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Life of an Architect

Life of an Architect

Auteur(s): Bob Borson and Andrew Hawkins
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 A gifted storyteller communicating the role and value of architecture to a new audience, host Bob Borson uses the experiences acquired over a 25-year career to inform his podcast. A small firm owner, architect, and college design instructor, co-host Andrew Hawkins brings his insight from his 20 years in various roles within the profession. It responds to the public curiosity and common misunderstanding about what architects do and how it is relevant to people’s lives, engaging a wide demographic of people in a meaningful way without requiring an understanding of the jargon or knowledge of the history of the profession. With a creative mix of humor and practicality, Borson’s stories are informative, engaging, and approachable, using first-person narratives and anecdotes that have introduced transparency into what it really means to be a practicing architect. To learn more about Bob, Andrew, and what life is like as an architect, please visit Lifeofanarchitect.comBob Borson Art
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  • Ep 179: Is Half the Story Enough?

    Ep 179: Is Half the Story Enough?
    Jun 29 2025
    Architectural influencers on social media can bring real insight to the table while others blur the line between experience and performance, you should evaluate what you’re seeing, questioning why it was shared, and learn how to tell the difference between helpful guidance and a well-lit shortcut.
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    1 h et 4 min
  • Ep 178: Under Pressure

    Ep 178: Under Pressure
    Jun 15 2025
    This is Life of an Architect, a podcast dedicated to all things architecture with a little bit of life thrown in for balance. We’ve all had days where the drawing set grows by thirty pages and the inbox doubles before noon. A consultant goes silent, a client changes their mind, and just when the printer jams, someone asks if you’ve “had a chance to think big.” The pace is relentless, the roles are blurred, and the weight of expectations never really lets up. Some of it is systemic. Some of it is self-imposed. But all of it demands more from architects than the job description ever promised. Today, Andrew and I are unpacking the stress points, the structural cracks, and the deeply human experience of navigating them. Welcome to Ep 178: Under Pressure [Note: If you are reading this via email, click here to access the on-site audio player] This was an interesting topic to prepare for - mostly because like all of the posts I write, or topics Andrew and I discuss, we ultimately want them to be of some value. While it might be fun for some people to listen to us come onto the show and complain about things for an hour, I'm not sure my partners would appreciate it. So here we are, trying to discuss a topic titled "Under Pressure" and have it NOT devolve into a therapy session. Andrew had this topic on his list and as I was working through topic ideas, the title is evocative. Now that my curiosity was piqued, I started going back through old blog posts and podcast episode to see if I could find a handful of items we had previously discussed that would help provide some structure to our conversation today. 1. The Expectation for Instant Results jump to 05:07 7132 Therme & Spa Vals by Peter Zumthor The pace of architectural production has sped up—clients expect renderings in days, permit sets in weeks. The design process, once iterative and reflective, now must deliver answers at the speed of email. There are a lot of different kinds of pressure in this profession, and over time, most of us come to know them well. Some are situational—deadlines, clients, budgets. Others are structural—shifting expectations, evolving roles, and an industry that sometimes feels like it’s changing faster than we can keep up. One of the clearest pressures we face today is the expectation for instant results. Clients, consultants, and even team members are conditioned by technology to expect immediate answers. The result is a process that often skips over reflection in favor of speed. The time it takes to think deeply, test ideas, or simply pause and consider—all of that gets compressed. It’s not that we don’t want to be responsive, but the design process was never meant to move at the speed of text messages. There’s also an emotional cost to this kind of urgency. There’s a quiet anxiety in always feeling behind, like no matter how fast you move, it’s never quite fast enough. It’s especially difficult in architecture, where the best ideas don’t always show up on a schedule. When everything is a rush, the design process starts to lose its richness. There’s less iteration, less time for feedback, and less joy in discovery. I’ve had to learn when to push back—when to explain why that extra day might lead to a better outcome. It’s not always easy, especially when it feels like everyone else is racing ahead. But sometimes, resisting that pressure is part of protecting the integrity of the work. There is a Peter Zumthor quote I mention at the 12:45 mark that I think is particularly suitable for this bit of our conversation. Points to me for remembering that it exists, points off for me absolutely destroying in my attempts to share it. Read it down below and hopefully they next time someone asks you to work faster, you will be better prepared to articulate why things take time to make properly. https://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/the-finished-building-is-your-best-argument/ 2. The Uncertainty of Artificial Intelligence jump to 13:33
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    1 h et 1 min
  • Ep 177: Hanging Out Your Shingle

    Ep 177: Hanging Out Your Shingle
    Jun 1 2025
    There’s a moment in almost every architect’s career where the idea first surfaces—quietly at first, then louder over time: What if I started my own firm? Maybe it’s the itch for creative freedom, maybe it’s frustration with someone else’s decisions, or maybe it’s just the instinct to build something of your own. I’ve had this conversation more times than I can count—at desks, on job sites, over drinks after a long day. It’s a topic that stirs up excitement, fear, pride, and possibility all at once. Today, we’re stepping into that mindset—the leap, the hustle, the vision behind doing your own thing. Welcome to Episode 177: Hanging Out Your Shingle [Note: If you are reading this via email, click here to access the on-site audio player] We have a special guest to assist us with discussing today’s topic. Joining us is Daniel Istrate, AIA — a licensed architect and co-founder of Kontexture, a Phoenix-based architecture firm with a growing international presence. Originally from Romania, Daniel moved to the United States as a teenager and went on to earn his architecture degree from the University of Arizona, with studies that also included Italian, Literature, and a minor in studio arts. He began his career at a small local firm, later navigating the challenges of the 2008 recession while gaining experience at a large national practice. But like many of us, he felt the pull toward something more personal, and in 2013, he made the leap, leaving a stable job to start his firm with longtime friend and collaborator Jorge Toscano. Since then, Kontexture has grown to include two offices - one in Phoenix and another in Hermosillo, Mexico - and in 2018, they expanded into construction by launching a design-build company. Daniel is joining us today to discuss betting on yourself, building with intention, and creating a firm from the ground up - all themes at the heart of today’s topic. Let’s start at the moment just before you decided to launch your own firm - what pushed that decision from a long-time idea into something real? The first time I played with the idea of opening a firm with another colleague from the first firm I was working at was in 2007 right before the recession. We quickly realized that was not good timing so we decided against it. Looking back that was a really good thing, I was only two years out of school and still very green. After weathering the recession at Smithgroup and getting licensed while there, I started taking on some side work. I got an offer from another firm to move there as the principal was thinking of retiring soon and was looking to have someone take over. After being there for a year, on a Friday night at 1:00 am while still at the office I decided that this is the time. I already had a steady stream of clients and projects that I was doing on the side (moonlighting) Binkowitz Residence - Kontexture You didn’t start Kontexture alone - can you talk a bit about that partnership and how you and Jorge divided up the early responsibilities? I started Kontexture with Jorge whom I met while we were both in first year at the U of A. We always talked about starting a firm together, even while in college. Early on we were each responsible for our own projects, from early meetings with clients, to design, construction documents, Construction Administration, etc. But we have identified early what each of our strengths were and we worked off of that. Jorge is a stronger designer and I am more technical. Marigold Dispensary - Kontexture When you first opened your doors - how did you find work? Did you chase the kind of projects you wanted, or take what came? We started the firm with about 20 small projects that we were both working on, on the side. Once we started the phone kept ringing and we kept getting work based on recommendations from engineers we were collaborating with, contractors and most important, the clients we had were recommending us.
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    1 h et 15 min

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