In my continuing goal of improving our teaming process I always look for opportunities to speak with students pursuing Architecture or Engineering degrees to emphasize the importance of communication in that chosen field. So when Patrick Sotto of the CSUN ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) branch reached out to me to speak with the group, I readily accepted.

When providing architectural services our Clients, Contractors, and Design Teams always ask the same question “Do you have a great Civil engineer?”The Civil engineer can have a great impact on the site layout of the building and other developments. The sustainability of the drainage, sun angles, views, water retention, and other issues are in the purview of the Civil engineer. Getting correct and timely responses on issues pertaining to grading, retaining walls, drainage, utility lines, and other site issues from a Civil engineer always seem to take the most time.

The first thing I asked the students was “Who checked out my company’s website?” “Did you know I was coming to speak with you today?” “Did you do any research on me or my company?” I knew they were not going to do the homework on their own. Only one out of a group of sixty people had checked out who I was and what my company stands for. I knew this was a sign of what I needed to cover during my presentation.

At each recession going back to 1974 I have noticed the type of economic changes that occur as an architect. For one, my profession gets hit very hard. The talent pool dries up and there are less experienced architects left. The younger people going into this profession also then do not get to advance as much in their growth. We will need all these people if and when a real catastrophe occurs.

So what does this have to do with wealth inequality? Over my entire career the proportion of client type is changing. Some of it is just the natural growth of my company. But the Residential client is really changing. We used to work on three plus addition remodels per year. The clients were very cost conscious but willing to pay professional fees to get their custom projects and full services. Now that middle class client is being stretched even farther. This limits their ability to add and modernize their homes in final product and professional services.

The expanding code requirements are also a factor in this calculation. Now it’s the upper end of the middle class and the richer crowd that brings us into their projects. The cost consciousness is still very present. Many of these type projects are investment related as opposed to personal.

What do you know about the Mansionization Ordinance in the city Of Los Angeles?

Let’s back up. When you vote, those people elected to office, say city council members who represent you, help in setting the direction of your local zoning codes. It is your responsibility to know what is going on in your community. You need to keep up with a million issues. Especially zoning codes that affect the value of your land and protect your rights of what can be built. These zoning codes can affect could affect your views, sun access, ability to generate solar energy, privacy, density of your neighborhood, parking conditions, and many other personal issues. So keeping yourself informed is very important when it comes to what can and can’t be done to your or other properties. This needs to be done in a proactive manner. You cannot wait till the last minute to have real impact on zoning changes. If you want to protect your piece of the pie stay educated. Be involved. Work with your local neighborhood councils, council office, neighbors, and planning commissions. This could be the best way to protect your own interests for your personal freedom and property values. For most people, their homes are their biggest investment in their lives. Treat it that way!

As we enter the Anthropocene Era we need to re-think our actions on Earth.

Human activity represents a principle driver of planetary changes. It's a question that has more than academic importance. How we resolve this split may have a lot to do with our chances for creating a technological society that can last for more than a century or so. That's because the Anthropocene is really the "Age of the City."