Why Enthusiasm Gets You Hired... скачать в хорошем качестве

Why Enthusiasm Gets You Hired...

The technology track in architecture is no longer a dead end — it's becoming the fastest path to the top. --- Evan Troxel and Cormac Phalen dig into what it actually looks like when architects who grew up obsessing over technology end up in firm leadership — and what that means for everyone else in the profession. The conversation starts with Evan's experience moderating a panel at the AEC Tech conference in New York, hosted by Thornton Tomasetti's Core Studio, featuring four technology leaders at some of the world's largest architecture firms: Jonathan Nelson of Populous, Nirva Fereshetian of CBT Architects, Heath May (CEO at HKS), and Shane Burger (Chief Design Officer at SOM). For years, the technology path in architecture was treated as a support role — the people who ran the Revit, maintained the standards, clicked faster when deadlines hit. What's changed is that firms are recognizing they need people with deep technology fluency at the highest levels of decision-making. That shift is real, and it's accelerating. But the path to get there is still something most architecture schools don't talk about — and most early-career architects don't know exists. One moment from the panel that stood out: Shane Berger at SOM described the last person he hired and why. It wasn't the portfolio. It was the person's enthusiasm — their excitement about what they were building got him excited. That's the signal. That's what gets someone a runway and resources and room to grow, rather than a seat at a production machine. The episode also tackles what happens when students enter the profession already braced for disappointment, why so much architectural hiring is still just filling seats, and whether the profession has lost its sense of whimsy in the buildings it creates. This conversation is essential listening for architecture students and early-career professionals figuring out how to position themselves, for technology leaders in AEC firms who want validation (and a reality check), and for firm principals wondering whether the next generation actually cares about this work. What you'll learn in this episode: • How technology professionals are now reaching CEO and Chief Design Officer roles at major architecture firms — and what their career paths actually looked like • Why enthusiasm and passion in an interview may matter more than portfolio credentials when it comes to landing the right role • What "digital practice" really means in 2026 — and why the distinction between "technology track" and just practicing architecture has collapsed • How to avoid the trap of entering the profession already jaded, and what firm leaders can do to keep talented people from getting pigeonholed • Why placemaking — the integration of architecture, landscape, and human experience — is one of the most undervalued skills in the profession right now • What Frank Lloyd Wright's Florida Southern College campus and Heatherwick's Little Island in New York have in common, and why it matters 👍 Like this episode if you've ever felt the tension between loving this profession and being exhausted by it 💬 Drop a comment: Is there a technology-to-leadership path at your firm, or is tech still treated as a support role? 🔔 Subscribe for more honest conversations on architecture 🌐 Explore more at [archispeakpodcast.com](http://archispeakpodcast.com) #ArchitectureCareers #AECTechnology #ArchitectureLeadership #DigitalPractice #PlacemakingArchitecture #Archispeak