Episode 126: Redesigning Professional Practice

How are Professional Practice professors redesigning their coursework to support architecture students entering an industry in transition?

Tune in as we kick off a NEW! podcast series centered on Professional Practice. Karen Williams from the University of Oregon School of Architecture & Environment and Nilou Vakil from the University of Kansas School of Architecture and Design join us to discuss their experiences teaching Professional Practice and the potential for this course to evolve and expand. 

We’ll introduce the 2022 NCARB Scholars in Professional Practice program — an annual, multi-day professional development intensive dedicated to ensuring that Professional Practice educators have the resources for students to succeed. Karen and Nilou share their thoughts on expanding education to support future architects, illustrate their individual successes in curriculum approach, and detail what questions students should ask of professors to gain further knowledge.

“How can we talk about the ethics of what we do within the framework of cultural competencies? That is what gets us jobs or brings repeated clients back. People start to trust you to design something for them that serves them, instead of being sort of an egoistic process. I think that part of it is missing from the conversation of business and Professional Practice.” - Nilou Vakil

Tune in next week for a recap of the 2023 NCARB Scholars of Professional Practice.

Guests:

Nilou Vakil, AIA, LEED AP BD+C  is the principal at in situ DESIGN and an Associate Professor of Architecture at KU School of Architecture and Design. Nilou has a personal connection to community involvement in shaping the built environment — she witnessed neighborhood destruction in the Middle East during an eight-year war. With over two decades of experience in the field, she is an expert in community-based architecture, housing, and urban design. As an associate professor, Nilou leads design studios, Ethics and Leadership in Professional Practice, and research seminars focusing on community-based partnerships and service learning. Her contributions to academia and architecture have earned her recognition as one of the top 25 most admired architecture professors by Design Intelligence in 2018, and she received the Faculty Fellow award in the KU Honors Program in 2020. 

Karen Williams, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP is a Project Manager at PIVOT Architecture in Eugene, OR. She is consistently working to educate people about the inner benefits of the architecture community and working toward a more equitable practice. She is a Career Instructor at the University of Oregon where she teaches Professional Practice and Practicum. As a means to be a professional example, Karen reviews architecture programs with NAAB, serves as a member of the Eugene River Guides Board, is a member of the Editorial Committee for ProPEL, and serves as a member of the research and writing team for the AIA Equitable Practice Guides: Justice and Education. 

📍 Show Links:  

2022 NCARB Scholars in Professional Practice

https://www.acsa-arch.org/resource/propel/

https://arcd.ku.edu/people/nilou-vakil

https://www.isdarchitecture.com/

https://pivotarchitecture.com/

📚 Continue Learning:

Building Design Podcast #14 Diversity and Equity in Architecture feat. Nilou Vakil

💻 Learn about our podcast partner:

👉 This episode is sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction 

 Interested in using your design training to prompt change in our industry? The AISC is looking for creative architects to help shape how our profession approaches structural steel. They’re building a program to bring industry leaders together to harness structural steel innovations. Learn more at aisc.org/architecture. 

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