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Bob Borson, FAIA | Nov 2, 2022

Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 112: Final presentations in architecture school

It’s the end of the semester, you’ve exhausted all of your ideas, and you are totally worn out running off minimal sleep and too much caffeine. Your work is pinned up on the wall and it’s time to give your last presentation in front of the final jury. In the grand scheme of things, does this moment even matter? Welcome to episode 112 of Life of an Architect: Final Presentations in Architecture School.

Andrew Hawkins, AIA | Oct 17, 2022

Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 111: Talking shop with Kevin Rice, Diller Scofidio + Renfro

What is it like to work for an architecture firm that routinely wins design awards and arguably falls into the category of "design superstar." Answers to these questions and more from our guest, Kevin Rice, Principal, Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

Bob Borson, FAIA | Oct 5, 2022

Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 110: Modern Home Challenge

It was August 10, 2010, when Bob Borson, FAIA, first conceived of the “Low-Cost Modern Home Challenge” with the intent to go through a design process that would help the industry understand how to design a modern house that people could afford and would actually want to live in. What I learned was that this is almost impossible to achieve. Fast forward 12 years and I am going to give it another go, with some slightly modified parameters.

Bob Borson, FAIA | Sep 6, 2022

Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 108: Ask the Show, Fall 2022 Edition

How much drafting does a fully licensed architect do? What is something you learned in the industry that you hadn’t been taught in school? Are you as condescending to your employees as your redlines let on? All this and potentially other hateful questions answered by Bob Borson, AIA, and Andrew Hawkins, AIA, on episode 108 of Life of an Architect. This is Ask the Show, Fall 2022 Edition. 

Bob Borson, FAIA  | Sep 6, 2022

Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 107: Design Development

There is a process when working on a residential project when you actually start figuring out what the project will look like in terms of elevations, exterior materials, interior finishes, specialty lighting, cabinetry, plumbing fixtures, etc. This phase of the work is widely referred to as “design development,” which is the focus of our conversation today. Welcome to episode 107 of Life of an Architect podcast: Design Development.

Andrew Hawkins, AIA | Aug 8, 2022

Architecture school 101: The must-have supplies for first-year architecture students

Around this time every year, a new crop of potential future architects are about to start their first year of architecture school, and they have questions. What equipment do I need? Drawing supplies? Computer requirements?

Andrew Hawkins, AIA | Jul 25, 2022

What is interior architecture, and why is it so important?

Architecture is a field with a wide variety of possible pathways and careers. In episode 105 of Life of an Architect, architects Bob Borson, FAIA, Andrew Hawkins, AIA, and Joey Shimoda, FAIA, FIIDA, focus their attention on the closely related field of interior architecture. What is interior architecture, and why is it so important? Get ready to learn all about this branch of design. 

Bob Borson, FAIA | Jul 11, 2022

Life of an Architect podcast: Conventions - The best and worst of times

In this episode of Life of an Architect, Bob Borson, FAIA, and Andrew Hawkins, AIA, discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of industry conventions and conferences. Special thanks to our episode sponsor: Petersen.

Bob Borson, FAIA | Jun 27, 2022

Architects and the art of being happy

People—including architects—seem to be fairly unhappy at the moment. Life of an Architect's Bob Borson, FAIA, and Andrew Hawkins, AIA, discuss the art of being happy.

Bob Borson, FAIA | Jun 16, 2022

Why architects need to nurture their business development skills

In Episode 102 of Life of an Architect, Bob Borson, FAIA, and Andrew Hawkins, AIA, talk about one of the critical skills that architects need to master in today's business environment: the ability to attract clients.

Bob Borson, FAIA | May 31, 2022

How to create a design process

In episode 101 of Life of an Architect, Bob Borson, FAIA, and Andrew Hawkins, AIA, explore the critical steps to establishing a design process for commercial and residential building projects: discovery, exploration, presentation, modification, execution.

Bob Borson, FAIA | May 16, 2022

The 100th Episode: Life of an Architect

Bob Borson, FAIA, and Andrew Hawkins, AIA, take a minute to recognize the milestones and achievements associated with putting together the Life of an Architect Podcast.

Bob Borson, FAIA | May 2, 2022

Mastering construction drawings

Fundamentally, drawings are at the core of what architects do. They allow architects to have a conversation with clients and colleagues without having to say a single word. But construction drawings are getting harder, say Life of an Architect's Bob Borson, FAIA, and Andrew Hawkins, AIA. Welcome to Episode 99: Construction Drawings.

Bob Borson, FAIA | Apr 21, 2022

How to master architecture presentations

Architects Bob Borson, FAIA, and Andrew Hawkins, AIA, share proven advice for creating and delivering top-notch architecture presentations.

Bob Borson, FAIA | Apr 4, 2022

Burnout

In episode 97 of Life of an Architect, Bob Borson, FAIA, and Andrew Hawkins, AIA, discuss job burnout risk factors and how architects can handle stress and burnout in the deadline-driven business of design.

Andrew Hawkins, AIA | Mar 21, 2022

The Big Idea

In Episode 96 of the Life of an Architect podcast, Bob Borson, FAIA, and Andrew Hawkins, AIA, discuss what they mean by "The Big Idea" and offer examples of what it could look like. Special thanks to our sponsor Petersen, which manufactures PAC-CLAD architectural metal cladding systems. 

Bob Borson, FAIA | Mar 9, 2022

Schematic Design

Whenever an architect sits down with a client on a new project, the first thing that happens is a conversation about project goals and requirements. It is during this initial conversation that everyone tries to figure out what exactly it is that this project is supposed to accomplish. This phase of the work is widely referred to as “Schematic Design.” It is the focus of Episode 95.

Bob Borson, FAIA | Feb 21, 2022

Ask the Show – 2022 Spring Edition

How hard is it to do work for your friends? How has shifting from employee to employer changed the way you approach projects? If you could drastically change one thing about architecture school, what would it be? All this and more on Episode 94 of Life of an Architect: Ask the Show – 2022 Spring Edition.

Bob Borson, FAIA | Feb 7, 2022

The Top 10 Reasons NOT to be an Architect

Let’s admit it. Telling someone you are an architect is pretty cool, whether or not they understand what that means or what the job entails. But for those of us who have been at it a while, being an architect has its challenges and is definitely not for everyone. Welcome to Episode 93: The Top 10 Reasons NOT to Be an Architect.

Bob Borson, FAIA | Jan 24, 2022

The Top 10 Reasons to be an Architect

The Top 10 Reasons to be an Architect is a good topic to discuss on an architecturally themed podcast and interestingly enough, this is the very topic that put the Life of an Architect website on the proverbial map. It’s been 11 years, 11 months, and 2 days since I initially wrote that article and I think it’s time we revisited the topic. Welcome to Episode 92: The Top 10 Reasons to be an Architect.