October 21, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes

William J. Martin, AIA, Talks Giving Back Through Mentorship with Young Architect’s Michael Riscica, AIA

Click HERE to listen to the Podcast

Visit Young Architect by clicking HERE. 

 

The Following is by Michael Riscica, AIA, of Young Architect…

 

Bill Martin can remember precisely when he first felt an interest in architecture. He was six years old, and his father had decided to do some home renovation – namely, removing an archway located between the home’s living room and dining room. 

What Bill’s father didn’t realize was that the archway was holding up the ceiling joist. Removing the archway caused movement in the ceiling. At the time, Bill was fascinated by the way that a seemingly simple change in the home’s structure could cause unexpected effects. Bill’s father reinforced the ceiling joist, and Bill’s interest in architecture was born. 

In today’s interview, Bill discusses some of the things that he’s learned during his journey to becoming a practicing architect. He talks about his interest in sustainable architecture, why he believes it’s important to get licensed early, and what it’s like to run his own architecture practice. He also discusses the importance of mentorship and why he feels compelled to be a mentor for young architects.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode  

• What inspired Bill to pursue architecture
• Where Bill went to architecture school
• What happened after Bill finished architecture school
• How long Bill has had his own practice
• Some of the early projects that Bill worked on
• How Bill’s passion for sustainability has influenced his practice
• The sustainable principle that Bill implements in his current projects
• How Bill got involved in politics
• How mentorship has factored into Bill’s career
• Whether Bill’s practice has always been a one-man shop
• Bill’s discussion with AI New Jersey
• Bill’s advice for aspiring architects
• What Bill knows now that he didn’t know then
• The book that changed everything for Bill
• Bill’s favorite gadget
• Bill’s best timesaving trick
• Where listeners can find Bill online

Top 3 Takeaways from This Episode

1. Be the mentor that a younger architect needs.
2. Don’t let others tell you what you can’t do.
3. If you work for yourself, be relentless when it comes to getting paid.

Bill Martin’s Advice for Aspiring Architects

“Never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something.”

Favorite Quotes

“I did not realize how hard it is to get paid by clients.” –Bill Martin on what he knows today that he didn’t know back then

“My favorite one, and it’s still my favorite one is one from my childhood – it’s Harold and the Purple Crayon.” – Bill Martin on the book that changed everything

“It’s really my pen. My Pilot Precise B7 rolling ball pen.” –Bill Martin on the resource he can’t live without.

“You have to be careful, because if you save too much time in that process, you may not have as good a design in the end as you would otherwise.” –Bill Martin on his best timesaving trick.

Resources Mentioned in the Show:

Bill Martin
Bill on Twitter

Click HERE to listen to the Podcast

By Stacey Ruhle Kliesch, AIA, AIA NJ Advocacy Consultant | Posted in Architects League of Northern New Jersey, Architecture Students, Associates, Emerging Professionals | Tagged: #Advice, #emergingprofessionals, #EPiC, #Mentorship, #WilliamMartinAIA, #YoungArchitect, MichaelRiscicaAIA | Comments (0)