Loading...

PODCAST

Life of an Architect

Bob Borson and Andrew Hawkins

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

arts design

All Episodes

1:12:57

Ep 209: Understanding Residential Contracts

Life of an Architect ·

2026/09/07

Ep 209: Understanding Residential Contracts breaks down five ways architects charge for residential work, along with the tradeoffs of each.

en-US

1:01:49

Ep 206: Work to Your Own Standard

Life of an Architect ·

2026/07/26

What started as a simple commitment to sketch more became an unexpected lesson in accountability, criticism, and staying true to the reasons we begin creative work in the first place. Bob shares how a personal sketching exercise evolved into a broader reflection on discipline, public feedback, and the importance of measuring your progress against your own standards rather than someone else's expectations. Whether you're an architect, a creative professional, or simply trying to build a better habit,

en-US

59:20

Ep 205: How to Start Designing Your House

Life of an Architect ·

2026/07/12

Designing a house does not begin with floor plans, exterior styles, or deciding where the kitchen island should go. It begins with understanding the people who will live there and translating their habits, priorities, routines, and expectations into a useful design framework.In this episode, Bob and Andrew examine the residential programming process and the role a well-constructed client workbook can play before design begins. They discuss why traditional questionnaires tend to focus too heavily

en-US

1:00:11

Ep 204: Character Development Revisited

Life of an Architect ·

2026/06/28

In episode 204, “Character Development - Revisited,” we go back to the beginning and revisit the very first Life of an Architect podcast episode. Episode 001 was mostly an introduction: who we were, why the podcast existed, and what we thought it might become. At the time, the website had grown beyond the casual creative outlet it was intended to be, and the podcast seemed like a way to return to the original idea - talking honestly about architecture, practice, and the profession in a more

en-US

55:44

Ep 202: From Practice to Professor

Life of an Architect ·

2026/05/31

So you are thinking about teaching architecture. You’ve got some years of experience under your belt and you want to share your knowledge with the next generation. Or you’ve always felt a calling to teach the next generation of the profession? Maybe you just want to try something different and it seems like an easy transition? Well today Bob and I are breaking this topic wide open and revealing some of the elements involved in going from working in a firm to teaching in academia.

en-US

1:06:22

Ep 200: Hate to Love You

Life of an Architect ·

2026/05/03

Ep 200: Hate to Love You looks back at favorite episodes, hard lessons, great guests, and the conversations that made this podcast worth your time from day one.

en-US

1:00:25

Ep 198: The Creative Process

Life of an Architect ·

2026/04/05

Ep 198: The Creative Process | Why creativity in architecture depends on process, judgment, and knowing which ideas are worth pursuing

en-US

1:01:04

Episode 197: The Knowledge Gap

Life of an Architect ·

2026/03/22

Ep197: The Knowledge Gap: As veteran architects retire, the profession risks losing hard-won knowledge, mentorship, and judgment no handbook can replace.

en-US

58:45

Ep 196: Do Architects Retire

Life of an Architect ·

2026/03/08

Ep 196: Do Architects Retire explores why architects work longer, what comes next, identity shifts, and how money choices that shape retirement options.

en-US

1:03:36

Ep 195: Designing Your Own House

Life of an Architect ·

2026/02/22

Designing Your Own House explores why architects hesitate to design their own homes: pressure, endless choices, ego vs livability, money, and what it reveals.

en-US

1:10:35

Ep 191: Ask the Show Fall 2025

Life of an Architect ·

2025/12/21

Architects ask the questions they actually want answered as Bob and Andrew dig into careers, practice, and the occasional absurdity.

en-US

1:01:39

Ep 189: Holiday Gift Guide for Architects

Life of an Architect ·

2025/11/16

Discover the ultimate Holiday Gift Guide for Architects – curated picks, tools, and books that every designer will actually want to unwrap this season.

en-US

59:28

Ep 188: Changing Paths

Life of an Architect ·

2025/11/02

At some point in every career, the path ahead stops looking like the one behind it. The work that once defined you begins to shift, not because it lost value but because you start to see yourself differently within it. For architects, that realization can be complicated because we build our identities around what we design, who we work with, and the roles we play in the process. Change has a way of testing all of that, forcing us to ask what parts of our career still fit and which ones need to

en-US

59:32

Ep 187: Objects of Design

Life of an Architect ·

2025/10/19

Architects explore the stories behind objects of design that remind us why design matters — revealing creativity, purpose, and meaning in everyday things.

en-US

57:25

Ep 186: The Rules of Modernism

Life of an Architect ·

2025/10/05

Every rule was made to be broken, except in architecture, where even the act of breaking rules seems to come with its own set of rules. Modernism promised liberation from the past, but it quickly wrote its own commandments into the story—flat roofs, open plans, white walls, and exposed structure became the expected vocabulary. A movement that arrived as rebellion soon carried the weight of convention, and those conventions still shape how we design and judge buildings today. This week, Andrew and I

en-US

1:00:18

Ep 184: The Architect as Brand

Life of an Architect ·

2025/09/07

The Architect as Brand explores how personal reputation and firm identity collide, coexist, and shape modern architectural practice.

en-US

1:06:05

Ep 180: Size Doesn’t Matter

Life of an Architect ·

2025/07/13

The phrase “it’s just a small project” has probably caused more confusion, blown more budgets, and strained more relationships than we’d care to admit. It sounds harmless, maybe even charming - the architectural equivalent of a quick favor. But that phrase carries weight. Because behind every modest addition, bathroom remodel, or garage conversion is the same professional rigor we apply to larger work … just without the benefit of scale. Whether it’s fees that don’t shrink as expected, construction

en-US

1:03:44

Ep 179: Is Half the Story Enough?

Life of an Architect ·

2025/06/29

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.

en-US

1:15:12

Ep 177: Hanging Out Your Shingle

Life of an Architect ·

2025/06/01

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

en-US

53:12

Ep 175: Stupid Questions

Life of an Architect ·

2025/05/04

Nobody wants to be the person who asks a question that causes everyone else within ear shot to turn and look at them. We spend the early part of our careers trying to prove we deserve a seat at the table, hoping we sound competent, sharp, with just the right amount of confidence. But architecture isn’t a field you get good at by pretending. It’s a craft you grow into by doing, which ultimately leads to asking questions early, often, and sometimes awkwardly. We are going to embrace that process

en-US

349 results

Similar Podcasts

Podcast Patapoe

0d0a

Voice of the Arts

WQED Multimedia

Stage Whisper

Andrew Cortes and Hope Bird

Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio

Choice Classic Radio

Wild West Tales - Old Time Radio Westerns

theaterofthemind-otr.com