As an architect, I tend to communicate through sketching – which is starting to make me a bit of a relic. Most young people these days seem to work more on the computer and generate images that are created digitally, which I love, but I don’t want one skill at the expense of the other.

One of the extra-curricular activities I spend my time on is working with the Texas Society of Architects (TxA) – the state level component of the American Institute of Architects – as their Chair of Digital Communications. [Hmmmm … wonder how I go that job?] We are about to run another one of our coordinated hashtag events on Instagram. This is my one of my most favorite social media platforms – and particularly so for architects. Let’s face it, architects tend to do some pretty cool things and despite the unworldly number of photos of coffee and craft beers, architects seem to have pretty interesting Instagram feeds.

Our Texas Society of Architects event actually kicks off tomorrow on Tuesday, June 24th, but I wanted to give some of you folks some notice so that you can be prepared come tomorrow and play along.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Take a picture of an architectural sketch you have created – the subject matter can be of whatever you want

Step 2: Post that picture to your Instagram account. If you don’t have one, take the plunge with me here and sign up. There’s going to be all sorts of cool things we are going to do this year.

Step 3: Add the hashtags #ArchiSketch and #TexasArchitects in the description of that picture. If you didn’t know, adding a “#” in front of a word instantly makes that word searchable. This means you can click on any word that has a hashtag in front of it and all the pictures that have that hashtag will come up for viewing. Depending on the level of participation, we might even curate some of the pictures into an article on the Texas Society of Architects website.

Step 4: Follow txarchitects on Instagram (you can follow me as well if you aren’t already). Just so you know, there will probably be prizes at some point.

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For fun, I thought I would look back at a block of photos that I’ve posted to my Instagram feed that would have worked well with the #ArchiSketch hashtag. The vast majority of images I post on my Instagram feed are architecturally themed, and a large chunk of those are sketches that I create as part of solving the problems associated with my projects. I’ve mentioned about a million times (although I haven’t counted to see if that number is accurate) that I am not a particularly adept at sketching, I can do it well enough to convey a thought and communicate an idea, which I suppose actually makes me quite skilled at sketching.

The rest of my afternoon is starting to look up – all that’s missing is a beer

Hashtags used: #sketching

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FYI – sketching with a black pen is always more fun than sketching with a red pen

Hashtags used: none

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another day, another practical sketch. Working out a column base plate detail for a steel window

Hashtags used: #frommydesk #architect #sketch

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Tried to sketch a little while I was on the plane this weekend – kind of ‘bouncy’

Hashtags used: none

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sliding door, steel frame, butt joint glazing detail … Fun to solve but a margarita would make it more fun.

Hashtags used: none

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thinking through sketching

Hashtags used: #architectural #sketch#detail #whatanarchitectdoes

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a different sort of teaching sketch … this one’s for the contractor

Hashtags used: #sketch

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just not feeling it today …

Hashtags used: none

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old and new on the same page

Hashtags used: #sketching

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sketching out a deck guardrail so that it’s simple yet has some architecture to it – and owner wants a curb at the edge

Hashtags used: none

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quick sketch of an interior bed wall – I think it reads well enough

Hashtags used: #frommydesk #sketch

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Working sketches this morning, walking a coworker through design dimensions

Hashtags used: #sketches

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Sketch from spring break – last time was #Paris, now it’s time for London

Hashtags used: #sketch #London

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A peek at my playhouse this year – detailing and execution will make this sing

Hashtags used: #sketch

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nope – this ain’t it. Good thing I only spent 90 seconds on it sketching

Hashtags used: #sketching

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This is what 3lbs of sketches looks like

Hashtags used: none

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Not all projects are big and fancy, sometimes It’s a simple window package redesign

Hashtags used: #sketching #fast #whatanarchitectdoes

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spending the afternoon sketching through a trellis detail – way more fun than processing pay apps

Hashtags used: #architect #design #sketching

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Some days, being an architect is so awesome it’s hard to imagine I get paid to do this

Hashtags used: #architect

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I know there are a lot of Instagrammers out there, and I hope you will participate in our hashtag event. Just remember to use the hashtags #ArchiSketch and#TexasArchitects (no spaces between words).

May you always have your favorite pen with you,