One of the architects in our office often uses the phrase “we went to school to learn how to design, not to teach” when it comes to bringing up the next generation of architects and designers. We’re not alone in our industry in tackling this issue, either—many different services encounter similar knowledge gaps. It applies…
One of the more fulfilling aspects of being an architect is, at least sometimes, talking about being an architect. Some of this admittedly stems from a sense of pride in my projects, but at least a small portion of it comes from an intuitive, deeply-human acknowledgement of the good that can come from sharing about…
A client recently asked “why are your fees higher than last time?” A bit of context… the question was in regard to Phase 2 of a larger renovation. The entire project was originally designed, comprehensively, under a separate fee. To accommodate budgets and schedules, it was split into two different, equal sized phases, for construction.…
It was a misty morning late in October. Autumn weather (or what passes for autumn weather in South Dakota – cold winds, usually some bit of snow, most leaves off the trees, and winter-like apparel required at least in the mornings) had held off for the most part, and this was the first time it…
Why box-style architecture is bad… For my final post this month, I’ll return to more traditional and much loved past-time of mine, that is, criticism of bad architecture. We’ve got a problem around here. Our buildings are boxes. Or so many an architect (including me) would say. And its not necessarily localized to “here” per…
One of the reasons I enjoy taking on hosting this blog for November is the opportunity to do something… different… particularly around the national holiday we just celebrated. It usually borders on whimsy or sentimentality, and this year we’re going with sentimentality. This month I celebrate my 10th year with TSP, and this year is…
I owe it to all you readers to provide a follow up to “my” last post. In case you didn’t scroll to the end, the entire post was generated using a slew of AI (artificial intelligence) tools that are available, generally for free. If you read it, I hope you found the post at least…
So, here we are, folks. The place where the buffalo roam, the skies are big, and the buildings, well, they’ve got a story to tell. South Dakota, home to more cows than people (probably), is a state that packs a punch when it comes to architecture, and I’m not talking about prairies or presidents carved…
The gratefulness and thankfulness that is supposed to accompany this season is somewhat at odds with a culture that preaches one to be “proud” of one’s accomplishments or to take “pride” in their work. How often do we hear hear someone tell us to be “proud” of this or that, or even parents telling their…
This week is a bit of a punt (no Thanksgiving football pun intended), as the week quickly got away from me to produce some original content. We’ll try again next week. Instead, I’ll reshare a post put together by some other folks at TSP, about some of the projects we are grateful for being a…