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ETHICS & CONDUCT
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INTERVIEWS
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LECTURES
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PROJECT SCHEDULE
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ETHICS & CONDUCT
BRIAN LEE ERIC KEUNE INHO RHEE JOEL PUTNAM
ARCH 4044
NOVEMBER 21 NOVEMBER 12 NOVEMBER 14 NOVEMBER 18
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C R I T I C A L
E S S A Y
KNOWING THE LINE AND WHEN NOT TO CROSS IT
The Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct published by the AIA sets up a series of rules, which all members of the AIA agree to follow and respect. These canons are based on the ethical concept of what is “right.” Since most professional adults have a good sense of what is “right” and what is “wrong,” these rules of ethics are, or at least should be, common sense. Just because they are common sense doesn’t mean that it is unnecessary to write them down and make sure that everyone involved in the profession is in agreement and recognizes their importance. And also, just because they are common sense doesn’t mean that they will be easy to follow. It doesn’t mean that each of us architecture students won’t be tempted throughout our career to break this ethical code for personal gain or just to make things easier. I am going to reflect on an experience that I had with a few architects at SOM that brought to my attention the issues of ethics that come up in the office environment. Two of us students were working with a couple architects at SOM on a site in an Olympic village in China. Our role as the interns was
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to make the site model in which the architects’ proposals would be presented. The building to be designed by the architects was a twin tower type of parti that would serve as a landmark for the newly developed Olympic complex. The client was a repeat and faithful client of six years that had brought a lot of work to our office. Each architect spent ten days developing their respective scheme, just to get a read on the client’s vision for this particular project. (The AIA does say something about providing free work, which this was, but they make an exception for “established clients”. I would say that in this case the client was established for the most part. I question the ethical guideline against free work, because it seems that in certain situations, it is a very effective way for an architect to get work that he will in the end be paid for. It seems similar to a competition in that way - it is not paid for initially, but the work that is done by the winner is, in the end, paid for.) What really brought ethics to the forefront of our discussion was the conference call that we had with the client. Essentially, the client was not at all interested in any of the schemes that we had developed. He informed us about a design that was done by a different office as an entry in a competition for the same project years earlier. The client wanted us to basically take that design and develop it further. And by “develop it further” he meant add egress and fire safety strategies to the already established form of the tower. Of course all of the architects were frustrated with the clients lack of interest in their
designs, but what was even more alarming, was the clients suggestion that we would be able to take another office’s intellectual property and create drawings from something that wasn’t even our idea. After the call, all of the architects, along with the project manager, director, and partner began discussing who owned the rights to this design that the client seemed firmly attached to. This particular case had so much complexity to it: the competition was years ago - did the client pay for the competition entry? - was the competition winner commissioned for any work following their competition entry? - what are the laws in China? - Does it matter what the laws in China are if the design was done by a U.S. firm? All of these questions were swirling, none of which we had the answers to. It would be tempting to ignore the issues of ethics brought to the table in this situation. The publicity that we would get for “stealing” another firm’s design is not desirable, though, at all. Stealing another firms design is also not that interesting to a bunch of designers who had better ideas. So, to put it simply, our office had three options. The first was to ignore and try to avoid any intellectual property laws that may apply in either the U.S. or China and to agree to work on the project. (This was obviously ruled out right away, the penalty would not be worth the risk.) The second option was to work with the design represented in the competition to shape it and enhance it to a level where it would become our own intellectual property. The building in this
scenario might appear similar to the competition entry, but if we could generate enough nuance to the design in our own office, we could really make the design our own. Essentially the competition design was two towers linked by a bridge toward their lower third. There is no copyright or trademark on two towers linked by a bridge. The third option would be to turn the project over to the office that generated the winning design for the competition - the design that the client wanted. It is not easy, though, to turn a long-time client away to a competitor. Faithful clients are the most valuable resource that an architect can have. Whichever option the office chooses, I am glad that I am not the person making the decision. One day, though, I will be making this type of decision. This experience has allowed me to think about what I would do in this situation. I am hoping that my growth as an architect over the next few decades will make the decision an easier one than it is for me to make today. I think I would be confident enough in my office’s design abilities that I would take option two and try to turn the design into something better than it already is. You could not do this half-way. You would have to really commit to enhancing the design, or else you could be looking at legal issues, on top of the ethical issues. In conclusion, always do what seems right. If you are doing something that feels like it might not be the right thing, you probably shouldn’t be doing it. Keep it simple and always error on the side of ethics.
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INTERVIEWS
INHO RHEE & ERIC KEUNE DAVID NIENHUESER DAN POLOZ BRIAN LEE PAOLA AGUIRRE
ARCH 4044
NOVEMBER 12 NOVEMBER 14 NOVEMBER 18 NOVEMBER 19 NOVEMBER 21
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INHO & ERIC NOVEMBER 12 SKIDMORE OWINGS & MERRILL
UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CLIENT WANTS FROM YOU. (KEEP IN MIND THAT SOMETIMES THIS MAY BE UNSPOKEN) IF YOU DO NOT, IT WILL WAIST YOUR TIME, ENERGY, AND MONEY. TRY TO ASK QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU PRODUCE WORK SO THAT THE WORK IS RELEVANT AND PROGRESSING IN A WAY THAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO THE CLIENT. ASK OTHERS ABOUT YOUR OWN STRENGTHS. THEY WILL BE ABLE TO TELL YOU WHAT THEY ARE.
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The context of the conversation with Inho and Eric is very interesting and important to help give background to the advice that they gave. Abbey and I had the opportunity to work on a site model for a project in Hangzhou China. The vision was to create an Olympic village on the site. We spent a week building the model - sanded wood blocks for the buildings and acrylic sheets for an expansive network of decks and bridges that would connect the different structures. The model was made to collapse in half and be carried (by Eric) like a suitcase onto the plane and flown to China. Meanwhile, Joel, Dianne, and Inho are each developing a scheme for the “twin towers”, a signature high-rise that would give the Olympic village a landmark. Each architect spent 10 days developing their scheme and making a model of their tower that would plug into the site model. It turns out that Eric’s flight to China is cancelled and we will have a conference call with the client instead. Pictures were promptly taken and a presentation was quickly prepared. During the call, Eric presented each scheme to the client, to which the client responded, “We were not looking for new schemes, but for further clarification and detailing of a scheme that had already been approved.” A scheme has already been approved? All of us went to “The Gage”, a bar down the street to discuss the breakdown in communication, as well as a few lighter stories about architecture school, Chicago pizza and mid-western accents.
DAVID NIENHUESERNOVEMBER 14 VOA ASSOCIATES
DETERMINE WHAT YOU ARE MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT (BE SPECIFIC) AND THEN FIND WAYS TO GAIN RELATED EXPERIENCE. BE PASSIONATE. YOU WILL BE HIRED ACCORDING TO THREE CATEGORIES: INTELLIGENCE, CREATIVITY, AND PERSONALITY. YOU CAN EXPRESS PASSION IN ANY OF THESE THREE. PROVE YOURSELF INVALUABLE. DO THINGS ACCURATELY AND ON-TIME AS A YOUNG ARCHITECT.
I was interested in talking to David because of the work that he was doing in health care planning. My first architectural internship had been the summer before my semester in Chicago Studio. During that internship, my sole task was to do the preliminary planning for a new 120 bed hospital. I was excited to continue building my knowledge in this field with David over lunch at “My Thai”. There was a lot of good discussion about what to do over the upcoming years - how to get hired, how to get experience, and what experience to get. I was really interested in his suggestion that I identify one or two things that I am especially passionate about and to express that passion at interviews. It is great to be interested in “everything”, but that does not always convince a potential employer. “It is smart to really build your experience in one area. This allows you the opportunity to prove yourself invaluable.” In light of David’s advice, it seems to me that an architect is hired based upon two things: his experience (knowledge) and his potential (passion). It is important to keep these two things at the highest level possible. As a young architect, I obviously do not have a lot of experience, so it follows that I will have to rely heavily on my passion for architecture for now. That passion will undoubtedly lead me to valuable experience. Perhaps later in my career I will be bursting with experience, but looking back at school projects to rediscover a little bit of passion. It is my hope that the two feed each other, building together over time the professional practice of the architect.
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DAN
POLOZ NOVEMBER 18 SKIDMORE OWINGS & MERRILL
KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT AMBITION IS USELESS. SUCCESS IS JUST BEYOND YOUR COMFORT ZONE. READ AND TRAVEL A LOT. FIGURE OUT YOUR STRENGTHS AND APPLY THEM TO YOUR WORK. FOCUS ON WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT. WHEN YOU DO WHAT OTHERS AREN’T WILLING TO DO, YOU WILL HAVE WHAT OTHERS DO NOT. DO NOT INVEST YOUR TIME IN LEARNING SOMETHING THAT IS BECOMING OBSOLETE.
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Dan was the first person that I met after sitting down at my desk in the SOM office. He sat to my right and his attitude about his work, I realized, influenced the attitude I had about my own work. He was always entirely focussed, but any time there was an interruption, he would take it completely in stride and calmly continue what he was working on. Meanwhile, many coworkers around us were cursing at drawings and angrily hanging up phones. I wanted to talk to Dan to understand what gave him such a good attitude and calm demeanor in the office. We had dinner at “Miller’s Pub”, where he explained everything that happened before he became an employee of SOM four months ago. I will not recap his entire life story, but he went from college dropout to inspired architect by reading “a lot” and gaining experience that was truly valuable. He took advantage of opportunities to learn skills that would set him apart from others. Although his path to a degree in architecture was not as smooth as most, he came out in the end with a defined and focussed vision for his career. This vision, he says, is what keeps him so content. He knows where he is going and he understands what his strengths are and why they will get him to exactly where he is trying to go. I am inspired by Dan’s humble confidence in his abilities and knowledge as pursues his goal of managing his own practice. His focus and his passion will get him there.
BRIAN
LEE NOVEMBER 19
SKIDMORE OWINGS & MERRILL
TALENT. TALENT. TAKE THE TIME TO BECOME REALLY GOOD AT WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND TO MAKE WHAT YOU ARE DOING REALLY GOOD. BE PERSISTENT IN YOUR WORK. IF YOU DO NOT PERSISTENTLY ATTACK YOUR WORK, IT WILL NOT BE GREAT. MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE DESIGNING FOR PEOPLE. MAKE WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. ALWAYS HAVE A BIG IDEA.
You can learn as much from a person’s presence and attitude as you can from the advice that they give you. Brian had the ability to look past anything and everything that didn’t matter. What is the goal and how are you pursuing it? How are you representing it? From this interview and also from other meetings with Brian, I realized how effective an architect can be by simply being direct and to the point. In your interactions with politicians, community members, clients and coworkers, ask questions directly. If their response does not answer the question, politely ask again. Architecture is, of course, a very timeconsuming occupation. I asked Brian how balance work and life outside of work. He stressed how important it is to “go home.” “Pulling an allnighter once a month does not make you a good architect,” he said. On the other hand, however, a good architect is incredibly persistent in his work. Brian talked about how disappointing it was to see young architects with incredible talent who never worked hard enough. “If you are working on something that really has great potential but don’t put the time in to really see it through, the talent is sort of waisted.” A piece of advice that I got from Brian that I will stick with me forever was, “Always have a big idea.” If you have a big idea - if it is something that has never been done before - if it will have tremendous impact on people’s lives, then the rest is easy.
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PAOLA AGUIRRE NOVEMBER 21 SKIDMORE OWINGS & MERRILL
WHEN DESIGNING A BUILDING, COMPLY WITH ANY MASTERPLAN DONE BY THOSE BEFORE YOU. THERE WAS A LOT OF RESEARCH PUT INTO THOSE PLANS AND THEIR PURPOSE IS TO MAKE A GREAT PLACE FOR PEOPLE. BUILD FROM AND WITHIN THE WORK DONE BY URBAN DESIGNERS. YOU ARE THEN NOT STARTING FROM SCRATCH AND ARE, FROM THE BEGINNING, ON A PATH TO SUCCESSFUL DESIGN.
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We had just finished our final draft of “Definition Without Boundary,” a publication about the work that SOM was doing in Chinatown, Chicago. Paola helped us organize and edit the book as it was coming together. She had done the same for many SOM publications in the past. She showed a lot of interest in our studio’s work and not surprisingly, was willing to meet with us to go over the final draft and also to discuss urban design. Paola has a degree in both Architecture and Urban Design. This made her especially effective at giving relevant advice to an architecture student. It was exciting to hear about all the work that has been done by urban designers that can help the architect quickly understand the context. Something that is difficult for Paola (having a degree in architecture) is to stop “zooming in” as she is doing her urban design work. She wants to get into the detail of things, but work at that scale is outside the scope of the urban designer. Sometimes she has to “hand over” to the architect things that she is interested in. Urban design will look very specifically at important views from key buildings, and strategically plan the waterfront, main corridors, and areas of density. There is also a lot of careful thought about the experience at street level. This is obviously very dependent upon the architectural expression of the buildings along the street, which is out of Paola’s control. She hopes that we will take the time throughout our architecture careers to understand the intent of the urban designer and work with it to create great neighborhoods.
C R I T I C A L
E S S A Y
TAKING ADVICE
During the interview process, not only did I get a lot of advice, but I learned a lot about how to ask for and take advice. Now that I have recieved all of this guidance, I would like to reflect on how I will ensure that it is implemented in my every-day life. First of all, it is important to take all of the advice and not just the advice that you want to hear. Sometimes it is hard to take advice like, “do what others are not willing to do.� It may be hard to get really excited about advice like this, but it could take you really far in your career. It may not be the fun work to do, but it could provide opportunities down the road for you to do really exciting things. After having interviews both in and out of the office, I noticed that taking someone out of the office setting allows them to really be themselves. Conversations that took place in-office were informative but not extremely inspiring. Often the interviewee would avoid personal stories and a lot of the advice would be sort of standard or even cliche. In a bar or restaurant, however, the conversation would always reach a personal level. This is the environment that generated the
really sincere advice. Instead of interviewing, it felt more like establishing a relationship with a person. If maintained, these relationships have the potential to provide a lifetime of advice. Also, understand where the person is coming from. Understand what their career goals are and how this relates to their advice. Consider, also, their position with respect to the advice that they give. During my interviews, it was very important that I heard from someone just above me (one year of experience) as well as a partner at an international firm. Know how other people in your position plan to be successful, as well as how those who have reached their goals made themselves successful. Most importantly, each person interviewed had one or two things that they especially stressed - something that they were really passionate about. It seems important to have something that really inspires my attitude and decision making - some piece of advice that I would pass on to someone interviewing me. Keeping in mind the lessons learned during this experience, I can continue to build on my knowledge in professional practice and in life.
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LECTURES RANDY GUILLOT CARL D’SILVA DREW RENIERI MITESH DIXET NATASHA MAUSKAPF TOYO ITO GEOFF WALTERS CARL D’SILVA MIKE LINGERTAT CHIP VON WEISE IKER GIL ADAM WHIPPLE LAURA FISHER JOHN SYVERTSEN
ARCH 4044
SEPTEMBER 05 SEPTEMBER 25 OCTOBER 02 OCTOBER 03 OCTOBER 14 OCTOBER 15 OCTOBER 16 OCTOBER 16 OCTOBER 23 OCTOBER 30 NOVEMBER 06 NOVEMBER 13 NOVEMBER 13 NOVEMBER 20
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RANDY GUILLOT CANNON DESIGN
THINK FOR YOURSELF, BUT UNDERSTAND THE THINKING OF OTHERS. BUILD MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH HARD WORK. COMMUNICATION IS EVERYTHING. HAVE BROAD INFLUENCES AND MENTORS. ACCEPT THAT WE ARE BAD AT TIME MANAGEMENT. YOUR CLIENT IS YOUR DESIGN PARTNER.
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LISTEN TO ME & IGNORE ME. DON’T EXPECT THE OUTCOME - SET YOURSELF UP FOR DISCOVERY. PROMOTE YOUR STRENGTHS. BE KIND, DO THINGS FOR OTHERS. THERE IS ALWAYS MORE THAN ONE RIGHT ANSWER - NEVER BE CERTAIN IN ANYTHING.
SEPTEMBER 05 Something that I have always believed in is the importance of honest, hard work. When others witness your hard work, they want to support you because they trust you. To hear Randy talk about how meaningful relationships can be when they are formed through hard work, inspires me to work hard and gives me confidence that it will indeed pay off. Not, necessarily, that it will pay off in terms of money or status, but that it will pay off in reputation and ultimately true friendships. Although Randy was speaking mostly about relationships and experiences in the work environment, I started to think about relationships outside of work. All of these things that he talks about: have broad influences, communicate, listen to and ignore me, be kind, etc. - they are all great points of advice for building friendships. So you might say that it is important to think about your co-workers as friends. Think about your clients as friends. Treating these people in such a way should produce desired results in both your working and out of work relationships. Have broad influences and mentors. I
have already found in my life that it can be very rewarding to have very different mentors. Ultimately, what a person becomes is the result of all that he has learned from family and mentors. So when choosing mentors and those who you spend your time with, think about the type of person they are making you. They will influence you. This brings me to another point that Randy made about promoting your strengths. To relate this to his advice about mentors, perhaps it is wise to build your base of mentors around your strengths. This means two things. First, have mentors that share your strengths. This will help you grow in the areas where you are already most effective. Perhaps even more importantly, build a broad range of mentors with skills that you do not have and abilities that you wish to attain. It seems to me that it would be very hard to get better at something by guessing how to do it. Since an architect spends his entire career learning, he must have skilled people around to learn from.
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CARL D’SILVA JAHN
WHAT IS A DESIGN CONCEPT? WHAT IS A DESIGN SOLUTION? CLEARLY COMMUNICATE YOUR IDEA. STEP 1: COLLECT IDENTIFY WHAT YOUR IDEA OR PROBLEM IS AND UNDERPANTS CLEARLY SHOW AND EXPLAIN YOUR PLAN OF STEP 2: ??? ACTION. STEP 3: PROFIT HAVE A STEP 2 THAT MAKES SENSE. THERE TENDS TO BE DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE DESIGN CONCEPT AND THE YOU WILL HAVE GREAT DESIGN IDEAS THAT ARE DESIGN SOLUTION FOR A JUST NOT RIGHT FOR YOUR YOUNG ARCHITECT. CURRENT PROJECT - SAVE THOSE IDEAS. MAKE SURE THAT YOUR DESIGN IS ACTUALLY RESPONDING TO THE IDEA WHEN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PLAN TO OTHERS, DO THEY OR PROBLEM. EASILY UNDERSTAND? 28
SEPTEMBER 25 Something that I can definitely relate to, which Carl mentioned, was that design ideas will come to you as you are working on a project. Even if all of the ideas are interesting, some will be right for that project and some will not. It is difficult for a young designer with a lot of cool ideas to be able to recognize that sometimes, none of them are good for the project. Let’s say that the design problem is that you need to bring natural light into a basement. You have ten great ideas about how to bring light into a basement. Each idea could be especially elegant and beautiful in its own way. But if there is a child’s bedroom in the basement that cannot be disturbed with all the light, this becomes a limiting factor for the design. The child needs to be able to sleep, this cannot be ignored. The beauty of your design ideas are not as important as the child being able to sleep. Do not be arrogant in your designs. Always remember that you are designing for people first. Does it make sense to disrupt the child’s sleeping so that you can design the basement how you want? I expect that it will be difficult to transition from studio projects, which sometimes exist in isolation from
the real world, to client-lead projects, which are often shaped by time and budget. Real-world design projects will always be more practical, but it will be a career-long challenge to communicate a clear design idea for each project. Time and budget must not eliminate the place that the design concept has in a project. Another thing that Carl spoke a lot about that, to be honest, I had never considered specifically so far in school was this: once you decide what you are going to do, think carefully about why you are going to do it. Does the action that you are about to take make sense? Could you explain to someone else why you are going to do it or why it is the right thing to do? Carl explained that often students know their end goal, but how they are going about realizing it often does not make total sense. I think there is a lot of validity to this observation, but one thing I will say in defense of the young and naive is this: sometimes the best way to learn is to work and work and work at something even if you don’t know why you are doing it. If you are driven that much to work so diligently at it, its purpose will be found in the end.
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DREW RENIERI SOLOMON CORDWELL BUENZ
CONTRACTS: PRODUCT, COMPENSATION, SCHEDULE, SCOPE, RISKS/RESPONSIBILITIES. CONC CONCEPT DESIGN SD SCHEMATIC DESIGN DD DESIGN DEVELOPMENT CD CONSTRUCTION DOCS. B BIDDING CA CONSTRUCTION ADMIN.
WHAT IS THE AGREEMENT?
- ACCOUNTABILITY - SCOPE OF WORK - MEDIATION - COMMON GROUND - QUALITY
T+M (TIME & MATERIALS) EMPLOYER CHARGES 3X THE EMPLOYEE SALARY.
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AMT. OF WORK
ARCHITECTS ARE NEVER PERFECT - REQUIRE “OMISSIONS INSURANCE.”
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OCTOBER 02 Talking about some of the general ideas related to contracts got me thinking about selfish vs. unselfish design. An architect is always designing for himself. Architects are selfish by nature in this way. Even if an architect designs for the satisfaction of others, he is still personally fulfilled by their satisfaction. So it seems that design is inherently selfish. This is not all bad because it keeps the designer motivated and interested in his work. A contract reminds the architect that he has a very real responsibility to others. A designer can get so caught up in the work that he must be reminded that design is a service provided for compensation. The architect cannot expect to be compensated for the work unless he fulfills the needs of the client and the scope of work agreed upon in the contract. We can probably assume that architecture without contracts would move at a much slower pace. The design is never perfect - the investigation is never finished. If it were not for the contract, the architect would always need more time. The architect should see the contract as a helpful tool that keeps his efforts focussed
and efficient. It is also possible to imagine that, without a contract, the architect would spend about ninety percent of his time in the concept, schematic, and design development phases. In order for a project to be built, however, there must be a lot of time spent in order to formally communicate the specifics of the design to others. So, construction documents and construction administration end up consuming a lot of the architects time. The construction documents are the set of instructions used to build the building. This is often the most valuable thing the architect has to offer to the client. I cannot imagine the amount of disagreement and confusion that would occur without a contract. I had also recieved the advice from someone at SOM to always read the contract for the project that you are working on. Know what is being asked of you. If everyone did this, the efficiency of the firm would be greatly increased.
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MITESH DIXET CLAUS EN KAAN ARCHITECTEN
THERE IS NO SCALE. EVERYTHING IS ARCHITECTURE. JUST TRY TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. PRESENTATIONS SOMETIMES STARTING AT THE END IS AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO TELL THE STORY OF A DESIGN PROJECT. DON’T BE ARROGANT. UNDERSTAND AND RESPECT THE SITE. THE DESIGN SHOULD REACT TO THE CONDITIONS AT THE SITE, NOT IGNORE THEM. BELIEVE IN YOUR IDEA. IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE, YOU WILL NEVER SUCCEED.
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IF WE JUST SAY THAT EVERYTHING IS ARCHITECTURE, THEN WE DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT TO THINK ABOUT AND WHAT NOT TO THINK ABOUT - WE CAN JUST THINK ABOUT EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING IS ARCHITECTURE. UNDERSTAND (RESEARCH) HOW THINGS WORK. IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW BIG OR HOW SMALL. THIS ALLOWS YOU TO DESIGN FOR THEM.
OCTOBER 03 During the lecture from Mitesh, it was hard not to think about the importance of being true to yourself. I, personally, think it is possible to be true to yourself and maintain a level of professionalism. Mitesh was very honest in the way he spoke about things, which was very refreshing. There was no filter between his thoughts and what we heard as an audience. This allowed us to learn a lot about Mitesh and the way that he thinks. He is an incredibly talented thinker and designer and you could feel the energy radiating out of him. His passion for architecture was contagious. Being true to himself, he would use some offensive language and could be a little abrasive in his conversation. This is, in part, what was so captivating about his lecture. On the other hand, I think it put a lot of distance between him and his audience. He inspired a lot of new thought in the audience members, but may have inspired an equivalent amount of animosity toward himself because of his disrespectful attitude. So where is the line between expressing yourself and being a professional? I think there are very few who can maintain their reputation
on talent alone, without respect for themselves or others. What is really important is that you know whether or not you are this type of person. If you are this type of person, you can really go far. You can say anything you want because it is usually smart, loaded with potential and inspiring to others. If you are this type of person, there is no reason to hold yourself back in order to fit in with the rest of the world. On the other hand, if you are not this type of person, you must not try to be. To act and speak so honestly and without filter could destroy a career, especially the career of an architect, for whom reputation is everything. How to know if you are someone who can “get away with just being yourself�? I think the key is to understand the time and the place. Understand the audience and the situation when you are speaking. Take advantage of a situation where your reputation is not on the line, perhaps, to see what you can get away with saying. Simply observe the way that it is recieved. I am fairly certain, though, for me and for most, professionalism is a necessity.
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NATASHA MAUSKAPF MCKINSEY & COMPANY
DEFINE AND UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM BEFORE YOU SOLVE IT. KNOW HOW TO THINK. “EXPLORE THE INVISIBLE.” THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF THINGS THAT YOU SEE EVERY DAY, BUT DON’T REALLY SEE. KNOWING HOW TO THINK IS THE FIRST REQUISITE SKILL TO BE A PROBLEM SOLVER. THIS WAY OF THINKING IS INHERENT IN THE EDUCATION OF AN ARCHITECT.
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DO NOT ONLY DEFINE A SOLUTION, BUT DEFINE ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS. CONTENT VS METHOD OF ENGAGEMENT - WITH WHAT MEDIA OR LENS DO YOU APPROACH THE PROBLEM? IT WILL IMPACT HOW YOU TRY TO SOLVE IT. FORM AN OPINION BASED ON OBSERVATION AND EXPERIENCE - NOT BASED ON THE OPINIONS OF OTHERS.
OCTOBER 14 Observation and experience are the best research. Natasha opened our eyes to things that we see every day but never really see. She had us walk around the same block a few times, writing down observations. What was so interesting about this is that we didn’t know what we were observing or what we were meant to learn from this exercise. So, we had define for ourselves what we were going to learn and what we were going to observe. Of all sixteen students, not one questioned the assignment. We all simply walked outside and started observing. This is what is so special about architecture students. We are incredibly comfortable asking and answering our own questions. We are naturally confident in thinking outside of the box, even when we don’t know what the box is. What Natasha brought to our attention was that the way we think as architects is our most unique skill. As an architecture student we are qualified to ask and answer questions that no one else has ever dealt with. Something we also offer as designers is the iterative practice. We are comfortable and practiced in finding ten solutions instead
of one. We know how to build a solution out of observations and experience with a particular problem. We know how to logically analyze and respond logically to the analysis. Someone who works in Natasha’s field the field of problem solving - must be confident in their own thinking. It takes a person who has had experience in finding answers that cannot be looked up on Google. There are not many of these people in our generation. As a generation with all answers at our fingertips, those of us who possess the confidence to ask the unanswerable are unique. Sometimes it feels like we are so well equipped and so all-knowing that we lose the fulfilment of experience and observation. We check the weather forecast in the morning and bundle up accordingly, forgetting all-together what twenty degrees even feels like. You didn’t take world history in high school? That’s ok, it’s on Wikipedia. Designers would rather feel twenty degrees than protect themselves from it. Designers would rather see the world than hear about it. Observation and experience are the best research.
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TOYO
ITO
TOYO ITO & ASSOCIATES
MOST WERE PROVIDING WALLS FOR PRIVACY, BUT I WAS ASKING: WHERE DO PEOPLE COME TOGETHER? WHAT IS THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY DURING A NATURAL DISASTER? ITO SHOWED HOW PEOPLE NEED PUBLIC SPACE AS MUCH AS THEY NEED PRIVATE SPACE.
WHEN AN ARCHITECT WORKS DIRECTLY WITH COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY IN TIMES OF DISASTER, THERE IS FULFILLING PURPOSE TO THE WORK.
CREATE PLACES FOR PEOPLE. NEVER FORGET TO BRING PEOPLE TO THAT THIS IS WHAT YOU DO PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY AS AN ARCHITECT. DURING HARD TIMES CAN INSPIRE HEALING HAVE COMPASSION. AND ALSO FORM LONG LASTING RELATIONSHIPS.
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OCTOBER 15 Ito’s lecture inspired me to think about the public spaces that architecture can create. Often times, architecture separates and makes private the activities of people. As he says, this is of course important, but what is more powerful and rewarding is to bring people together. Designing a place for community is not something found too often in American culture. It seems that for Asian, as well as many European cultures, there is a sensibility to the places of gathering. These places are designed and celebrated in those cultures. They are places owned by the people. In the United States, it sometimes seems that everyone wants their own property - not to be shared with anyone. And that there is no reason to use a shared space with others when you have your own that you never have to leave. What we miss out on as a country when we have this mentality is the energy and community that is felt in spaces like Ito is creating. To briefly summarize his message, he was speaking about his involvement in the disasterrelief efforts in Japan. Many people’s homes were ruined in the disasters, so the government set up places of relief in large rooms, like school
gyms and cafeterias. How the space was organized sort of happened in three stages. First, all of the people were placed on one large, open floor together. They slept, changed clothes, and occupied themselves without any privacy. There was obviously a need for privacy. So then, partitions were built here and there by the occupants. The partitions were successful in creating the much needed privacy, but what was lost was the sense of togetherness that was so present when everyone was on the open floor together. So, Ito explained, it was crucial to provide some places to be together again in the large room. He simply provided mats out in the open where people could come together and talk and stretch and meditate together as they pleased. It was not long before the people were spending more time on the mats than in their own enclosed spaces. The togetherness that they felt was probably one of the only things that could make them happy in a time of such crisis. So perhaps a wall divides, but a common floor or common roof is what has unbelievable potential to bring people together.
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GEOFF WALTERS CANNON DESIGN
TAKE OWNERSHIP OF YOUR CONTINUED EDUCATION. “FORM WILL FOLLOW PERFORMANCE.” THE MORE YOU UNDERSTAND TECH, THE MORE YOU CAN INTEGRATE IT EARLY ON - MAKES DESIGN PROCESS MORE EFFICIENT.
WHEN YOU GRADUATE, YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE A FOUNDATION OF THE KNOWLEDGE YOU NEED TO BE A PROFESSIONAL
THE NEW FOCUS ON IF YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND BUILDING PERFORMANCE SOMETHING - ASK. AND ENERGY USE WILL IMPACT YOUR DESIGNS GO TO WORK EVERY DAY IMMENSELY. WITH A MIND-SET TO LEARN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE MAKE THINGS CLEAR AND SIMPLE SO THE RESULT IS ARCHITECTURE 2030 WHAT YOU EXPECT.
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OCTOBER 16 The talk with Geoff was especially exciting because you could tell by the way that he spoke to us how much he cared about us. In fact, he told us that the most rewarding part of his job is mentoring young people. He urged us to ask questions so that we can learn what we need to know. If we don’t ask, we will not find out the answer, and the same question is sure to come up again in the future. I came away from the meeting understanding that if I don’t ask questions and avoid getting help, I will not be able to survive as an architect. Coming out of school we are, essentially, not prepared to work as an architect. We know how to think and we have a general idea about what the job entails, however, we certainly have no idea how to build a building. This is something that can only be learned from experience. To reflect a little bit back to what Randy said about having broad influences and mentors, you will probably not learn how to be an architect from one person. It will take the knowledge of many different people with different experience in order to understand the whole process with all of its little details.
Personally, I have trouble asking for help because I often fell that I am bothering other people with my own inadequacies. What I learned from Geoff is that I will never get anywhere if I am afraid to ask. What is really important, though, is knowing when to ask and how to ask. Everyone will always be busy. So do not wait for someone to have “free time” to ask them a question. When you do ask the question, try to also anticipate questions that you may have in the future. So, basically, try to ask a few questions at a time instead of each one by one - it will be less disruptive. It is comforting, in a way, to understand the career of an architect as one big, long learning experience. It is comforting because the people around you don’t know everything yet - how could they? They do, however, probably know a few things that you could learn from them. This is what Geoff means by taking ownership of your education. Learn from the people around you. No one will make you learn anything after you leave school. It is your responsibility to be interested and engaged enough to seek out knowledge and grow as a professional.
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CARL D’SILVA JAHN
ANNEALED. FLOAT. LOW-E. TINTED. CLEAR. LOW IRON. TEMPERED. STRENGTHENED. LAMINATED. GLASS INGREDIENTS: -SALT CAKE -LIME -SODA -SAND
HEAT STRENGTHENED: 2 - 3 X STRONGER COOLED SLOWLY TEMPERED (SAFETY GLASS) BREAKS INTO PEBBLES
FLOAT GLASS (1963) GLASS FLOATS TO THE TOP COATED GLASS: OF A PIT OF MOLTEN TIN. REDUCES HEAT GAIN -ASSEMBLY LINE IS 1/4 FROM THE SUN MILE LONG LOW E GLASS - CONTROLS HEAT GAIN. THREE COLORS OF GLASS: GREEN, LIGHT BLUE, TINTED
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LAMINATED GLASS: PVB LAYER, SOMETIMES CALLED HURRICANE GLASS
OCTOBER 16 Since Carl’s lecture on glass was largely informational, I would like to elaborate on and add to the notes. Annealed glass could be thought of as basic glass. “Annealed” simply means that the glass has been cooled slowly to relieve the internal stresses in the glass. If the glass did not go through the annealing process, it would be subject to cracking at the slightest change in temperature. Float glass is a type of annealed glass that gets its name from the process by which it is formed and cooled. The glass floats to the top of a pit of molten tin. This process produces a very flat plane of glass with consistent thickness. Float glass can come in a few different “colors”. The “clear” version of float glass actually has a very green hue at its edge from the iron in the glass. The is also a very light blue version that gets its color from its low-iron content. There is also a tinted or darkened version of the glass. A low-E coating placed on the inside surface of a pane of glass can help control heat gain in the room. Low-E is a soft coat applied to a regular pane of float glass, usually on the inside pane of an insulated glass unit (IGU). Heat-Strengthened glass is cooled very
slowly to create a lot of compression forces at the perimeter of the glass and very high tension at its center. Creating these internal forces in the glass makes it stronger. Tempered glass is also a type of strengthened glass. Tempered glass is even stronger and is referred to as safety glass because its shatter pattern does not produce any sharp edges. It breaks into tiny pebbles. Laminated glass is also a type of safety glass. This type of glass consists of two panes of glass with a layer of PVB sandwiched between them. In the case that the glass is smashed, the breakage adheres to that inner PVB layer, which keeps all the glass in place. Now that all of these types of glass have been identified, the question is how it is to be utilized. Today, most commonly, it is used in a facade. Facades have really transformed over the years. They have gone from structure as facade (no separation) - to a structural facade (where beams and columns are expressed) - to a facade that is separated from the structure - to a facade that is a second wall and structure in itself. The type of glass used can totally change the way that the entire facade of a building is perceived.
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MIKE LINGERTAT SKIDMORE OWINGS & MERRILL
KNOW WHAT YOU ARE BEING ASKED TO DO. OTHERS DEPEND ON IT. HARD COSTS VS. SOFT COSTS. SOFT COSTS MAKE UP ABOUT 25% OF ALL COSTS.
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AG CO S
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TI QUALITY
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WHEN EITHER COST OR TIME ARE DECREASED, QUALITY WILL DECREASE.
MAKE THE CLIENT A SIMPLE CONDENSED SCHEDULE TO MAINTAIN THEIR CONFIDENCE IN YOU. A DETAILED, COMPLEX SCHEDULE IS IMPORTANT FOR KEEPING EVERYONE IN THE OFFICE ON TASK AND ON TIME, BUT IT WILL CONFUSE A CLIENT. ARCHITECT’S FEE IS ANYWHERE BETWEEN 5 AND 15 % OF TOTAL COSTS
OCTOBER 23 Mike’s passion for his job was very visible and I am certain that he has been honest with himself about first of all, what he likes, and second of all, what he is good at. Every question that we asked, he was excited to answer. Mike is a project manager. His job is to keep everyone on task and on time so that the job is completed in the time frame that the client is expecting. The project manager has to have a broad enough understanding of the role and abilities of each person involved in the design process so that he can design a schedule for the project. As he admitted to us, he may not be able to detail a wall, but he understands at a great level of detail the way in which each person will contribute to the project - from intern architect to excavator to municipality. It is important that everyone on the job understands their responsibilities and how they are being asked to contribute. The schedule is like a machine that needs every gear and belt to function as it is supposed to, or else the machine will break down. It also became clear that the schedule for the architect is not the same as the schedule for
the client. The amount of information needed is not the same. The “extra” information that the architect’s office needs to keep track of will only confuse the client. We have to be careful not to over inform the client about all that is going on with the project because it can overwhelm them. Things that may be simple and clear to the architect because it is part of his every day routine may be things that the client is trying to understand for the first time. This doesn’t mean that you should hide things from the client. It is very important to communicate with your client, but keep the discussion to things that are relevant and comprehensible to the client. What is exciting about the job of a project manager is the relationship that he can have with both the client and the architects that he works with. The project manager is the mediator between the two, which is necessary to make the project possible. It is helpful for the architecture firm to have someone working for it that is not associated with the design. Not only does Mike manage the project, but he manages the relationship between designer and client.
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CHIP VON WEISE VON WEISE ASSOCIATES
MANAGE YOUR BOSS. MANAGE YOUR CLIENT. DESIGN EVERYTHING. AS THE ARCHITECT, YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE THE FIRST PERSON PEOPLE CALL - SO THAT YOU ALWAYS KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON.
LISTEN TO YOUR CLIENT.
COMMUNICATION IS YOUR FRIEND.
PROACTIVELY COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR CLIENT.
LEAD YOUR CLIENT. COMMUNICATE EXCITEMENT ABOUT THE PROJECT.
USE OTHERS TO MAINTAIN A BROAD RANGE COMPENSATE FOR YOUR OF RELATIONSHIPS. LACK OF KNOWLEDGE (CONTRACTORS, ENGINEERS, CONSULTANTS) PROACTIVELY MANAGE DEADLINES.
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OCTOBER 30 Chip had a lot of helpful advice about how to conduct yourself within a small firm. He had a very unique perspective because of his experiences with starting a small firm, merging with another to become a larger firm, and then cutting back to a small firm again. One of the most important things about starting a project in the office is to generate a list of project goals. This list is flexible, but it is important to have because it can help you make decisions later on in the project. Squishy vs Hard Goals . . . some goals will be more general, about how the client likes to live, for example, and some goals will be more specific, like the client wants a hardwood floor in the front hallway. Communicate these goals with the client early on so that they are 100% agreed upon - this will help to avoid confusion and setbacks later. Chip then talked about “managing your boss”. Your boss will not make special time to check up on you and see if you have any questions. It is your responsibility to ask questions if you have them and remind your boss of deadlines that you are working toward. Things can get hectic in the office when everyone is so busy, but it is important to not rush. When people
start to rush, things are forgotten about, mistakes are made, and it costs everyone more time in the end to fix the mistakes. As a young architect in a small firm, do not get into serious disagreements with the client. The client will take advantage of your youth and lack of experience. They will take out their frustration on you. To avoid this, always direct their frustration to the partner in charge of the project. The client will usually behave much more fairly with the partner than he will with the young architect. As an architect in a small firm, it is important to maintain relationships with as many different people as possible, preferably people who have money and an interest in architecture. Be active in the community and be kind to everyone you meet. Every relationship is potentially an important one. As a young architect you will not know a whole lot. Try to know what you don’t know yet anticipate the questions you will have so that you can ask ahead of time. This will be difficult, but it is extremely helpful if you can take responsibility for yourself in this way.
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IKER
GIL MAS-CONTEXT
WORK ON WHAT INTERESTS YOU. BUILD ON THE RELATIONSHIPS AND EXPERIENCE THAT THIS PROVIDES. MAS-CONTEXT IS A QUARTERLY DESIGN JOURNAL - A SEPARATE ENTITY THAN MAS-STUDIO. SMALL COMPETITIONS
LET ONE THING LEAD TO ANOTHER - DON’T GET STUCK DOING SOMETHING OVER AND OVER THAT DOESN’T INTEREST YOU.
PAVILION FOR MILLENNIUM PARK, OLYMPIC PROPOSAL PUBLIC AWARENESS WITH SOM, LAMBAU FIELD, NATURE TRAILS, PUBLIC EXHIBITION INDIAN RESERVATION SIGNS, PEDWAY IDEAS, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY OF MARINA CITY. LITERALLY, ONE PHOTOGRAPHY THING LEADS TO THE NEXT.
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NOVEMBER 06 If I didn’t believe that I could survive by just doing what I love, I do now. Iker has made his career by following his heart. What really inspired me was the way that he is able to stay in the moment. He focusses on the work at hand and trusts that it will lead to opportunities in the future. A lot of people today just want to be comfortable in their job and want to secure it for as long as possible. Iker is not concerned with job security. He wants to make his own way doing what interests him. He takes advantage of the opportunities that he comes across and really follows through on them. Because he is so invested in the work that he involves himself in, the quality of that work builds his reputation. Iker has two projects growing next to each other. He has a quarterly design journal called MAS - CONTEXT, which he edits and he also has his own design practice called MAS - STUDIO. It was interesting to me that he keeps these two entities so separate from each other. I am sure that, at times, there are connections that happen between the two. But it kind of frustrated me how the work done on the journal was not influencing the work done in the studio. I am sure that Iker has a reason for the two being so separate,
but to me it seems like a missed opportunity to add richness to the studio work. I have always found it really important to let everything that you experience in your life influence your design work. Perhaps the material that the journal covers just isn’t relevant to the studio. I doubt that even this is the case because in my experience, it seems that almost everything is relevant. Iker has inspired me to spend a good amount of time researching as I design. There can really be this nice parallel between research and design. For me, I think this could be a really great way to grow as a well - balanced designer and thinker. It is really valuable to be able to relate your work to the larger context of the world. Keeping a research component of your work going on the side can feed the work that you do in your office or studio. For Iker, the research component of his career has, perhaps, become more important than the studio component. There may come a time later in his career where the journal goes on the back burner and the studio project becomes the focus. Having these two components gives you flexibility to always follow your present interests as your career goes on.
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ADAM WHIPPLE NEWCASTLE LTD.
FIND THINGS THAT YOU LIKE. THEY ARE OUT THERE. THERE ARE PROBABLY HUNDREDS OF THEM. THINK ABOUT THE SKILLS IF YOU DON’T LIKE WHAT IS THAT YOU HAVE THAT BEING SAID, THEN CHANGE APPLY TO THE BROADENED THE CONVERSATION. FIELD OF ARCHITECTURE. THE CONVERSATION THAT THERE ARE MANY YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ALTERNATIVES TO EXISTS SOMEWHERE. GO TRADITIONAL PRACTICE. FIND IT. BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF ABOUT WHAT YOU LIKE - TRULY HONEST. BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE GOOD AT - TRULY HONEST.
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THERE IS AN INCREASE IN RESPONSIBILITY WHEN YOU RUN YOUR OWN BUSINESS, BUT THIS MAY BE NECESSARY TO CREATE THE CONVERSATION THAT EXCITES YOU.
NOVEMBER 13 Don’t think about yourself as an architect, but think about yourself having a certain set of skills that are applicable to a lot of different things. Think about your place in the “broadened field of architecture.” You will be able to determine where you fit into this field if you are honest with yourself about the skills that you have. Do not try to do something that you are not able to do. Even more importantly, be honest with yourself about what you like to do. The great opportunity that comes with the broadened field of architecture is a job description that fits exactly what you know and love. The way that Adam framed this was, “if you don’t like the conversation that you find yourself to be a part of, then change the conversation.” What I believe he meant by this was to find people who are having the conversation that you want to be a part of. I think you would set yourself up for a lot of success if you can find people and work that you truly have a passion for. A lot of people will say that they have a passion for architecture, but what is it really about architecture that you love? Sitting at a desk in an architecture firm does not ensure that you will be engaged in your
passion. Find something that engages you and that is also relevant to architecture, if that is your passion. It was also inspiring to hear Adam’s opinion that there are “probably a hundred” different things out there that you love to do. All you have to do is find one of them. If you are not satisfied with just one of them, then find something that allows you to engage six or eight of them. In the process, you will probably find a hundred new things that you like that you didn’t even know existed before. Bottom line - there is no reason to spend your time doing something that doesn’t interest you. I think Adam has a great point about finding what you truly love to do. I think it is important to put yourself around people who you can learn from early in your career. You may not find these people in your dream job at age twenty - four, but as soon as you have some critical base of knowledge, I agree with Adam. Go find something that you love and lead an inspired career. It is really important and valuable advice. Also advice that is not easy to commit to. But you have to commit, I am sure it’s worth it.
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LAURA FISHER IPM CONSULTING
REPUTATION IS EVERYTHING VOLUNTEER, CONNECT, WORK HARD, AND BE PROFESSIONAL. WHEN YOU ARE IN BUSINESS FOR YOURSELF, MAKE SURE THAT IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU REALLY LIKE AND ARE VERY GOOD AT. FINDING A JOB: - STAY OPEN TO ALL OPPORTUNITIES - CONNECT WITH PEOPLE. - VOLUNTEER - GOOD APPEARANCE BEHAVE PROFESSIONALLY.
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IF YOU BEHAVE UNPROFESSIONALLY, YOU WILL BUILD A NEGATIVE REPUTATION AND DISTRACT OTHERS. GET YOUR LICENSE AS SOON AS YOU CAN. WRITE HAND-WRITTEN THANK YOU NOTES. HAVE AN HONEST RESUME. DON’T MAKE IT SOUND LIKE MORE THAN IT IS. KEEP A CAREER FOLDER.
NOVEMBER 13 It is obvious why Laura and Adam give their talks back to back on the same day. They have a very similar attitude toward their career. A lot of what Laura said reinforced the things that Adam said, but she had a lot of important things to add about how to maintain a professional image. She expressed the importance of a solid reputation and a respectable appearance. The first step in appearing professional is the way that you dress. Dress like you respect yourself and you care about how people perceive you. The second step is to behave professionally. The third step is to communicate in a respectful way and thank people who should be thanked. No matter how smart or interesting you are, it will be difficult for someone to hire you if you are not respectful. As you go about respecting yourself and others, be sure not to make yourself out to be more than you really are. Laura assured us that people see through this. It is important to be honest with your potential employers and co-workers about your skills and experiences. On the other hand, take full credit for what you have accomplished. There are some accomplishments that may not seem so glorious, but will say something about
your character. Do not leave these types of accomplishments off of your resume if they do indeed have honest merit. Along with behaving and conducting yourself professionally comes the advice to get your professional license as soon as you can. This makes sense to me because, if nothing else, it is something that can set you apart. You will often hear the argument that it is not necessary to get your license - you can practice architecture without it. I would suggest that you are not respecting the profession if you do not plan to earn your professional license as an architect. If I were hiring architects, I would look for people who are dedicated enough to the profession to pursue their license. As happened to Laura, you may find yourself one day as an experienced professional without some of the credentials that some of the youngest professionals have. It is important to continually improve your education. Something I am definitely going to do after hearing about it from Laura is to keep a career folder. Everything that could be related to my career, I will keep in one place. These things could lead to opportunities later in life.
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JOHN SYVERTSEN CANNON DESIGN
CHALLENGE AS OPPORTUNITY BECOMES RESPONSIBILITY. GREAT LEADERS ARE RESPONSIBLE. CELEBRATE COMMUNITY.
INSPIRATION IS “BREATHING IN EXPERIENCE” IF YOU KEEP A JOURNAL - IT CAN ARE WAITING TO BE HELP YOU RECREATE YOUR INSPIRED IT WON’T HAPPEN. MENTAL FRAMEWORK FROM THE PAST. GREAT LEADERS HAVE ADMIRATION AND RESPECT HEROS - A CLASS OF FOR THE ONES THEY LEAD. PEOPLE CONCERNED WITH PUBLIC INTEREST. BE HONEST IN YOUR *PAUL FARMER* ABILITIES. MAKE A CONNECTION BETWEEN YOUR ENERGY AND THE IMPROVEMENTS YOU ARE MAKING IN THE WORLD.
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SHAMELESSLY SELFPROMOTE. SERVE THE GREATER GOOD.
NOVEMBER 20 John is a very inspired and caring person. Sometimes it is hard for a designer to maintain a high level of inspiration, which John had great advice for. Always realize the impact that you are having on the world. Realize that it is important, because it really is. There is no reason to downplay the importance of your work when you already have to work so hard sometimes to stay motivated. Form relationships with the people that you are impacting so that you can feel the benefits of your work. This may seem selfish, but if the relationships are genuine and the work is for the greater good, its actually incredibly unselfish. Another point about inspiration was that you cannot sit around and wait for it to come to you. You have to get out on the street and interact with people in order to find inspiration. If you are not inspired, then perhaps you need to stop trying to be inspired. Relax and think about what is important to you. Who do you want to help? Where can you make a difference? If you are doing the type of work that John is doing at Cannon Design, it would be difficult to keep yourself from feeling inspired. He is
really helping people help other people. To work for people like that must be very fulfilling. So, perhaps it is important to think about what kind of clients you want to work for. You may not always have the luxury to choose clients, but there is no reason not to set your expectations high. The type of people you are working for can have a lot of influence on the way you feel about yourself and your work. I was personally inspired by John’s advice to “shamelessly self promote”. I have always been fairly modest in my attitude about my work. What John points out, however, is that there is no shame in telling everyone about the work that you do. The worst that can happen is that someone else will be frustrated by it and want to work harder. Is that such a bad thing? Inspiring others to work harder and do more good is something to be proud of. I will certainly not be arrogant about my work, but I will make an effort to communicate to others the good qualities about my work. I feel challenged by John to realize the good impact I can have on our society and to lead others in responding to that challenge.
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