Kimmerle Talks: Angelo Baute

If you could impart any piece of advice to individuals beginning their design career, what would it be?

There was an interview with Ira Glass, the host of This American Life, that I had listened to when I was already a few years into my architectural career. I wish I had heard this when I was younger. His theory is that most people who go into a creative career, and this is totally applicable to architecture, is because they have good taste and all we ultimately want to do is share our good taste. But when we’re starting out, most of what we produce doesn’t really line up with our good taste. I’d say most architects go through this realization, that there’s a gap between what we design and what we think is good, and we become discouraged. The only way to overcome that disappointment is to be resilient; keep at it and keep producing until your work is good enough to match your tastes.

How were you first introduced to architecture and design?

I was maybe in middle school, or early high school when I watched Ken Burn’s documentary about Frank Lloyd Wright. Ken Burn is master of storytelling, so I was completely sold on Frank Lloyd Wrights works and really put me on the path to pursue architecture.

Most career journeys aren’t linear. What does yours look like?

After college, I worked for a firm in NYC and it was quite grueling. Long hours, late nights. After almost five years of what seemed like non-stop grinding, I totally needed a break. For several years afterwards, I was a freelance writer, creating content for websites and corporate blogs. It was only after a while that I felt like I was ready to try going back into the world of architecture. Even then, I first joined an urban design firm for a couple of years before I finally landed here at Kimmerle.

How has your career shaped your understanding of the world? 

I think as architects, we understand the process of how spaces and buildings are made so we view them as things that are designed, that have an intent. When we walk in a room, we can’t help but try to decipher the choices that led to what we’re experiencing when we are in a space. It’s both a blessing and a curse; we can’t just sit back and enjoy a building. But when we do come across one that’s truly inspiring, I think we do appreciate it more than most folks.