Tangents by Out of Architecture Out of Architecture

Our guest today is Chi Bhatia, VP of Strategy & Growth at One Plan, a SaaS start-up that builds 2D & 3D technology for events & venues. Chi is also part of the amazing career consultant team at Out of Architecture.
Hear Chi share his journey from international student to completing LA’s first NFL stadium to now working at a tech startup providing support to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
On this episode of Tangents, Chi Bhatia of OnePlan, and Out of Architecture Career Consultant, shares his experiences transitioning from an Senior Designer to VP Strategy and Growth. Hear how being in Los Angeles, California impacted the trajectory of Chi’s career, and how he systematically approached each step of his journey, using his passion of sports as a driver for his success. 
Highlights:
Curious, Systematic, CalmTaking advantage of your environmentImpact of studying architecture in LABeing focused on finding work as an international studentHow software proficiency matters in your job searchUnique Sports Studio at HKS evolving architectureCareer pivots influenced by passion and expertiseWhy Architecture is an underrated professionhttps://www.outofarchitecture.com/bio-chi-bhatia


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Sam Anderson is an architectural visualization specialist who has carved out a unique career path beyond traditional practice. Sam shares her journey from pursuing architecture at the University of Texas to realizing her true passion lies in visualization. She discusses her experiences working in various roles, including at architecture firms, Epic Games, and ultimately starting her own visualization studio.

Sam emphasizes the importance of storytelling and using real-time rendering technology to showcase designs in more immersive ways. She highlights the potential of these tools to empower architects and democratize design by giving a voice to those who may not have access to traditional architectural education. Throughout the conversation, Sam emphasizes the value of kindness, resourcefulness, and adaptability in navigating career transitions.
Highlights:
Real-time rendering tools provide architects with new avenues for creative expression and design communication.Exploring industries beyond architecture can lead to unexpected opportunities and growth.Maintaining a positive and resourceful mindset is crucial when navigating career pivots and new challenges.Showing kindness and making genuine connections can open doors and leave lasting impressions.It's essential to find a balance between professional pursuits and personal priorities for overall well-being.Guest Bio:Sam Anderson, creator of Studio Ladder, is a 3D artist based in NYC and LA. Sam is passionate about visual communication for design. Previously, Sam was a Senior Technical Marketing Manager at Epic Games where she produced new release content for Unreal Engine and Twinmotion as well as educational content for conferences and online tutorials. Prior to Epic Games, Sam was a visualization specialist at SHoP Architects. Other work experiences include an internship at JAJA Architects in Copenhagen and an architectural designer at Workshop/APD in New York. Sam studied at the University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture and at Ecole Nationale Superieure d’Architecture de Paris-Belleville. From each experience, Sam has developed an eye for high-quality design and communicating in a highly personable, yet professional manner. Talk to her long enough, and she will have you saying '“y’all” as if you were also born and raised in Texas.


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Jeffrey Yoo Warren, is a multidisciplinary artist, educator, and crafter whose work explores themes of cultural heritage, identity, and community. Jeffrey shares his unique journey from studying architecture to finding his calling in artistic practices deeply rooted in historical research and traditional craftsmanship.
Through his residency at the Library of Congress, Jeffrey talks about the reconstruction of early Asian American communities and neighbourhoods, creating immersive virtual and physical models that invite viewers to experience and connect with these often-overlooked histories. 
He also shares his passion for woodworking, papermaking, and learning traditional Korean crafts, allowing him to forge a tangible link with his ancestral roots and cultural inheritance.
Highlights:
Embracing the personal and specific aspects of one's identity and cultural background can lead to a deeper, more meaningful artistic practice, challenging the concept of universality as a design goal.Finding joy and fulfilment in the creative process is essential, and recognizing when work no longer aligns with one's passions is a valuable lesson.Collaboration and building community connections, especially within diasporic or underrepresented groups, can foster a profound sense of belonging and inspire new ideas.Trusting one's instincts and exploring seemingly tangential interests can uncover unexpected paths to self-discovery and artistic expression.Preserving and reviving traditional crafts and practices can serve as a powerful means of reconnecting with cultural heritage and transmitting ancestral knowledge.Guest Bio:Jeffrey Yoo Warren (he/him) is a Korean American artist educator, illustrator, community scientist and researcher in Providence, RI, whose recent work combines ancestral craft practices and creative work with diasporic memory through virtual collaborative worldbuilding. He has spent years creating collaborative community science projects which decenter dominant culture in environmental knowledge production. Jeff is an educator with Movement Education Outdoors and AS220, and part of the New Old art collective with Aisha Jandosova, hosting art-making and storytelling events with older adults; he is also the 2023 Innovator in Residence at the Library of Congress for my ongoing project Seeing Lost Enclaves: Relational reconstructions of erased historic neighborhoods of color.His current artistic practice investigates how people build identity and strength through their interactions with artifacts and histories, and the ways that objects can tell stories that people can be part of in the present.


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Our guest today, Lauren Kimball, Experience Design Director @ Edelman, shares her journey from architecture to advertising. She emphasizes the importance of being honest and open in client meetings and offers advice for architecture students looking to explore alternative career paths. Lauren also discusses her platform, Find by Design, which showcases black designers across various disciplines. Through her experiences, she highlights the power of collaboration and the value of pursuing work that you are passionate about.
Highlights:
Architecture students have an amazing foundation in human-centered design thinking that is applicable across industries.Having a diverse range of experiences, saying yes to new opportunities, and working on passion projects outside of work can open new career doors.The advertising industry moves at a much faster pace than architecture which allows for more experimentation and learning.Being honest about what you do and don't know builds trust - it's ok to say you'll find the answer and get back to people.Hire people smarter than you and find partners who complement your skills rather than trying to do everything
Guest Bio:
Lauren’s experience has been rooted in design since the beginning. Having started her career in sports and entertainment architecture, her world has blended digital and physical to tell brand stories in impactful ways. She has made a career developing teams across the many facets of the design process, including consumer research, experience design, creative technology, and production. She's led interdisciplinary creatives through the design of sprawling music festivals, Olympic master plans, and digital shopping experiences, all to help clients understand their why, and how that translates to an effective design solution. In 2023, Lauren launched FIND By DESIGN, a space created to make it easier to find and support Black designers. The carefully curated directory allows anyone to find talented designers across the graphics and illustration industries, and the platform has already expanded to the UK + Ireland. www.findbydesign.org


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William Dodge shares his unique career journey, from applying to architecture school multiple times, working as a janitor, and eventually becoming a managing principal at a major architecture firm.He discusses his approach to architecture - creating community-focused spaces rather than just facilitating buildings. William talks about starting his own practice, Public, to do great work with wonderful people while getting paid his value. He also runs a public art firm called A Gang of Three. Throughout the conversation, William offers advice on being fearless, hustling, and doing your best work with what you have. He emphasizes the importance of authenticity, resilience, and creating situations where everyone wins rather than winners/losers.

Highlights:
Architects often become facilitators of buildings rather than builders of community-focused spaces.Take jobs and risks - you immediately fail by not trying. Rejection is not the end.Find how your unique skills and talents can provide value, even if you're not the best at one particular thing.Do what you love, work with great people, make a difference - you should be able to do these without sacrificing pay.Life is too short to work for "assholes." Build a culture where people are valued and encouraged to eventually move on.Show up, be yourself, do your best work - this attracts the right clients and opportunities.
Alluvial DecoderThe award-winning project William discusses. Built for $50khttps://www.agangofthree.com/howweworkDocumentary on Vernon Pratt (Jake’s artist Grandfather)https://www.pbs.org/video/all-the-possibilities-zuvjrs/Gwen Jorgenson (Unlikely Olympic gold medalist that William mentioned)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwen_JorgensenGuest Bio:William H. Dodge is a multidisciplinary designer, design strategist and conceptual artist based in North Carolina (USA). He is Founder and Design Principal of p-u-b-l-i-c, Co-founder of A Gang of three (public art), and Founder and Director of The Vernon Pratt Project (art non-profit). He has both led and collaborated on projects at nearly every scale and has served as a key advisor to some of the world’s premier design firms. He regularly serves as a visiting critic and guest lecturer on the subjects of art, architecture, design, technology, and innovation at various institutions internationally.


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Our guest today, Jill Shah, Production Designer at Future Colossal, shares how she capitalizes on her abilities as a generalist, asserts herself to create opportunities, and harnesses the power of storytelling in design.
Highlights:
Leverage spatial design skills from architecture in experience design by focusing on technology integration and storytelling instead of just function.As a generalist, talk confidently about your broad skillset and give examples of how you've tackled challenging, multidisciplinary projects.Be assertive in asking for opportunities to expand your role and prove yourself; people appreciate self-starters.Storytelling is key in experience design - use lighting, sound, sequence etc. to evoke emotions.Documentation is critical but often neglected - market your work by taking time to create a "package" about each project.Guest Bio: Jill is a New York-based experiential artist and creative technologist who leverages algorithms to (new)ance our physical environments. Driven by her passion for more humanized nuances in an increasingly mechanized world, her work allows users to touch, feel and ponder over the role that algorithms and technological advancements can play in pushing ‘craft’ to newer boundaries.Jill received her MFA in Design and Technology from Parsons School of Design and since then has served as an Experiential Production Designer at Future Colossal, an award-winning innovation lab that designs and executes memorable interactive spaces. Motivated by the belief that skills and knowledge must be accessible, she is also a passionate educator who has taught design classes and facilitated several technical workshops at the New School.https://jillshahh.com/


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