The Studio 11: It’s Not All About Tim

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Peter Kaupert ’05, joins us for a discussion about working in a small firm. Tim gets a job, tries to start a fight and panics about his pending test. Haley goes back in time and we say good bye to an Architectural icon. Oh and theStudio at sloArch.com!

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Show Notes

Tim gets a new job!!!! woo hooo!!! Out of a few hundred applications he made it through a marathon of interviews. Cheers! (http://www.rls.com/)

Introducing Peter!

• Blast from the past!! We all met in studio during second year (just a bit of trivia for you all).

News

Lots of reviews happening this week! Great job to all of you students this week.

• Bring Google Fiber to SLO rally
  • Tuesday Mar. 16th at 5pm, Mission Plaza
  • http://www.google.com/appserve/fiberrfi/
  • http://www.ksby.com/news/rally-in-slo-next-week-to-entice-google/
  • #/event.php?eid=10150099269000246
• Falling water Lego set
  • http://shop.lego.com/ByTheme/Product.aspx#21005&cn=627
• Bruce Graham, architect behind nation’s tallest building, dies at 84
  • http://www.bostonherald.com/news/national/midwest/view/20100309bruce_graham_architect_behind_nations_tallest_building_dies_at_84/srvc=home&position=recent
  • Designed the Willis (Sears) Tower, and John Hancock Center
  • Top guy at SOM from 60’s through 80’s
• Times Square Design Contest
  • http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/about/broadway.shtml
  • Entries due by April 16th
• UPDATE: Frank Gehry Quits Museum of Tolerance Project
  • http://archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/2010/100303gehry_quits.asp
  • Recently the site was used as a parking lot!
• U.S. Directs $36 Million Toward Net-Zero Building Research
  • http://archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/2010/100309net-zero.asp
  • University of Tennesee and Berkley Labs
  • researching HVAC systems, facade systems, lighting and interiors, skylights, and building sensors and controls.
• Bill Gates at TED 2010
  • http://www.ted.com/talks/bill_gates.html
  • CO2 output = People x Services Per Person x Energy Per Service x CO2 Per Unit Energy
  • CO2 Per Unit Energy is the only variable that we can reduce to zero in order to end our release of CO2 into the atmosphere during energy production.

Rapid Fire Questions

• Cal Poly or Berkeley? Cal Poly
• Autocad or Revit? Autocad
• Parallel bar or T-Square? Parellel bar
• Facebook or LinkedIn? Facebook
• Arch Record or Arch Digest? Arch Record
• Drafting dots or tape? Electrical Tape!!!
• Yellow trace or white? white
• Ad Markers or Prisma? Ad Makers
• Pen or Pencil? depends on what he’s drawing — pen right now
• Mac or PC? PC

Final score: 1000 points and a high five from Haley

Interview

• What are you up to?
  • Currently lives in Morro Bay.
  • Works for a small firm in Atascadero, only a few people in the office. He’s been working there for over five years since graduating from Cal Poly.
  • The firm does a wide range of work, mainly residential work, small scale assisted care facilities, mulit-family, a few churches.
  • Enjoys being part of a small firm and seeing everything happen
• Currently working towards licensure? progress?
  • Completed most of his IDP
  • Goal to take most of the exams this year.
• Why has he been putting off his AREs?
  • It seems daunting, putting it off until he has more professional experience to help with knowledge needed for the AREs.
  • Tim says: If you’ve gone through Cal Poly you’re well prepared for the exams in his opinion.
  • We chat about the AREs, the reformatted 4.0 exams and passing rates.
• Observations of economy, how is he seeing the effects?
  • Personally he is working less hours.
  • As far as work goes, his firm is seeing less projects in general and current project pace has slowed as well.
  • One of the problems with the slower economy is not just the lack of work but the general disposition about the lack of work, it’s perpetuating itself.
  • Students graduating now must be depressed with all the negativity out there.
  • Staying positive in these down times is key, your attitude helps office moral and reflects well on clients.
• Thoughts on Cal Poly grads out in the industry?
  • Grads are strong in some areas, hence the reputation that we have.
  • From a practical standpoint, Cal Poly Arch. grads.
  • When he came out of school he didn’t know the computer drafting programs well, so that was something he had to develop out in the industry.
  • Now it seems that current Cal Poly Arch students know software more, but it seems that they have acquired that knowledge on their own for the most part.
  • Tim chimes in: At his new job they’ve commented that the Cal Poly Arch Grads are more grounded all around, they know more about how things go together and how to apply that knowledge.
• We bring on a possible street fight with Berkley Grads (all in good fun).
• Thoughts on how the program is changing/improving?
  • Technology and software, it seems that there are more tools at the disposal of students so the final project is more interesting.
  • He’s planning on getting over to Cal Poly and checking things out to give us an update.
• Is there something you wish you had done or known when you were still at Cal Poly?
  • He would have spent more time trying to learn the computer drafting programs.
  • In retrospect he would have paid more attention in practice.
  • Appreciate all the knowledge from design and the ability to think like a designer but keep in mind practice is important too.
  • The practice side is something we sometimes lose sight of as students.
  • Having opportunities to work during school helps prepare you for your time out in the indusrty.
• What kind of advice can you give to current Cal Poly students?
  • Besides some of the above points…
  • Don’t spend every hour in lab, enjoy the community that you live in and the beauty of the place you go to school.