We recently had the chance to connect with Andrew Michler and have shared our conversation below.
Andrew, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. Who are you learning from right now?
I spend a lot of time following astrophysic educators on Youtube. It is impressive to have both a very precise understanding of the cosmos while maintaining a fluid and open mind to adapt to the flood of information, and sometimes radical shifts in perception. David Kipping stands out as a very grounded but experimental minded scientist who helps keeps the rest of us on pace with this evolution of understanding. His channel is Cool Worlds and his main focus of research is exomoons.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I design homes using the Passive House building standard, an energy efficiency and comfort focused process. Much of my work is in experimental materials and contemporary architecture.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
Intelligent alien UFOs.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering is not the work I would use but struggle is more appropriate. Designing and building is complex and I learn consistently that the more I attempt to control the design the less reliable the outcomes can be. I have not come to an equilibrium but the many times things go sideways I come to the next project with a much more nuanced focus on process rather than outcome.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The building industry is often bespoke but is often not well understood as a problem solving profession. Perhaps its human nature but in the building industry too often we think we have control, but given the number of unknowns, that is rarely the case. It has caused a rather rigid set of communication processes between teams that leaves significant gaps in terms of efficiency and creative resolutions to sometimes conflicting goals. Some of my favorite colleagues are the ones who work in between the traditional spaces to foster a more unified outcome.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
How lazy I really am. I am often referred to as a Type A personality but that could not be further from my daily self. It think it comes from the many types of projects I have worked on that would be considered somewhat unconventional in my field. I would rather sit on the patio watching clouds in Santa fe.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hyperlocalarch.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hyperlocalarch/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmichler/
- Other: https://bsky.app/profile/andrewmichler.bsky.social
