Insights

Over the past decades, generations of society have grown farther and farther apart from each other. With exponentially changing technologies and limitless access to information, society has become inattentive to its surroundings and those in it. There is no longer a life where morals, ethics, and values come from people directly involved in our lives; Rather we now pull all of these from technology and media trends. Input comes less from others for knowledge and wisdom, and i

AGD's humble beginnings in Andrew's garage What was your initial vision for AGD? In 2015, I was on my way towards being a father for the first time and my partners in my business were not holding up their end of the bargain. Time at the office was both consuming my life and slipping away. I therefore decided to begin my own office (AGD) in the corner of my garage as a way to be with my family more and control the efforts my company was making in the world. I wanted to be a b

This is a continual question on the quest to educate the everyday client. Construction administration is a crucial aspect of the architectural process that ensures the successful translation of your project from drawings to reality. Architecture firms invest significant effort in creating detailed and comprehensive construction drawings. But it is important to acknowledge that these drawings have certain limitations. Construction drawings serve as a roadmap for the construc

NCARB is removing the rolling clock at the end of this month in an effort to make the path of licensure more equitable. This change hopes to encourage a range of people at various points in their journey to keep going with, or return to the test taking process. While the field of architecture has a long way to go before it is emblematic of inclusivity and diversity, this seems to be a step in the right direction to remove some barriers of entry while maintaining the standards

Social media has become a ubiquitous presence in modern-day society, with approximately 1.4 billion Instagram users (EarthWeb, 2022). Today, social media and marketing seem to be interchangeable concepts, as users are bombarded with ads for products that they may have previously searched for or even mentioned to friends. While this blog won't delve into the mysterious algorithms that populate our feeds with ads, it will explore the broader implications of social media's influ

After two strong and very busy years of having an office open near downtown, I had to close the doors. My wife, a full-time mommy with two kids (a 5-year-old and an 18-month-old), got a job as a teacher. She wanted to develop the career she studied for and we did not want to send the kids to a stranger’s place to be taken care of. I became a full-time dad and continued to run my already busy two-year-old design business full-time. Most would agree that taking care of kids whi

Architecture and psychology are closer tied to each other than most people would think. This impact has always been the biggest draw to...

The So-Hi district, or so-called “Funk Zone,” is an up-and-coming artsy area near downtown San Luis Obispo. The zone features Nautical...

Developed over the past decade, one of the greatest tools to analyze resilience is the work of the 100 Resilient Cities Network (100 RC),...

Resilient design is often defined as the intentional design of buildings, landscapes, and communities in order to respond to natural and...

“What doesn’t break you makes you stronger” (Friedrich Nietzsche) You see, there are two types of people in this world; there are those...

“Before I can walk in your shoes, I must take off my own” Spencer Johnson Often, we as professionals give advice to our clients and try...

As I witnessed the buckets of water falling from the sky, splatting onto the roof tiles of my neighbor’s home, pouring from the roof...

Last year alone, California lost 4.3 million acres of land, 10,488 structures and 33 lives to wildfires throughout the state. Fire season...

A core value of AGD is providing a net-positive impact through our work. Impactful design can mean designs that promote emotional change...

One of the topics I am most passionate about as an architect is housing. Based on what is seen on Instagram, one might think it is custom...

Design Field Inequalities Inequalities present throughout the world are not new, or unheard of, and yet are too often overlooked. There...

Roots of Japanese Residential Architecture Many of the same factors that influence American residential architecture influence Japanese...

Good Design has the ability to shape environments, create community, and bring about change; Inclusive Design believes that these...

Few students of architecture actually get a chance to understand where their professors came from and why they do what they do. This...