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Archispeak

Evan Troxel & Cormac Phalen

Archispeak is one of architecture's longest-running podcasts — 383 episodes of honest, unfiltered conversation about what it's actually like to work in the profession. Since 2012, architects Evan Troxel and Cormac Phalen have been exploring design, career, firm culture, tools, work/life balance, mentoring, generational differences, and job hunting — everything that comes with building a life in architecture.

This isn't a highlight reel. It's the conversation architects actually have — about the hard parts of practice, the moments that define a career, and the things no one tells you in architecture school.

Built for architecture students, emerging architects, and seasoned professionals who want honest perspective on the profession.

Topics include architecture career and job searching, design process and critique, firm culture, work/life balance in architecture, architecture tools and software, mentoring and professional development, generational differences in architecture firms, and candid interviews with architects and industry leaders.

375+ episodes. Since 2012.

Visit archispeakpodcast.com for more.

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  • 23 episodes
  • Avg 55 min
  • English

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Episodes 23

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  • S12 · E377
    Sep 8, 2025 · 53 min

    #377 - The Disconnect Between Academia and Practice

    In this episode of Archispeak, we dive into the tough reality of how the architecture profession often fails its own. From the way firms accelerate project timelines while under-developing young talent, to the disconnect between academia and practice, we ask hard questions about why architects feel overworked, underprepared, and sometimes completely betrayed by the system they’ve dedicated their careers to. We explore how the industry’s obsession with speed and efficiency robs emerging professionals of essential learning opportunities, and why bad leadership and broken processes keep compounding the problem. Through real-world stories—from 52-minute model load times to lessons learned only through hard-earned experience—we grapple with whether the profession can change course, or if it’s destined to keep “eating its young.” Episode Links: Are students prepared for practice? (AIA article) ----- Have a question for the hosts? Ask it at AskArchispeak.com Thank you for listening to Archispeak. For more episodes please visit https://archispeakpodcast.com. Support Archispeak by making a donation.

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  • S12 · E376
    Aug 25, 2025 · 56 min

    #376 - Across the Street from Genius: Yale’s A&A and Art Gallery

    In this episode of Archispeak, we walk across the street in New Haven—literally and figuratively—to explore two masterworks by Paul Rudolph and Louis Kahn. These buildings, separated by time but connected by place and purpose, offer a rare opportunity to see two giants of architecture in conversation across the street. We kick things off outside Paul Rudolph’s brutalist Art and Architecture Building, a six-story monument to concrete, shadow play (which is Cormac’s favorite), and interlocking geometries. From rough textures to zigzagging stair sequences, we unpack how Rudolph’s massing, detail, and bold restraint create an intensely dynamic corner in the city. Then, just steps away, we head into Louis Kahn’s Yale University Art Gallery. Built 20 years prior, it’s a study in geometric discipline, restrained materiality, and the classic served-and-servant spatial philosophy. From triangular waffle slabs and coffered ceilings to floating stair treads, we peel back the layers of this early Kahn work and talk about how it set the stage for what came later in his career. We also announce a new series: What Makes This Building Great?, available exclusively on our YouTube channel, where we take our conversations further by sketching over photos and plans to peel back the onion of master works of architecture. These are the kinds of deep, nerdy dives we’ve always wanted to do—and we’d love your feedback as we build this series out. Head to our YouTube channel to watch the first episode featuring Kahn’s Yale Center for British Art. And let us know what buildings you think are worthy of the title. ----- Have a question for the hosts? Ask it at AskArchispeak.com Thank you for listening to Archispeak. For more episodes please visit https://archispeakpodcast.com. Support Archispeak by making a donation.

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  • S12 · E375
    Jul 29, 2025 · 1 hr 6 min

    #375 - Yale Center for British Art by Louis Kahn

    In this episode of Archispeak, we walk through the Yale Center for British Art by Louis Kahn and reflect on what makes this building truly great. From its masterful use of natural light and honest materials to the clarity of its spatial organization, Kahn’s final building is both a work of art and a place for art. We discuss what it feels like to experience the space firsthand, how it invites contemplation, and why it continues to resonate with architects decades later. Along the way, we explore timeless questions about authorship, permanence, and what architecture has the power to communicate. Episode Links: Watch a YouTube-only visual version of this episode here Yale Center for British Art (Wikipedia) ----- Have a question for the hosts? Ask it at AskArchispeak.com Thank you for listening to Archispeak. For more episodes please visit https://archispeakpodcast.com. Support Archispeak by making a donation.

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Showing 21–23 of 23 episodes