A day in the Life of a Senior Architecture Lead
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A day in the Life of a Senior Architecture Lead

Hi

My name is Andrew Maguire and I was recently promoted to Senior Architecture Lead at Infinity Group.

WHAT IS LIKE TO BE A SENIOR ARCHITECTURE LEAD AT A DESIGN BUILD FIRM?

It’s tons of fun and there are a lot of different aspects to the job. I get my day started early in our Hartford design studio. and I always bring my own coffee. I’ve got a pretty easy commute to downtown Hartford. I love jamming out to music on the car ride in.

FIRST THINGS, FIRST

I like to get a jumpstart on my busy day. And that usually starts with responding to emails to keep the Infinity Group projects on time and on budget. With my recent promotion, I will be building a small team to focus on these daily tasks and drawings.

So, what are those early in the day emails like? Normally, the messages are from engineers, clients, and IG team members who are interacting with and commenting on my drawings. When possible, I also like to catch up in person with team members in the studio. Olivia works on the Infinity Group Design team, and a quick conversation over physical drawings can be really helpful.

IT’S DRAWING TIME

After I get through my inbox in the morning, then I will start on drawings. On this day I am finishing up a construction document set to get into permitting.

As projects start, there is a kickoff with our Infinity Group Preconstruction team and they talk through the new design, the requests from clients, and the requirements for the building. We’re also talking about things like adding and removing walls, specialty equipment, and how the space is going to flow.

OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW

Did you know that in my role I’m creating many types of plans? There are demolition plans and then there are the new construction plans. Demolition plans are exactly what they sound like – we talk about what needs to stay in a space, and what needs to go. New construction plans are where we can get creative like maximizing the square footage and even the natural light in a space. My favorite kind of project is in the shell of a building. That means we get to start from scratch, and it usually means more flexibility in design.

Managing multiple priorities while making progress at the same time to stay on schedule can be overwhelming but having the support from my team members makes it a breeze. My Executive Director of Architecture and Engineering, Michael Duane, has helped us a great deal with his expert knowledge and support as our team grows.

On our Infinity Group Architecture and Engineering team, we have weekly check in meetings where we discuss progress on current projects and go through the outlook on what’s to come.

FINDING SOLUTIONS

At Infinity Group, we work with clients from the beginning of the project, all the way through the construction. Architecture and Engineering is right in the middle of our Infinity Group process so that means we troubleshoot and answer questions to keep projects on track. Some days that means answering questions from building departments. We do this to make changes to our drawings so that permits are approved for our construction team. There are also requests that arise from conversations with our clients, and I’m always happy to find the best solutions that keep us on time and on budget.

COORDINATION IS KEY

My position is all about all about coordination – between engineering, the Preconstruction team, the Project Coordinator, and the Project Leads.

Why did I get into this work?

I like being able to make a difference for the client. I also like seeing something go from being on a screen into real life. The photo above is a recently completed Infinity Group project for Action Behavior Centers. As I work on more projects for ABC and other clients, remembering my impact is the most important fuel for a productive, fulfilling day.