Archispeak #383 - Why We Still Love This Profession
Date: March 13, 2026
Hosts: Evan Troxel & Cormac Phalen
Episode Overview
In this candid installment, Evan and Cormac reflect on the persistent draw of architectural practice, even amidst modern challenges. Blending humor and honesty, they share stories from their professional lives, touch on the evolution of technology in the field, and explore the deeply personal motivations that keep architects inspired. The conversation covers everything from the hurdles of firm IT and licensing bureaucracy to the thrill of design, the importance of mentorship, and the vital role passion plays in shaping fulfilling careers.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Eternal Struggle with Technology: Tools and Firm Culture
[00:00–04:55]
- The discussion opens with light-hearted banter about slow computers and IT frustrations in architectural firms.
- Cormac: “The quality of the computers that we are assigned for the type of work we are doing...they don't align.” [00:34]
- Ed: “People in firms work for the architects, not the other way around.” [01:04]
- They highlight the strange priorities in firms, where the cost of decent hardware is minimal compared to staff salaries, yet underinvestment persists.
- Transition into the student experience: Modern architecture students now experience tech woes running cloud-based software even on small projects.
2. The Ongoing Pain of Licensure and Continuing Education
[04:55–10:58]
- Evan details the bureaucratic trials of renewing architectural licenses in California and other states, emphasizing the escalating costs and unique requirements.
- Cormac: “I'm a captive audience, so I'm keeping my first [license]. You always love the first, right?” [05:32]
- Anecdotes about managing multiple state requirements and the absurdity of the process.
- Ed: “California is so special that you basically have to find the needle in a haystack to get those kinds of credits.” [07:15]
- Both reflect on the irony of CEUs—many are only technically useful, adding extra hoops for compliance.
3. The Human Side of Practice: Nostalgia, Sketching, and Family Stories
[06:00–15:56]
- Cormac’s nostalgia for old tools and objects reflects loyalty not just to equipment but to architecture’s traditions.
- A humorous story about a family trip gone awry at the Guggenheim Museum (“the Googan Slime incident”), illustrating how real-life often interrupts the best-laid architectural pilgrimages.
- Cormac: “We now refer to it as the googan slime.” [12:28]
- Evan’s own, less eventful but deeply appreciative, visit to the “Goog.”
- Reflection on how non-architects (family included) share or don't share these design pilgrimages.
4. Modern Leadership and Tech Trajectories in Architecture
[16:11–29:36]
- Evan recounts moderating a leadership panel at the AEC Tech Conference by Core Studio at Thornton Tomasetti, featuring tech-driven firm leaders from Populous, CBT, HKS, and SOM.
- This represents a shift: technology specialists now lead major firms, a pathway less recognized in earlier generations.
- Ed: “There actually isn’t such thing anymore as a quote unquote digital practice… It’s everywhere.” [22:01]
- Cormac: “You essentially have to drop the digital part of practice and it’s just practice.” [22:36]
- The importance of audience-driven discussions at conferences, which yield more authentic, insightful answers compared to standard presentations.
5. Passion, Hiring, and the Spark That Drives Careers
[29:36–35:59]
- The takeaway from the leadership panel: firms value passion and enthusiasm as much as credentials.
- Ed: “The reason he [Shane Berger of SOM] hired the last person...was because of their enthusiasm for what they do. And that excitement got him excited.” [31:38]
- Discussion about how student reviews and job interviews can lose sight of passion.
- Cormac: “Did you enjoy this? What excited you about it?” [33:52]
- Both hosts agree: finding joy and fun in practice sustains architects during hard times.
6. Mentoring, Early-Career Mindsets, and Avoiding Cynicism
[35:59–38:40]
- New architects often expect to start with mundane tasks (“toilet room details”).
- The hosts urge leaders to prevent this experience from quashing ambition and creativity.
- Ed: “We need to watch out so that that doesn’t just become the hole that they are pigeonholed into.” [37:17]
- Cormac: “I just don’t want them to go into a profession already jaded with expectations of limitations.” [38:18]
7. Inspiration from the Built Environment: New York Visits and Place-making
[38:40–53:19]
- Evan recounts his visit to Little Island in New York—a blend of landscape, infrastructure, and fun, designed by Heatherwick Studio.
- Both reflect on the importance of play, whimsy, and human experience in architecture.
- Cormac: “Where has the whimsy gone?” [42:45]
- Stories about the design importance of transitional spaces, hardscape, and landscape integration (Florida Southern campus, Frank Lloyd Wright’s work, etc.).
- Both reflect on the importance of play, whimsy, and human experience in architecture.
- Emphasize how masterful site and building integration can truly capture the essence of a place.
8. Closing: Why We Still Love This Profession
[53:19–end]
- The episode wraps with Cormac sketching a caricature of Evan—a symbol of the enduring fun and camaraderie that also defines architectural practice.
- Underlying message: Despite moments of frustration, bureaucracy, and burnout, learning, creating, and experiencing architecture’s joys keep both seasoned and young architects hooked.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Tools and Value:
- Cormac: “The quality of the computers that we are assigned...they don't align.” [00:34]
- Ed: “It's a rounding error.” [02:14]
- On Licensure:
- Cormac: “You always love the first [license], right?” [05:32]
- On Technology in Practice:
- Ed: “There isn’t such a thing anymore as a quote unquote digital practice… It’s everywhere.” [22:01]
- Cormac: “It's just practice because that's what practice is these days.” [22:36]
- On Hiring:
- Ed: “The reason he hired the last person…was because of their enthusiasm for what they do. And that excitement got him excited.” [31:38]
- On Nurturing Students:
- Cormac: “Did you have fun? Did you enjoy this? What excited you about it?” [33:52]
- On Whimsy in Architecture:
- Cormac: “Where has the whimsy gone? …Why not get playful with place?” [42:45]
- On the Profession:
- Ed: “You need role models in those positions…there's a path for me that I didn't realize was a path for me, because my professors in school never talked about that as an option.” [27:29]
Important Segments (Timestamps)
- 00:00–04:55—Tech woes and resource allocation in firms
- 04:55–10:58—Continued education and licensure frustrations
- 12:20–15:56—Guggenheim “Googan Slime” story and design pilgrimages
- 16:11–29:36—AEC Tech Conference: panel highlights, technology’s rise in firm leadership
- 29:36–35:59—Hiring for passion, not just skill; avoiding boredom in design reviews
- 38:40–42:25—Little Island & the value of playful, experiential places
- 48:45–53:19—Frank Lloyd Wright’s Florida Southern; masterful site/building integration
- 53:19–end—Sketching, laughter, and affirmation of architectural passion
Tone & Style
The episode is marked by unvarnished honesty, self-deprecating humor, warmth, and deep care for the profession. Both hosts speak as seasoned insiders, balancing wry complaint with real affection for architecture’s learning, mentoring, and creative possibilities. Their conversation is inclusive, urging listeners at all career stages to rediscover the “spark” that makes the work endure.
For more candid architectural conversations, explore past episodes at archispeakpodcast.com.