logo
episode-header-image
Oct 9
15m 21s

Why be an architect today?

The Architecture Foundation
About this episode

Scaffold is back this week, with an episode that asks a simple question: why be an architect today?


The Architecture Foundation is based inside the office of AHMM in Clerkenwell, which, back in July, hosted a summer school for teenagers just beginning to explore architecture.


We decided to speak with some of them, to try and understand what draws young people to this profession today, what they think architecture is for, and how they imagine their futures in it.


In these short conversations you get a strong impression of the perennial motivations that push people toward careers in shaping the built environment, despite the seemingly diminishing returns of practicing architecture today.


Speaking with these students about their convictions give us a lot of hope: that the culture of architecture today, its perceived importance in society, and the esteem it’s held in, might still be elevated, and remain worthy of the ambition and altruism that is clearly in no short supply in this incoming generation.


Special thanks this week to all the summer school students, and to Claire Pollock / AHMM


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Nov 13
playbody
Today’s episode considers a part of the built environment that’s often overlooked in architectural discourse, yet has become one of the most vibrant sites of experimentation in recent years: the nightclub.Since the post-COVID resurgence of nightlife, we’ve seen club spaces music ... Show More
1h 9m
Nov 6
OMA at 50
This special guest episode marks the launch of the podcast OMA at 50.Conceived and produced by architect Richard Hall, the series explores the Office for Metropolitan Architecture’s enduring influence on architectural culture, featuring conversations with an incredible roster of ... Show More
51m 16s
Oct 31
Truwant + Rodet +
Truwant+Rodet+ is a Basel-based architecture firm founded in 2015 by Charlotte Truwant and Dries Rodet, which operates across the fields of architecture, landscape urbanism, exhibition making, installations, furniture design, research, and teaching.In 2017, they received the Swis ... Show More
1h 24m
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2019
016: Architecture in the Real World
What is it like to be an architect? Architecture in the real world is a lot different than people think. Does school prepare you for being an architect? 
48m 25s
Mar 2019
021: Making an Architect
Becoming an architect is the dream of many people, but it is rare that these individuals learn enough about themselves and what it means to be an architect prior to finding themselves in a position to have to make the decision to actually become an architect. 
58m 37s
Aug 2023
Christian Parreno, "Boredom, Architecture, and Spatial Experience" (Bloomsbury, 2021)
Boredom is a ubiquitous feature of modern life. Endured by everyone, it is both cause and effect of modernity, and of situations, spaces and surroundings. As such, this book argues, boredom shares an intimate relationship with architecture-one that has been seldom explored in arc ... Show More
35m 6s
Sep 29
How Zaha Hadid Architects Built a Global, Scalable Practice Without Compromising Design Integrity | EP654
End chaos in your firm—300+ peers use this framework. Free video here: https://www.businessofarchitecture.com/framework What if the very systems meant to support architects are actually holding them back? In this powerful episode, Rion Willard sits down with Patrik Schumacher, Pr ... Show More
1h 11m
Aug 2024
#407 - The Best Part About Being an Architect
<p dir="ltr">This week David and Marina of <a href= "https://www.famearchitects.com/">FAME Architecture & Design</a> share their favorite aspects of being an architect. They discussed ongoing learning opportunities; building something from nothing; architecture camaraderie; const ... Show More
1h 21m
Nov 2018
Reaching the top of a skyscraper - the success of architect Ed Shim
Ed Shim is a principal at HLW and the managing director in the NYC office. Shim knew he wanted to go into Architecture when he was young. Having had the opportunity to take architecture class in High school strengthen his will to move into the field as an architect and study arch ... Show More
30m 32s
Feb 2025
Ep 170: Architecture School versus the Real World
There is a moment of realization that occurs when you get your first real job in an architectural office that maybe architecture school and what is now going to be expected from you are a little out of phase with one another. Are you prepared, do the differences matter, and what ... Show More
1h 8m
Nov 2024
#419 - Art vs Architecture
<p>This week David and Marin<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">a of <a href="https://www.famearchitects.com/">FAME Architecture & Design</a></span> discuss Art vs Architecture. They covered the similarities and differences between artists and architects; creative freedom; mediums ... Show More
1h 24m
Dec 2024
#423 - Our Failures in Architecture
<p>This week David and Marin<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">a of <a href="https://www.famearchitects.com/">FAME Architecture & Design</a></span> discuss their failures in architecture and advice for aspiring architects. The two touched on design exploration during university; ... Show More
1h 26m