Architects Bob Borson, FAIA, and Andrew Hawkins, AIA, LEED AP, produced 25 episodes of the Life of an Architect podcast in 2019. That's more than 28 hours of content on everything from the legal side of architecture, to presentation tips and techniques, to the construction bid process.
Here are the five most popular episodes of Life of an Architect based on the number of downloads by readers of Life of an Architect, Building Design+Construction, and Professional Builder. Enjoy!
1. Episode 30: Start Your Own Architectural Firm
Is it the dream of every architect to have their own firm one day? I can recall hours and hours of conversations that I’ve had with other architects throughout my career where this topic was front and center of our discussions. When I sat down and started to come up with potential topics to discuss on the podcast, “Starting Your Own Firm” was one of the very first topics that I wrote down. It has taken me 29 previous episodes before we finally made it around to this topic because I wanted to get the right guest for this episode. Listen to this episode.
2. Episode 28: Social Media for Small Firms
The thing with social media is that there are a lot of people out there that hold themselves out as experts, and if I am being forthright, a lot of those people drive me crazy. There is a big difference between knowing what you should do and then actually being able to do it. Just because I know how to deadlift 400 lbs doesn’t mean that I can actually do it [for the record, I can’t], or that you should be listening to somebody just because they hold themselves out as an expert. Listen to this episode.
3. Episode 26: First Jobs
Pretty simple and straightforward sentence: “Your first architectural job is important.” Let me clarify that I’m not talking about summer jobs or internships. Those don’t really count because they have a known shelf-life associated with them. What I’m talking about is the first real job a person takes once they’ve graduated from college–the job that signals the beginning of their professional career and more times than not is a predictor for the path your career will follow. Listen to this episode.
4. Episode 31: Obsession
Do architects have obsessive personalities? I tend to think so, and only partially based on my own behavior. I should throw out the caveat that I don’t think you should have to explain why you obsess over something. Isn’t that the nature of any obsession—that there is some level of irrationality associated behind it? Listen to this episode.
5. Episode 27: Is That Even Legal?
How much time have you spent thinking about the legal side of architecture? If you are like most architects, you probably haven’t spent enough time thinking about it. While it may not be the sexiest part of the architectural profession, it is something that every licensed architect must consider on every single project. Listen to this episode.
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Life of an Architect Podcast | Jul 1, 2024
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 154: Networking
Today we are tackling a topic that we have never covered before, not even a little. Imagine walking into a crowded room and not knowing who to talk to or what to say, a situation I have found myself uncomfortably in more times that my therapist can ignore. The ability to build meaningful relationships and strategic alliances is a critical part of the success of any business. Today, Andrew and I will discuss a topic that at least from my side of things, have zero training in but is nonetheless a part of my job description and responsibilities in the office. Time to have a frank conversation about the indispensable practice of turning professional interactions into valuable assets. Welcome to EP 154: Networking.
Life of an Architect Podcast | Jun 17, 2024
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 153: Inspiration
Whether your interests or skills lend themselves to design or technology, I think it is safe to say that creativity plays a role in the day-to-day experience of an architect. Sometimes you aren’t feeling it and the ideas don’t flow – which is bad. Sometimes the ideas are flowing too much, which can be worse. Either way you have to start somewhere. Welcome to EP 153: Inspiration.
Life of an Architect Podcast | Jun 3, 2024
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 152: Starting a New Job
All around the country, new architecture school graduates are rolling up their sleeves to start their professional journey with their first “this time it counts” job. Some will be excited for this moment, some will be optimistically cautious, and then there are those who realize that this is the beginning of the end and the longest holiday they will take for the next 30 years is two weeks maximum. Andrew and I thought we could help these people ease into this phase of their lives with insightful and relevant information that could profoundly impact the trajectory of their entire lives. Welcome to EP 152: Tips for Starting a New Job.
Life of an Architect Podcast | May 20, 2024
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 151: Starting a Business
We are finally conceding to a request that’s been made a thousand times–-do an episode on starting an architectural business-–a topic that I have resisted for essentially six years, and I think I’ve finally broken. This is not as easy of a topic to discuss as you might think because there are a million different ways you could answer a question this broad. In an attempt to make this conversation of value, we are going to start at the beginning, and we are going to eat this whale one bit at a time.
Life of an Architect Podcast | May 6, 2024
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 150: Drawing Stuff
Today we are going to be talking about “drawing stuff.” If you are wondering what that really means, you are in the right place, because that’s what Andrew and I are going to try and figure out. Welcome to EP 150: Drawing Stuff!
Life of an Architect Podcast | Apr 22, 2024
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 149: Moonlighting
This will be the 5th time in 5,209 days that I have put my opinions about taking on extra work outside of your normal job and typically during ridiculous hours of the day and night. This practice has come to be known as “moonlighting” and depending on your age and where you are at in your career, it is either the light at the end of the tunnel or an oncoming train. Andrew and I originally had something else scheduled for today’s show but this topic has been forcing itself into my brain over the past month or so and I want to talk about it.
Life of an Architect Podcast | Apr 8, 2024
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 148: Meetings are a Waste of Time
You check the time and realize that you have four minutes before your next meeting. Maybe it’s an internal meeting, maybe clients are coming in. Is it in person or online? Depending on how you answer those questions, time to start scrambling so that you are where you need to be and have the information required to make this meeting a good use of your time. But guess what? I promise that you will end up waiting on someone (maybe you are that someone). Either way, you aren’t getting that time back and you haven’t even started yet. Welcome to Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 148: Meetings are a Waste of Time.
Life of an Architect Podcast | Apr 5, 2024
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 147: How To Draw Like An Architect
How good do you need to be at drawing if you want to become an architect? What if you can't draw? Can you still become an architect? These are questions I hear a lot, especially from people my age who became accountants and consultants. Is there an easy answer to these questions? Of course there is, but that doesn’t mean the answer is easy. Welcome to Life of an Architect Episode 147: Draw Like an Architect!
Life of an Architect Podcast | Mar 18, 2024
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 146: Ask the Show Spring 2024
We get asked a lot of good questions here on the show. They come up in the comment section, they are sent into our email inboxes, and some slide into our DM’s. Sometimes we reach out and ask people what they would like us to discuss, which is what’s happening on this episode. We started with 10 questions and made our way through seven of them before we hit our time limit. One of these days I think a fireside chat done in real time would be an interesting way to work through these questions. In the meantime, welcome to episode 146: Ask the Show Spring 2024!
Life of an Architect Podcast | Feb 26, 2024
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 145: Delegated Design
In the architecture and construction industry, delegated design refers to the process where certain design responsibilities are transferred from architects to contractors during the construction phase. This collaboration is considered crucial in ensuring that the project progresses smoothly from design to implementation.
