Podcast
Life of an Architect
Hosted by Bob Borson and Andrew Hawkins · EN
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 people in a meaningful way without requiring an understanding of the jargon or knowledge of the history of the profession. With a creative mix of humor and practicality, Borson’s stories are informative, engaging, and approachable, using first-person narratives and anecdotes that have introduced transparency into what it really means to be a practicing architect. To learn more about Bob, Andrew, and what life is like as an architect, please visit Lifeofanarchitect.com
14episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Ep 202: From Practice to Professor
2w ago00:55:44Tap to summarizeSo 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.
Transcribe →Ep 201: The Middle of Middle Management
4w ago01:04:26Tap to summarizeMiddle management is not usually the part of a career anyone dreams about, which is probably fair since most dreams do not involve inheriting more responsibility while time and authority stand nearby pretending they were not invited. Still, there is something important that happens in that space if you are paying attention. You start to see how decisions move through a firm, how unclear expectations become someone else’s burden, and how much leadership depends on remembering what pressure felt like before you had the ability to pass it along.
Transcribe →Ep 200: Hate to Love You
May 301:06:22Tap to summarizeEp 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.
Transcribe →Episode 199: Conflict Resolution
Apr 1901:05:40Tap to summarizeEp 199: Conflict Resolution explores how architects manage tension, stay useful under pressure, and move hard conversations toward better outcomes.
Transcribe →Ep 198: The Creative Process
Apr 501:00:25Tap to summarizeEp 198: The Creative Process | Why creativity in architecture depends on process, judgment, and knowing which ideas are worth pursuing
Transcribe →Episode 197: The Knowledge Gap
Mar 2201:01:04Tap to summarizeEp197: The Knowledge Gap: As veteran architects retire, the profession risks losing hard-won knowledge, mentorship, and judgment no handbook can replace.
Transcribe →Ep 196: Do Architects Retire
Mar 800:58:45Tap to summarizeEp 196: Do Architects Retire explores why architects work longer, what comes next, identity shifts, and how money choices that shape retirement options.
Transcribe →Ep 195: Designing Your Own House
Feb 2201:03:36Tap to summarizeDesigning Your Own House explores why architects hesitate to design their own homes: pressure, endless choices, ego vs livability, money, and what it reveals.
Transcribe →Ep 194: Being Your Own Boss
Feb 800:59:46Tap to summarizeBeing your own boss isn’t about starting a firm. It’s about control, momentum, money, and owning the tradeoffs shaping your career long before you noticed.
Transcribe →Ep 193: The Client Experience
Jan 2501:06:01Tap to summarizeEp 193: The Client Experience, looks at why client relationships feel adversarial and why architects have more control than they think.
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