“Your confessions from last summer are hilarious!”
-Dame
I’d also like to say my confessions are on point. I do a lot of things that people don’t have the opportunity or intestinal fortitude to do. And while doing said activities, I always find a way to forget, omit, hide, share my wisdom with someone. I haven’t done this from my last summer experiences and in order to start this summer off right, I have to purge the confessions and realizations.
1. ‘No’ is one of my favorite words
I’m really accommodating to people I love. Always trying to help out and make life a little bit easier for them. For people I could care less about, No has always been my favorite word. The task has been being able to tell people that I love No. Sometimes it’s necessary to just make sure that no one is taking advantage of you. Fam will do it to. Oh yea. It happens.
2. I’m a jerk (to most) and don’t hide it
This confession kind of goes with number 1. I really take pride and pleasure don’t feel bad for people that rub me the wrong way. There’s someone as we speak in this world that I would not share a stick of spearmint with. And it’s not a ‘you suck’, facebook-type dislike. That’s immature. You have to do something that makes me become the ultimate jerk towards you and some people have achieved it. And to them I say, ‘Yo house is that-a-way’1
3. Everyone will not know/care/pity/empathize what you’re going through and they don’t need to. Man/Woman Up
Self-explanatory
4. My friends are awesome
Again. Self-explanatory
5. Romantic Relationships that are ‘serious’ during architecture never work
I remember when I started architecture school my junior year and I had a girlfriend who worked not 700 feet from where I went to school. One day, a friend older than I and also in the school asked me if I had a girl. I said yes and he replied, “Yeah, that won’t last.” Long story short: He was right. Twice. Architecture school is a jealous, angry, vengeful, and demanding whore profession. Now there are always exceptions to the rule but for the most part, if you have a SO, you better get all you can out of them while you have them because sooner or later one of those questions is going to be asked2 and then it’s over. Take my advice, find someone right before the semester is over, or you are about to graduate. It will be so much better for the both of you.
6. The apartment where I rented a room in Spain
Yea. I have nothing to really say about this. I just didn’t tell the ‘rents because I didn’t want them to worry. Though sometimes I think they think I’m an degenerate incapable of making sound decisions, if I sensed danger, my spider sense would have done off and I would have been out. Never happened so I stayed and made sure all my stuff was locked up. All the time. And I bought my own sheets.
7. I have a type of woman I pursue. Spanish
Every girl that has asked me this and I told you ‘I don’t have one.’ I lied. Though my dating past is as checkered as a Benetton ad, the thing that remains consistent is that Spanish girls have almost always found a way into my life. And that goes for all derivatives of Spanish fyi (Puerto Rican, Dominican, Nicaraguan, Colombian, girls actually from Spain
8. I cried 3 months after I got home from Spain
Yeah. Cried like a newborn infant baby Jesus fresh from the womb. Ultimately, it wasn’t because I didn’t have a job. It was because of my pure frustration and feeling of being ‘up the creek without a paddle.’ I have all these papers that say I’m good at what I do but I couldn’t get a job for the life of me. I think I thought I was recession-proof. I was naïve. Not anymore. I’m glad that it happened though. As soon as I was done, it was as if I had purged all doubt of ‘I can do this.” After I finished, I just got up cleaned my face, and started sending out more resumes, networking, and maybe three months later, I’m good. Though it may not be exactly what I want, it’s teaching me so much about my profession.
9. I want to start an architecture firm called either ArrowNBowman (ANB for short) or FreshSlice and have an office in Detroit
Let’s be honest. Architecture is a business. I like money. You like money. But I like owning things that make me money as well. So that’s where the firm comes into place. The names are already Trademark registered so it’s just a matter of making everything else fall into place.
10. I still have animosity toward my Thesis Advisor
Architecture is hard to get through. Architectural Thesis is damn near impossible when everyone is laughing at your ideas behind your back. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not the ‘their out to get me’ type, but when you work you’re a** off, present your thesis, have your thesis photos plastered all over the school website for the purpose of attracting more people to the university, get congratulations from a plethora of people, and have a Thesis Critic say “[the ideas in your presentation and project] is why I came to these presentations” I think it’s safe to say you deserve to graduate. My thesis advisor didn’t. We argued. I won. Went from having an Incomplete to an ‘A’. Yes, I said an A. Things that make you go hmmmmm.
11. The University of Michigan
After I graduated from Grad School
12. I saved TCAUP from a big ass law suit
1. Phrase coined in Spain
2. Please refer to ‘Parents Guide To Having An Architecture Kid’
Now that this is out in the open, let the new summer begin!
ThomasBowman Out.
So I been helping the homies @ThePhilionaire, El Cappy and @mashawnta with the remodeling of Freshman Clothing down in Detroit. Really good times and I figured I would share some of the stuff that's going on.
[Before]
[The Idea/Vision]
[The New Beginning]
I know I didn't give you much of what we have done. Ok, I gave you nothing. But that's just more reason for you to come down on Monday and see what is really good at Freshman Clothing. The design is fire and I am just happy to be apart of something so great in the city. Oh the good times. Hey Phil, remember this??
That sh*t was priceless. 20 minutes of hilarity at like midnight in Detroit. More projects to come.
Everyone who has gone through architecture knows the question. “Why did you choose architecture?” I have a standard answer that goes into the toys I played with as a kid, the idea of building and thinking through problems, et cetera et cetera but the real answer is pretty simple: My family supported my idea and here I am.
I always used to wonder as a kid if I were adopted because of all the seemingly stark differences between myself and my family. I’m 100% sure I’m not but the fact that I was taller than everyone [extended family included] in my family by age 14, being left handed while everyone else was right-handed, and being the “creative” or “artistic” one of a family of lawyers, nurses, and administrators made me wonder. Even if I were adopted, I would have to say that my family was probably one of the strongest reasons for the career choice I made. So this post is mostly going to the family of architecture kids but after reading this, I realized that significant others should abide by these rules as well. If you’ve found this on the vast expanses of the internet, you’re in luck because I’m going to guide you on how to deal with cope stop crying about support your architecture kid. There will be more volumes because let’s be honest, this post would be pages long if I tried to cover everything. Plus, I need to confer with other architecture kids to make sure I cover everything pertinent. Okay. Ready? Here we go:
1. Don’t try to talk your kid out of it.
I was really surprised when I got into architecture school to learn of fellow students who had parents who totally disagreed with the idea of their kid trying to be an architect. And I say “try” because I cannot tell you how many people I saw leave the school after one semester. So my advice is to just support your kid. If architecture isn’t for them, they’ll realize it really quickly. The worst is they waist a semester of school and that’s not honestly not that bad.
2. The Forbidden phrases
This might not be the case for many people but the phrases “How long are you/it going to take?”, “This stuff is just fluff (or any derivative of the word fluff)”, and “That’s not that hard” would make me want to smack even the Holiest of Holy people [minus Jesus] if it were in reference to a project I am doing. In the beginning of architecture school, your kid has no idea what they are getting themselves into. Like a sport, it takes a lot of practice to figure out exactly what you can do and how long it will take you to do so. So save yourself a tongue lashing and just leave “How long are you/it going to take?” alone. The other two phrases need no explanation because they basically tell your kid, “Hey, you suck” and you don’t want to do that do you? Didn’t think so.
3. Yes, it costs that much
Models cost a sh*tload to make. They cost blood, sweat, tears your first born child, your soul, and you’re money. Your child will be broke as long as they are in Architecture School
4. Go see your kid in their element
My family came to studio only a handful of times. They kind of failed on that but when they did come, they were right on time. They helped with my Thesis, just came through to say hi, and showed a genuine interest in what I was working on.
5. Care Packages
Never got one. Brothers always did. I was jealous. Do this for your kid. Just saying.
This should start you off in the right lane. Please believe there will be more. Next volume will deal with sleep deprivation.
That’s right. It’s back. Let’s get this Architecture Real Talk thing started again. Today’s topic is one that is near and dear to my heart. One word. Four syllables. Com-pen-sa-tion. Getting paid. The first second reason we do this. The first reason is for the gratification of working with others to see something that you or a group of people have designed come into realization right? Right. But why is it that everyone tries to UNDERcompensate me and my fellow professionals.
I was reading an article today that touched upon the subject. There was apparently New York Craigslist ad that wanted a junior/intermediate architect with at least two years of experience. What was the compensation? $10 an hour in one of the world’s most expensive cities.
I want to start my Real Talk off by saying that the following comments are mine and mine alone. I speak for no one else but me and my feelings. Now, before I can comment on the craigslist ad, I have a confession to make. My name is AB and I have been undercompensated. My undercompensation lasted for a short time [only a month] but I realized a lot of things. I, too, found this “job” on craigslist and was initially just excited to have some work to do, somewhere to go in the morning, and to be making some much needed money. But my rose-colored glasses got ripped off and the flesh colors of life slapped me dead in the face. The whole ordeal was my own fault and I should not have dealt with people who thought so little of someone who worked really hard to get the education he had gotten. In my opinion, what someone offers to pay you initially says a lot about what they think of you. Too low means they don’t think you know what you are doing or are a complete nincompoop who cannot negotiate. Too high means they are going to expect a lot from you and you better produce what they want, when they want, how they wanted. And you better do it with a smile. But the latter was not the case here, the former was.
I’ll be candid with you all. They offered to pay me 25K salary, full time, no benefits, no overtime, no vacation. First of all, this is a slap in the face to want someone to work full time with no benefits or vacation. Secondly, I didn’t accept this offer. My counter offer was $14 hourly, part-time and after a month or two, if they liked my work we could re-negotiate. I did this so I could make some money but still look for another position. This was the smartest thing I’ve done in my young career. I won’t go into the gory details about what happened but what I will do is give you the bullet points of what I learned and a few choice stories to supplement said lessons.
1. Know Your Value
This place must be out of their ever-loving mind to offer me 25K. I know people who make more than that who haven’t gone to college for five to six years to get a degree in making our built environment better. Know how much you are worth. I’m not saying google a salary estimator, even though that’s a good idea. What I’m saying is honestly assess your skills and know what they are worth. In this field, if you’re doing CAD, Rhino, SketchUp, VRay, the latest Adobe Suite, know your way around a LaserCAMM, CNC router, and are apart of your church’s community service board you are worth more than 25K. Granted in my situation, I was ultimately being paid less than 25K, I took that hit to make some short term money while I looked for my long[er] term money.
2. Do what you can and go home
My best friend at that god awful job was an elderly man named Gus. He was a licensed electrician and did work for the company I was working for as well. He told me this on one of my first days. He said, “Kendal, you’re working too hard. Do what you can and then go home. Me, I’m in here at 7:30a and gone by 4p.” At first, I was working long hours trying to get work done in the 8 hours that should usually take 24. But Gus was right in the end, do what you can and do no more. If they want you to do more, they got to pay you! [and ME!]
3. Find out how the other employees feel
Another way I found out how terrible the company/office treated employees was by talking to some of the employees. Granted, it wasn’t after I started working, I found this out, I still found out in less than a week. Apparently, though I was being undercompensated, there were others who were being shortchanged even more than I, which makes me both sad and angry. Sad because these people weren’t able to get better wages and angry because the company offered them this chicken scratch.
4. Trust your instincts
That one is pretty straight forward. Had I trusted my instincts earlier in the employment at that place, I would have been gone by week 2 instead of week 6.
--
Now in regards to the New York Detroit New York
It’s a shame. Period. A low down dirty shame.
Now that’s some Real Talk.
I went to Architecture Thesis presentations this year and the same feelings of nervousness, excitement, and anticipation were still inside me. The only thing that wasn’t there was my presentation which made me think about it again and how accomplished I felt about it but also how much I wanted to continue the work I had started. Like many things in life, it fell to the waist side in order to make room for all the other things that clutter up life. I recently started to revisit NostalgicFresh to improve and continue the ideas that I set the foundation for with the thesis I presented a year ago. I finally opened up the Rhino file and the plans to make a more concrete and thought out building with a semi-simplistic program: A city within a building. The program that I will now be focusing on will be as follows:
1. Grocer
The corner store is not good enough for the people of my building. Depending on the height the building and density of residents, there will be either one or two grocery stores inside the building taking up entire floors.
2. Commercial Venues
Certain areas, not floors, will be designated as commercial space where vendors ranging from clothing to fine dining will be permissible to occupy.
3. “Recreation”
My whole thesis began with the idea of trying to recreate a space[s] that would encourage/enable one to become a purveyor of hip hop culture. When I put recreation in quotations, I am attempting to signify that the spaces are not just places like music studios where residents and others come to rap. I am attempting to signify that based on many factors [materiality of space, physical size of said space, proximity to others/other spaces] play a role in what “recreation” will take place.
4. Residential
Everyone needs somewhere to live, Right? Right. Glad we can agree.
A couple weeks ago while driving and talking to my mom about how I planned on continuing work on my thesis, she said, “Why?” After thinking about it for a while, I have a couple answers. One because I think that everything that is started needs to be finished whether it takes ten minutes or ten years. I started something over a year ago and while it felt complete back then, I have a new found need to continue. Two, because someone is trying to use my Thesis’ premise and ideas to make an adaptation in my home town. While I’m a little leery about them trying to use my ideas on something that may/may not come out as anticipated, I have to see what happens.
I have no idea how long this is going to take with all the other things that go on in my mind just dealing with architecture and design but I am excited to tackle it. Some of the industrial and furniture design that has been done lately in the notebooks will definitely make its way into the project. Looking forward to some late nights [on the weekends of course]. Who has the coffee brewer?
--AB
I took a 4 month hiatus from this blog because for a while, like most people of this profession, I questioned whether or not I wanted to continue to pursue something that seemed to elude me at every instance. But with the doubt, frustration, and disappointments of this life there is a birthed resilience to the word ‘no’. In my opinion, that’s probably one of the most feared words in the English language but after 150+ people telling me ‘no’ for an opportunity, the one ‘yes’ makes everything worth it.
And that one ‘yes’ births a feeling of invincibility and a creativity that I probably haven’t been in contact with for more that a year. But with that yes comes a load of responsibility and expectation. So when your ‘yes’ comes, make sure you’re ready for it. Make sure you can handle it because there’s nothing worse than hearing a ‘yes’ and YOU having to tell the ‘yes’, ‘no’. Feel me?
Anyway, since that ‘yes’ I’ve made myself apart of some amazing things going in the city of Detroit
One of the first projects I’m participating in is with the University of Michigan : Detroit Design Center Detroit Detroit
I’m really winning right now. I almost forgot what it felt like to win.
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