In this Tangents episode, we speak with ELLEN ABRAHAM, Chief Pin Officer at Architect Pins, one of our amazing OOA Advisors and Senior Project Manager and Co-Founder of Equity Design Lab @ SOM. In this episode, Ellen Abraham discusses the power of architects as change makers and the importance of thinking beyond traditional roles in the industry. She shares her background in architecture, from growing up in Dominica to pursuing her education and career in New York. Ellen also highlights her current role as a Senior Project Manager at SOM and the founding of the Equity Design Lab, which focuses ..read more

Our guest today is Chi Bhatia, VP of Strategy & Growth at One Plan, a SaaS start-up that builds 2D & 3D technology for events & venues. Chi is also part of the amazing career consultant team at Out of Architecture. Hear Chi share his journey from international student to completing LA’s first NFL stadium to now working at a tech startup providing support to the 2024 Paris Olympics. On this episode of Tangents, Chi Bhatia of OnePlan, and Out of Architecture Career Consultant, shares his experiences transitioning from an Senior Designer to VP Strategy and Growth. Hear how being in Lo ..read more

Sam Anderson is an architectural visualization specialist who has carved out a unique career path beyond traditional practice. Sam shares her journey from pursuing architecture at the University of Texas to realizing her true passion lies in visualization. She discusses her experiences working in various roles, including at architecture firms, Epic Games, and ultimately starting her own visualization studio. Sam emphasizes the importance of storytelling and using real-time rendering technology to showcase designs in more immersive ways. She highlights the potential of these tools to empower a ..read more

Jeffrey Yoo Warren, is a multidisciplinary artist, educator, and crafter whose work explores themes of cultural heritage, identity, and community. Jeffrey shares his unique journey from studying architecture to finding his calling in artistic practices deeply rooted in historical research and traditional craftsmanship. Through his residency at the Library of Congress, Jeffrey talks about the reconstruction of early Asian American communities and neighbourhoods, creating immersive virtual and physical models that invite viewers to experience and connect with these often-overlooked histories.&nb ..read more

Our guest today, Lauren Kimball, Experience Design Director @ Edelman, shares her journey from architecture to advertising. She emphasizes the importance of being honest and open in client meetings and offers advice for architecture students looking to explore alternative career paths. Lauren also discusses her platform, Find by Design, which showcases black designers across various disciplines. Through her experiences, she highlights the power of collaboration and the value of pursuing work that you are passionate about. Highlights: Architecture students have an amazing foundation in human-c ..read more

William Dodge shares his unique career journey, from applying to architecture school multiple times, working as a janitor, and eventually becoming a managing principal at a major architecture firm.He discusses his approach to architecture - creating community-focused spaces rather than just facilitating buildings. William talks about starting his own practice, Public, to do great work with wonderful people while getting paid his value. He also runs a public art firm called Gang of Three. Throughout the conversation, William offers advice on being fearless, hustling, and doing your best work wi ..read more

Our guest today, Jill Shah, Production Designer at Future Colossal, shares how she capitalizes on her abilities as a generalist, asserts herself to create opportunities, and harnesses the power of storytelling in design. Highlights: Leverage spatial design skills from architecture in experience design by focusing on technology integration and storytelling instead of just function. As a generalist, talk confidently about your broad skillset and give examples of how you've tackled challenging, multidisciplinary projects. Be assertive in asking for opportunities to expand your role and prove you ..read more

In this episode, I spoke with Ozzie Gonzalez, Principal and Owner of P3 Consulting, (people, planet, profit) about his fascinating journey from architecture into environmental consulting. Ozzie has applied his architecture skills to help companies develop sustainability policies and embed social responsibility into their work.   We discuss how Ozzie got started in green building, and expanded into broader corporate strategy during the recession. He shared great insights on working with clients ready for bold change and bringing more creativity into consulting. I appreciated Ozzie’s pers ..read more

Our guest today, Benjamin Llewellyn joins me to share his winding journey from graduating with an architecture degree to becoming a freelance illustrator and background artist for animated television shows. Though architecture and illustration seem different, Benjamin finds his architectural background gives him an edge in creating realistic environments and backgrounds. He enjoys the constant variety and creativity of freelance work.   See Ben's work here: https://www.vagabondsketchbook.com Highlights: Benjamin's journey from architecture school to working odd jobs before breaking into ..read more

Our guest, Charlie Edmonds, Co-Founder of Future Architects Front, calls for collective action to address exploitative practices and envisions a world where architecture prioritizes social needs over capital interests. Charlie is the co-founder of Future Architects Front (FAF), a grassroots organization working to address issues like unpaid overtime, low fees, and poor construction quality in the architecture industry. Charlie discusses how he and co-founder Priti became frustrated with the exploitative conditions in architecture and started FAF to advocate for wider political and economic s ..read more