You’re working on a residential project. It’s a big project and you’re the lead designer. It’s early in the design phase and you’re thinking about ways to bring light and views into the design. You need some inspiration so you open up a web browser and Google away. An hour and a thousand web pages later, your eyes are red […]
What’s New in Vectorworks 2017
As much as I write about Revit and Autodesk software here on ArchSmarter, I also keep an eye out on what other software companies are up to. One things is for sure, there are a lot of good tools out there. Case in point – Vectorworks 2017. I recently took a detail look at the latest release […]
New Mini-Courses from ArchSmarter
Let’s face it, there’s a lot we need to know to do our jobs right. There are updates to the building code. There are new materials and construction techniques. There are new building types. Not to mention the now yearly software updates. It’s a lot to keep up with. Unfortunately, we don’t always have the time […]
Tackling North America’s Largest Healthcare Project
What does it take to design and deliver North America’s largest healthcare project? I recently wrote an article for ARCHITECT magazine on the University of Montreal Health Centre (or CHUM for short). CHUM is a 3.5 million square foot mega-hospital under construction in Montreal, Canada. Designed by CannonDesign and NEUF Architect(e)s, CHUM is currently the largest healthcare project under construction […]
Visualizing the Top 300 Architecture Firms
Architectural Record just published their Top 300 Architecture Firms list for 2016. I was curious to dig into the data and see if there was anything interesting to learn. It turns out, once you go past the rankings, you can glean some deep insights into what makes up today’s top earning firms. Process To do my […]
Why You Need Checklists for Everything
“OK, I need to copy these files over here. Then I have to rename these other files to. . . oh, I can’t remember. Here it is on this scrap of paper. I knew I had it somewhere.” I was a twenty-two year old architectural intern with a freshly minted B.Arch degree. “OK, once that’s […]
RTC North America 2016 Wrap Up
Want a recipe for a great conference? Gather up 600 really smart Revit nerds. Mix together with a heap of in-depth classes and labs. Add in a splash (OK, more than a splash) of booze. Drizzle the whole concoction with old friends and some new ones too. Then bake it all together for 3 days in 120 degree Arizona […]
The Archipreneur Concept: A Review
When I started my business almost four years ago, I read every business book I could get my hands on. Apart from a paper route in grade school, I didn’t have a business background. I hadn’t even taken any business classes in college. But after seeing many hardworking colleagues get laid off during the 2009 recession, […]
Simple Steps to Become a Licensed Architect
Becoming a licensed architect is a big step towards increased earning potential, improved job prospects, and realizing your architectural ambitions. The licensing process may seem daunting at first, but the basic requirements can be broken into simple, approachable segments. Simple Steps to Become a Licensed Architect All 50 states and the District of Columbia require […]
Introducing the New ArchSmarter
I launched ArchSmarter almost three years ago on a shoestring budget. It was 2013 and I was at Autodesk University in Las Vegas. I was giving a presentation later that day so didn’t have a lot of time on my hands. I had been thinking about launching ArchSmarter for a while but I hadn’t gotten around […]
