Episodes

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 architects 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 weekly ritual for students and seasoned professionals alike.

#200 – The Dumpster Fire Episode

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2 architects. ~20 minutes. 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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#199 – A 'Problem' Problem

Topic

We discuss promotions, wicked and tame design problems, shell games, and what happens in the sub-sub basement of Cormac's project.

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#198 – Gifts for Architects 2020

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Looking to find a gift for your favorite architect? Look no further. Here are Archispeak’s top architectural gift picks for the 2020 holiday giving season.

This year, there’s also a video version of this episode. Why? Because we wanted to be able to show you what we were talking about. Click here to watch it on YouTube.

Check out all the links below!

Links

Note: We may make a small commission when you use these links that do not affect the pricing of the selections in any way. And by doing so you're helping support the show. Thanks!

Evan’s picks:

Cormac’s picks:

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#197 – Mis-reading it Wrong

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We discuss expectations and boundaries around our always-on communication options, and how fragmented and difficult to manage this has all become due to the multitude of options.

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The hosts of the Archispeak + Life of an Architect podcasts at virtual happy hour

The hosts of the Archispeak + Life of an Architect podcasts at virtual happy hour

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#196 – Foot In Mouth Disease

Topic

What delightful information comes to light when a project team member — hypothetically — thinks they've hung up from a call, but they actually haven't*?

* not a hypothetical

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#195 – Wordsmithing the Process

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Being that it's Veteran's Day in the USA, we discuss war stories from the trenches... both from Cormac's time serving in the Army and from architectural practice. Oh, and don't forget the off-the-shelf, range-extending missile parts.

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#194 – Ad Nauseam

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We discuss current 2d project delivery challenges and opportunities, how application templates aren't one-size-fits-all, reincorporating lessons learned on projects into standards, and how architects are really damn good at dealing with levels of abstraction.

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#193 – Extra Helping of Cheddar

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We discuss how brick and mortar-based architecture firms are dealing with the changing landscape of remote work due to COVID-19 and all the nuance that comes along with it. And Cormac breaks the news that Sean Connery died, so we talk about Bond movies, of course.

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#192 – Awards Season

Topic

Following the last episode's topic of professional 'conference season,' we transition into the topic of architectural 'awards season' to discuss the positives and also how they could be so much better.

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#191 – Looking Beyond Property Lines

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We discuss the October architectural conference flurry—including one that Evan is speaking at—and recap architect Jeanne Gang's keynote presentation at the 2020 Architectural Record Innovation Conference.

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#190 – Understanding The Grimaces

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We discuss the new world of communication and physical barriers that many people are adapting to, and many who are not.

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#189 – Pull The Motor

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We follow-up on Cormac's double-jointed, shadetree mechanic adventure and wax nostalgic on Haynes manuals. And then, somehow, bring it back to architecture.

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#188 – We Keep Forgetting That's An Option

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We discuss taking ideas from other industries — like auto manufacturing — and applying them to architecture.

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#187 – V.E. is Neither

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We discuss ways to deal with last-minute changes on projects, which is something that never really happens. 

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#186 – Why I'm Likely Leaving

Topic

We discuss a recent Twitter thread about structural engineering career angst and parallel issues we have observed in the architectural profession.

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#185 - Architectural Levels of Pain

Topic

Cormac tells us a story of superstitious happenings, and we discuss the true meaning of three seemingly innocuous words that show up on so many drawing sets: Protect In Place.

And be sure to check out the latest announcement from Gābl Media!

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#184 - Are You A Worker?

Topic

Cormac and Evan discuss the sentiments expressed in the recently posted 'Letter to a Young Architect' by critic Kate Wager in Architecture Review.

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#183 - How To Take Notes

Topic

Evan and Cormac talk about having too many digital input devices to maintain clarity while working.

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#182 - I Saw People Sketching

We discuss the new format for Archispeak, and Cormac pays a visit to the office.

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#181 - I Don't Know if This is Depressing

Evan and Cormac talk about the effort that is required to design the future of our beloved profession of architecture. It's time to take responsibility fellow architects!

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