Each year, I choose a word to guide my focus and purpose. This year, that word is Intentional. 🎯

In architecture, as in life, being intentional is the art of making conscious, purpose-driven decisions.

It's the energy that fuels our creative spirit and the compass that guides our professional journey 🧭

As architects, we have the power to create more than buildings.

This year, I am dedicating myself to crafting new business strategies that enhance our role and value for our clients.

By applying our design skills in innovative ways, we can create new opportunities and spaces that truly serve our community 🏢💖

The essence of architecture lies not only in the structures we create but also in the opportunities we uncover.

By bringing our design skills into practice in new and unexpected ways, we can break new ground and redefine what architecture means in our modern world 🌐

I'm excited to support Kimberly Dowdell, AIA, NOMAC, and her mission for More as President of the AIA.

Her vision aligns with my commitment to purposeful architecture and meaningful change. Together, we can redefine the landscape of our profession 🙌

In navigating the intersection of technology and architecture, I remain committed to treading the path of being intentional.

Embracing innovation without losing sight of the essence of the value of the architect is what I aim to achieve this year. 💻🔨

Being intentional in architecture means more than just going through the motions.

It's about making deliberate choices that have the power to influence our profession and practice and create meaningful change.

Let's design with purpose, build with passion, and lead with intentionality 🏗️🌍

As we embark on this new year, my focus isn't solely on my professional goals. I strive to cultivate deeper connections with my family, friends, and community.

Because ultimately, the structures we build are only as strong as the relationships we foster. 🏡💞

Here's to a year of purposeful architecture, conscious innovation, and meaningful engagements.

With empathy, kindness, and intentionality, we can shape a brighter, better-built environment 🏡🎉

Intentional Architecture: Crafting Business Strategies

I am a "building" 🏗️ architect that was lucky enough to find my way to a job that I am passionate and excited about - at a technology company as Head of Workplace Strategy and Innovation.⁠
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Building architects often struggle with the titles that software architects call themselves.⁠
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This is because getting a license as a building architect is a long process that requires a certain amount of education, specific experience in different areas of what we call practice, and passing many exams - before I could call myself an architect.⁠

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However, those same architects that struggle with the title - are also quick to say that what I am doing isn't "architecture."⁠
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❓❓❓My question to architects is: ❓❓❓⁠
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➡️ Does it make me any less of an architect (even after having earned my license, something that I was told no one could take away from me)?⁠
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➡️ Should my opinion of the profession as a whole matter less? Especially if I remain active in the professional organization and often consult with architecture firms on business strategy.⁠
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➡️ Am I no longer relevant within the profession?⁠
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💡💡💡I would argue that because of my role: 💡💡💡⁠
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✨ I am better positioned to be an advocate for architects as an outsider and someone who is often a part of the selection process in hiring architects.⁠
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✨ I bring a unique voice to practice, always seeking new solutions that are not commonly found or practiced within Traditional Practice.⁠
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✨ My perspective helps me identify opportunities for architects that they might not otherwise see beyond their traditional set of services.⁠
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Embrace the people that stay within the profession, but also find a place to embrace those who have carved their own paths forward.

You may find that they are our profession's biggest advocates because there are many more people like me.

#architects #bettertogether #futureforward #elee4aia #designers #systemthinkers #architectstudent #thefutureishuman

Practicing Architecture Outside of Practice

Let's talk about career pathways in Architecture and, in particular, beyond.

When I was getting my BArch and my MArch at two different schools, I was often told:

"You can do anything you want with a degree in architecture."

However, I felt like there was only one career path when I graduated and joined a firm:

➡️➡️➡️ Owner, Principal, or Partner within a firm. ➡️➡️➡️

Everyone within the profession (that's to say, within a firm environment) supported my career as long as I stayed on the path.

"How is your path to your license is going?"

>>> Was the number one opening question at many an AIA meeting and in any casual setting where I ran into an architect who was further along in their career than I was.

However, as soon as I stepped off the path (especially after getting my license), my network began to shut down.

❓What do you mean you're not interested in staying in practice?

❓Why would you throw away all the experience and knowledge you worked so hard to obtain?

❓Why would you want to do anything else?

Suddenly, I felt very isolated, my community of architects couldn't understand why I was stepping away, and those who were previously my mentors felt like they didn't know how to mentor me anymore.

What happened to:

"You can do anything you want with a degree in architecture."

There are many individuals who have a degree in architecture (some of whom are licensed and some of whom are not) that are making their path forward by doing what they love - architecturally adjacent and beyond.

Those individuals, many of whom we went to school with, are still - surprise - lovers of architecture, advocates for the profession, and are quick to hire those with an architecture background because they know first-hand what the education and experience provide.

How do we create an environment more inclusive to these individuals so that we can collectively raise the value of architects and the profession?

#architects #bettertogether #futureforward #elee4aia #designers #systemthinkers #architectstudent #thefutureishuman

Celebrating Career Paths Beyond Architecture

Here are 3 Architecture (business) architypes to leave behind in 2023:

1️⃣ From long hours to properly managed resources and projects, working toward better work-life boundaries.

2️⃣ From the notion that we are starving artists to educating our potential clients on the value we bring to the table so we can pay ourselves and our people what they are worth.

3️⃣ From the constant cycle of burnout to creating policies that ensure and encourage your most valuable assets, your people, to maintain their mental health and physical well-being.

❓How are you changing and improving your business operations in the new year?

🌟Hint: There's always room for improvement.

3 Architecture (business) Architypes to Leave Behind

The beginning of the year is a great time to declare Meeting Bankruptcy.

Meeting Bankruptcy is a concept that suggests that one should clear the slate and start again fresh when it comes to meetings.

The idea is to prune your schedule of all non-essential meetings, prioritize the most important ones, and then limit or terminate all other meetings that are no longer necessary.

Meeting Bankruptcy allows for a more productive environment and can help streamline workflows and processes.

It also allows for more flexibility in scheduling new meetings and ensures you’re not wasting your time and energy on unnecessary ones.

Here are several strategies for implementing Meeting Bankruptcy:

1. Clear your schedule of all meetings; add back only the essential ones. (Non-essential meetings are those that no longer don't provide any tangible benefit or aren't relevant to present-day operations.)

2. Of the remaining meetings, decide how often they need to occur and then schedule them accordingly.

3. Before adding meetings to the calendar, create a system for deciding whether or not they are necessary and only hold meetings that provide a tangible benefit.

#futureofwork #flexiblework #buildingagility #architects #designers

Declaring Meeting Bankruptcy

When was the last time you revisited your personal and company values?
#culture #achitects #valuesbasedorganization #futureofwork

As we enter the new year, it's important to take a step back and reflect on what matters most to you—personally and professionally.

Now is the perfect time to revisit your values.

❓What do you want your life and career to stand for?

❓What are your highest priorities?

❓Are you living and working in alignment with those values?

Take the time to consider these questions, and make any necessary changes to stay true to your values.

It'll make a world of difference in the way you approach the year ahead.

When was the last time you revisited your personal and company values?

#culture #achitects #valuesbasedorganization #futureofwork