Andy
Name and credentials:
Andy R. Thomson M.Arch, LEED AP
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City and country of birth:
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
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Education:
B.Tech, Arch - Ryerson University; M.Arch - University of British Columbia 2003
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Achievements:
- Published internationally, television and radio (CBC, HGTV, Oprah Magazine)
- Designer of the 'MiniHome' and the OHOME
- Founder of Sustain Design Studio and OMOD (O ModularGroup, California)
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A few of my favourite things:
- Contemporary prefab design
- Radical off-grid buildings
- Architecture as a hybrid of camping and home
- All the latest gadgetry and technology
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Tell us about your practice as an architect.
I am an entrepreneur, founder of two design companies (Sustain and OMOD). As a designer, I have often incorporated everything I learned as a mechanical systems designer and installer towards the "total design" of building systems designed for off-grid, net-zero and carbon neutral living - which I have always strived to exemplify in my own life.
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What architectural work are you most proud of?
The first minihome (called the minihome SOLO), and all of the projects I built with my own hands in Germany and Toronto.
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What was it that brought you to architecture?
To "legitimize" myself as a high-end builder and, simply stated, to be able to design and build my own home (and along the way, do the same for many others) while also following in the footsteps of my grandfather, whom I always admired and who abandoned his career in architecture after the 1930s depression.
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How many children (grandchildren) do you have? Ages?
I have three children, two from a former marriage, aged 10 (f), 5(m) and 1 (f). My spouse is an actor/comedienne and stay-at-home mom.
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How do you manage to practice architecture while raising children and running a household?
I had my first child while attending the M.Arch program at U.B.C. As some of my colleagues may recall, I lived in a solar-powered van with my family in the U.B.C. parking lots! This lifestyle, born of both choice and necessity, actually launched the direction of my somewhat-specialized career in high-performance, mobile and prefab dwellings. I had figured school would be the best time to have a child, since I could deal with family obligations without the pressures of the workplace.
Upon graduation, I had another child, and found the challenges of raising a family in regular conflict with the responsibilities of the workplace, especially since I had taken on the dual roles of being both a project architect and CAD/BIM-manager. After the breakdown of my first marriage, I became the custodial parent as well as an intern at a large (75+ employees) Toronto-based office. The kids had to be in daycare and after-school programs while I was expected to work 60+ hour weeks on salary. At that time, I had two children, and was the sole breadwinner.
Things are not too much different now. There is an implicit understanding about work on weekends - that it just will happen - and I have always had to put my foot down and state that I can work as much as 70 hours/week but never on weekends. In fact, it's the first thing I have to say in an interview with a new prospective employer. Principals typically ignore this, hire me on, and then I am required to remind them, to their great consternation.
I am currently an intern listed with the OAA but pursuing my license to practice in the state of California. I have worked in just about every kind of office, and have successfully run my own BIM consulting business and a couple of prefab companies (including Sustain Design Studio). As a sole breadwinner there is much pressure; and as a single parent, even more. I was separated/divorced for some time and solely responsible for my two children while I worked in Toronto. I was surrounded by DINKs (Dual Income, No Kids) or singles who seemed to be superior beings from a principal's perspective, only because they did not have these seemingly “inane” requirements for having evenings “to themselves” and could freely work any weekend needed.
In fact, the pressures of conventional practice are probably the primary reason I started to set up my own companies and consulting work. I always felt I could not sustain work in any one firm for very long. My inability to meet the time demands simply meant that I would never be in line for associate or partner status, and so I had to become a principal in my own firm. The fact that I remain unlicensed and have not completed my internship process has entirely to do with the fact that I do not have time for it.
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Can you recall an instance where the dual responsibilities of being a parent and an architect came to a head?
While working at one firm, my duties included being the CAD manager for a 70-architect office, as well as project architect on four projects, and BIM model manager on about six others. I ended up working 60+ hours/week, and over the course of almost two years, accrued about 30 days of time off in lieu which I could never seem to take advantage of. This was disputed on my departure (specifically, it came back to me that since the partners had not authorized my overtime in writing, my accrual was not valid - which was technical BS) which, due to stress and what I felt was a schedule teetering on the brink of burnout, saw me take a job at a much smaller office with a better, more humane outlook on life. The final incident with this large firm was when I was asked to work on a deadline one weekend. When I stated that I really couldn't, the principal in charge quite bluntly stated that it "wasn't a choice.” That's when I finally had to give notice.
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Do you think that being a parent has actually influenced your approach to architecture?
Absolutely. My kids and current spouse weigh in on everything I design, which ensures there is a bedroom for everyone, a place for the cat's litterbox, no useless corners in kitchens, and funky outlooks between spaces for a sense of variety and adventure indoors, as well as amazing connections to the exterior. All of my designs are exciting for children, which in turn has an influence on their parents. In the mass-market world of prefab architecture, this is extremely helpful for sales!
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“There is no more sombre enemy of good art than the pram in the hall.”
- Cyril Connolly, Enemies of Promise, 1938 What do you think about this quote?
I think it's unfortunate and unduly negative. While I can appreciate the sentiment of frustration, I also know a great saying to counter it: "You can always find time for a love affair". If your love affair is architecture, you will practice it with great efficiency when the babies are sleeping. An even greater enemy is a lack of discipline, in terms of scheduling time to work on what matters.
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What is the best piece of advice you would give to a would-be parent / architect?
Raise your kids while you're in school! You're far less likely to be expelled than fired later on! Also, having kids as a student teaches you to be incredibly efficient with your time. I recall several instances where my colleagues would be up for several days and nights to finish a major project, and were baffled when I would come in and crank for a single night to get something done. A lot of time is wasted procrastinating. Having children teaches a parent, if nothing else, that there is only so much time to do anything and everything, and so every actionable opportunity for productive work must be seized! Never blame children for your own failures. They can help you, too. It's at times extremely difficult to maintain a positive outlook. For that, I recommend Martinis.
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If you could change public policy that impacts on child-rearing, what would that be?
As creative professionals, architects are notorious for setting unachievable goals (project timelines and deliverables). In Ontario, the OAA governs labour practices so provincial regulations regarding overtime are ignored, and interns are in turn abused. It's as simple as that. Any time I asked to book time off that I had accrued, I was rejected due to the demands of the projects for which I was responsible. I think a simple, effective solution would be to have the provincial associations respect and integrate the governing labour law for other white-collar workers with regard to overtime and accrued time. We'd see a sensible adjustment almost immediately in terms of scheduling, fees, goals, milestones and human relations in the architectural profession. And if that proved impossible, then allowing architectural interns to form or join a union might help.