Archispeak

What delightful information comes to light when a project team member — hypothetically — thinks they've hung up from a call, but they actually haven't*? * not a hypotheticalLinks:Live stream happy hour with the Life of an Architect podcast on Nov 19th, 4:15pm PST (YouTube)

Being that it's Veteran's Day in the USA, we discuss war stories from the trenches... both from Cormac's time serving in the Army and from architectural practice. Oh, and don't forget the off-the-shelf, range-extending missile parts.LinksEvan's temporary service interruption tweetVeteran's Day (Wikipedia)Scud missile (Wikipedia)Patriot missile (Wikipedia)Gulf War (Wikipedia)

We discuss current 2d project delivery challenges and opportunities, how application templates aren't one-size-fits-all, reincorporating lessons learned on projects into standards, and how architects are really damn good at dealing with levels of abstraction.

We discuss how brick and mortar-based architecture firms are dealing with the changing landscape of remote work due to COVID-19 and all the nuance that comes along with it. And Cormac breaks the news that Sean Connery died, so we talk about Bond movies, of course.LinksSean ConneryJames BondGeorge LazenbyThe PrisonerDeath Race 2000Roger MooreThe CarDuel

Following the last episode's topic of professional 'conference season,' we transition into the topic of architectural 'awards season' to discuss the positives and also how they could be so much better.LinksAdvancing Computational Building Design ConferenceDay 1 agenda including Evan's presentationTRXL podcast on Gābl Media

We discuss the October architectural conference flurry—including one that Evan is speaking at—and recap architect Jeanne Gang's keynote presentation at the 2020 Architectural Record Innovation Conference.

We discuss the new world of communication and physical barriers that many people are adapting to, and many who are not.

We follow-up on Cormac's double-jointed, shadetree mechanic adventure and wax nostalgic on Haynes manuals. And then, somehow, bring it back to architecture.

We discuss taking ideas from other industries — like auto manufacturing — and applying them to architecture.

We discuss ways to deal with last-minute changes on projects, which is something that never really happens.

We discuss a recent Twitter thread about structural engineering career angst and parallel issues we have observed in the architectural profession.

Cormac tells us a story of superstitious happenings, and we discuss the true meaning of three seemingly innocuous words that show up on so many drawing sets: Protect In Place.

Cormac and Evan discuss the sentiments expressed in the recently posted 'Letter to a Young Architect' by critic Kate Wager in Architecture Review.

Evan and Cormac talk about having too many digital input devices to maintain clarity while working.

We discuss the new format for Archispeak, and Cormac pays a visit to the office.

Evan and Cormac talk about the effort that is required to design the future of our beloved profession of architecture. It's time to take responsibility fellow architects!

Evan and Cormac start the episode all over the place but eventually bring it back to architecture, work/life juggling, and the evolving work schedules and behaviors we've found now that school is starting up in households around the world.

Summer break is here, and this is a redux of a previous episode where we discussed the movie Citizen Architect with a very special guest, architect Steve Hoffman.We also welcome a special guest, Cormac's longtime-friend from architecture school Steven Hoffman, who was not only in the movie about the Rural Studio but was also a student and instructor there.

Cormac and Evan talk about the consequences of breaking the BIM when deadlines are looming, how the design process is time travel, and the need for a vacation.

Cormac and Evan talk about what they are doing instead of vacationing this summer, the importance of knowing how things go together, some of their favorite construction tools, conducting Zoom calls on water, and more.