Mentoring in Practice

The role of mentoring in practice offers confidential support to early-career architects who are feeling challenged in their efforts at project delivery.  The focus throughout is to realise design intentions by confirming and communicating buildability.

Areas of support:

•    construction:  methods, materials, sequence, details, and buildability

•    structural:  strategies, possibilities, and coordination

•    managing client expectations

•    consultant management

•    hand-drawing as a design tool

•    what the end-user needs from the architect’s drawings

•    design, material, and colour studies

•    job management

•    Design Team leadership

•    resourcefulness:  how to get the needed information, when the project needs it

The complexity of architectural practice has become such that young architects are likely to need significant support, particularly in areas of constructability, project strategy, and effective construction documentation.  Delay in addressing these can damage project momentum and profit, and use of external mentoring is helpful because young professionals are often anxious about drawing attention to areas of weakness. 

The mentoring is usually delivered as a regular series of one-on-one surgeries focused on particular projects and challenges.  Repeatability is key, and it remains important throughout that the young architect be able to apply the thinking again on other projects in the future.  Strategic thinking is central to the sessions, with a constant eye on key project parameters and goals.

Hand drawing and visualizations are used constantly in the sessions, interweaving a range of awareness that I bring together from my separate trainings and practice in architecture, structures and sculpture.  Many years teaching in these areas, in parallel to practice, have enabled me to communicate core thinking strategies, and I always find it gratifying to help others be more effective in realising buildings.