Well, I've been back working with the family firm for almost a month now, and its been great... my days are packed... I get to design, see the project sites, coordinate with the various trades involved, help manage/run the office, etc. Nothing is more fulfilling than working for yourself/your own business... the whole corporate stint has shed new light for me... and I feel even luckier now that I realize just how difficult it is to get your own gig running. It has also helped me become a tad more professional compared to how I was as an apprentice working with our firm.
Before, I'd just be a kid fooling around and hanging out at dad's office... things are vastly different now, because I have to step up and be responsible and grow into a leadership/ownership role... and not be just another CAD monkey or cubicle meerkat.
The DLSZ Chapel/Formation Center is turning out good, the plans are more solid now... Seph and I have been hacking at it for more than 2 weeks now... and we're hoping that the design evolves further along as the school and our engineering consultants get more involved with the planning process.
Cash and Carry is shaping out great too. I do the site and marketing meetings (Tue and Wed) with Jun (our senior project arch/associate) and its exciting to see the building top-off and see the atrium take shape with the long trusses being mounted.
Times Plaza is topping off as well... finally, we're able to at least close the book on that project which was cut short by the 1997 crisis.
Its been a blast so far. I've had a few awkward moments on-site with the tradesmen and with people in general... My only gripe is that I haven't got the time to update my blog anymore. I'll be starting the board review soon and probably won't have any time to read-up and do as much as before. But I'm game! Bring it on!
its nice hear thoughts about THE real practice. lots of projects going on for you...something we all (architects and soon-to-be architects) dream about- and sometimes we can only dream about. you must be on an architectural high. good job and good luck.
ReplyDeleteThanks! You too bro! Good luck and I hope that the architectural pie allows for more opportunities for young up-and-coming designers... Kick ass!
ReplyDeleteIt's good to hear that from you. I am on the same road, though in a much smaller scale. I also work with my dad but I can assume that our professional relationship is much more intimate (knowing that I am his only "employee"!) hehe! Parang Jedi training! Hahah! And it's too kind for him that I get to handle the preliminary design sketches though I am still a year away from graduation. Mas-bilib daw sakin kasi taga-UST ako (haha). We are also doing a retreat house somewhere in Binangonan over-looking the Laguna de Bay. I'll post my sketches sometime soon.
ReplyDeleteCheers! Good Luck with the project!
ReplyDelete