A Day In The Life Of An Architect At Cushing Terrell
A design professional's day involves a blend of project management and constant team coordination to meet deadlines that are weeks or months out, often requiring quick problem-solving, such as when the structural engineer calls and says "Hey, we found some rebar in the slab here," triggering a flurry of communication with the owner and interiors team, all made easier by collaborative 3D modeling software. The workday is also punctuated by team-building activities like rooftop grilling for lunch and "beer 30" happy hours, fostering a positive work environment.
Project Coordination, Teamwork, Problem-Solving, Communication, Time Management
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Blake Cronin
Business Development | Design Professional
Cushing Terrell
Univeristy of San Diego
Architecture, Interior Design
Architecture, Construction & Design, Advertising, Communications & Marketing
Creative
Video Highlights
1. Managing project timelines and meeting deadlines is a key aspect of the job, with deadlines typically ranging from weeks to months out.
2. Collaboration and communication with the team, including structural engineers and interior designers, is crucial for coordinating design changes and ensuring all bases are covered.
3. The use of 3D modeling software like Revit allows team members to work in the same model simultaneously, facilitating coordination and communication.
Transcript
What does a day in the life of a design professional look like?
I get into the office around 8:00 AM and check my email to ensure nothing pressing came in overnight. Typically, in architecture, we work on deadlines that are two, three weeks, a month, or even a few months out. It's not always about delivering something every single day.
It's about managing your time by slowly progressing through the project timeline, making sure you meet all your deadlines and milestones. A typical day might involve a call from the structural engineer.
They might say, "Hey, we found some rebar in the slab here. You wanted to put this thing here, but I think we need to move it eight inches this way. Is that cool?" Then, I have to go back to the owner to make sure there's nothing wrong with that space and talk to the interiors team to ensure they aren't planning to put everything there.
It's a constant back and forth with our whole team. We use Revit, an Autodesk program for 3D modeling. Everyone can be in the same model simultaneously, seeing what everyone else is doing.
This allows for coordination without constant communication, just by observing what others are working on. Since we're all in the same office, I'll walk over to Jess's desk and ask, "What are you thinking about doing here? Officer Rod, our structural engineer, says we have to do this."
It's about ensuring all our bases are covered. We also have lunch together. I convinced them to put a grill on the roof deck at our office, so sometimes I cook lunch for the team. We get to hang out and we like to have what we call "Beer 30."
At the end of the day, if enough people are around, we'll go out and have a little happy hour. It's not bad.