.
randomised
Sep 27, 17 5:53 am
Rietveld considered sitting to be an activity
Wilma Buttfit
Sep 25, 17 9:36 am
I let go of one of my jobs over the weekend. It was a combination of getting fired and quitting. At least it was mutual. Like I say, frees me up to do other things!
Non Sequitur
Sep 25, 17 9:43 am
I see you've changed screen names... At least the untapd profile is the same... 8-)
Wilma Buttfit
Sep 25, 17 9:51 am
Yes, "there is no there there" (tintt) is no longer something I relate to.
curtkram
Sep 25, 17 11:08 am
does that mean there is now something there?
Wilma Buttfit
Sep 25, 17 11:19 am
There has been for a while, yes. It hit me one day like a tilt-up wall panel.
Wilma Buttfit
Sep 25, 17 11:20 am
instead of hitting the wall, I climbed it.
Miles Jaffe
Sep 25, 17 5:27 pm
I miss tintt.
Josh Mings
Sep 26, 17 8:14 pm
Why is that new Taylor Swift song stuck in my head?
I had dinner with Peter Bohlin tonight. He's delightful and a cocktail aficionado.
archanonymous
Sep 27, 17 12:46 am
Just got an email from a subcontractor and so badly want to respond but I know I won't.
We sort of had it out on the phone today. I wasn't yelling or being unreasonable but certainly raised my voice in order to be forceful. He followed up asking me to "not take that tone in order to have beneficial project meetings moving forward"
I feel like telling him to not submit shitty work or send his C-team to my job site "in order to have a passable looking project going forward"
If your staff are such delicate flowers, maybe they shouldn't be working in this industry.
Nam Henderson
Sep 27, 17 12:57 am
Hi TC! it's been ages... Hope everyone is well.
Congrats on the birthday/life-goal met, Chris!
Nam Henderson
Sep 27, 17 1:04 am
Also @chick, that Reggie Watts video is just "everyone knows...", right? hah!
Wilma Buttfit
Sep 27, 17 10:21 am
What?
Nam Henderson
Sep 27, 17 8:34 pm
Just expressing my admiration/enjoyment of the Reggie Watts video. Love the TED parody.
Wilma Buttfit
Sep 27, 17 10:55 pm
Oh! Doh! Cheers!
randomised
Sep 27, 17 5:56 am
I never dared to come here, feels like crashing someone else's party. Putting one toe in the water.
I am starting a new thread that is about other threads. You can talk about other discussions taking a place in Archinect and make cross references to a particular link, picture, response and whatever else you deem necessary or entertaining or thought provoking about the other thread. thus the name: Thread Central
here are some examples of comments that comes to mind:
* hey did you read on --------- thread ------- thinks frank gehry is good. hahahaharhar..
or,
*i can't believe he said that. how stupid of him. asshole.on top of it he is got hundreds of posts. gimme a break.
or,
* this is the best thread.. fuck the others..
or,
*****Thread Alert******
read the -----thread yet??? there is a dog fight going on between ----- and-----.it is about gondolas and pollution in Venice..see you there.
or,
* yeaah, i don't read that thread either. its kind a boring.
or,
*i am thinking about starting a discussion about ------------- ---- ---- will you guys in Thread Central post in it and say wow it a great thread?. it was about time 'somebody' (insert my name please) picked up on it.. and discuss it?
like whatever..
It's beer-thirty o'clock at my CAD station right now.
Just finished hanging my one man show. After a week of flat-out fabrication. Hello Casamigos!
You guys if you haven't yet watched the Tina Fey sheet cake skit, go do it. She makes an excellent architecture joke! That said, as deeply important as architecture is to my entire self/being, if I had to choose between architecture and sex I'd go for the latter. For sure.
I enjoyed WTF, but it was fiction, even if loosely based on a real person.
Goddammit just lost an hour's worth of CADding fuuuuuuuucccckkkkkk......
Coincidentally, today I seem to have misplaced my sketchbook. Moleskine is not always the answer!
If I were an architect in the Middle Ages, I'd design something like Dragonstone.
I want to see the Night King's castle. You know that thing has to be deconstructivist AF
I want to know what zombie ice dragons spit out of their mouths.
IcyHot Napalm
I think I'm going to create a series of new users and have them each make a stupid comment on decades-old posts.
For all these threads with people bitching about the profession and how miserable they are and how poorly paid, I would like to know where each of them is practicing. Here in the 2nd city things have never been that bad. Even during the recession with 40% architectural unemployment in the city, all the folks I knew who were laid off ultimately found gigs doing other stuff for decent pay. We're a very comfortably middle class profession even in the hard times. And we have good degrees and experience that can fairly easily be transferred to other biz if desired. Where are these ppl practicing where life is so miserable?!
Joy :/ Found out my contract will end mid-Sept. Anyone know who's hiring 20+ years experienced architects in Denver... (or LA or DC where my wife can transfer)?
Or wants to open a branch in Denver (have a 20+ year old firm & portfolio I could sell too including a physical office I currently lease out if someone is looking for a startup)...
aka; the real mightyaa without the annonomous login
Nice to meet the face behind one of the top dogs here.
Sorry to hear or congrats, not sure which is appropriate. Seems plenty of firms are hiring here and I know the LA market is busy too so you have good timing for being out of work at least. I'm available for grabbing a beer or two
you find yourself with some free time.
I've done niche... Forensic/litigation support. If I wanted to chase money, I know two firms hiring that; six-digit income again if I go that way. It just sort of sucks the life out of you. Another I'll probably at least pursue is City of Denver plans examiner and join the dark side for better pay oddly enough. Not much different than what I do now in QAQC redlining, code studies, and life safety drawings. I kind of liked though being involved in high design projects and working with young architects who still have that fresh new smell and glow.
Tattoo artist and Uber driver then :P
Oh dear. You guys, now I'm nervous.
mightyaa aka Christopher, I'm so sorry to hear about the layoff but I'm now scared because you are the second architect I've heard of *this morning* to be layed off. Is it great recession part 2 coming already? Fuck.
A issue is they are in hiring mode; but its production. I'm long since past that and not interested in being a cad monkey again. I do worry they over-estimate the technical abilities of staff and oversight in the rush to bang out projects. I figure what did me in was that I'm the grey hair telling folks 'no' for various technical reasons and it throws a wrench in the works. The result, based on my litigation world, is poorly executed drawings that result in issues down the road like blown budgets via unneccesarily expensive detailing/structure and/or defects after construction where contractors 'fill in the blanks'. The do have a few technical people, but they are stretched thin already since they've also been pushed into production instead of oversight.
So that fresh new smell wasn't all it seemed to be?
mightyaa aka Christopher - sorry to hear that, Tryba does some nice work.
Why don't you go to Fentress? or Gensler? both decent Denver offices
Thought about it. What I'm trying to pursue though is more of a owner's rep in site acquisition, building/portfolio assessment, and design oversight (the other side of the table). Basically filling that gap between the ROI spreadsheet realtor guys and the reality of the idea that they aren't realistically looking at the buildings they are going to purchase and know what it will take or cost to bring it to their standards... So the architect has a realistic project and budget to work with. Essentially, all of us have been handed problem buildings then made the client angry with how much they have to pour into it just to make it mediocre.
Who pays a consultant to tell them they are unrealistic?
lol... And who would want to pay the salary I'd want for having these experienced eyes versus just hiring a home inspector. I mean it's only a few million dollars on the investment, what could go wrong?... :/
A recruiter told me "money shouldn't be a issue, you shouldn't ask for salaries when getting a job. We never tell clients salaries because it makes them look like they're only at it for the money"
I laughed and said "I have to pay my bills, there's no way I'm going to accept a job that doesn't pay me close to what I need or earning. I find it disrespectful that you'll come to me with a intern salary with my experience"
Her "but working isn't about the money"
I had a linkd-IN recruiter send me something a month or so ago looking for an architect to do sketch-up. Design-Build contractor type gig. My single line reply was that they can't afford me. A hilarious exchange of "pleasantries" followed.
That's so frustrating, archi. There's a disturbing trend developing of employers using the mantra of "live to work, not work to live" to justify offering lower compensation. The fact that you love your job does not mean you should be willing to do it for pennies.
Ask her to forego her commission, then we'll see how about the money her job is.
You can always spot people who have lots of money. They're the ones telling you money doesn't matter.
I'm at the courthouse all day for jury duty. Really hope that it's just a day of sitting in the jury room and not being called for a trial.
Just tell them you're late for a rally down south
I was the last juror to be excused during the voir dire on a capital murder trial (he killed a witness in his friend's burglary trial). The trial I would have been on ultimately was declared a mistrial because two of the jurors were threatened by the defendant's associates midway through. That was as close as I ever want to come to hearing a bullet whiz past my ear. Good luck.
Sat in the jury assembly room the entire day and was never called. Got a lot of reading done. Could have been worse. Off to Exhibit Columbus tomorrow!
IT bungled their rollout of Revit 2018 last night, in the process breaking all previous versions of Revit, other Autodesk software and somehow crippling software totally unrelated to Revit. Meaning everything on my to-do list today just got pushed to who-knows-when... At least I can spend today doing leisurely hand calcs / detail drawing. It must suck to be IT right now, though.
*cough* ArchiCAD is better than Revit *cough*
said quite literally by only one person in the history of the world.
Reggie Watts on architecture
I feel the same way.
I couldn't get past the first 8 minutes. Do you have a hot take on why it is so great for those of us who don't immediately get it?
It's funny.
Yeah I'm not sure I'm getting this one, unless it's all one huge standup act poking fun at architects. (Also dude, you're not an architect)
I think he actually likes architects, but is making fun of TED talks.
That would make sense. Some TED talks are great - others... Susan Cain's TED talk was pretty good, but I'm biased due to my own introversion. Also PechaKucha>TED
This is hysterical! Reminds me of Last Week Tonight's TED talk parody in their episode on scientific studies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvtp-dKfbco
OK seriously obsessed with Reggie Watts now! Thank you tintt! Genius!!!
Funny, Schoon. Here is another Reggie Watts for the new fans. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXyHf_SpUUI
Off to NYC next weekend, gonna catch the FLW exhibit at MoMA, any suggestions by those in the know as to other things to see? Gonna catch the zoo at the High Line, and stop to marvel at the Bayard building. Wife has all the other touristy things planned out, but...
Central Park, for sure.
565 Fifth Avenue (46th street).
It's touristy, but take a walk down Fifth. From MOMA you'll pass Rockefeller Center, NYC Public Library, Empire State. At 30th head west to pick up the High Line, which takes you down to the New Whitney. On the uptown side the Guggenheim, the MET, Central Park.
Hey Miles, just got back this morning. I hit every spot on your list, and had a hell of a great time doing so. MOMA was my favorite destination by far, didn't have enough time to really take it in, overwhelming is a good way to describe my experience there. My wife was patient with me when I got into a archi-discussion with a volunteer there. I don't get to do that much in my line of work, city and county gov't types don't seem to appreciate the finer philosophical details of our profession... I'll be back for sure!
Glad you had a good trip. 565 is my father's building. I'm guessing you did the Wright exhibit?
Your assumption is correct, it was incredible. Not just knowing it was FLW, but the craft exhibited in the rendering, and modeling done by Wright and his people along with the folks who put the exhibit together made it an unforgettable experience. Just wish I could have had more time.
In an Uber currently heading to site (3 buildings!) and the driver has some audio book playing. Strange.
What is strange about audio books?
Most play top 40, which is ugh. I had one that played music from his home country (Nigeria) and we ended up talking about it the entire time.
They usually ask me what I want. Advantage of being a lady I suppose. And I love audio books!
It sounded like a cross between a romance novel and self-help guide.
Aren't all romance novels self-help guides?
Get yo mind out of the gutter
the gutter is the best place to keep your mind
I don't know man. That gutter eventually finds its way to a catch basin and that's where Pennywise lives
I hate how mean we are to the "what style is this?" people but I also laugh my ass off reading the threads. We're a nasty bunch and I love us.
Day 3 of charetting door and window schedules on a project. I'm reeling a little.
Those Avroko ads make my back hurt. Not in a good way.
I know someone that works at one of their offices.
Hi. Guess who injured their left foot this week after spending three months in a walking boot earlier this year for a stress fracture in their right foot? Bye.
At least I'm going to see Columbus tonight.
Yikes, Josh, that's rough. Best wishes for healing of that hoof =o]
somebody's going off the rails, "for the love of building".
I' m afraid of that thread...
Animoji is a sign of the apocalypse.
Had to look that up. Seems like a recipe for spectacular failure.
NIGHTMARE!!!!!
I can't wait!
I'm gonna send a talking poop emoji to all of my future dates. Wish me luck.
Better for potential clients.
passed the Cali CSE test yesterday...yay, new liability!
Proto, how long did you study for, and how difficult was the exam?
I studied a shitton (used David Doucette's Whole Enchilada for study guide www.cseprep.com ), and it was still hard! There was only so much I could cover being out of state. Sometimes I was looking for answer E: "fuck if I know." I.e. I could eliminate two; and then I was left with one answer that was 67% right and one answer that was 71% right...the study materials definitely helped me pass, but I felt there was a lot more detail I could have covered. Agencies and processes are critical; then local law, then AIA contracts were next in line in terms of importance. They do not tell you what constitutes a passing grade; you just find out at the end whether you did or not.
proto, did you need NCARB or did you use the longer form? I'm looking at the same study material. Thanks for the info.
I did it without NCARB (cuz I hate with a passion)
Rumblings of dumping the CMAR off of our project, they're a huge contractor.... Can't help but feel it might be a good move.
I got 8 work related emails between 9 pm last night and 8 am this morning. What emoji should I use to respond to them? Something that says just because you are prescribed drugs, it doesn't mean you should take them.
I didn't even check my email till noon today. Oops.
Fax your response back with hand drawn smiley faces and golden stars...
2 were "check this out". One was a duplicate of one of those. Two were accusations. One was redacting one of the accusations. One had an action item that was supposed to be done by 9 am. One was an expression of frustration. Already "filed" em in I for ignore. We need emojis for this.
I just ignore most email. If it's important they'll send it again. Or call.
Prescription. Ask your doctor.
Had a similar conversation with my GC earlier this week. I stopped by one site where 1 have 3 buildings in construction in between two other, non related, project visits. He asked me how I keep everything together. I told him that I check out at 5pm and that there is nothing that can't be answered the next day.
I just added "wet signature" to the dirty architecture terms thread.
And often times if you ignore it, it goes away anyways. Lol, citizen.
https://archinect.com/forum/th...
Ha, Miles and I totally attacked that "innovation" from the same angle.
- gone fishin' -
Not really but pretty much.
Time and change...
I just met some folks at a hip(ster) coffee house in this nice, old converted industrial building. I realized as I approached it that I'd worked on drawings for another renovation of it, like, 30 years ago.
Much more interesting use now. But, oy, the poison that it must be sitting on. Craft toxins, anyone?
I find my self doing a bunch of free work for friends recently. Not sure it's a good idea as it's making me grumpy.
No good deed goes unpunished.
"free work" is never really free -- somebody always pays a price.
Working with or for friends is hard on the friendship. You end up with neither job nor project nor friends.
I've got 3 or 4 peeps that we just refer work to eachother. We always pass along some sort of comment like "oh, and drop my name so he knows to give you friendship rates" Then we call each other to find out how much of a royal pain said associate is going to be and charge accordingly.
Not sure this Uber car will survive the 12min drive home. Things are shaking and grinding!
That moment where you're so distracted by other things in the evening that you didn't get time to paint.
What was so distracting?
https://archinect.com/news/art...
a big, huge, WTF?????
but if you had them, you would be overpaying them no matter what
Ugh, why you go have this as a sponsored post, Archinect? This isn't a race to the bottom.
JLC-1 / Josh: relax -- the article's really about utilization rates and efficiency, not reducing anybody's pay.
If we're ever to improve the economics of our profession, we must focus on getting more work done at lower cost. It's clear we're not going to have much luck improving the income side of things.
quizz, right, that's why the title of the article is "utilization rates and efficiency", and not, "you're overpaying your employees"
Quizz, your entire last paragraph is the race to the bottom I'm referring to.
More work done at lower cost just equals more crappy work that no one is proud of, further devaluing the notion of an architect in the public's eye. Crappy work for low fees is not the way to run a business.
I'm not saying architects don't need help/more knowledge in running businesses, but what you mentioned isn't the right way - at least in my eyes.
This is an interesting conversation.
I'm an employer outside if architecture and I pay my employees as much as I can afford which isn't a whole lot but they are happy and work hard. In my opinion, it is the best money I can spend. If I pay an employee an average wage, I would expect average performance. When I pay above average, I get employees who are driven, dedicated, happy, and loyal which is worth an extra few dollars an hour. Calculate that in terms of utilization, how that DOLLAR is "utilized", why don't you?
It won't do any good in the long run to be more efficient. Competitive forces will just drive fees even lower because we'll end up passing all the savings on to the client.
Broken record: Oversupply....oversupply......oversupply....
Sometimes I'm most efficient by not doing anything at all.
Josh / JLC-1: ok - I see what happened there – you didn’t understand the point I was trying to make, which is totally my fault, not yours. I didn’t communicate clearly, so let me try again, please.
The “race to the bottom” began with the Consent Decree and has not yet abated. The profession reacted badly to the Consent Decree and, in hindsight, responded in a manner that was detrimental to our collective economic health. Much of the profession reacted exactly as Josh describes – “More work done at lower cost just equals more crappy work that no one is proud of, further devaluing the notion of an architect in the public's eye.” This began a very damaging downward spiral, from which we have yet to recover.
The point I was trying to make earlier has to do with “productivity” not “lower wages” – so let me set the stage for that a bit. When fee schedules went away and architects were forced to start competing on the basis of price, most of the profession simply tried to cut costs and shirk liability. This situation was made worse by increasing demands for more – not less – documentation. Client satisfaction declined, profitability went to hell and compensation at all levels suffered.
IMHO, what the profession SHOULD have done at the time of the Consent Decree was focus much more heavily on “productivity” instead of “reduced cost” – i.e. getting more high quality work produced both faster and cheaper. That approach would demand much higher skill levels at all levels of the firm and, if done right, would have resulted in higher wages across the board, not lower. Regrettably, in most firms, that is not what happened.
The article in question – with its lamentable click-bait title – really is about ‘productivity’ – that is, achieving a level of production from each employee that is appropriate to that employee’s cost to the firm. I think the author approached the subject in an overly dramatic manner that was designed to excite, rather than inform. Still, his basic message – i.e. firm’s must manage personnel in a manner that achieves both productivity and profitability – is not without merit.
Sorry for the confusion.
It was a foundational event that wrought much disruption and, in many ways, shaped (not altogether positively) the profession in which we work today.
Hmmm ... David, you and I may not be talking about the same thing. I'm referring to the 1971 and 1990 Consent Decrees between the AIA and the US Department of Justice, in which the profession agreed to abandon mandatory fee schedules under threat of anti-trust action by the DOJ.
See: 1971 and 1990 Consent Decrees - US DOJ v. AIA
Thanks for this, quizzical. I keep hoping at some point someone will write an article about the Consent Decree and how that has decimated architecture as a profession and that will cause us all to rise up and demand to be remunerated better.
I also keep hoping a crew of hot shirtless and smiling men will show up to clean my house for me. One can dream.
It was not necessarily the Consent Decree but the response to it that has led to the current state of the profession. The response by the doubly wounded AIA is to lament the loss of standard fee schedules and the strategy given by AIA advisors is to never discuss fees again out of fear of breaking the law again. Instead of picking a new way forward, the leadership gave up. Like a little kid, the AIA says if we can't break the law then we'll just whine and cry, and hope everyone will join the pity party and validate the loss of fee schedules that they needed in order to know how to charge for their services.
tintt: that's not exactly how I remember it.
Following the 1971 Consent Decree the AIA made a major effort to educate the profession about "Cost Based Compensation" -- i.e. basing fee quotes on what it actually costs to provide the services being requested by the client. The Institute published several truly excellent books dealing with this subject and provided companion seminars all across the country.
Unfortunately a) many in the profession felt this required too much work and thought (hey, you know it's just so much easier to calculate a fee based on % of anticipated construction costs, even if that isn't the 'correct' number); and b) even if you made a reliable quote based on what you thought your costs might be, some other firm was going to propose a much lower fee to secure the project.
Good to know, quizzical, I wasn't around in 1971 to have witnessed it. I just experience the aftermath, points a and b.
Only in architecture does anyone seem to even care about price fixing. Contractors share the info, gas stations, grocery stores, definitely lawyers and the healthcare insurance industry. Even architects at higher levels in hushed rooms discuss it, Principal to Principal... but when a junior architect brings up productivity, workflow and billings, asks legitimate questions on how it's decided who gets billed what, and desires a discussion across firms in the region, all the higher ups bring up the consent decree with a fear similar to "he-who-must-not-be-named".
On a somewhat related note, I thought all architects (American at least) knew who NCARB was. I recently got my NCARB certificate and was talking about it with another architect who I thought would congratulate me but instead said, "NCARB? Never heard of them. It's a useless credential because nobody has ever of them. You wasted your money."
Same person tried to tell me that masonry units could not be cut on site and that each non-whole unit needed would require someone to come out a take measurements for custom molds to cast custom units and it was very expensive and time consuming. I just said OK and got in the clown car.
congrats on the ncarb certificate:)
why would someone be so quick to tell you a credential they don't know anything about is useless? wouldn't it be more prudent to say they weren't familiar with ncarb, but then give you the benefit of the doubt and wish you the best in whatever direction your life is going?
What are those units made of? Diamonds?
Curt, because RA is the only credential that matters. What is funny too is that this person is talking about moving states and I told them they can't transfer their license and they don't believe me. I have a plane on standby to write "I told you so" in the sky cause I'm a bitch. Concrete pavers, NS. You mean there is a SAW that can cut them? Yes!
well, you can transfer credentials, each state makes you jump through hoops, some smaller than others.
Yeah, after my first free year with the certificate I let my NCARB lapse because I'm not planning on moving soon and don't stamp drawings at the office. I looked into Indiana's requirements without NCARB - increased fees and paperwork.
But if you get licensed without doing IDP and later move to a state that requires IDP, I thought you were SOL. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe they still let you in.
well that's likely true in particular circumstances, right? many, if not most, do the idp.
I'm sure there is a way through, but going to have some hurdles. I was given the advice to take the strictest route by doing it all, NAAB, IDP, NCARB, ARE, cause that was required in the state I started in anyways and then you are never without. I would hate to be missing one of those and seeking reciprocity.
it's just money, right?
cue "money for nothing"
It's possible in some states to get "direct comity" or "direct reciprocity" from certain other states, without submitting an NCARB record. So in some cases it's not required at all. As for getting licensed in another state if you never did IDP: that typically requires getting an NCARB certificate by documenting your experience retroactively. It's not impossible - I helped a former employer through the application/documentation process recently - it's just that it can be more difficult years later because some past firms may have closed, former employers may have died, etc.
A lot of states have a route for licensing for people who don't have an NCARB certificate... BUT it usually still requires transmittal of an NCARB record to prove IDP, and currently NCARB will refuse to transmit the record of anybody who is eligible for certification unless they get certified. Yes there are a few states that have direct reciprocity without submitting an IDP record directly from NCARB - but only a few. Essentially if you have an NAAB degree and you did IDP, you'll end up having to get certified in order to transmit your record to get reciprocity in most states. If you let your certification lapse then NCARB charges you all the back years plus a reinstatement fee of several hundred dollars - I think back fees are capped at $1500 max.
I believe the number of states that require NCARB cert for reciprocity is around half, something like 24. interactive map here: https://www.ncarb.org/get-licensed/licensing-requirements-tool
It's misleading, because what the map is showing is states that specifically require NCARB certification for reciprocity. The trick is that more than 40 states require an IDP record transmitted directly from NCARB, even if they don't specifically require certification - but NCARB refuses to transmit your record if you're licensed and eligible for certification UNLESS you get certified. The practical result of that is that only people who aren't eligible for certification (usually because they don't have an NAAB degree) can get through the non-certficate-holder reciprocity process in most of the other 26 states. The exceptions are the few states that accept certain other states' licenses for direct reciprocity, with no NCARB documentation required.
well... at least they're licensed... whew!
Company wide redundancy on the book! Time to figure out what to do hmmmm.
Holy shit a.w., is that still at the dev company in central london? Any idea what the cause is, big project falling through or the like? I've been hearing more and more mass redundancies coming at large offices, but those were always archi-specific. Brexit is going to have a bigger effect as we approach March 2019...
55% down turn in London development. Everyone is sitting around or getting fired, I've seen it at and talked to folks all over
Is your co focused on residential or otherwise? Most of what I've been hearing is that the effect is primarily in that sector, with a knock-on effect into the commercial area as well. The larger layoffs I've heard about have been coming mainly from res/mixed offices.
I work on everything, every large commercial project and developing project in London, I'm 80% sure we've worked on.
Th US underbuilt multifam for the past 40+ years. And demand is high b/c both boomers and millennials are competing over this housing type. What makes you think there's a bubble? Plus, the subprime auto loan debt is now well over a trillion $. If too many people lose their cars, they certainly aren't going to buy single family out in the sticks.
Multifamily is the new affordable & starter home. No one is building small single family.
is it 75 units of what - luxury? affordable? low-income? and you're basing your opinion off of the SF/CA market?
4 pages of job ads on the local AIA page here... Where are all the Houston transplants going to? Those cities are going to have multi-family markets.
A European background and love for extensive worldwide travel and photography, combined with a penchant for the historical details from the Ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Renaissance architectural styles influence our designs.
sometimes I go and look at the "about us" in arch. firms websites, once in a while you come across gold.
I'm going to see Ike Reilly and Cracker in a small private house concert tonight! Of course as an architect I won't be able to just enjoy the show as I'll also be hyper-aware of whether there are enough exits and clear paths to them.
Unless the show is in Astoria, Or. I think it's safe to assume there is sufficient exiting.
I'm such a dork I'm at this house party concert and I'm on the balcony thinking "This railing height doesn't meet code!!!"
Plenty of exits, tho.
When you start doing plumbing fixture unit calculations you will know that the disease is terminal.
Christopher, I actually *do* travel with a tape, a cute little 10' leather-bound Edelman Leather swag piece that I keep in my purse pretty much everywhere I go. But I could stand next to this railing and know it wasn't 42"!
I have a 100-foot tape in my purse. Got it out yesterday in fact.
I thought all architects knew where 42 was on their bodies.
Anybody seen The Uncomfortable?
Brilliant.
Brilliant? Or cutesy-aggressively-self-hating?
A parody of bad design, which is of course all too abundant.
I always liked this chair. You could have them at the dining room table at Thanksgiving and watch your guests bleed out from the back of their knees as they stuffed themselves
Seems the seat back could land precisely to that point in your back where you do not want a seat back to end, yikes. And the base, always wobbly. Stuff some coasters under there or build your abs.
Rietveld considered sitting to be an activity
I let go of one of my jobs over the weekend. It was a combination of getting fired and quitting. At least it was mutual. Like I say, frees me up to do other things!
I see you've changed screen names... At least the untapd profile is the same... 8-)
Yes, "there is no there there" (tintt) is no longer something I relate to.
does that mean there is now something there?
There has been for a while, yes. It hit me one day like a tilt-up wall panel.
instead of hitting the wall, I climbed it.
I miss tintt.
Why is that new Taylor Swift song stuck in my head?
https://youtu.be/3tmd-ClpJxA
I had dinner with Peter Bohlin tonight. He's delightful and a cocktail aficionado.
Just got an email from a subcontractor and so badly want to respond but I know I won't.
We sort of had it out on the phone today. I wasn't yelling or being unreasonable but certainly raised my voice in order to be forceful. He followed up asking me to "not take that tone in order to have beneficial project meetings moving forward"
I feel like telling him to not submit shitty work or send his C-team to my job site "in order to have a passable looking project going forward"
If your staff are such delicate flowers, maybe they shouldn't be working in this industry.
Hi TC! it's been ages... Hope everyone is well.
Congrats on the birthday/life-goal met, Chris!
Also @chick, that Reggie Watts video is just "everyone knows...", right? hah!
What?
Just expressing my admiration/enjoyment of the Reggie Watts video. Love the TED parody.
Oh! Doh! Cheers!
I never dared to come here, feels like crashing someone else's party. Putting one toe in the water.
Welcome, randomised.
Thanks, with 1234 comments it was about time :)