Feeding my fascination with how the profession intersects with pop-culture, here is some light content from Architectural Digest, regarding how the profession (and related fields) are portrayed in TV & film (and if the characters are any good at what they do).
I only caught one episode of “How I Met Your Mother” during its run. In that episode, Mosby mentions the architecture school he went to – which was completely made up. They lost me there – I never watched the show again.
I think that the most realistic portrayal of an Architect was by my secret/not-so-secret BFF Tom Hanks as Sam Baldwin in Sleepless in Seattle. I remember a scene where he is actually on site during construction talking about an owner requested change and the implications this entails (the cabinets have to be redone).
Anyway, a little light reading for you Monday morning, to go along with the pumpkin-spice latte you are drinking. What are your favorite or not-so-favorite portrayals of architects and designers in pop culture? Leave a comment below, explaining why.
AD article linked below for your convenience.
Was The Brady Bunch’s Mr. Brady Actually a Good Architect?
Chase Kramer, AIA, is the Director of Design for TSP Inc. in Sioux Falls. He received his M.Arch from ISU where he focused on urban design and sustainability. Before that, he received a degree in Art from Augustana University. He lives in Sioux Falls with his wife and four children. Beyond Architecture, he is an AI early adopter, musician, art lover, and fan of cheese and beer.
I’m not an architect, but I always liked how they portrayed the design/build process in Wall Street with Daryl Hannah when she does Bud’s penthouse.
Seinfeld’s George Costanza as Art Vandelay, architect. “There’s nothing higher than an architect!”
Even though I found Ted Mosby insufferable, some of the issues the show had him face were super relatable – like when and why he leaves the big firm and goes out on his own, how he deals with a visually offensive design, etc.