My Story - My Architectural Past, Present and Future
Did you know? I used to practice architecture.
So, with all the discussion online about architects as storytellers and adding the architects' voice to our society's narrative, I thought I'd add my own story to the mix. As you know from my blurb on the HOPEWORKSDESIGN about page, I used to be an architect. Wait, let me be a bit more specific and a little more careful when I say that. For one, I don't believe one can really stop being an architect despite no longer creating architecture. There's a way of thinking and seeing that architects have that can’t be lost. So, in that respect, I'm still an architect.
But, here's the catch, I stopped practicing architecture before getting licensed. So, technically, I can't refer to myself with the title of architect. I guess architectural designer is more accurate? Anyway, all of that to say, I used to design buildings and other tangible things, and I went to school to get a professional degree to do so.
It seemed like I was born to become an architect.
My particular backstory shares some similarities with many other architects and probably yours too. When I was about 8 years old, I decided that I would grow up to become an architect. It may seem crazy to some, but I know many of my archi-buddies also decided to become architects when they were very young. It’s a thing. As a child, I loved playing with LEGO, Lincoln Logs, and Erector sets – all the usual little architects-to-be toys. I also liked building structures from McDonald's french fries when my mom would take me there for a Happy Meal treat. And let me tell you, building anything with just fries as bricks and ketchup as the mortar is a difficult feat! I also liked to draw "maps" of houses.
You see, at the time, I didn't know what plans, sections, or elevations were, and I didn't know about architects either. But, when playing house with my dolls, I'd pretend to have several families, each with their own house. I'd play the mom in each of these families and switch between families throughout my play. It was kind of like doing a one-woman show playing all these characters. What can I say? I was an only child and was very adept at playing by myself... excellent imagination, you know. So, to keep all the families' homes straight, I'd draw out the layout for each – all the rooms on all the floors and what each home looked like on the outside. I'd keep them handy just in case I forgot where the kitchen or some other room was supposed to be for each home in my head. It was a lot of effort for playing, but hey, I was a crazy kid, and I very much liked being accurate.
My path to architecture…
One day, an uncle saw my "maps" and asked me if I wanted to be an architect when I grew up. I didn't know what that meant and was told that it’s a person that makes houses and draws them up like my "maps." I liked doing that and thought it'd be cool to do that for a living. And so began my quest to become an architect. Not long after discovering architecture, I read an article in a kids' magazine called "Highlights" about an architect in the Southwest making adobe homes and using discarded materials (plastic bottles, the plastic rings that holds six-packs together, old rubber tires, etc.) as part of the insulation. I thought this was fantastic! There was a lot next to that McDonald's we frequented where people would pile up old tires. I saw that pile of discarded tires as future home insulation!
As I grew up and read about famous architects, I saw myself becoming a great master builder that would save the world through design. My hometown is Detroit, so of course, like many from there, I especially wanted to save Detroit via architecture. I studied architecture at Cornell and interned at a Detroit firm on almost all my school breaks. I was very fortunate to have gotten to do a lot of real design work on some amazing projects while interning. Unfortunately, a few years post-graduation, the Great Recession helped force a change in my plans of becoming a licensed architect. However, the recession doesn't get all of the blame because around that time, I was beginning to question my single-minded vision of my future.
…was interrupted only a few years after graduation.
Architecture made me happy, but something was still not quite right. The crazy hours and low pay, the long process of getting licensed, and wondering if I had chosen the correct field to pursue at 8 years old fed the doubts. Due to the recession and the lack of work, I needed to do something to support myself, which turned out to be graphic and web design. Web design (and marketing also to an extent) were hobbies of mine for years: profitable hobbies but just a side thing to do outside of architecture. While the recession wreaked havoc on the building industry, I found steady web design work from small and medium businesses. I also found I had a marketing talent, and when combined with my design skills, it made for an interesting change of life plans.
I stopped practicing architecture, but I'm still and forever will be passionate about architecture, urban planning, and everything else about the built environment. That's why I've decided to use my design and marketing expertise to help AEC professionals tell their stories and effectively use the web to prosper. I don’t know about you, but my architectural education did not include marketing and business development courses. My mission is to fill that void to help AEC firms do great work (profitably) regardless of the current state of the economy. Helping others be successful in a field I love means that I’ll have a greater reach and positive impact on this world than I ever could on my own. You see, I still want to save the world via architecture, so some things never change, I guess!
But my pivot to marketing led me to find my true purpose.
I wake up happy and excited to do what I do – that's the best part of this journey so far. I had thought the path to architecture would get me there, and in a way, it did, just not how I expected. Life's funny that way. So what's your story? How do you use your online presence (website, blog, social media) to add your unique story to the built environment narrative? Tell me in the comments below. If you'd like to brainstorm ideas about how to get your voice heard or how to use the web to effectively connect with your target market, contact me for a free 20 min marketing clarity call.
Listen to my interview on the What’s Your Calling? Podcast!
Interested to hear more about my pivot into marketing from architecture? Listen to my conversation with Miinkay Yu of the What’s Your Calling? Podcast. We discuss the process of finding your true passion and purpose and what a well-fitting suit has to do with it.