Archinect - Features

Happy National Volunteer Week! Here's a resource guide for architects and designers looking to lend a hand

2024-04-22T14:14:00-04:00

This week, from April 21–27, is officially National Volunteer Week in the United States. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Archinect has curated a handy guide of resources for architects looking to donate their time and skills to various causes that will ultimately lead to healthier communities, a cleaner planet, and a more just society.

A Guide to Salary Transparency Laws Across the United States

2024-03-26T08:54:00-04:00

At present, there is no federal pay transparency law in the United States. However, as Archinect frequently reports on, several states and cities across the United States have enacted their own requirements for employers seeking to hire or promote within their organization.

Below, we have listed the details of salary transparency laws across American cities and states as they exist in March 2024. As is noted towards the end of this resource, several more states with no existing requirements are currently in the process of debating or passing legislation to strengthen salary disclosure requirements.

You can help us make architecture salaries more transparent through Archinect’s ongoing salary poll. The poll, currently approaching 20,000 submissions, allows workers from practices across the U.S. and globally to anonymously offer their salary levels.

Creativity Won’t Protect Architects from Automation — But Labor Unions Might

2024-02-27T07:31:00-05:00

The proliferation of generative AI tools such as Midjourney and ChatGPT has undermined long-held assumptions that artificial intelligence would not threaten creative disciplines. In an effort to balance the opportunities and limits of artificial intelligence in the architecture studio, we ask what lessons architects can take from recent successful labor actions by screenwriters and actors in Hollywood's entertainment industry.

This article is part of the Archinect In-Depth: Artificial Intelligence series.

'A Commitment to Craft Is Intrinsic to This Place': A Conversation with Portland-Based Linden, Brown Architecture

2024-02-13T13:28:00-05:00

For our latest Studio Snapshot conversation, we had the pleasure of chatting with Brent Linden and Chris Brown, founding partners of Portland, Oregon-based Linden, Brown Architecture. Established in 2018 as a collaborative venture after working for large, established firms, the small studio of five seeks inspiration in the rugged beauty and self-reliant spirit of its Pacific Northwest environment.

Our conversation touches on the importance of craft and material culture, favorite design innovators in the greater Portland region, and what qualities the firm looks for in new hires.

Archinect's Guide to Job Titles: Set Designer

2023-12-16T07:23:00-05:00

As we delve deeper into our exploration of key job titles within the intersection of architecture and the broader world of design, we turn our attention to a role that plays a pivotal part in the realms of film, television, and theater: the Set Designer. This role, while distinct, shares a symbiotic relationship with architectural principles, often requiring a deep understanding of space, structure, and visual storytelling. Unlike architects who design spaces for living and functionality, Set Designers create environments for narrative purposes, where each element serves the storyline and the director's vision.

This marks our latest installment in Archinect's Guide to Job Titles series. In this feature, we will explore the multifaceted role of the Set Designer. We’ll examine the key responsibilities, the skills necessary for success in this field, and how their work in film and television differs from conventional architectural practices.

Discussing Paid Research Opportunities for M.Arch Students at UW-Milwaukee SARUP

2023-12-04T08:00:00-05:00

In November 2022, we connected with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's School of Architecture & Urban Planning (SARUP) to unpack its Mellows Graduate Research Positions (formerly called the Mellowes Master’s Research Assistantships).

For the 2024-2025 school year, SARUP is accepting applications for its latest round of M.Arch graduate researchers in the field of architecture and is offering two additional research positions exploring preservation, conservation and restoration, and material investigations.

To further investigate what options graduate students have, we've reconnected with the school to learn more about its series of paid graduate research openings and why they should apply.

How to Get a Job at Workshop/APD

2023-10-26T07:41:00-04:00

Established by founding principals Andrew Kotchen and Matt Berman in 1999, New York City-based firm Workshop/APD has grown into a design force whose reach far exceeds the American Northeast with completed projects also in the Rocky Mountains, South Florida, California, Europe, and the Bahamas. As a vertically integrated practice with offices in NYC, Nantucket, Greenwich, and Minneapolis, the studio now employs a diverse team of more than 100 whose background and qualifications allows them to unite a wide range of services — including architecture, interiors, product design, planning, and branding — under one roof.

For this episode of Archinect's "How To Get A Job At ____" series, we talked to members of the Workshop/APD leadership team to learn more about their hiring process, what the firm is looking for in prospective new "Workshoppers," and how the company encourages work-life balance within the office.

Meet Tulane School of Architecture's New Faculty Hires

2023-10-16T08:00:00-04:00

Tulane School of Architecture (TuSA), one of Archinect’s School Partners, welcomes nine full-time incoming faculty members who will hold permanent positions at the school starting in the 2023/24 school year.

TuSA Dean Iñaki Alday shared that the aim for this new round of faculty hiring was to respond to the school's growth and impact on the school's programs housed within the school – Real Estate Development, Landscape Architecture, Historic Preservation, Social Innovation, Design and Architecture. Dean Alday explained, "...new people equals new perspectives, new reach, and a richer learning environment." He adds, "We're very committed to this work because we need our faculty to represent different perspectives, different cultures, different educations, and different experiences. Diversity of thought is essential for excellence and innovative thinking."

Archinect's Tips for Recent Graduates Navigating Architectural Employment

2023-06-26T11:49:00-04:00

In 2023, navigating the job market for recent graduates can be daunting. Discussions surrounding portfolio advice, crafting an effective resume, and if one should follow their "dream job or a dream school" have been ongoing topics on Archinect and our forum. Within the last few years, expanded discussions over work conditions, ethical labor, and internship opportunities for graduates across our editorial have also been widely discussed. More recently, discussions of fair wages and unionization have propelled the launch of salary transparencies across several U.S. states and parts of the U.K.

For students who have recently graduated and preparing to enter the workforce this summer, Archinect aims to provide as many tips and resources for those preparing to step into professional practice.

'AI Is Both Incredible and Terrifying'; A Conversation with Neil Leach

2023-06-19T11:00:00-04:00

Neil Leach is a British professor and licensed architect currently based in California. He has worked for NASA developing a 3D printer for the Moon and Mars, and is co-founder of DigitalFUTURES. Having authored over 40 books on architecture and digital design, and taught at some of the world's leading architecture schools, including the AA, Harvard, SCI-Arc, and Columbia, his in-depth understanding of architecture's professional and academic landscapes allows him to speculate how artificial intelligence will impact the future of design.

For Leach, conversations limited to popular AI tools such as Midjourney and ChatGPT detract from a broader reckoning that the architecture profession must have in the face of ever-more-capable AI models and platforms. This AI-induced reckoning includes, though is not limited to, the supply and demand of architectural labor, liabilities, and insurance, and the future of all pillars of the architectural community, be it practice, academia, or licensure...

Autonomous Algorithmic Architects: Wicked Problems of Machine Learning in Architecture

2023-05-09T07:38:00-04:00

How should the architectural profession consider and respond to futures made possible by advances in artificial intelligence? Can we propose a willful, designed route that acknowledges the inevitability of intelligent machines intersecting with every dimension of design and construction, while maintaining a proper role for human architects? Architect and Yale School of Architecture Associate Dean Phil Bernstein reflects on the opportunities, threats, and resulting strategies for the confluence of human and machine intelligence in the profession in this article adapted from his book Machine Learning: Architecture in the Age of Artificial Intelligence published by RIBA in 2022.

This article is part of the Archinect In-Depth: Artificial Intelligence series.

ORA’s Oonagh Ryan and James Guillou Talk About Balancing Diversity With Specialization

2022-11-21T14:18:00-05:00

In this installment of our Studio Snapshot series, we had the pleasure of chatting with ORA, a Los Angeles-based boutique studio that has been steadily putting out exquisite designs since 2014 while picking up recognitions, among them the Emerging Practice Award as an AIA Los Angeles Presidential Honoree.

Founding Principal Oonagh Ryan, together with Associate Principal James Guillou, talks about the benefits of varied perspectives, balancing diversity with specialization as a small firm, and the joys of achieving good design by creatively turning constraints into unique opportunities.

How to Get a Job at Safdie Architects

2022-11-07T11:44:00-05:00

Few design firms have managed to build a portfolio of realized projects so instantly recognizable and beloved around the world as Safdie Architects has. Established in 1964 by Israeli-born Canadian architect Moshe Safdie to construct his now-iconic Habitat ’67 commission, the studio has grown into a globally-active design heavyweight over the past six decades. Headquartered in Somerville/Boston and closely connected to its satellite offices in Jerusalem, Shanghai, and Singapore, the firm has been making headlines with high-profile projects like Marina Bay Sands and Jewel Changi Airport in Southeast Asia, Raffles City Chongqing in China (featuring the world's longest sky bridge), or Arkansas' soon-to-be-expanded Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

For this episode of Archinect's "How To Get A Job At ____" series, we interviewed members of the Safdie Architects leadership team to learn more about their hiring process. Chris Mulvey (Partner), Jaron Lubin (Partner), and Wen Wen (Ass...

The Pandemic Exposed Deep Flaws in the Architecture Profession — But Also Inspired Remedies

2022-08-25T11:26:00-04:00

Two and a half years after the initial outbreak of COVID-19, the U.S. architectural profession has emerged from the global pandemic in a stronger condition than many could have expected during the depths of 2020. However, many questions remain unanswered on how the pandemic impacted the architectural job market, firm operations, and the design process; questions which deserve scrutiny in the interests of avoiding future economic pain, and building a more resilient profession. In search of answers, we speak to three firms in differing parts of the U.S. to hear their reflections on how the profession fared during the pandemic, and where it goes next. To understand how these unique experiences fit within a national picture, we also speak with AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, who reflects on a deeper supply-demand issue across the profession.

Nicole Hollis on NICOLEHOLLIS: 'One Thing I Have Learned Is That Nothing Replaces a Site Visit'

2022-07-27T09:00:00-04:00

For the latest episode of our Studio Snapshot series, Archinect connected with Nicole Hollis, Founding Principal and Creative Director of award-winning design firm NICOLEHOLLIS. Established in 2002 and run in partnership with her husband, CEO Lewis Heathcote, the San Francisco-based practice has grown into a household name in the world of luxury residential, hospitality, and product design.

Hollis opens up about the firm's guiding principles when accepting new commissions, key qualities in new hires, the challenges her team went through during the pandemic, and the advice she has for young professionals hoping to pursue an interior design career.

‘You Can’t Produce Exceptional Results Using Conventional Thinking’: sekou cooke STUDIO on Challenging Inherited Structures

2022-07-15T08:22:00-04:00

In this installment of our Studio Snapshot series, we had the chance to chat with architect, educator, and curator Sekou Cooke, who has been enormously prolific in recent years with acclaimed exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art and Center for Architecture in New York, urban interventions at the Chicago Architecture Biennial, a fellowship at Harvard University, a program director position at UNC Charlotte's School of Architecture, and a book on Hip-Hop Architecture, just to name a few.

The hard work and dedication to the profession were recently recognized, among other accolades, by The Architectural League of New York with a coveted Emerging Voices award.

Archinect's Guide to Job Titles: Forensic Architect

2022-06-15T17:45:00-04:00

A forensic architect holds many responsibilities within the development of a construction project. Skilled in conducting investigations to identify and mitigate potential dangers or risks associated with building damage, such as construction defects, these professionals offer a bias-free, third-party perspective and solutions to a firm’s most significant construction and design deficiencies.

For our 12th installment of Archinect's Guide to Job Titles, we explore the role of a Forensic Architect and look at some of the qualifications and duties associated with this position. We will also take a closer look at the valuable contributions a Forensic Architect brings to a design team.

Unionization in Architecture: Reviving a Dormant Movement to Fix a Broken Industry

2022-05-27T12:50:00-04:00

After decades of inactivity, 2022 saw the resurgence of the union movement in architecture with an effort by workers at New York-based SHoP to collectively organize. Where does this effort, which was ultimately withdrawn, sit within the broader discourse of architectural labor conditions? How might unionization impact employer-employee dynamics, architectural fees, and the design process itself?

In search of answers, we speak with IAMAW union organizer, and former SHoP employee, Andrew Daley, who assisted in the unionization effort while at the firm. We also speak with Peggy Deamer, founding member of The Architecture Lobby, for whom the SHoP effort was the culmination of years of activism and campaigning for reform of what an increasing number of architects see as a broken business model.

Cooperatives: The Real Employee-Owned Firms?

2022-05-06T09:00:00-04:00

In a follow-up to our January 2022 feature on employee-owned architecture firms, we question if the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) models which represent the majority of employee-owned architecture firms adequately fulfill a growing worker-led clamor for reform within the profession. For organizations such as the Architecture Lobby, and its founding member Peggy Deamer, meaningful worker ownership of an architectural firm goes far beyond the ESOP model of stock and retirement plans, and instead requires a fundamental rethink, or even abolition, of the employer-employee dynamic.

JA Architecture Studio on Pursuing That Missing Middle in the Mode of Practice

2022-04-25T13:01:00-04:00

For our latest Studio Snapshot conversation, Archinect had the pleasure of chatting with Nima Javidi and Behnaz Assadi, founding partners of Toronto-based JA Architecture Studio. Being an architect and a landscape designer, respectively, Javidi and Assadi contribute their unique perspectives to tackle an array of typologies — recently earning them also, among other awards, a coveted Emerging Voices distinction from The Architectural League of New York.

Their interview responses elaborate on the team's search for a new mode of practice, the relationship of their architecture to the city, and aspirations for future commissions.

Design, Incorporated; Unpacking the Myths of the SCI-Arc Panel

2022-04-20T10:58:00-04:00

At one point during the recent SCI-Arc panel discussion, “How to be in an office,” students were presented with a choice. They were presented, on one hand, Design Firms, and on the other hand, Corporate Firms. The ensuing discussion went on to describe the choice as inspiration and passion vs. a paycheck.

It’s not an either/or proposition. That’s a myth.

'Everyone Has a Design Voice Worth Hearing': ANACAPA Architecture on Teamwork and Design Intention

2022-04-02T09:00:00-04:00

Defining a sustainable and healthy firm culture is essential for any design practice. Besides creating a robust portfolio and showcasing design expertise to execute projects, fostering a collaborative workplace comes down to firm leadership, team expectations, and opportunities for transparent communication. For architect Dan Weber, an important factor when running a design practice is listening to the team and valuing quality over quantity.

Weber is the founder and principal architect of Santa Barbara-based practice ANACAPA. Nestled along the coast of Southern California, the firm's robust portfolio of custom residential, creative offices, and urban infill projects has garnered them notoriety within the industry. So what helps this 19-person team flourish? As Weber explains: "The original and ongoing intention with ANACAPA is to create a lasting company that is firm in its roots and represents something more significant than just its founder."

In this latest edition of Archinect's...

How to Get a Job at Snøhetta

2022-03-24T15:13:00-04:00

Founded in 1989 as a collaborative workshop following the competition-winning entry for the new Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt, Snøhetta has continuously grown into a global powerhouse with high-profile commissions in its portfolio such as the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet in Oslo, the National September 11 Memorial Museum Pavilion in New York, the Le Monde Group Headquarters in Paris, the SFMOMA Expansion in San Francisco, or the viral underwater restaurant "Under" in Southern Norway.

Today, the firm employs nearly 300 team members with backgrounds in a variety of disciplines operating from offices in Oslo, New York, San Francisco, Paris, Innsbruck, Hong Kong, and Adelaide.

For Archinect's latest episode of the "How To Get A Job At ____" series, we interviewed members of the Snøhetta leadership team to learn more about their hiring process. Craig Dykers (Founding Partner; Architect), Elaine Molinar (Partner; Managing Director - The Americas), and Matthew McMahon (Director;...

Archinect’s Guide to Job Titles: Building Façade/Envelope Specialist

2022-03-14T19:54:00-04:00

Expertise in facade design has become a growing niche for firms and individuals who specialize in building envelopes, facade fabrication techniques, and performance-based design solutions. A facade specialist helps firms create unique building exteriors that blend architecture, engineering, and material innovation.

Our latest installment of Archinect's Guide to Job Titles explores the role of a façade/envelope specialist, the qualifications needed to pursue this as a career path, and what firms are looking for when hiring.

Workplace Dynamics: Dealing With Difficult Personalities in an Architecture Office

2022-01-13T13:44:00-05:00

When hiring new staff, one goal is to assess how a candidate’s personality fits within the office culture. Human resource professionals and hiring teams use various tools, and sometimes personality tests, to help assemble successful teams and office cultures.

Despite the effort firms and businesses make towards fostering encouraging work environments, we are bound to work with people whose personalities do not fit our own. If we could choose, we would decide not to work with these difficult individuals at all. However, if left unaddressed, these personality differences and quirks can result in clashed behavioral patterns and strenuous work situations.

To further explore this topic, we focus on how individuals working together in an office can assess these difficult situations and handle them.

A Guide to Employee-Owned Architecture Firms, by Those Who Have Made the Change

2022-01-10T12:09:00-05:00

Throughout 2020 and 2021, the world of work has been subject to a relentless evaluation, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Conversations around remote working, asynchronous office hours, and workers’ wages have gained added agency, as almost all economic sectors seek to balance health and safety with turnover and productivity. Stepping back from specific employment topics such as these, COVID-19 has also caused a more fundamental re-evaluation of how work shapes our lives. A study earlier this year found that 66% of unemployed Americans were considering changing their occupation, dwarfing levels seen during the 2008 recession, while research by McKinsey found similar metrics even among those still in employment.

Within this context, it is perhaps no surprise that the topic of employee ownership of businesses has gathered pace. In a time where many are critically reflecting on how meaningful or fulfilling their core occupations are, the idea of employment generating results for the...

Archinect's Guide to Job Titles: Model Maker

2022-01-04T13:55:00-05:00

When beginning architecture school, a student is introduced to four basic design elements: Point, Line, Plane, and Volume. The process for designing a building requires these four elements to operate. These elements serve as the backbone to crafting an effective design proposal and successful project for a design firm. For our eighth installment of Archinect's Guide to Job Titles, we explore the role and career path of a Model Maker.

An architectural model serves as the physical manifestation of a design proposal. A model may highlight the use and aspects of a planned structure beyond the reach of a composite sketch or digitally composed image. A tangible, three-dimensional form, the architectural model is a key component to the visualization of a building and the communication of layout and inter-spatial design relationships.

From the Editors: What We're Thankful for in 2021

2021-11-25T13:49:00-05:00

This year has been filled with a mix of exciting, thought-provoking, inspiring, and head-shaking news. As the industry focuses on rebounding from the heavy-hitting months of 2020, the team at Archinect has watched, listened, connected, and learned from the community. During the year, our editorial team has grown both literally and figuratively. So as we kept watch and reported on the moments of triumph, mishaps, and progress within the industry, we took a moment to reflect and express gratitude.

With the holidays approaching and the year coming to a close, we would like to express our thanks by sharing a few things we are grateful for in 2021.

Archinect Survey Results: Did the Architecture Community Return to the Office this Summer?

2021-09-29T12:40:00-04:00

As we enter the 19th month of this COVID-19 pandemic, it seems that the only certainty we have gained so far is that nothing is certain. Earlier this year, as vaccine protection became increasingly available for the United States, we asked the architecture and design community about their return to office plans, and the survey results published in March reflected notions of transition, flexibility, and a justified hope for a return to normalcy.

To follow up on these initial responses, we reached out to our readers again to see how the expansion of the vaccine program and the emergence of the Delta variant virus in recent months have shaped the working conditions for millions of architecture and design professionals.

Insights on Contemporary Mentorship in Architecture and How to Navigate It

2021-07-16T08:49:00-04:00

Every so often in conversations and considerations regarding employment, the topic of mentorship gets brought up. Regardless of whether as mentors or mentees or both, most people agree that mentorship is a vital component of an architect’s career. Despite it being recognized as important, mentorship often remains ill-defined and sometimes even fear or shame-inducing.

Archinect has recently organized an insightful panel called “The Importance of Positive Leadership and Mentorship” where Paul Petrunia discussed the topic with Donna Sink from Roland Design, Rosa Sheng from SmithGroup, Jonathan Moody of Moody Nolan, and Alan Maskin of Olson Kundig. The panel brought up numerous points for strengthening communication within a project team and company.

Below we bring a further analysis of the topic and provide actionable tips on establishing and nurturing relationships between mentors and mentees.