Open Plan Podcast

Long-time friend Danny Griffin joins us this week to chat about his experience as a designer and M.Arch candidate at MIT! How did he find his interests in undergrad? What's the culture like at MIT? How do his interests in architecture and robotics come together? Most importantly, how did he get away with writing a children's book as a studio project?! We hope you enjoy getting to know Da...

Why pursue an MBA after design school? How do the skills learned in business school help your architecture career? What are some differences in culture between an MBA program and a design school? In our first student series episode, Bangseh Akuchu tells us about his experience at his GA Tech MBA program. Also, stick around for the lightning round where you'll hear about him meeting and singin...

Ayyy welcome to our crib(s)! On this episode Maria and Emily catch up on some recent life changes and then have a chat about all things home decor and apartment hacks. They cover easy to do, affordable tips to elevate your apartment’s vibe and organization  - no matter what the size! They then give their take on recent Tik Tok design trends. Green kitchens, pink bathrooms, oh my! *disclaimer - we...

What’s it like coming from a different country into an architecture school? How does one actually apply for a PhD in Architecture? Yousef’s unique career path inspired us to interview him about these topics and much more! He’s a PhD candidate at Georgia Tech, teaches architecture studios and is the creator of the Architect’s Tarot. We hope you enjoy getting to know more about his story as much as...

Woohoo! You've landed an interview with an architecture firm! Now what?  In this Part II of the Career Series, Emily and Maria cover how to prepare before the interview (how much should you stalk firms?), how to discuss an architecture portfolio (without having to go through every image), and have stellar questions ready (what questions help make you stand out?).  We also touch on important s...

It's that time of the year! Career fairs, job applications, interviews, oof! We're here to help. In this episode, we give our best tips and tricks for before, during and after the career fair. How do you prepare? What should I ask the firms about? How can I stand out? What if they ghost me? Find answers to this and much more in this ep! Plus: Tips on how to navigate an online career fair...

It’s 2021! In this episode, Maria and Emily discuss all things goal setting when starting out a new year. They reflect on the past year, the good and the bad, and discuss what things they took away from it. They then dive deep into their personal, professional, and podcast goals and talk strategies on how they plan to follow through with them. Stick around for helpful tips and tricks in maintainin...

This is Part 2 of our Picking Schools series! Maria, Emily, and special guest Matt Denig continue the conversation on their experiences choosing a grad program. They cover topics like how long of a break to take in between, what other things to consider, and how different grad school is compared to undergrad. They also give advice for a better application, tips on getting a Teaching or Research As...

This is Part 1 of our Picking a School series, Undergraduate edition! Maria, Emily, and special guest Matt Denig break down how they chose where to go for undergrad. What things did they consider? Did location matter? Did they know they wanted to do architecture? The three discuss their own unique experiences as well as what they would have done differently. They also offer advice to anyone consid...

In this episode, Emily and Maria break down the LEED Green Associate Exam. What is it? Why should you take it? How should you begin studying? They also speak about their experiences taking the exam, and give their own tips and strategies that helped them pass! Hope you enjoy and find this helpful. Let us know if you decide to take the test! Follow us @openplanpodcast , subscribe and leave a nice r...

We've got some very special guests on the podcast this week! Tune in to meet Ashcon (Emily's fiancé, not an architect) and José (Maria's boyfriend, an architect) and join our conversation to hear about our experiences having relationships while in architecture school! Find out how we met, what it was like for them to live with us while going to grad school, and much, MUCH more. Mayb...

We're diving deep into architecture internships this week! Did any of us actually have to grab coffee for someone? Clean out the library? Organize samples? Emily and Maria each talk about their own experiences and what kinds of things to expect from your internship. We're talking money, responsibilities, and common tasks that are usually given to interns. Plus, we have a crazy story sent...

It’s September, so that means back to school! In this episode Emily and Maria discuss all things architecture school. What’s it structured like? What’s a “studio”? What are the differences between undergraduate and graduate school? Are you going to have a social life? They answer these questions and more, along with sharing some cringeworthy school experiences. Hope you enjoy! Follow us on instagr...

In this episode Emily and Maria introduce themselves and discuss where they’re from, how they ended up in architecture, and how they met. // Become a Patron!  Support the show Follow us on IG @openplanpodcast Use code OPP15 for 15% off Desk Crits Guide to the ARE 5.0