Life of an Architect

JUNE 22, 2016

I have had a very interesting past few days – the kind of interesting that confirms for me why I do what I do for a living. Every now and then I get a little beaten down from the act of doing my job and I start to feel more than a little weary and mentally exhausted. I’m definitely not complaining, but rather admitting that despite all the evidence to the contrary, sometimes being an architect is not the greatest job in the world.

Architect 75

Architect Sketching Construction Construction 75

BD+C

JUNE 22, 2016

All key construction measures for multifamily housing rose by double-digit percentages in 2015, and demand for rentals (which continue to account for the lion’s share of that construction) is expected to remain robust over the next decade, according to “The State of the Nation’s Housing Market 2016,” which the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University released today.

Construction 74

Construction Construction Project Housing 74

EntreArchitect

JUNE 21, 2016

Years before launching EntreArchitect, I published a quarterly newsletter for my own residential architecture firm, Fivecat Studio. Without much effort, I acquired hundreds of subscribers through links on a few social media profiles. The newsletter was part of my marketing plan and every few months I half-heartedly scrambled to send something out. Even without the appropriate focus, we benefited directly with a few new projects and some positive quarterly buzz in the local press.

Architecture Firm 52

Architecture Firm Firms Architecture Client 52

BD+C

JUNE 24, 2016

Each year, more than one million veterans, their families, and visitors flock to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, where the remains of men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces in the Pacific Theater are interred.

Information 73

Information 73

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A new industry study conducted by Architizer on behalf of Chaos Enscape surveyed 2,139 design professionals to understand the state of architectural visualization and what to expect in the near future. We asked: How are visualizations produced in your firm? What impact does real-time rendering have? What approach are you taking toward the rise of AI?

Visualization

BD+C

JUNE 23, 2016

Both of these facts being true may seem illogical at first, but everyone reading this knows exactly what I’m talking about. Problems vary in size and complexity, and the consequences can range from “mild annoyance” to “catastrophic work stoppage.” But one thing all problems have in common is that implementing the solution can expose inefficiencies, necessitate the use of new technological tools and entail real change.

Technology 72

Technology Technology 72

BD+C

JUNE 21, 2016

In markets where labor continues to be in short supply, contractors that can attract and retain workers are capable of accepting projects that other manpower-deficient competitors might be turning away. Labor availability is an important distinction in a construction market that “has stabilized at a comfortable level.” The backlog for the nation’s largest contractors stands at a record 12 months, according to the latest estimates from Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), a national trade a

Construction 66

Construction Construction Estimating IT 66

BD+C

JUNE 19, 2016

Retail health clinics, which have been around since 2001, and until recently have been profit question marks, are having their moment in the sun. A recent report by Accenture Consulting predicts that the clinics sector will grow at an average annual rate of 14% through 2017, when their numbers will exceed 2,800, compared to 1,914 in 2014.

Consulting 63

Consulting 63

BD+C

JUNE 24, 2016

When it comes to fire rated glass, there is probably nothing more confusing than the 60-minute application – what product to use, how much of it, and what happens when sprinklers are present. While the temptation to use a one-size-fits-all fire rated product advertised as ‘unlimited’ with ratings ‘from 20 minutes to 3 hours’ seems appealing, this statement is very misleading and can potentially cause a costly project rejection.

Glass 58

Glass Project IT 58