Archispeak #386 – “If Not Me, Then Who?”

April 3, 2026
Hosts: Evan Troxel & Cormac Phalen

Episode Overview

In this honest and wide-ranging conversation, Cormac Phalen and Evan Troxel dig deep into the experience of working on long-duration, highly complex architectural projects. Drawing from Cormac’s personal stories and firm experiences, they explore project ownership, career development, the challenge of persistent complexity, code evolution, and finding meaning amid the grind of architectural practice. This is a reflective and practical look at what keeps architects engaged and motivated over years-long projects — and why asking “why?” is the most important skill in the profession.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Reality of Long-Term Projects

• Site Stories & Project Tenure

  • Cormac shares his current experience on a project nearing its 10-year anniversary. Several team members, including an intern-turned-full-timer, have worked exclusively on this project since joining the firm.
  • Quote:

    “This has been their only job since they’ve joined the firm. And one of them, he has been on it from the start, and this has been his one and only project.” (02:19, Cormac)

• Ownership and Continuity

  • The group emphasizes the irreplaceable value of deep continuity for complex projects, especially through Construction Administration.
  • Quote:

    “I don’t want to see anybody else finish this... We want to finish this.” (03:45, Cormac)

• Drawbacks & Challenges

  • Staying on one project is both a privilege and a burden: the grind is real, and career breadth can suffer.
  • “Here’s one picture in my portfolio… that experience is hard and really that exact.” (14:15, Cormac & Evan)

2. Navigating Complexity, Change, and Building Codes

• Layers of Complexity

  • The discussed project involves 600,000 sq. ft., deep retrofits, adjacency to existing campus/tunnels, ongoing occupancy, and enormous cost ($600 million).
  • Quote:

    “I mean, we’re talking about a project that currently… we’re closing in on— not sure if I’m supposed to say this out loud, but I’ll say it anyway— 600 billion. It’s a big project, big complex project.” (04:24, Cormac)

• The Impact of COVID and Design Revisions

  • The pandemic forced major mid-construction redesign.
  • “Covid gave us the opportunity to redesign after we had already started construction. And so, I mean, this was quite a challenging thing.” (02:49, Cormac)

• Challenges with Building Code Evolution

  • Permitted under the 2015 code; now the city is on the 2021 code, creating “edge cases.”
  • Anecdote about code officials:

    “Their argument was: well, if you were renovating a 100-year-old building, would you want to use 100-year-old codes?… That doesn’t make much sense.” (19:35–20:12, Cormac & Evan)

  • Cormac relates attending a seminar where his project was a “one-in-a-million” case that upended the presenter’s examples.
  • Quote:

    “Here’s a guy that’s not even… local to the area that comes up and says, hey, I want to show you guys that there are those one in a million cases that you actually will deal with every weird nuance and gray area within the code.” (23:11, Cormac)

3. Project Morale, Purpose, and Silver Linings

• Finding Meaning Amid the Grind

  • The necessity to seek purpose, given the relentless grind and slow progress that characterizes such large projects.

  • Quote:

    “Sometimes you just gotta roll with the punches. …Your entire career could be wrapped up with: I’ve built new, I’ve done a renovation… every challenge that probably you and I have faced in a variety of different projects throughout our career, these guys are facing in one project alone.” (12:21, Cormac)

  • The importance of looking for silver linings and historical significance in the work:

    “How many other people in your profession are dealing with the things that you’re dealing with?” (24:22, Cormac)

  • Re-energizing comes from stepping back, reflecting, and recognizing the uniqueness of one's contribution.

4. The Centrality of "Why?"—Career Advice and Professional Perspective

• The Power of Asking Why

  • Cormac stresses the habit of putting a “question mark” on his desk to continually ask "why"—in design, decision-making, and personal motivation.
  • Quote:

    "Why are we doing this? Why are we asking about this? Why did you make that decision? ...If you don’t question yourself first, then when somebody else questions you, you’re not going to know the answer.” (30:29–31:13, Cormac)

• Keeping Perspective when the Grind Feels Overwhelming

  • Both hosts acknowledge that project managers or mentors should help teams zoom out and regain purpose, but ultimately, self-motivation is essential:

    “You kind of do have to do it for yourself.” (29:08, Evan)

• The Grind and the Passion

  • Evan and Cormac poke fun at the “fast-paced, dynamic work environment” trope in job ads, pointing out that these can come with long, draining, and thankless phases:

    “Fast paced and dynamic. And a grind, like a serious grind, right?” (27:24, Evan)

  • The conversation ends on the need to retain passion despite being “ground down to a nub,” and to value one’s work regardless.

    “But you make the nicest breads with the smoothest flour.” (32:53, Evan)

Memorable Quotes

• “Who better to do it than the people who really know this project?” (03:03, Cormac)
• “You sound like you’re a pitch person for the army or something.” (09:42, Evan)
• “If not me, who?” (09:41, Cormac)
• “Why didn’t I fight for this… you have to always ask yourself why.” (31:10–31:42, Cormac)
• “You have to come to work with a passion, even if it takes 10 years and grinds you down slowly… But I’m just a little nub.” (32:39–32:43, Cormac)

Notable Timestamps

• 02:19 — Project team’s continuity and long-term involvement
• 04:24 — Magnitude and cost of the ongoing project
• 09:41 — The “if not me, who?” mentality
• 14:15 — The downside of spending a decade on one project (portfolio impact)
• 19:35–20:12 — Frustrations with shifting building codes and permitting authorities
• 23:00 — "One in a million" project code scenarios
• 24:22 — Finding meaning and silver linings in unique project challenges
• 30:29–31:13 — The habit of always asking “why?”
• 32:39–32:53 — Burnout humor and ending on a passionate note

Tone & Takeaways

The conversation is candid, pragmatic, and infused with dry humor. The difficulties of architectural practice are treated with frankness, but both hosts ultimately advocate for cultivating a sense of ownership, persistent curiosity (“why?”), and mindful self-renewal. The episode offers practical insights for emerging architects and seasoned professionals alike: no matter how drawn-out or challenging a project, meaning must be created by the individuals who shape it.