Paths in the profession
What does it look like to use your expertise outside of the traditional architecture firm setting? Three architects reflect on their career paths.
Letter from the editor
By Karen Courtney, FSMPS, AIA
The architecture profession is one of creative problem solving in designing aesthetic and comfortable environments for human endeavors. Although most architects use their training in traditional practice settings to fulfill this purpose, the skill set developed as an architect can be applied to many other careers. In this issue of the Practice Management Digest, three less traditional paths in the profession are examined to highlight the diverse and important ways architects are contributing to the built environment.
Our first story explores the career of Steven Grant, AIA, who parlayed his early love of theater and architecture training into a 28-year career as an Imagineer for Disney. Now in his encore career, Steve is applying this experience to teach the next generation of theme park professionals as the Program Director for the graduate program in themed environments at the University of Florida’s City Lab in Orlando.
College and university work represents a major market for many firms and often the client is another architect. The second feature shares the career of Kathryn Horne, FAIA, who went from 25 years of working on educational projects in a traditional practice to becoming the director of planning design and construction at the fast-growing University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Lastly, the 25-year career of Randall Vaughn, FAIA, is explored. Randall is the Vice President of Professional Services at Gray of Lexington, Kentucky, a fully integrated construction, engineering, design and real estate firm and a pioneer in design-build delivery and construction for complex projects.
With this issue, my editorship of the Practice Management Digest comes to a close. Having also taken a different career path - as an architect turned marketing and business development professional for over 30 years - it seemed fitting to explore the diversity of architectural career paths for my last issue. Taking over as editor is Rebecca Edmunds, AIA, who segued her career in textile fiber research and technical development to architecture and now has her own communications practice devoted to advancing the voice of architects for awards, articles, strategic visioning and project pursuits. Rebecca has many new ideas in store for the PM Digest and is anxious to share them with our readership in future issues.
Features
From Imagineer to professor
By Steven Grant, AIA
How does one become a Disney Imagineer? A licensed architect shares his career path, including his 28-year career as an Imagineer, requiring collaboration with a broad range of disciplines beyond typical architectural practice.
The university architect
By Kathryn Horne, FAIA
Transitioning from work in a firm to become a university architect allows for a deep understanding of the institution while maintaining a long-range vision. It brings unique challenges, but offers rewards unique to the long-term relationship.
Construction-side design
By Randall Vaughn, FAIA
How does your work change when you do construction-side design? For this architect, it presented an opportunity to bring creativity and design-thinking to the business, while providing greater insight into contractor constraints and potential barriers within the pre-construction efforts, leading to optimized building designs, costs, and schedules.
Contribute to the Digest
The future issues of the Practice Management Digest are currently planned to cover topics such as human resources, cultivating culture in your firm, business basics, and research in practice. If you have other topics related to practice management that you’d like explored or any articles you would like us to consider for inclusion, please contact pmkc@aia.org.