Archispeak

Evan Troxel & Cormac Phalen
  • 5.0 (3)
  • DESIGN
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Archispeak is one of architecture's longest-running podcasts — 383 episodes of honest, unfiltered conversation about what it's actually like to work in the profession. Since 2012, architects Evan Troxel and Cormac Phalen have been exploring design, career, firm culture, tools, work/life balance, mentoring, generational differences, and job hunting — everything that comes with building a life in architecture. This isn't a highlight reel. It's the conversation architects actually have — about the hard parts of practice, the moments that define a career, and the things no one tells you in architecture school. Built for architecture students, emerging architects, and seasoned professionals who want honest perspective on the profession. Topics include architecture career and job searching, design process and critique, firm culture, work/life balance in architecture, architecture tools and software, mentoring and professional development, generational differences in architecture firms, and candid interviews with architects and industry leaders. 375+ episodes. Since 2012. Visit archispeakpodcast.com for more.

  1. 10 HR AGO

    #383 - Why We Still Love This Profession

    In this episode of Archispeak, we catch up after Evan’s trip to New York City and the AECtech conference, where he moderated a panel with design technology leaders who’ve climbed all the way into firm leadership. We also talk about the continuing education grind it takes just to keep our licenses alive, why there’s really no such thing as “architecture without technology” anymore, and how technologists are quietly becoming some of the most strategic voices in practice. From the culture and community around AECtech’s workshops and hackathon, to studio juries that ask students whether they actually had fun, to wandering Heatherwick’s Little Island and wrestling with the idea that architecture is allowed to be whimsical and purely experiential, we connect the dots between career paths, culture-building, and remembering why we fell in love with this profession in the first place. ----- Have a question for the hosts? Ask it at AskArchispeak.com Thank you for listening to Archispeak. For more episodes please visit https://archispeakpodcast.com. Support Archispeak by making a donation.

    54 min

  2. 01/12/2025

    #382 - AI, Meetings, and the Architecture Grind

    In this episode of Archispeak, we pull back the curtain on what modern practice actually feels like when AI, meetings, and the architecture grind all collide. We talk about coming back from travel feeling not three weeks behind but three months, calendars that look like Tetris played on hard mode, and what happens when you join a call and realize you’re the only human in a grid full of AI note-takers. Cormac and Evan dig into how AI meeting companions, transcripts, and recordings change the way we think, remember, and take responsibility for decisions—and why it’s getting harder to even know where the “real” record of a project lives when it’s scattered across Zoom chats, email, Revit, and shared drives. From there, we zoom out to the bigger question: what this nonstop communication and tool-stack chaos is doing to actual design work, mentorship, and the next generation coming up inside firms. We wrestle with whether AI is really relieving the grind or quietly raising expectations so everyone is “on” all the time, and we talk honestly about boundaries, attention, and how to carve out space for deep work in the middle of the mess. ----- Have a question for the hosts? Ask it at AskArchispeak.com Thank you for listening to Archispeak. For more episodes please visit https://archispeakpodcast.com. Support Archispeak by making a donation.

    53 min

  3. 25/11/2025

    #381 - Anthony Laney on Craft, Clarity, and the Definition of Home

    In this episode of Archispeak, we sit down with architect Anthony Laney to explore the ideas behind his new book, Poetics of Home. We talk about what it really takes to design spaces that feel deeply human and how his team at Laney LA has built a practice around clarity, rigor, and emotional resonance. We dig into the invisible forces that shape a great project: the trust between architects and builders, the discipline required to strip a design down to its essentials, and the humility it takes to let a home reveal what it wants to become. Anthony shares stories from the field, from working with an extraordinary build team to navigating the inevitable surprises that show up during construction, and how those moments often lead to the most beautiful outcomes. Across generations in our profession, there’s a hunger for meaning in the work. This conversation gets right to the heart of that. Whether you’re just entering architecture or you’ve been at it for decades, Anthony’s perspective is a powerful reminder of why we do this in the first place: to create places where people can live well. Episode Links: POETICS of HOME by Laney LAAmazon Link ----- Have a question for the hosts? Ask it at AskArchispeak.com Thank you for listening to Archispeak. For more episodes please visit https://archispeakpodcast.com. Support Archispeak by making a donation.

    54 min

  4. 17/11/2025

    #380 - The Vibe

    In this episode of Archispeak, we talk about that elusive quality that aligns people with great art (and spaces)—but this time through the lens of a real-world architectural field trip. Evan shares his recent trip to Iowa, where he spent time touring projects and hanging out with the folks at OPN Architects. We dive into why the atmosphere of a place, both in architecture and in practice, matters more than most people realize. Episode Links: Watch this episode on YouTube (with all the pictures that go along with the conversation!)Jeff Skunk Baxter - Harmonic Vibration & the Human Spirit (YouTube)The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin (Amazon)tetragrammaton podcastRick Beato’s interview of David Gilmour (YouTube)OPN ArchitectsPickle Palace ----- Have a question for the hosts? Ask it at AskArchispeak.com Thank you for listening to Archispeak. For more episodes please visit https://archispeakpodcast.com. Support Archispeak by making a donation.

    52 min

  5. 01/10/2025

    #379 - Step Back to Move the Work Forward

    In this episode we discuss how taking a step back from work leads to better architecture. We talk about concrete ways to break free from constant busyness, when to pause instead of charging ahead, and how technology can both help and hurt creative solutions. We offer clear, practical advice on finding the right balance between thinking things through and getting work done. ----- Have a question for the hosts? Ask it at AskArchispeak.com Thank you for listening to Archispeak. For more episodes please visit https://archispeakpodcast.com. Support Archispeak by making a donation.

    55 min

  6. 16/09/2025

    #378 - Misalignments of Rigor

    In this episode of Archispeak, we trade fresh field notes from Cormac’s latest midwestern architecture road trip and wrestle with the title theme: Misalignments of Rigor. Cormac stands in the rain in Toledo to watch a Gehry facade actually perform, peek at SANAA’s elegant double-skin glass and its (imperfect) parapet detail, and then compare all of it to a new addition grafted onto a Louis Kahn building that seems to ignore his relentless order. Along the way, we unpack preservation vs. recreation, how committees and clients steer “of-our-time” interventions, and why tiny choices like material transitions, door proportions, and device locations (aka wall warts) make or break the whole. For students, emerging pros, and firm leaders alike, we turn on-the-ground observations into practical takeaways: where rigor matters, when to prototype, how to collaborate with manufacturers, and how to keep design intent aligned with construction reality so your next addition reads as deliberate, not accidental. ----- Have a question for the hosts? Ask it at AskArchispeak.com Thank you for listening to Archispeak. For more episodes please visit https://archispeakpodcast.com. Support Archispeak by making a donation.

    42 min

  7. 08/09/2025

    #377 - The Disconnect Between Academia and Practice

    In this episode of Archispeak, we dive into the tough reality of how the architecture profession often fails its own. From the way firms accelerate project timelines while under-developing young talent, to the disconnect between academia and practice, we ask hard questions about why architects feel overworked, underprepared, and sometimes completely betrayed by the system they’ve dedicated their careers to. We explore how the industry’s obsession with speed and efficiency robs emerging professionals of essential learning opportunities, and why bad leadership and broken processes keep compounding the problem. Through real-world stories—from 52-minute model load times to lessons learned only through hard-earned experience—we grapple with whether the profession can change course, or if it’s destined to keep “eating its young.” Episode Links: Are students prepared for practice? (AIA article) ----- Have a question for the hosts? Ask it at AskArchispeak.com Thank you for listening to Archispeak. For more episodes please visit https://archispeakpodcast.com. Support Archispeak by making a donation.

    53 min

  8. 25/08/2025

    #376 - Across the Street from Genius: Yale’s A&A and Art Gallery

    In this episode of Archispeak, we walk across the street in New Haven—literally and figuratively—to explore two masterworks by Paul Rudolph and Louis Kahn. These buildings, separated by time but connected by place and purpose, offer a rare opportunity to see two giants of architecture in conversation across the street. We kick things off outside Paul Rudolph’s brutalist Art and Architecture Building, a six-story monument to concrete, shadow play (which is Cormac’s favorite), and interlocking geometries. From rough textures to zigzagging stair sequences, we unpack how Rudolph’s massing, detail, and bold restraint create an intensely dynamic corner in the city. Then, just steps away, we head into Louis Kahn’s Yale University Art Gallery. Built 20 years prior, it’s a study in geometric discipline, restrained materiality, and the classic served-and-servant spatial philosophy. From triangular waffle slabs and coffered ceilings to floating stair treads, we peel back the layers of this early Kahn work and talk about how it set the stage for what came later in his career. We also announce a new series: What Makes This Building Great?, available exclusively on our YouTube channel, where we take our conversations further by sketching over photos and plans to peel back the onion of master works of architecture. These are the kinds of deep, nerdy dives we’ve always wanted to do—and we’d love your feedback as we build this series out. Head to our YouTube channel to watch the first episode featuring Kahn’s Yale Center for British Art. And let us know what buildings you think are worthy of the title. ----- Have a question for the hosts? Ask it at AskArchispeak.com Thank you for listening to Archispeak. For more episodes please visit https://archispeakpodcast.com. Support Archispeak by making a donation.

    56 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Archispeak is one of architecture's longest-running podcasts — 383 episodes of honest, unfiltered conversation about what it's actually like to work in the profession. Since 2012, architects Evan Troxel and Cormac Phalen have been exploring design, career, firm culture, tools, work/life balance, mentoring, generational differences, and job hunting — everything that comes with building a life in architecture. This isn't a highlight reel. It's the conversation architects actually have — about the hard parts of practice, the moments that define a career, and the things no one tells you in architecture school. Built for architecture students, emerging architects, and seasoned professionals who want honest perspective on the profession. Topics include architecture career and job searching, design process and critique, firm culture, work/life balance in architecture, architecture tools and software, mentoring and professional development, generational differences in architecture firms, and candid interviews with architects and industry leaders. 375+ episodes. Since 2012. Visit archispeakpodcast.com for more.

Information

  • Creator
    Evan Troxel & Cormac Phalen
  • Years Active
    2013 - 2026
  • Episodes
    382
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Archispeak Podcast. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Archispeak

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