Significant Career Lesson From An Architect At Boston Architecture Firm
Nima, a Boston architect, emphasizes that "there's almost always a way forward," even with intense design challenges and unexpected problems. This approach, combining "meditative PR practices" with optimism, has proven invaluable throughout their career, transforming stressful situations into opportunities for innovative solutions and ultimately leading to better results.
Problem-Solving, Resilience, Stress Management, Overcoming Challenges, Motivational Stories
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Nima Shariat
Architect
Boston Architecture Firm
University of California, Santa Cruz
Harvard University, Graduate School of Design, Master of Architecture 2022
Computer Science, Economics, Fine Arts, Music
Arts, Entertainment & Media, Architecture, Construction & Design
Creative
Video Highlights
1. Maintaining a positive and optimistic attitude even when facing unexpected challenges is crucial for success in architecture.
2. The ability to adapt to constraints and find creative solutions is a key skill in design.
3. Viewing challenges as opportunities for creative problem-solving can lead to better results and a more fulfilling career path.
Transcript
What is one lesson you've learned that has proven significant in your career?
That's a good question. The biggest thing I've learned is that there's almost always a way forward. There's an intensity with projects that come and go, and things that come up can feel like the end of the world.
This is especially true when you're focused on something unexpected that's suddenly causing ramifications down the road. But panicking about it and stressing the whole team is never the right response, because you don't make better decisions that way.
One of the keys to design is working within constraints or with new information. You have to find an alternative way around it. That's really the only thing design is powerful for.
So, meditative practices of pausing and analyzing are critical because problems persist. There's never a way to envision the whole project from the start and have it be smooth sailing. That would also be a boring project.
Instead of having a stressful response, try twisting it and seeing another way. Having optimism carried through has been a way of doing things. This has been valuable not just in practice, but also in school and as a teacher.
It's important to ensure the space of design, while rigorous and intense in practice, doesn't require a negative emotional response. It can actually be exciting. The flip side of anxiety is excitement. This can elevate that aspect of things and still get you further, yielding better results.