Episodes

What’s it really like to work in architecture? The hosts of Archispeak know, and they’re here to share real-life experiences. Since 2012 architects Evan Troxel and Cormac Phalen have been podcasting their brand of real talk on everything from design, tools, and work/life balance to generational differences, mentoring, job hunting, and more. Probing questions, revelatory interviews, and unique insights have grown their audience and become a weekly ritual for students and seasoned professionals alike.

#305 - The Weather Episode

In this episode Cormac discovers that math can determine the age of his house faster than his mind can, Evan prepares his house and property for the inevitable, and we talk about the permanence of buildings and the link to true sustainability. Oh, and we go on a journey to find the tallest peak in the continental United States… spoiler alert: it's not Mt. Shasta, which comes in at an elevation of 14,180ft.

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Comment Rules: Be cool like the Fonz. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation!

#304 - The Summer Vacation Happy Hour

In this episode we discuss a much needed summer vacation for Cormac: a complete cold turkey detachment from architecture as he ventures into the woods and how he can miraculously turn any trip into an architectural trip. Then we go out of the woods and into the big city of Chicago where we talk more in-depth about how the world's largest Starbucks and the river front Apple Store create experiences for their patrons.

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Comment Rules: Be cool like the Fonz. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation!

#303 - The X Episode

In this episode Evan asks Cormac 2 questions about the potential impact of AI on the architecture profession & have a discussion about the need for firms differentiate themselves in a commoditized market.

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Comment Rules: Be cool like the Fonz. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation!

#302 - We Absolutely Suck At It

In this episode we discuss Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, Cormac’s desire to design, own and operate an old timey feeling movie theater, Evan quizzes Cormac on AI and gives him a few what if questions…and at the end of the day we suck at it (but what does that mean?).

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Comment Rules: Be cool like the Fonz. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation!

#301 - NCARB the Gift That Keeps on Taking

This episode we discuss Archispeak Podcast joining the new socials like Threads and Instagram (finally). Evan discusses the letter NCARB send out welcoming back all of the new members with a little gift of fee increases and how Cormac avoided future fee increases by not reinstating his NCARB record.

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Comment Rules: Be cool like the Fonz. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation!

#300 - Coffee Sketch and Archispeak: A Crossover Episode Without Coffee

A conversation about the use of technology in architecture, including the evolution of tools and the importance of maintaining a creative mindset. The discussion touches on the idea of what constitutes a "sketch" in the modern era, and the potential pitfalls of relying too heavily on technology in the design process. The hosts also offer a glimpse into their own creative processes and the tools they use to bring their ideas to life.

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Comment Rules: Be cool like the Fonz. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation!

#299 - Networking and Community at the AIA Conference

In this episode we discuss our experiences at the 2023 AIA Conference on Architecture and the election of Evelyn Lee, FAIA as the 2025 President elect. The conversation also touches on the increasing role of AI in architecture and the need to reinvent the profession for the future.

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Comment Rules: Be cool like the Fonz. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation!

#298 - Prototyping Ideas and Making Stuff with Cam Anderson of BlacktailStudio

In a conversation about woodworking and content creation, Cam Anderson of BlacktailStudio joins the podcast to discuss the importance of making interesting projects rather than chasing algorithms or demographics.

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Comment Rules: Be cool like the Fonz. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation!

#297 - Literal and Figurative Scars

We discuss scars from our youth and scars from the profession, object visualizers versus text-based learners, the lack of hands-on education in schools and the devaluation of blue-collar work, and the result of a disconnection between architects and the physical construction process.

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Comment Rules: Be cool like the Fonz. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation!

#296 - From Ice Cubes to CEUs

Sparked by a new offer, we revisit the value of NCARB membership.

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Comment Rules: Be cool like the Fonz. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation!

#295 - AI in Architecture

Evan and Cormac discuss the use of AI in architecture, including image and text generation, automating mundane tasks, increasing productivity, as well as the ethical implications of its use, and more.

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Comment Rules: Be cool like the Fonz. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation!

#294 - ‘Three Recessions Away from Extinction’, with Evelyn Lee

Special guest Evelyn Lee joins Evan and Cormac to discuss the pressing need for architectural firms to evolve in order to survive during economic downturns.

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Comment Rules: Be cool like the Fonz. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation!

#293 - Architecture School is ___K__

Evan and Cormac talk about the importance of understanding the "why" in architecture education and transitioning into a career in architecture.

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Comment Rules: Be cool like the Fonz. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation!

#292 - ‘Out of Architecture’, with Jake Rudin

We have a conversation with Jake Rudin, co-author of the recently published book titled "Out of Architecture" to discuss the need for architects to appropriately value themselves and their skills to create a more positive and sustainable profession, or perhaps to leave it altogether.

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Comment Rules: Be cool like the Fonz. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation!

#291 - Architects are an Endangered Species

We discuss the value of negotiation during a job search, the lack of training in architectural education about money and business, the ongoing talent drought, waning architectural publications as an analogy to the profession, and provide our take on a provocative LinkedIn post.

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Comment Rules: Be cool like the Fonz. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation!

#290 - “Rough” Inspections

We discuss the value of doing home renovations and learning construction skills as an architect, talk about the importance of compromise, collaboration, and learning from hands-on experiences.

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Comment Rules: Be cool like the Fonz. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation!

#289 - An Architect Walks Into a Building

We have a conversation about the process of becoming a licensed architect in the United States and discuss the challenges of taking multiple Architect Registration Exams (ARE), NCARB’s rolling clock policy changes, and the need for change in the profession.

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Comment Rules: Be cool like the Fonz. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation!

#288 - Birth Control for Engineers

We discuss Evan’s tireless experience of the “sufferfest” that is moving one’s family into a new home, Cormac’s recent experiences with the ACE Mentor program, and we ask the question more people in the profession should be: Would people become architects if the we were honest about what it’s really like to be one?

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Comment Rules: Be cool like the Fonz. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation!

#287 - 42 Degrees North Latitude

Saying goodbye to a house, spaces that evoke memories and emotion, personal experiences of working (and living) remotely, mentoring emerging professionals, and how the architectural profession has been the model for Elon’s recent email to Twitter employees (except for the severance option).

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Comment Rules: Be cool like the Fonz. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation!

#286 - Skyhooks Are Rea

We discuss the different types of architectural degrees offered and why one might pick one type over another (To B.Arch or not to B.Arch? That is the question.) based on an #askarchispeak question from a listener, and Cormac toured the Exchange Tower that’s currently under construction in Detroit. It’s being built… differently.

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Comment Rules: Be cool like the Fonz. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation!