Life of an Architect

Chart trend

Position in the Design chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#28#55JunJulAugSep

#14

all-time peak

533

days in the top 50 since Nov 2024

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

Ep 209: Understanding Residential Contracts

#20 trending · Design

Ep 209: Understanding Residential Contracts breaks down five ways architects charge for residential work, along with the tradeoffs of each.

Sep 7
1 h 12 min

Ep 208: Ask Better Questions

Most people treat asking good questions as something you either have a knack for or you don't. Bob makes the case that it's actually a trainable habit, one built on slowi

Aug 23
1 h 00 min

Ep 207: Forward Beats Perfect

Most of us have learned to treat more thinking as the responsible move, right up until it isn't. This episode is about the moment careful preparation quietly turns into a

Aug 9
58 min

Ep 206: Work to Your Own Standard

What started as a simple commitment to sketch more became an unexpected lesson in accountability, criticism, and staying true to the reasons we begin creative work in the

Jul 26
1 h 01 min

Ep 205: How to Start Designing Your House

Designing a house does not begin with floor plans, exterior styles, or deciding where the kitchen island should go. It begins with understanding the people who will live

Jul 12
59 min

Ep 204: Character Development Revisited

In episode 204, “Character Development - Revisited,” we go back to the beginning and revisit the very first Life of an Architect podcast episode. Episode 001 was mostly a

Jun 28
1 h 00 min

Ep 203: Ten Museums to Visit Before You Die

Episode 203 explores ten museums worth seeing not for the collections alone, but for the buildings themselves. From quiet rooms shaped by light to dramatic structures car

Jun 14
1 h 01 min

Ep 202: From Practice to Professor

So you are thinking about teaching architecture. You’ve got some years of experience under your belt and you want to share your knowledge with the next generation. Or you

May 31
55 min

Ep 201: The Middle of Middle Management

Middle management is not usually the part of a career anyone dreams about, which is probably fair since most dreams do not involve inheriting more responsibility while ti

May 17
1 h 04 min

Ep 200: Hate to Love You

Ep 200: Hate to Love You looks back at favorite episodes, hard lessons, great guests, and the conversations that made this podcast worth your time from day one.

May 3
1 h 06 min

Episode 199: Conflict Resolution

Ep 199: Conflict Resolution explores how architects manage tension, stay useful under pressure, and move hard conversations toward better outcomes.

Apr 19
1 h 05 min

Ep 198: The Creative Process

Ep 198: The Creative Process | Why creativity in architecture depends on process, judgment, and knowing which ideas are worth pursuing

Apr 5
1 h 00 min

Episode 197: The Knowledge Gap

Ep197: The Knowledge Gap: As veteran architects retire, the profession risks losing hard-won knowledge, mentorship, and judgment no handbook can replace.

Mar 22
1 h 01 min

Ep 196: Do Architects Retire

Ep 196: Do Architects Retire explores why architects work longer, what comes next, identity shifts, and how money choices that shape retirement options.

Mar 8
58 min

Ep 195: Designing Your Own House

Designing Your Own House explores why architects hesitate to design their own homes: pressure, endless choices, ego vs livability, money, and what it reveals.

Feb 22
1 h 03 min

Ep 194: Being Your Own Boss

Being your own boss isn’t about starting a firm. It’s about control, momentum, money, and owning the tradeoffs shaping your career long before you noticed.

Feb 8
59 min

Ep 193: The Client Experience

Ep 193: The Client Experience, looks at why client relationships feel adversarial and why architects have more control than they think.

Jan 25
1 h 06 min

Ep 192: Have a Plan

Have a Plan is a reflective conversation about why pausing to think matters and how intention can help you move off square one this year.

Jan 11
1 h 03 min

Ep 191: Ask the Show Fall 2025

Architects ask the questions they actually want answered as Bob and Andrew dig into careers, practice, and the occasional absurdity.

Dec 21 2025
1 h 10 min

Ep 190: The Truth about Titles

The Truth about Titles explores why architectural titles matter, why they don’t, and how their meaning shifts over the course of a career.

Dec 7 2025
59 min

Chart positions

Where Life of an Architect ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 11, 2026).

#24 ▲ 2 Design US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

As a mid fifties architect and principal in a small firm this podcast has been very fun and thought provoking. Id never heard of Bob or the show before he came to my local Aia meeting for a presentation and I’ve been hooked ever since. My wife really enjoys some of the shows I’ve shared with her even though she is in the tech industry because some of the ideas of the work, process and life are very similar.

banjo&fiddle · Apr 2023

Isolating two host voices on two separate audio tracks makes it irritating to listen to with headphones. Stereophonic hearing is really important to comprehension, so hearing one person in one ear and one voice in the other ear hinders comprehension.

Stevenbrando · Jul 2021

I started listening to the show about 2 years ago, right after I graduated from architecture school! I was missing the silliness and helpfulness of studio culture, and I think Bob and Andrew do a great job of recreating that environment for listeners like me! Much like architecture, the podcast covers a wide range of topics - architecture school, NCARB test, the workplace, etc... but they also personalize it with their own stories and experiences! Bob even had a whole episode about his home renovation! I think they’re very tuned into what their listeners want, and they always deliver hilarious + thoughtful content!

Danismiley · Jan 2021

I came to listen to the podcast after an interview Bob Borson recently did with Erin Reinhardt, and have so quickly fallen in love with this show and all the content that comes with it! One thing I failed to mention in the title is the podcast is also hilarious at times... the fact that ten minutes can be spent debating the “would you rather” of aliens after an episode on sketching that leaves you feeling informed and excited to hear the next episode. A new favorite podcast for the books! Keep it up.

AllWorkAllPlay · Jan 2021

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.