New year, new me! Or perhaps for architects, new Moleskine, new me? While a lot has happened in the world of architecture this year, it’s just as important to reflect on your own personal architectural practices. Whether 2017 ushers in the start or end of a degree, a new job, a new project, or just more architectural life as usual, there’s no better time to make a resolution or two. As we approach the calendar change, here are 22 ideas for how you could improve yourself in the new year.
1. Introduce friends to your favourite buildings around town.
2. Cut down on the "final_render," "final_render_final," "new_final_render" file naming.
3. Declutter your hard drive. Digital feng shui is important too.
4. Take up a new non-architectural hobby and see how it helps your architectural side (further possible suggestions: krav maga, pickling things, origami, banjo).
5. Share your new non-architectural hobby with your firm.
6. Use words like "tectonic" and "activate" less.
7. Go for more walks.
8. Go for more walks to the bakery to surprise your colleagues or studio-mates with croissants.
9. Obsess over Bjarke Ingels less (it’s just getting creepy at this point).
10. While getting over Bjarke, make an effort to learn about architects you hear less about.
11. Finally sort out your time management issues (this year will actually be different this time).
12. Chill on the use of triangles in designs.
13. Sketch by hand more - your hoard of unused notebooks is begging for it.
14. Learn about the architecture of a country you know nothing about.
15. Freshen up your wardrobe. Who knows, you could set the new architectural fashion trend... is #FFA500 the new black?
16. Be less judgmental of parametric architecture. It’s ugly because it’s good in other ways, right?
17. Start an architectural book club.
18. Start an architectural wine and cheese club.
19. Design a house for a dog.
20. Consider a new go-to font—you’ve been using Garamond/Helvetica for way too long.
21. Sleep more. Architects deserve just as much sleep as any other discipline, so snooze away tired old attitudes.
22. Only stay up late for architectural reasons if it involves nailing studs or butt joints...
