What’s it really like to work in architecture? The hosts of Archispeak know, and they’re here to share real-life experiences. Since 2012 Evan Troxel and Cormac Phalen have been podcasting their brand of real talk on everything from design, tools, and work/life balance to generational differences, mentoring, job hunting and more. Probing questions, revelatory interviews, and unique insights have grown their audience and become a bi-monthly ritual for students and seasoned professionals alike. To join the conversation or learn more about the hosts, visit archispeakpodcast.com
We discuss leadership acting as roadblocks and the need for capturing knowledge, teaching, and learning within our practices so we can all participate in leveling up the profession.
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Don't let 'good' get in the way of 'great': a story about a slow process of perfectionism versus the instant gratification of good enough.
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OK Computer Lecture Series: Autonomous Vehicles (Evan's lecture on YouTube)
Le Corbusier’s Dream Car: The 1936 Voiture Minimum
Heatherwick Studio launches AIRO for IM Motors
Dymaxion #1 by Buckminster Fuller
Don't let 'good' get in the way of 'great': a story about a slow process of perfectionism versus the instant gratification of good enough.
If a tree falls in a rainstorm and rips the electrical connection from your house and you don't see it, does it make a sound? Disaster strikes in Cormac's neighborhood, leading to another sidetrack conversation.
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Disney's Carousel Of Progress (YouTube)
Evan talks about his recent trip to Washington DC and Cormac foreshadows his retirement plan.
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Archispeak 227 – Hugging Architecture (the Fallingwater episode)
IM Pei's east wing addition to the National Gallery of Art (1978)
Evan gives an update on his adventures in construction, we talk about the disconnect between architects and contractors informed through Evan's experiences doing design-build, reminisce about learning how to build by watching This Old House, and more.
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This Old House (PBS)
Awesome Framers (Instagram)
Essential Craftsman (YouTube)
Nailed It! (Netflix)
Great British Baking Show (Netflix)
Cormac tries to help Evan understand sports team loyalties. The topic then leads to the question of whether architectural loyalties (to an architect or office, for example) make sense.
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Hulk Hogan (Wikipedia)
Randy Savage (Wikipedia)
Centre Pompidou (Wikipedia)
Richard Rogers (Wikipedia)
Renzo Piano (Wikipedia)
We discuss Evan’s recent visit (and Cormac’s past visits) to an architectural icon including observations only architects would enjoy and understand.
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Cicadas: 17 years underground & emergence in 2021
FLW: Fallingwater
FLW: Kentuck Knob
FLW: Pope Leighey house
Neutra: Kaufmann house in Palm Springs
Neutra: Visitor Center and Cyclorama at Gettysburg
Meier: Douglas House
In an attempt to do anything except talk about architecture this episode, we discuss Cormac's sufferfest on the Appalachian Trail (AT), his discovery of the IT Band, tools for hikers, how Evan recently joined Cormac to hike in Great Falls Park, and a 'type-2 fun' story from Evan to round things out.
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Harper's Ferry National Historical Park
Trekking Poles (Amazon)
Birch Hollow slot canyon in Zion National Park (Summit Post)
We discuss what's for breakfast, going back to the office, the intangible tangibles of the office environment and corporate culture, and how many professions are experiencing the "Great Resignation".
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"Great resignation" wave coming for companies (Axios)
MRE (Meal, Ready to Eat) (Amazon)
Entrenching tool (e-tool) (Amazon)
We discuss what styles (aka flair) architects can be identified by, Zoom-lash, your ninja skills and how they will play into the future of work, and what Cormac did when he got bored in the desert.
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Rise of the 10x Class by Dror Poleg
TRXL 041: ‘Stay Curious’, with Dror Poleg
Barbed wire gloves (Amazon)
Pneumatic Palm Nailer (Amazon)
Welding gloves (Amazon)
Welding helmet (Amazon)
We discuss the current auto fuel shortage, sweat (equity and pants), modeling things no one wants, and HighArc's website.
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We discuss all nighters, staffing projects in the context of the current economy, the psychology around the two things that architects hate, and change management.
We discuss our profession's continuing challenge of making meaningful progress within the very real constraints of selling time for money, how we willingly accept workflows the software industry has determined we use, the choice to stay in the trenches or to lead, and more.
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Archispeak 219: They Became Dinosaurs
We discuss the need for members of our community (that's you!) to support the content creators who are putting their creativity and time into the betterment of the profession. Rate, review, be positive and constructive with your feedback, and share with your friends and colleagues!
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How to Architect (YouTube)
30x40 Design Workshop (YouTube)
Archimarathon (YouTube)
I've Never Met a Woman Architect Before
ARE Hacks by Evan Troxel
The Little Architect's Alphabet: Learning your letters through design by Lora Teagarden
We discuss the stronghold of the architectural profession's traditional apprenticeship model and how it has decreased innovation potential.
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Tap-Tap-Twist – Climbing Gold Podcast with Alex Honnold (Apple Podcasts | Spotify)
We talk with Tim Leese, the Director of Marketing at @GlenGeryBrick, about the launch of FOLIO — a new print publication that showcases inspirational design with the fundamental modular building material we all know as brick.
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We discuss the topic of trusted brands, loyalty, quality, and how these ideas both do and do not apply to the practice of architecture.
We discuss some comments that have been made about Evan moving to a new job and how some of the fundamental problems in our industry aren't attractive but still need to be solved.
In this episode Evan and Cormac discuss a bit of nostalgia and how it can shape the future of our workplace.
We reminisce about the first concerts we attended and link those experiences back to architecture, space, and how they have the ability to affect people.
Special guest Bob Habian joins Evan and Cormac in this marathon episode to talk about a new venture poised as a fantastic solution for the AEC industry, and reveal Evan's latest news.
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We discuss consultant coordination issues, some benefits and trappings of BIM, and raise the question of who is going to get us out of our own purgatory.
We discuss Evan’s new mountain biking YouTube channel and why having something creative to do that’s non-architectural in your life is important. Everyone go subscribe to the channel and follow along on the adventures!
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Evan’s TRXL MTB YouTube channel
The founders of F9 Productions and the Inside the Firm podcast join Archispeak to talk about their practice in Colorado, transitioning to developer/builders, and their new course to help architects make the transition.
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F9 Productions (Lance & Alex's firm website)
Inside the Firm podcast (Lance & Alex's podcast)
Lance and Alex’s Architect to Builder course
We discuss what happened between the original and actual submittal dates for Cormac's project, how to more successfully communicate design intent with owners in VR versus 2d drawings, and the correct number of design options to show clients.
We compare the size, scope, and purpose of a set of modern drawings to historical examples, how architects are seemingly happy reinventing the wheel, and who is to blame when something goes wrong.
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Evan was a guest recently on Context & Clarity LIVE (YouTube), and the topic was How is technology changing the architectural profession?
We discuss the newly released renderings of Amazon's proposed headquarters in Virginia & the resemblance to certain emoji, Tatlin's tower, that we should be paying attention to architects in the middle of the US (not just the coasts), & a McSweeney's article featuring some choice archispeak.
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Pile of Poo emoji 💩 (Emojipedia)
Soft ice cream emoji 🍦 (Emojipedia)
NordicTrack (Wikipedia)
Amazon's next offices in Virginia (MSN)
Tatlin's Tower (Wikipedia)
I AM THE DESIGNER OF THIS RESTAURANT’S OUTDOOR SEATING SPACE, AND THIS IS MY ARTIST’S STATEMENT (McSweeney's Internet Tendency)
We discuss the relationships and emotional connections between humans and animals, and draw a connection to architects and their projects; and how most people don't understand the latter.
We discuss the distinction between comments and communications, what to do with staff during project down-time, the problem with data silos, and there's a little more to add to Cormac's Zoom shenanigans.
We discuss Cormac's open Zoom room and somehow the timing worked out just right to prank a teammate while recording the episode.
We discuss the architecture reality show we'd want to watch, some buildings by architect William Pereira, and some hopefulness on inauguration day for 46.
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William Pereira (Wikipedia)
List of William Pereira buildings (Wikipedia)
Pereira monograph (Amazon)
Forget goals and resolutions... in this episode, we share how we plan on just staying alive. And there's some new pretty exciting collaboration software we're looking at too, so check the link in the show notes.
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Huddle's Teamflow platform for online communication and collaboration with spatial aspects.
We discuss the two things that architects hate, and about intentionally (re)setting boundaries in our day-to-day to increase our potency.
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Evan's Disruptive Technology in Architecture presentation to AIA Palm Beach (YouTube)
2 architects. ~20 minutes (MAYBE). 200 episodes. 2020: The Dumpster Fire. Join us in this podcasting milestone episode—the last one of the year—as we discuss what 8 years of podcasting has been like.
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