Our guest, Michelle Tam, guides us through her experience working for a pioneering real-estate development company in Hong Kong, Swire Properties.After spending over 10 years in the industry as an architectural designer working as varying sized firms including Henning Larsen Architects, Michelle is now an assistant project manager at Swire Properties.In this episode we cover:The experience of a project from the other side of the table,i.e. the client's perspectiveThe advantages of working for a real-estate company after working for an architecture firmA holistic view of the project vs. a profession specific viewWhen is the right time to transition from an architecture firm to a development firmthe role of happiness in your workunderstanding your strengths and interests

Lineweights Over Coffee

014: Architect to Real-Estate Developer with Michelle Tam

This episode is all about challenging your preconceptions - trying to think beyond our current understanding of how things are done, realizing that nothing is impossible and the importance of reaching out to other disciplines to achieve our goals.In cities such as Dubai, buildings account for around 80% of the total energy consumption. How can designers and architects begin to change the way we think in order to mitigate our effects on the planet? How can we begin to challenge our preconceptions and adopt a mode of thinking that allows us to explore unconventional solutions to today's problems?We will use the Flat Earth Theory as a point of departure to explore two concepts:the ability to imagine beyond our current understanding of physical reality and constraintseliminating self-doubtWe will use examples in recent history such as Henry Ford, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk and Boyan Slat to illustrate the myth of the 'impossible' as well as look at architects such as Jakob+MacFarlane, Frank Gehry and Santiago Calatrava who were able to utilize multiple disciplines to achieve their ideas.In this episode we discuss:The concept of the 'impossible'Perseverance and success against negativityArchitect's and their collaborations outside architecture

013: Think Outside the Sphere

Founding principal of Studio Gang and MacArthur Fellow, Jeanne Gang joins us this week to offer her advice and tips to architecture students to achieve a great studio design project.Jeanne Gang was awarded the 2017 Louis Kahn Memorial Award for "individuals who have made a significant contribution to the field of architecture." She was also the 2013 Cooper Hewitt Design Museum's National Design Award Winner and was named the 2016 Architect of the Year by the Architectural Review.Jeanne has taught architecture students around the country including Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, Rice University, Columbia University and the Illinois Institute of Technology.As an experienced architect who has maintained a long relationship with the academic world, her advice for architecture students draws from the common mistakes she observes most students making as well as her own design experiences.She is here today on our show to talk about the studio design process at school. We are going to discuss how the design process evolves throughout the course of a project: from research to formulating a concept, developing ideas, process work, and finally presenting your work to a jury.This is one of those episodes that I really wish I had available to me when I was a student and I sincerely hope that helps all of you achieve success in your projects.

012: Essential Design Studio Tips with Jeanne Gang

In this episode of the Lineweights Over Coffee Podcast we are talking about materiality, in particular, the importance of architecture students to be connected to the materials around them to understand their qualities and constraints with our guest Gaetan Kohler.In this episode we discuss:the student perception of what an architecture career isGaetan’s experiences in architecture school-don’t stay safe – experimentdesigning on a computer vs designing by handGaetan quitting his job and moving to Chinathe importance of being able to work with your hands, to understand what a material can offer youthe disconnect today between humanity and the goods and services that we useShow Notes:https://www.lineweights.coffee/channel/s1e11-reconnect-with-your-inner-artisan/883/

011: Reconnect With Your Inner Artisan

In this episode of the Lineweights Over Coffee Podcast, we cover 8 great tips that can help you build your portfolio.A portfolio is like an ambassador, it represents you in places you cannot go physically and embodies your design skills, qualifications, aspirations and dreams. The design of a portfolio is as critical as the content within it and should always be seen as a design project in an of itself: the challenge of how a portfolio can effectively represent you and your values to an audience that has never seen you before.In this episode, the 8 tips we cover are:1. start EARLY2. record your PROCESS3. use a TEMPLATE4. know you AUDIENCE5. understand PUBLISHING6. limit your TEXT7. effective ORGANIZATION8. get FEEDBACKLinks mentioned in this episode:ISSUUA great online platform to upload your portfolioissuu.comMy first website that served as a portfolio (back in 2015):azharkportfolio.com

010: 8 Tips for a Better Architecture Portfolio

7 ways to avoid burnout this semesterDo you at times feel exhausted, unproductive, and uninterested in your studio work? Chances are you might be burned out! But don't worry, I've been there before, it's not pretty, and there is way out, I promise. As a podcaster, I love listening to other podcasts and am always on the lookout for great content that I can share with architecture students. One of my favorite podcasts is Lead to Win by Micheal Hyatt (formerly This is Your Life), and their episode on Burnout Culture I found directly applicable to the studio culture at most architecture schools. The long nights spent on design studio projects can have a tremendous negative impact on your health, productivity, and creativity. In this episode, we discuss the negative impacts of the burnout culture in architecture school including the inverse relationship between hours worked and productivity, the devastating effects of sleep deprivation, and the long-term effects of sustained heavy workloads.7 ways to beat burning out:1. Get over your guilt2. Food is Fuel3. Focused work to relax more4. Creativity vs. Production5. The Power of Peers6. Eliminate Decision Fatigue7. Recreation

009: 7 Ways to Avoid Burnout This Semester

In this episode of the Lineweights Over Coffee Podcast we cover some of the best free and paid online resources with the co-founder of ThinkParametric, Arie-Willem de Jongh.In this episode we discuss:the best free resources to learn parametric tools and other softwarethe importance of a strong digital foundation after you graduate schoolhow having a strong computational design education can position you for better jobsthe origins of ThinkParametric and the types of courses that are offeredsome additional paid resourcesShow notes and more:http://lineweights.coffee/blog.html#!/posts/S1E8---Best-Software-Learning-Resources-with-Arie-Willem-de-Jongh-of-ThinkParametric/15

008: The Best Online Resources with ThinkParametric Co-Founder Arie-Willem de Jongh

On this episode of the Lineweights Over Coffee podcast we interview Francesco Cingolani, Director of the Design By Data master's program at the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, ParisTech. We discuss: -the changing nature of the AEC industry -the dissolving of boundaries between disciplines -Data as the new design material that architects must adapt to -what kind of skills are you looking for in an applicant -what kind of job are students expected to get at the end of the year

007: Study in Paris with the Design By Data Master's Program

On this episode of Lineweights Over Coffee we have a conversation with architect and permaculture designer, Kendrick Henry. We discuss: -influences on Kendrick's entrepreneurial spirit -saving money by reusing and recycling materials -operating vending machines -building rooms that he would rent to offset his own rent -planting avocado seeds -starting a nursery from nothing but an idea Show Notes: http://lineweights.coffee/blog.html#!/posts/S1E6---Saving-Money-and-Taking-Action-with-Kendrick-Henry/13

006: Saving Money and Taking Action with Kendrick Henry

In this episode, we have a conversation with Hugh Dutton, founder of Hugh Dutton Associates in Paris, about sketching tips for architecture students. We discuss: -the role of sketching in the design process -the importance of training your brain to draw in three dimensions -the 'codes' of sketching -when you sketch, you are drawing light -the importance of color -hand sketching vs. computer sketching Show Notes: http://lineweights.coffee/blog.html#!/posts/S1E5---Sketch-like-an-Architect-with-Hugh-Dutton/12 

005: Sketch like an Architect with Hugh Dutton

In this episode of The Lineweights Over Coffee Podcast we interview Jose Cruz, a young alumnus in New York City. We discuss what is an architecture student's career path after graduation and advice to students on how to prepare for the industry. In this episode, we discuss: The value of work and finding opportunities The strengths of an architecture education What is construction management? Advice for preparing yourself for the industry while in school.

004: Career Path Advice with Jose Cruz

In this episode, we catch up with architecture photographer and educator Erieta Attali in Paris. We discuss her recent works, her approach to photography and advice for students on how to use photography as a design tool. Show notes for this episode available here: http://lineweights.coffee/blog.html#!/posts/S1E3_Architecture-Photography-with-Erieta-Attali/9

003: Architecture Photography with Erieta Attali

In this episode, we speak to Oneil Howell, a video game level designer at Avalanche studios in New York York City. We discuss: Oneil's love for video games as a child How this passion stuck with him through design school The 'gaminess' of his school architecture projects His thesis on how architectural design can improve the video gaming experience What is a Level Designer and what he does day-to-day The importance of understanding scale in video game design Understanding human behavior in different architecture contexts for the design of non-playable characters (NPCs) Show notes for this episode are available here: http://lineweights.coffee/blog.html#!/posts/S1E2-Designing--Video-Games-with-Oneil-Howell/8

002: Gaming and Architecture with Oneil Howell

Hi everyone, welcome to the first episode of the Lineweights Over Coffee podcast! From Our Studio to Yours. In this episode, we cover the seven reasons how every student can benefit from this podcast: 1. Interviews with young alumni 2. Careers outside the architecture industry 3. Skill-based interviews 4. Studio Culture 5. Masters Programs 6. School events 7. Ask your questions here More details on our website: http://lineweights.coffee/blog.html#!/posts/S1E1---Why-Architecture-Students-Need-to-Listen-To-This-Podcast/10

001: The 7 reasons why you should listen to the Lineweights Over Coffee podcast

A Student Resource For Becoming an Architectural Professional.From our studio to yours, we are here to discuss lineweights over coffee; in other words, the challenges that architecture students face entering the professional world and the not-so-obvious opportunities that are available to young architects. Weekly podcasts with architects from around the globe, tutorials and courses to streamline your design process, information about Masters programs, both local and foreign...let us help!