In a conversation with Niall Patrick Walsh, Natasha Sandmeier considered the potential up-side(s) to the growing abilities of Artificial Intelligence "I do not believe there are many creatives who aspire to draw door details for three months or to endlessly clean up red-line drawings. Yet, these constitute the majority of tasks for many architects...If we can outsource such taxing labor, whether door details or miscellaneous writing, AI has the potential to impact our workflow positively while also opening new doors and avenues of exploration for the profession."

Plus, the folks from Archinect HQ shared what they are Thankful for in 2023. Of note, founder Paul Petrunia took the opportunity to reflect on a recently passed Silver jubilee.

"Our twenty-fifth anniversary last year came and went with not much more than a celebratory toast among our team. On this Thanksgiving, I want to express my immense gratitude for our community's support as we continue into the last half of our third decade. Things have changed quite a lot on Archinect since we launched in 1997, in the early days of the internet, as the first online architecture community. One thing that hasn't changed, however, is your commitment to our platform. Whether you've been with us from the start or recently joined our community, your contributions, interactions, and feedback have shaped Archinect into what it is today. Thank you for being an integral part of our story, for every click, every read, and every shared thought. Here's to continuing our journey together, fostering a vibrant and dynamic architectural community for many years to come."

News

UK-based salary transparency advocates released their latest data on average salaries across UK firms. gwharton was surprised "The highest-paying UK firms have salary scales about 2/3 of US major metro areas?" Though monosierra argued "a lot of folks underestimate how much higher American salaries are compared to Europe...and even Canada."

Reacting to visualizations of the City of London skyline circa 2030, Gary Garvin quipped "City Cluster or City Clutter?"

Contra at least a few, kjpn appreciated 3XN’s amphitheater-like proposal for Baltimore’s Inner Harbour "it's preserving the views and spatial openness of the waterfront edge...I think it's a uniquely considerate as well as elegant scheme and appreciate that there was a hand of restraint on the building's FAR. Contemporary architecture has a place in the urban landscape as well, not every building has to be conventionally massed. This is not an office building its a mixed use public building".

reallynotmyname hopes a Herzog & de Meuron mass timber project in Austin "turns out to be something good that local...designers can emulate. Downtown...has some of the ugliest buildings in the world in terms of recent buildings and stuff going up right now."

Both Orhan Ayyüce and Donna Sink shouted out the many (twenty) "Beautiful" winners of the 2023 International Holcim Awards.

The Colour Palace in London, UK by Yinka Ilori and Pricegore; Main Contractor/Design Partner: Raskl and The Broadway in Westminster, UK by Squire and Partners are just two of the latest projects to be found on the Archinect Pinterest board Fancy Facades.

R.I.P., Canadian housing pioneer and RAIC Gold Medalist, Jerome Markson.

Blogs/Firms/Work Updates

San Francisco based Alterpex penned an explainer on As-Built Drawings "As the project reaches its culmination, these modifications are documented in As-Built Drawings. This evolution ensures that the final drawings accurately mirror the built environment, acting as a reference for future maintenance, renovations, or expansions."

ICYMI the season finale of Emerging, a podcast series that follows the journey of three friends starting their new architecture firm Level Studio Architecture, just wrapped.

Looking for work? 

Consider applying to: Fogarty Finger in Boston, Bernbaum/Magadini Architects in Dallas, Ras-a studio in LA or Síol in San Francisco.

Schools

The #BACbuzz blog reminded folks that the exhibition ‘Slowness: Banyan Park, Tata Consultancy Services, Mumbai, India’ is on view until January 21, 2024 at the McCormick Gallery "Public is welcome. Free of charge."

Students from the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Urban Planning had the opportunity to display a folded paper apparel concept as part of a special exhibition called The Full Gamut organized by the Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC).

It isn't tenure track, but the Detroit Collaborative Design Center is seeking a Project Director for a 4 year Renew America’s Nonprofits grant (funded via Department of Energy through the Biden Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law). 

Otherwise, for something more traditionally academic, the University of Houston has multiple openings ranging from Director of their Interior Architecture program to an Assistant Professor for Professional Practice.

Discussion/Threads

justifyfairly was interested in "Any tips for less cracking within the model, and sealing?" Non Sequitur recommended "Basswood and steel" instead. However the OP is apparently required to use "either stone or a similar surrogate of stone." reallynotmyname got irritated "Last time I looked, stone was rock. Poured materials are not…much of a surrogate. The instructor who assigned this to students must be a real asshat." In which case they believed OP might as well lean into the pedantry "Take…marble floor tiles and get them water jet cut into the shapes you need. That would be stone."

With the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic far behind us, Archi-Fartsy was curious how many folks are still working from home "Anyone required to be full time in office?" It seems the answer is definitely yes. 

Yet, while many have been back for awhile, there are also reports of offices that offer flexibility and have both in office and fully remote positions. Of folks who went fully remote and have stayed that way. Either due to medical accommodations or just because they prefer it and are "never going back". One challenge both sameolddoctor and 3tk noted was the on-boarding of younger staff though "somehow we are making it work".

Meanwhile Chad Miller wanted to clarify he never left, "Everyone else did WFH but I was in the office.  It was very nice!...Shorts"

Finally, Chad wanted us to all be "hippy dippy and post what we're thankful for this year!  Try not to be too sarcastic or pessimistic.  ;)" Josh Mings’ answer was shaped by the launch of his Aggregate Studio "Previous, now current, clients and new clients that want to work with me now that I'm on my own…Colleagues that have gone out of their way to offer advice and answer questions…Friends and family being supportive of me going out on my own". For ____ it was completing their "oeuvre". For citizen it was "many of the folks and interactions here on A-nect."