- Part 6

Jumpstarting my life

Tonight I saw Julie and Julia, which after my bout of malaise this week was the perfect impetus I needed. I heartily identified with the character of Jules, I too am in my late 20’s and also feel like I never finish anything I start.

Unlike the main character of this movie, I am not blogging to a deadline or a goal, so instead for me to be successful in jumpstarting this blog, and the two columns I should be writing weekly, I need to set a new series of deadlines and commitments.

Starting Monday I will be posting something 5 days a week and these posts need to be up before noon. This should accomplish two things. One, it will get me up earlier, because I will need time to find something to post about and also be able to write coherently about it will require me to have a few hours of waking time before I post it. Second, this will also get me in a regular routine, which should combat the malaise I’ve been fighting.

I am hopeful that getting myself into a real schedule again will be beneficial for not only this blog and my business, studioSML, but also my health.

Motivation is a terrible thing to waste

Lately I’ve discovered that the greatest enemy of the unemployed architect is not a bad economy, but malaise.

Over the past 6 months I’ve managed to pull together some work to get my new firm off the ground, but not enough to make a profit yet (what with the cost of startup expenses). I would love to say that these jobs have come my way through genius marketing and relentless pursuit of new clients, but it has been more a combination of networking and chance. But hey, I’ll take work any way I can get it right now.

Couple this stream of work that doesn’t feed me with my ineffable ability to bite off more than i can chew (I am now officially writing for two different blogs, also unpaid) and you can start to understand why I see the ugly specter of malaise around every corner. It is not that I am lazy, jut not motivated. When faced with the option of overcoming inertia and starting work on a project or giving into Newton’s first law of motion I am more likely to choose the latter out of sheer lack of motivation.

Obviously, I need to find a way to motivate myself and I have already completed the first step, identifying the problem. The problem is one of routine. While I was employed I got into a routine of working during the day on my employers work and at night on my own projects. Now that I don’t have that routine and my day can follow any pattern I choose I am much less likely to achieve my goals. What this means is that I need to start creating my own schedule and routine. If I can, I will be successful, and this blog will start being updated regularly again.

A catch 22

So I’ve been on the job market since February; in that time, I’ve applied for over 175 different positions. Some of these have been outside of the world of architecture, while most have been with architecture practices.

I can see the writing on the wall, the architecture industry is changing and until it finds its new face there are not going to be many new positions out there working for other people. This is one of the reasons I’ve started my own residential design firm, studioSML, with a good friend of mine. On one hand we have the dream of working for ourselves, but on the other we are trying to be realists and understand that it is very likely that we will not bring in enough money to be self sufficient for years. This means that we both need full time positions elsewhere, and not just temporary ones. We are looking for long term (a number of years) positions that will allow us the ability to work on our own projects while still paying the rent/mortgage.

In my mind, the best way to accomplish this is to find jobs outside of architecture, and for me that means looking to my graphic design experience. Now, don’t get me wrong, if I somehow find a position with another architect or interior design or find myself with so much work i can actually take a salary I’ll be overjoyed, but I’m trying to be realistic. So I have been applying for graphic design jobs and not gotten much of a reply. Tonight, I finally got some helpful feedback from a potential employer. He questioned my desire to leave architecture and my dedication to graphic design, as well as the inability for me to find a salary that both takes into account my architecture experience(+4 years and almost licensed) as well as my graphic design experience (less than 2 years).

I don’t really know how to respond. I’ve already reworked my resume to feature my graphic design skills, but i feel it would be wrong to leave off the last 4 years of architecture jobs. In addition, in my cover letters I mention that I am looking to redirect my career into graphic design and leave architecture. I also mention that I understand that my architecture experience outweighs my graphic design experience, but that in my opinion (and hopefully theirs) it allows me to approach design issues form a different point of view. Beyond these measures I’m not sure what to do. Do I start applying for senior positions, or continue applying for entry level to positions requiring 2 years of experience?

Where have I been this past two months?

I just realized the other day that it has almost been 2 months since I last updated this blog. Who would have thought that I would be able to keep a normal writing schedule while I was working 50 hour weeks, but once I became unemployed I would struggle to write something ever few weeks, let alone months?

So what have I been up to? Well, I have been writing an architecture criticism column for DC Metrocentric (check out the ArchiCritic category) and while at first it was every week that seemed to be nigh impossible to keep up. Now I have settled into a new post every other week, which is totally doable. I just wish that I didn’t wait until the last minute every time to write my article.

The next big piece of news is that tomorrow is my last ARE exam, at least of this go-around. So far I have taken 6 exams and passed three. I am waiting on my scores for the rest. Tomorrow is Schematic Design. If the exam is anything like the practice problems I should be OK. Hopefully, with this one down, that means all I have to do is wait 2 more months and I’ll have my license.

And the last big event (and the one that is most likely going to get me back into the saddle of writing on this blog) is that a good friend and colleague of mine, Andrew Merlo, and I have started our own design firm — studioSML. For right now our website is just a splash page at studioSML.com but in the next few weeks I hope to get it fully flushed out and start the daily chore of posting to a blog there and here as well as updating multiple twitter feeds. At least I have my facebook status repeating my twitter status, otherwise that would be one to many social media updates for me to make each day.

So, if you are looking for design work in the DC area and want to give a new design company a much needed break please think of us. In a few months I hope to be able to say that we are Architects, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens with my test results.

Atlanta

I’ve gone down to Atlanta for an extended weekend. While I’m here I’m just planning on relaxing, and maybe getting a little studying done for my Building Systems exam. In addition, I figured I’d see what the Job market looks like down here, not that I’m seriously thinking of relocating, but hey, I can’t argue with the housing prices. I could like in midtown in a 2 bedroom 2 bath for less than my month condo payments.

While I’m here, is there any new architecture that I should check out, besides the aquarium of course? In the same vein, is there any good mid-century modern developments in the Atlanta area?

Structural Systems

I take the structural systems exam on Thursday and I am scared! I have no idea how to do earthquake or wind loading and just barely grasp the basic concepts, plus I’m still not sure how many formulas I’ll need memorized. My only real consolation is that the vignette seems really easy.

Add to all this that I haven’t gotten either of my previous tests results back, so I’m still in the dark as to how I’ve been doing.

On a side note, I’ve been busy working on freelance work trying to get new jobs. So maybe I’ll be able to pay my mortgage when my unemployment runs out in August. Here’s hoping.

Freelancing

Two colleagues of mine were let go a few weeks ago. Since then, the three of us have decided to pool our collective architectural resources and work towards developing a client base and a freelance design business. This sounds much easier than it actually is. The time it takes to find people to write or call is enormous, add that to my weekly writings for DC Metrocentric and my studying for my ARE exams, I am finding that I am busier than when I was working full time, or maybe it just feels that way.

Ceilings torn down, one foot at a time

So today I had my first solo freelance gig. I was going to consult a homeowner on whether a wall was structurally necessary and if not, provide some help with a bathroom design.

When I got there, I took a look at the space and went up into their attic to see how the roof was structured. The attic was mostly fiber fill insulation with a small plywood landing area. I could see that the roof trusses ran across the house and seemed to bear on the outer walls, but I was hoping to get a look at the ceiling framing to see the wall better. With so much downy snow-like insulation I had a hard time seeing the bottom of the trusses and on my first truss I missed the bottom chord and stepped through the ceiling. While trying to prevent myself from falling two stories to my death, I ended up making a big hole and cracking some more of their ceiling.

Needless to say not only was my leg bruised, but my pride was hurt as well. To add insult to injury (literally) in the rush of everything we never signed the letter of agreement. To make up for the damage I told the homeowner that would waive my fees and did some kitchen consulting in addition to the bathroom design.

I was hoping to use this opportunity to make a little money, but more to make a future good referral. In the end I just have to hope I don’t get sued.

Take the Good with the Bolt

I have been searching for an inexpensive way to visit my family in New York, and the express buses seem to be the best option. I haven’t taken Megabus yet, just Bolt (primarily for the use of wifi and outlets). So I have now taken three trips between NY and DC on the Bolt bus and while that is not a huge sample set, I have to say i have a 33% satisfaction rate. The first trip (from NY to DC) was great, it went fine and it wasn’t completely full (this is in my best interest, but not Bolt’s). The second trip (DC to NY) was packed and the air wasn’t working, but at least the bus stopped at a rest area for us to get food. Yesterday I took the bus (back from NY to DC) and it was again a mixed trip. I ended up alone in my row, but we didn’t make any rest area stop and the bus took almost 5 hours to make the trip. I have to say that as far as performance its been fine. I’ve gotten to my destination on time, I just haven’t been comfortable. There is just a huge difference in comfort between taking the train, plane, and taking the bus.

As far as waiting for the bus is concerned, the DC side has the NYC side beat. The Grand Hyatt at Metrocenter provides a convenient Starbucks and bathroom while you wait, and the parking lot with the sun-shaded “green walk” removes you from the general traffic. In NYC, there is a Sbarro, but the bathrooms are tiny and dirty, and they have a 30 minute eating/waiting policy. There’s always the Penn Station, but the bathrooms there are even shadier, and while there are lots of food options its really removed from the bus stop. Once you are outside you have to wait on the sidewalk in front of either the Sbarro or an adult bookstore; not the most comfortable options.

Financially, this is a vast improvement over the train. If I get a $25 bolt ticket plus $4 metro fare and $9 LIRR fate, it takes me less than $40 each way to visit my family. If I took Amtrak I would have the same metro/LIRR expenses but the ticket would be at least $90. On the other hand, if I can find air fare under $50 to NY from IAD the bus might not be such a good deal. The bus takes me about 8 hours of travel time, while an airplane would be around 3 (including my waiting in the airport). Of course it beats driving, which would cost me at least $30 in tolls not to mention gas.

I’ve been cheating on my own blog!

I’ve been harboring a secret for the past few weeks and been dying to post about it but had to wait until it went live. I am now a weekly feature writer for the DC architecture and property blogDC Metrocentric. Its one of the reasons O haven’t posted on here very much, that and just plain laziness. I’ve spent quite a bit of time trying to develop a writing identity for that site. I will be analyzing and criticizing local architecture within the beltway. If anyone has any suggestions I would welcome the input.

You can find my first post, a criticial analysis of the architecture of the Metro system, live on the site now. Feedback would be greatly appreciated.