devour design

I'm pretty thrilled about Archispeak being named one of ArchDaily's best architecture podcasts in the post "The 7 Best Podcasts Hosted by Architects, for Architects". As always, we're in great company.

Frank Lloyd Wright would be 150 years old today, and thinking of him immediately took me back to my childhood. At around 8 or 9 years old, I replicated his floor plans on grid paper of my own. I would beg my parents to buy me plan books or find books in the library because they were utterly fascinating, and I remember specifically drawing the Robie house (seen below) and being in awe of the kinds of plans he designed mainly because it didn't look anything like the houses I had lived in. I only thought of them as 'plans' at that time... I didn't even know they were real buildings! But then at one point I remember seeing pictures of the Wingspread house (in the slideshow below) for the first time thinking that it couldn't be real. How could that be a house? Mind. Blown 💥.

It's amazing to me what a man with such an incredible vision and creativity could do with a pencil.

I've had the opportunity to visit a few FLW buildings—the Hollyhock house in Hollywood, the Ennis house in Hollywood, the Gammage theater at ASU, and Taliesn West in Scottsdale. I've always loved my experiences in them and obviously I have a lot more to see. He designed over 500 built works.

A few different trips to Joshua Tree National Park are part of this video compilation of mostly time lapse footage. 

Take a second to subscribe to my YouTube channel. It's my goal to make more of these short films, and by subscribing you'll be the first to know when I post the next one!

My gear:

The kids and I were inspired to make a short film about two rival street lugers, and we're excited to show it to you!

By far, the question I get asked the most is, “How do you do so much?” Another version I hear a lot is, “I don’t know how you do everything you do.” I get the same question/comment weekly if not more often. I’m going to put some thoughts on the page here so I can point people to this blog so they can read about it if they want to. Hopefully you’ll get something out of this too.  

In a nutshell, I do a lot. I don’t take time off too often. I’m nearly maxed-out on PTO. But when I do, I make it count. I don’t watch much TV. I don’t like to sit still. I love making things. I want to do even more. I sleep seven hours a night (I only say this because I won’t sacrifice sleep—I need to stay healthy so I can do more). I like to record podcasts. I haven’t decided if I’ll write another book. I recently made an online course to teach others a 3d program. I’m designing (and am going to build) a custom camping trailer from scratch. I’m a licensed architect. I mentor people. I lead. I’m on many teams. I want to be outdoors more. I like to exercise. I love rock climbing. I miss making music. I want to travel and see things. I want to have experiences. I want to be inspired. I want to be with my family. 

I think about two words quite often: freedom and impact.

I like making goals. Part of the reason I like making goals for myself is that I enjoy progress. I try to go through the goal setting exercise once a quarter. Some goals are short burns, and some are long term. 

I also like autonomy. Autonomy serves me well. I don’t like having to move at someone else’s speed limit (and this doesn’t always mean I like to move faster). Autonomy gives me the freedom to do more with my life than most people are comfortable taking on. It also allows for me to do meaningful work, to me at least. 

The word ‘freedom’ immediately came to me earlier this year when Mark LePage asked the EntreArchitect Facebook group to "Pick one word that defines your focus for 2017.” There were lots of great words added in the thread that day and for many days after that. I wrote ‘freedom' that day because it meant autonomy among other subtleties. 

So freedom was my word… for about 3 months. I've now changed it. Don’t get me wrong, freedom hasn’t been banished. It’s still there, but it’s not the priority. It’s now periphery. Hopefully it’ll be an outcome of my new word: impact.

Why did I change my word? Because I want to make a difference. Freedom was selfish. Freedom was for me. Impact is for others. Impact is my why. Why do I do what I do? To make an impact. To help others. To make a difference. To push the boundaries. To color outside the lines. To make progress. To allow for change. For better.

In case you’re wondering, I’m no different than anyone else. You could choose to do anything I do. You might be able to do it better. You just have to decide if it’s worth doing. What's important? What’s your priority?

If I could ask you to do three things, they would be:

Care more about something. Talk about it. Share it.

Do more. More, more, more. This often means doing less of something else. Take inventory and make tough decisions on what you can cut.

Get some personal time with the instructor of FormZ Fundamentals!

To help ease you into the course and to make the launch of my new course more enticing, I've decided to add an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session Friday, April 28th 2017 at 1pm PDT. Join me for a half hour of live Q&A after you've had a week to get into the course, and ask questions about FormZ Fundamentals—tools, workflows... anything you want.

This will only be available to members of the FormZ Fundamentals course. Once you’re signed up, you'll receive an email before the event with the details on how to connect.

Sign up today!

Bonus:

I was recently asked to answer a couple of questions for a new podcast called Inside The Firm about working within the profession of architecture. The questions come from Alex Gore and Lance Cayko of the prestigious firm F9 Productions in Longmont, Colorado. Here are their questions:

1. What is the worst advice you have ever gotten in your career? 2. What is the best advice you have ever gotten in your career? 

Listen in to hear my answers, and be sure to listen to their other episodes. I'm enjoying what the guys at F9 are doing. And they came out with a new episode every Friday, so subscribe!

Next week I'm launching a new video course on the Method website. I've been working on it for the last 3 months and am happy it's almost here!

Leading up to the launch, I'll be previewing a small video section of the course each day. Each video will be about 5 minutes long, so I have socially engineered them to be the perfect distraction.

I won't post the updates here on this site each day, so be sure to check it out and then go back each day to see a new section of the course as they are revealed. Of course you can follow along on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook as well if that's your thing.

In 2014 I had the opportunity to collaborate on a design project that was something out of the ordinary, and I recently went looking to see if I could find it online. Youtube to the rescue! 

Working with my friend and colleague Mark Schoeman, we were given full leeway to design and produce English subtitles for a short film that is in French. You might think that there's no design opportunities in subtitles; they're pretty boring, right? But we came up with what I like to think is a creative approach. Our subtitles really add to the film, help tell the story in a more intimate way, and set it apart. If you have the chance to see it, it's worth your time.

Anyway I just thought it would be fun to put this up on my blog. It was interesting work, especially for a couple of architects, and at the same time difficult (working in another language, and the sheer amount of subtitle work that had to be done). In the end we had to do it twice—once in french for the North American release and then again in english for the release in France. 

The film went on the festival circuit and won five awards. You can learn more on its IMDB page.

Here's the trailer that gives a glimpse of the story and what we did:

I've been sharing on a couple of podcasts lately. 

First, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Enoch Sears who is an architect and the publisher and founder of the Business of Architecture website and podcast. We talked about the Archispeak podcast, ARE Hacks, and lots of other fun stuff. It comes in two parts, and you can listen to them or view them here:

Part 1 - Behind the Scenes of the Archispeak Podcast: Intervew with Evan Troxel Part 2 - Passing the Architect Registration Exam: ARE Hacks with Evan Troxel

I was also interviewed on the Entrepreneur Architect podcast by Mark LePage where I discussed my origin story, my projects, my day job, and my book. This one was a lot of fun. Mark asks great questions. 

We got into some things my book reveals in a candid conversation:

It’s very easy to schedule a test and show up to take it, but the hard part is to prepare: diet, nutrition, how to deal with distractions, learning to study, choosing to study with others or without, how to study around your family, etc. It’s less about hacking the ARE and more hacking your life.

Until the end of 2016, my grass presets are on sale for $79. Make your renderings look better and save yourself time doing it. Upgrade your tool kit and make yourself more valuable!

My book, ARE Hacks, is all about choosing yourself: you have to decide to get your license for you; to make yourself more valuable; to finish what you started; to make our profession better in the future. Within the chapters of the book I give practical strategies, advice, tips and tricks, resource recommendations, and what to expect throughout the process of sitting for the exams. I talk about the psychological affects of passing and failing, and it includes the consolation of knowing what you're going through. Like I say in the book, passing the ARE is the hardest thing I've done, and I want to help you however I can to ensure your success.

Our profession needs you! 2017 is right around the corner and you might be thinking about making a resolution. Or you might be avoiding it like I did for so long.

I know... I was there not so long ago

I know you are sick of hearing the persistent voice in the back of your mind that keeps telling you to get your license.

I know you are pissed-off that you can’t legally call yourself an architect yet. You keep dreaming up new titles that don’t get you in trouble with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) or the state you work in, yet honor your talents and hard work because you’re not a “real” architect.

I know that you aren’t even sure you want to officially join the profession of architecture and become a liable professional. It’s so screwed-up, right?

I know that you say you’re going to start but you keep putting it off. But I also know you want to be done with it more than ever. Why else would you keep putting “GET LICENSED” in your best all-caps architectural lettering on your New Year’s Resolutions? Year after year, it’s the returning goal that is quickly forgotten.

I know that life gets in the way. I know you don’t have time. I also know you want to move on and elevate your career.

I know it’s difficult. It certainly was for me.

I know you’re this close to starting. Next week, probably. Yet next week never comes, does it?

Why now?

It’s a huge commitment, no doubt. It’s a task that requires the kind of perseverance you might not know that you have. But with the launch of ARE 5.0 by NCARB just a few weeks ago, there has never been a better time to become licensed, especially if you've already been authorized to test for version 4. You have the unprecedented opportunity to take just five tests instead of the six in ARE 5 or the seven tests that ARE 4 demands. You read that correctly, and NCARB outlines the process on their website. Because of the way exam content has been mapped to bridge between the coexisting versions of the exam for the next year and a half (until June 30, 2018), candidates can use this 3+2 strategy that takes advantage of the transition like never before. This means you can take fewer tests. After that final date, all candidates will be automatically transitioned into ARE 5. 

And while my book is not about what to study to pass all those tests, it is about how to make the space in your busy life to accomplish your goal of passing the ARE. It's not easy. We all have commitments and lots of excuses. I've been through all of it—the good and the bad—and have laid out an effective plan you can use so you don't have to figure it all out by yourself.

With the end of 2016 quickly approaching, it's a time of reflection and planning for what you'll conquer next year. I hope you'll take the next few weeks and do some introspection about getting your license and ultimately decide to become an architect in 2017. Make it your year. Allow me help get you motivated and give you the tools and the plan that you need to succeed. That is the reason I wrote ARE Hacks, and I know it will help you achieve your goals. 

Find out if ARE Hacks is for you. Read the reviews here and sign up for the email newsletter to get a free chapter by entering your name and email on that page.

My first talk since publishing ARE Hacks is happening in Southern California on November 10, 2016 at the AIA Orange County office from 7pm – 9pm. I'll be talking tips, tricks, strategies, and hacks so you can conquer the Architect Registration Exam and help make our profession better. 

I originally didn't plan on writing a paper version of my book, but I ended up doing it. I started with the idea that I wanted my book to embody the spirit of how I studied for the Architect Registration Exam myself, meaning, whenever possible. I wanted the reader to have the ability to bring up my book at any moment of the day, and the only way to do that was to get it on their device that is already in their purse or pocket.

Building on my last post about VR, here's the latest tech from Google called Tilt Brush. I told you that VR was going to be huge this year, and this is the latest mouth-watering entry into the burgeoning field of virtual reality.

This example is using the HTC Vive system. Users get a 9' cube of blank canvas space to work within. In one hand you have the motion-tracked 'brush' and in the other you have your 3 dimensional painter's 'palette'. The brushes are dynamic, much like using the Apple Pencil or a Wacom tablet with jitter and flow variations, except now in 3d. There are internal and external sensors tracking your every move, essentially constructing all of your brush elements in real time and keeping them in the exact spot you place them as you wave your magic wand-brush. 

This looks incredible. Everyone needs to see this video. Make no mistake – there will be tools like this developed for architecture, and I can't wait.

After you watch the video, head over to the Tilt Brush site and check out their additional videos that highlight the other aspects of the system. 

My awareness of Prince started when I was in the 5th grade and heard Little Red Corvette and Raspberry Beret for the first time on a cassette. Then I vividly remember seeing his Purple Rain album pressed on purple vinyl, of course. In more recent years it was all about his guitar playing for me. Here are a few of my favorites live moments. 

Going rock climbing in Joshua Tree National Park is one of those activities that I don't get enough of anymore. Luckily a friend of mine at work set up a trip far enough in advance that I could actually make it happen. The three of us left before dawn and spent the day on an adventure I hope to repeat more often. 

We only were able to do a couple of climbs and some bouldering problems because real rock climbing, unlike climbing at the local climbing gym (for the most part), has real consequences. The anchors at the top are carefully evaluated and triple-checked for safety, then triple-checked again just because. That, and some incredibly powerful winds slowed the whole process down a bit more. It really didn't matter. Spirits were high and the climbing was fantastic. 

It's this kind of thing I find more and more that gives my life incredible meaning. Spending time outdoors on real adventures, risking more than would ever be possible in a cubicle at the office, is what I strive to make of my life. As they say, we only live once. Better make it real. 

I want more experiences that are real; somehow more tangible and in the moment. Putting tape on my hands to keep what skin I have left where it belongs, but still being OK when the rock takes a sample just makes the memories even stronger. 

Climbing to the top of Headstone Rock a third time in 20 years is still one of the most exhilarating feelings I've ever felt. Helping others at the sharp end of the rope get to the top to share the experience is a bonding moment I won't forget. 

A few people were nearby at the Coachella music festival. I felt like I was on another planet hanging onto holds made for few people to cling to. Placing my toes on a crystal just so; jambing my fingers and hands into Colorado Crack to get through the crux; grinding the gear on my harness into the cliff as I shimmy up a little further - these are the things I love. 

There are not too many places I'd rather be. Solving problems on a 100 foot tall granite cliff is probably better than being an architect. Luckily I get to do both.

Click the photos for larger versions.