I took my son out of a drafting class in high school several years ago.
When I heard he had signed for it, I went immediately to the admissions office and yanked him out.
Why?
Real ambivalence and a fear for his future. I was not a happy camper that year.
The residential practice has been difficult for several reasons.
I don't have to outline them all but here is a quick list of bads: the length of time it takes to create a viable business, unlicensed competition leading to confusion and lower fees, builder dominance, proliferation of plan books that devalue what we do, an AIA that does not support residential design much at all, etc.
And the worst future imaginable is here.
It does not look good. How many thought this could happen or would happen?
If you are at ground zero (Florida, Nevada, California) this is the third year you have seen your projects dwindle slowly to nearly zero. Likewise your bank accounts, credit, and worse.
Our advanced degrees mean nothing right now.
Waiters are making more in tips in good restaurants every night than most of us are all day.
There is no time to retrain; we couldn't imagine this situation. We know how to do one thing well and that's it.
For those of you who tried to transfer credits in or out of the curriculum from other fields when in college: no go. Remember?
Oh yes, you can 'move' into other professions and oh yes we have these great talents: communication skills, leadership, business organization... right. Try marketing that in the absence of no real specialty. Yes, you could probably work yourself up from a stocker at Loew's to a floor manager in a few years. There is no time for retraining for most of us. It is flat out too late and the bills are piling up big time.
This is a totally insane predicament which is forcing us into oblivion.
Those of us in more healthy regions where overbuilding did not occur are treading water but.... you all get the picture!
The options are very limited in the regions hit hardest as related businesses are also down: Realtors, Surveyors, Engineers, Mortgage companies, Reprographics, etc.
We are on a sinking ship that for many has already tanked.
WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING BECAUSE NO ONE IS LOOKING OUT FOR US
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John Henry AIA
John Henry Design International
Orlando FL
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