What They Do Not Teach You in Architecture Schools| Interview with Eric Reinholdt

Welcome to another episode of my podcast!

Meaningful conversations with architects, artists, and designers.

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Meet my today’s guest — Eric Reinholdt from the most popular architecture-focused YouTube channel with over 1 mln subscribers: 30X40 Design Workshop

Things always change and evolve in architecture…

Join us in this interview, where we delve into crucial topics for architects, such as why incorporating sketching into your design practice is vital, the role of an Architect in 2023, insights into the business for creative minds, and archipreneurship.

Eric also shares his 6-step process for working on a project and recommends books for aspiring architects.

“Sketching is a part of my process, I use it from the very early stages: from site visits, all the way through construction. Standing on a job site with contractors trying to work out a detail in the field, if you can’t sketch out what you are thinking — you are less respected on the site… I’ll just put it that way.”

— Eric Reinholdt

ABOUT ERIC:

Eric is an award-winning architect, entrepreneur and founder of 30X40 Design Workshop, a design studio located on Mount Desert Island, Maine. He is also author of the ”Architect + Entrepreneur” book series and creator of the most popular architecture-focused YouTube channel online. He has been designing simple, modern residential architecture for more than 27 years and a practitioner of all the novel, entrepreneurial business strategies he teaches in his courses.

QUESTIONS WE DISCUSSED IN THIS INTERVIEW:

(1) If we were to distill the essence of those 10 years in a blender, what key elements do you believe defined your success?

(2) What is your definition of being an architect in 2023?

(3) There is a saying “Hands are the wings of the heart”. How important do you believe sketching is in the life of a contemporary architect: from initial concepts to the completion of projects? Do you think digital production methods will ever replace hand-drawn sketches? Please more on alchemy that transforms initial ideas into finished projects.

(4) Eric, as far as I got from your videos, it appears your work routine on an architecture project is a systematic 6-step process, involving:

• hand sketching, 

• *detailed sketching on an iPad, 

• layouts in AutoCAD, 

• a 3D model in SketchUp, 

• fine-tuning in Photoshop, 

• and a paper model. 

Is this an accurate representation of your creative workflow, or do you incorporate any other tools/software, or steps?

(5) Eric, for aspiring architects, if you could recommend three books that have significantly influenced your perspective and growth in the field, what would they be?

(6) Your book 'Architect + Entrepreneur' encourages readers to 'think big, start small, and learn fast,' emphasizing personal brand creation over traditional business plans. 

In parallel, your online course, ‘A + E,’ seems like a comprehensive resource. Can you elaborate on whether this course encapsulates your professional life experience, providing a structured shortcut for others to achieve what you've accomplished?

(7) Looking ahead, what's on the horizon for you? Are there plans to expand your team significantly, and do you envision taking your teaching to in-person workshops or perhaps teaching at the university level, sharing the insights from your books and online courses? Can you please lift the veil for us?

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO:

Books Eric talked about:

• “Thinking Architecture” by Peter Zumtor: link

• “The 4-Hour Work Week” by Tim Ferris: link

• “As Little Design as Possible” by Dieter Rams: link

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Watch also Eric’s short film about being an architect

“A Choice to Make”:

LEARN MORE FROM ERIC:

• Book “Architect+Entrepreneur: A Field Guide to Building, Branding, and Marketing Your Startup Design Business”: link

• Course “Architect+Entrepreneur”: link

• Tools and templates: link

CONNECT:

Eric’s blog on all things architecture: link

Podcast on financial independence “2 Sides of FI”: link

Instagram: @30by40

Interview by Olga Sorokina

Instagram @schoolofsketching

P. S. Please share this interview with someone who might need to watch it.

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Redefining Interior Designer's Profession: iPad Drawing, White Space and Personal Brand | Interview with Henry Gao

Welcome to another episode of my podcast!

Meaningful conversations with architects, artists, and designers.

Meet my today’s guest — Henry Gao from YouTube @HenryGao

Henry is a home designer, YouTube creator, architecture photographer, and illustrator. His new passion is teaching online iPad drawing for architects.

“Today, I am a San Francisco-based home designer, illustrator, artist, and photographer. I take every bit of inspiration from my childhood into my everyday work. I don’t just design spaces – I tell stories through them.”

In our conversation, Henry redefines the path of architects, focusing on personal brand and creativity over traditional norms. He encourages architects to explore new roles by matching their interests with possibilities. Managing various roles, Henry shares tactics to prevent burnout and maintain a fulfilling career. We also discussed top drawing apps for iPad, making design easier across different project stages.

In his interview with Eric Reinholdt from "30X40 Design Workshop", Henry shares the art of creating "white space" amid architecture commitments. Architects are guided to find time for learning, exploring, and testing new things. Link to that interview: here

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Drawings by Henry Gao, learn about sketching on iPad from Henry in his workshop: here

Watch also Henry’s video "My 4 Streams of Income as an Architectural Designer” :

Stay connected with Henry online:

Website: www.henrygao.com

Instagram: @drawwithgao

YouTube: @HenryGao

Interview with Henry Gao by Olga Sorokina.

P. S. Please share this interview with someone you know will benefit from it.

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Is Architectural Watercolour Illustration a "Dead Art"? | Interview with Joe Skibba

Welcome to another episode of my podcast! 

Meaningful conversations with architects, artists, and designers.

Meet my today's guest -- Joe Skibba!

Joe is an architectural illustrator from America, he runs his own illustration studio Depiction.

His work has received international acclaim in the form of over 20 awards of Excellence from the American Society of Architectural Illustrators.

Joe combines the traditional craft of illustration while also keeping up with the latest technological advances. He also teaches with his online tutorials, live classes, and guest lectures.

Some of the questions I asked Joe:

• How you came to architectural illustration?

• How it all started? What’s the Story?

• What the process of illustration looks like? Draw by hand or on iPad then colour in Photoshop?

• Could you please tell us more about the Charette working session you hosted?

• How people can learn from you? Do you offer online trainings?

• What would be your advice for beginners ?

Drawing by Joe Skibba

Joe Skibba began his professional career in architectural rendering in Madison, Wisconsin in 1997, after which, in 2005, he was recruited by Urban Design Associates in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In 2013, he began his own illustration studio - Skibba Illustration, and later founded Depiction in 2017. His work has received international acclaim in the form of over 20 awards of Excellence with the American Society of Architectural Illustrators, a fairly substantial following on his educational channels in social media as well as promotion in Apple’s App Store following a collaboration with the mobile app Morpholio Trace.

Other projects outside of the traditional architectural rendering space also include illustrations for the motion picture film Where'd You Go Bernadette. As is evident in his career accomplishments, Joe is able to both honor the traditional craft of illustration while also keeping up with the latest technological advances. He is constantly innovating ways in which to share the craft through teaching, online tutorials, and guest lectures.

After 25 years in the field, hundreds of clients, and thousands of followers, Joe continues to hone his craft and fine-tune his skills.

Drawing by Joe Skibba

Keep in touch with Joe:

Website: link

Instagram: link

YouTube: link

Interview with Joe Skibba by Olga Sorokina.

P. S. Please share this interview with someone you know will benefit from it. Thanks in advance!

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Interview #9 with Dalibor Dzurilla, an expert in creating visual presentations for architects

Welcome to another interview from my podcast!

Meaningful conversations with architects, artists, and designers.

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How to work smart on your architecture projects (VISUAL PRESENTATIONS)

Meet my today’s guest — Dalibor Dzurilla.

Dalibor explores, optimizes, and teaches architects how to create visual presentations effectively & sustainably. For this mission, he co-founded the project "VISUIN" ten years ago. On his Instagram, he describes what he does as “Institute of Effective Representation of Architecture for Architects. Save time, money, and your future you.“

Dalibor has won several architectural competitions so he knows what good architecture is. He worked with projects of different scales and now teaches architects how to present their projects and how to work with technology.

Dalibor accredited the study program about presentation at ARCHIP school in Prague. Currently, he is working on research for his Ph.D. about digital sketching as a communication tool for architects.

Couple of questions I asked Dalibor in this episode:

• Can you do a good sketch for a bad architecture project?

• Digital or analog?

• Morpholio? Procreate? Concepts?

• Which app is the best for architects?

• When can you say that the architecture project is done?

• How to become a better architect?

The resource we’ve mentioned in this episode:

“5 deadly sins in architectural portfolio”: here

Dalibor’s website: here

Dalibor on Instagram: here

Interview with Dalibor Dzurilla by Olga Sorokina.

P. S. Please share this interview with someone you know will benefit from it. Thanks in advance!

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Interview #8 with Liz Steel, a non-stop urban sketcher from Sydney

Palladian villas, obsessive sketching, ‘2 sketchbook strategy’, tips on drawing on location, and so much more — all in this igniting interview with our today’s guest, Liz Steel. So brew yourself a nice cup of tea/coffee/cacao now and enjoy.

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Liz describes herself as an obsessive sketcher who is documenting the narrative of her life while blogging this journey along the way.

She worked as an architect, but her life brought her towards a sketch teacher career. By now, our guest has been teaching sketching on location, while traveling, and blogging her adventures for more than 10 years.

Currently, Liz has in her collection around 270 sketchbooks, which grow at a pace of apps 20 sketchbooks a year. Her art, and her teaching, are all about capturing the moment, sketching now, being in the present, and enjoying the process along the way.

In this interview, we are talking architectural design sketching with a rebellious twist, composing pages in a sketchbook, and about those beautiful conversations that are happening when you sketch on location. 

“I sketch my life and share the adventure.”

— Liz Steel

Liz’s sketch of Palladian villa

Here are a couple of other topics we have touched upon:

• How to fit sketching into your daily routine

• What to answer if someone is criticizing your drawing

• An incredibly efficient technique of indexing your sketchbooks.

• Must-read books and essays on architecture 

…And of cause, you will learn more about those fancy iconic teacups sketches you might probably have seen on Liz’s Instagram. 

“A sketch is an art form in itself.”

— Liz Steel

Here are some of the questions we’ve covered:

1. Could you please tell us who Liz Steel is? What's the story behind what you do?

2. Please tell us about your 2 sketchbook strategies.

3. How do you index your sketchbooks?

4. Let's talk Palladio. Could you please tell us about your projects on that topic? Sketchbooks, blog articles on Palladian villas, live workshops, I know you do them quite regularly in Europe, for example Palladian Odyssey which is used to be in May/June.

5. Liz, please tell us about your new course — Sketchbook Design

6. What one piece of advice would you give beginners in watercolor and newbies at sketching on location?

Please let us know in the comments below what was your biggest takeaway from this Zoom chat.

Also, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to write them down below to address them in my following interview with Liz.

Liz on Instagram: here

Links to Liz’s online courses: here

Liz’s blog: here

Interview with Liz Steel by Olga Sorokina.

P. S. Please share this inspiring interview with your creative friends, they will be glad you did. Thanks in advance!

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Interview #6 with David Drazil, sketcher and architect from the Czech Republic

David's Instagram: david_drazil

David’s website: sketchlikeanarchitect.com

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1. Olga Sorokina (O. S.): David, could you please tell us how did you come to architecture and what was your initial step in hand rendering? 

David Drazil (D. D.): First time I started thinking about studying architecture was in high school, in art lessons, where we were taught how to draw perspective for the first time. I think I was around 15 years old at that time. We learned how to draw 1-point and 2-point perspective with an urban theme - typical street view and corner view. I remember being so amazed by that, can't really explain why, but I fell in love with that process. So since then I was pursuing architecture path which eventually led me to studying architecture at the Czech Technical University in Prague. Right at the CTU I was given proper basics of architectural sketching which strongly influenced and shaped how I sketch today.

“Free-hand sketching brings so much more freedom to both sketching process and the dialogue that evolves from it”

2. O. S.: Your style is very bold and recognisable: black and white, freehand lines, no rulers. Could you please tell us about media you use and how it affects your approach if it does.

D. D.: Yes, I really prefer not to use rulers, because free-hand sketching brings so much more freedom to both sketching process and the dialogue that evolves from it. I perceive sketching as a means of communication more than anything else. And free-hand sketching with wavy imperfect lines leaves a lot of space for opening a creative dialogue - either between colleagues or an architect and a client. The imperfections suggest that nothing's set in stone and that everybody is welcome to contribute with their own inputs.

As for media that I use, it's usually Staedtler Pigment Liners in thicknesses from 0.05 - 0.8 mm and if I go for colour, then colour markers TOUCH.

3. O. S.: Could you please describe your process of creating sketches (and how long does it take), for example this one:

D. D.: The process differs according to the type of sketch. There are many types, most of them are for communicating ideas, but some process sketches are simply for brainstorming, trying to understand a problem and come up with a solution, or for further shaping and verifying ideas that emerge on the way.

“I begin either with a pencil or a pen to create a visual structure and set the right scale”

If we talk about presentation sketches like this one (took about 40 min), I like to start with a thumbnail sketch where I first try to find the best composition in terms of relations between different elements and positioning on a canvas. Depending on complexity, I begin either with a pencil or a pen to create a visual structure and set the right scale. Then I use pens with lighter line weight to build up the main volumes and work with different depth planes. I continue with texturing and shading, adding more of surroundings and details. Final touches might include line work with heavier line weight for emphasis and contrast or optionally use of colour.

4. O. S.: How do you structure your workday or your workweek?

D. D.: Right now I work full time as an architect in Copenhagen so my main schedule is determined by that. But usually I get up earlier to sketch or plan and structure the goals for the day/week. I'm still finding my way around juggling with more balls at the same time as I have some smaller projects and collaborations on the side. Ideally I try to plan these things in advance every weekend for the coming week, but it doesn't always work out ;) I'm also more of an evening person, so I find myself with sudden energy around 7 or 8 pm, so that's when I'm actually most productive about these things.

5. O. S.: David, please tell us about your sources of inspiration. What helps you to be productive?

D. D.: As for sources of inspiration, I believe that architects shouldn't get inspired by another architecture - that's very limiting. Don't get me wrong, it's important to do recherche and moodboards with reference pictures, but that's not inspiration in true sense. In regards to this, there is one quote from architect Edmund Bacon, which really resonates with me. He says: "It's in the doing that the idea comes." It really does work like that for me - I get ideas during the process, very often as I sketch, because there are no barriers as with using a software on a computer. The connection between your mind and your hand is very natural and it supports all the creative flows.

“It’s in the doing that the idea comes”

6. O. S.: Could you please tell us about your course «Sketch Like an Architect»

D. D.: Sure, this course is for people who want to learn or get better at architectural sketching. This bite-sized online course's sub-title is 'Step-by-Step from Lines to Perspective' and my students learn everything from the very basics of making straight lines to gradually more complex compositions of sketched perspectives. On the way I also share tips & tricks on lines & 2D objects, perspective rules, shading and texturing, populating your sketch and adding vegetation, and combining all these elements into one awesome perspective sketch.

Part of this course is also a 60-page PDF Handbook with all the summarized information, worksheets for practicing, and finished examples of sketches with explained techniques.

• You can join this course on Skillshare and get 2 months of Premium Membership for free (no payment, cancel anytime) via this link: check it.

• The PDF Handbook is also available separately on my Gumroad page: check it.

7. O. S.: How do you see the future of hand rendering in architecture and interior design?

D. D.: I am very optimistic about this - I can't imagine something would replace hand-sketching in our industries in any foreseeable future. From all the reasons mentioned above I believe it will stay an important part of both design process and presentation and maybe there will be even more demand for it as the human touch added to hand-renderings is irreplaceable and will always connect us on a very human level.

“I can’t imagine something would replace hand-sketching in our industries in any foreseeable future”

8. O. S.: What one advise would you give for beginners in hand rendering?

D. D.: Learn to observe and understand why things work and look like they do. Observation skills are essential for good sketching, for composition, light and shadows, proportions, materiality, and everything else. Train yourself to be better at observing! What I love about sketching is that it forces you to understand the object first before you're able to draw it. In that way, when you sketch you'll always learn something new.

Interview with David Drazil by Olga Sorokina.

P. S. Please share this inspiring interview with your friends, they will be glad you did. Thanks in advance!

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