Nylda Hamchaoui, The Architectural Experiment

0012 - Nylda Hamchaoui, The Architectural Experiment
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Intro: [00:00:00] I

Stephen Drew: am Stephen Drew from the Architecture Social, and I am here today, we are picking up the podcast again, and I'm lucky to be here with Nilda, who is the founder of the Architecture Architectural Experiment. Nilda. Hello. Do you want to tell me which is the correct title and how you are today? Are you well?

Nylda Hamchaoui: I'm very good. Thank you. Yeah. So it's The Architectural Experiment.

Stephen Drew: Yeah, I like the Architectural Experiment. I love it. Gosh, I need, as you, as we touch the bond, because we had a little chat before this, I'm, I, when I was in industry and when I was studying, I was The student who didn't read all the books, all the writing that I should have, I was the naughty one who didn't read the thesis, who didn't read that stuff, and then there'd be other people [00:01:00] in the studio that would know all the clever things and I wouldn't feel very clever.

What inspired you? Do you want to tell us a little bit about what the architectural experiment is?

Nylda Hamchaoui: Yeah. So the architecture experiment initially was just, I realized that I would always give advice to people in my sort of cohort, even like during uni, after uni. And it was this idea because I've always, I'm actually quite the opposite to you, Stephen.

If you asked me before architecture, what I would do at the age of maybe nine or 10, I've always loved to write. That's been part of, yeah, that's been sort of part of my sort of creative, creative outlet. And so because I love to write and I initially, so I had the blog idea a year before, when I was in my third year, but the opportunity came when my university were looking for a student to write just a bit about the university experience of architecture on a weekly a weekly or fortnightly basis.

And so I started writing there. And. I felt like [00:02:00] I was getting out what I wanted to talk about in terms of the experience of studying like studio and classroom discussions like the outside world looking for work and sort of the professional environment, but I felt like I was a bit limited, so once I Finished because I felt like there was a lot of things I couldn't talk about because it was under the student body, so I felt like I needed to start something of my own.

So I ended up yeah. So I ended up stopping the not stopping, but I guess 'cause the whole logistics of it didn't feel right with me. So I was like, let me start my own thing. And I started writing just based off of just basic yeah I guess I started off with letters.

It was letters to my, it was letters to my third year self, second year self and first year self. Yeah. It started from there.

Intro: Yeah.

Stephen Drew: I loved it. I read the one that picked my attention. I think it was the class of 2020. I think you wrote a letter to them that a poor case 2020, it's been a rough year for everyone.[00:03:00]

Yeah. That got my attention. It's quite interesting when he, cause I do you know what's interesting with this? We're rumbling who you are, but it's true. I, the architectural experiment, it's almost got a kind of a cool Banksy quality. You don't really know who it is. And I didn't know who it was.

Who runs this? Who runs this Instagram account with these? Cool, cool writings. But I think that's really interesting. And it's been an eye opener for me because, and how we organically got chatting was while the architectural social was building up. It touched upon it briefly. I look for a few precedents, definitely, Instagram accounts or social influencers that are really, Because it's really important.

I need to keep with the times. Now I'm 33.

Intro: Ah,

Stephen Drew: And it was, it is interesting 'cause you've always gotta be aware of what's going on and there's some people doing amazing stuff. We've touched briefly about Ana at scale and her kind of, and relenting drive on, [00:04:00] on creating really interesting content.

And I think it's the same thing. I really enjoy your content. It's got it definitely got its own spin. on things as well. And what I've enjoyed is you can definitely tell you've got that passion and patience that I haven't got for reading which is amazing. But as well as that, it's interesting to hear what you're talking about now, whether it's drawn on your own reflections and touching upon that now, it's a bit of a crazy time because You're effectively, you're graduated now, haven't you?

This is your third year. So you've,

Nylda Hamchaoui: is that right? I graduated in 2019, so last year.

Stephen Drew: Okay, last year. All right, cool. And are you, so you're looking for, are you looking for a job right now?

Nylda Hamchaoui: Yes I am, yeah. So it's been a long journey, but I'm still pulling through,

Stephen Drew: yeah. You found it tough then, right?

Nylda Hamchaoui: Oh, these last, I think in your head you have a timeframe of, oh, within six months or within a year I should have a role. But I think COVID kind of undid some of those months. So I tried to [00:05:00] just mentally I think, go back and be like, okay, I'm in like the February, March sort of area rather than the April.

Because I felt like things were unfolding a little bit for me. And then COVID was like, no. We're gonna, we're gonna close the shutters, no one's coming in yet.

Stephen Drew: It is tough. There definitely is some stuff out there. I've seen your CV I think it's really good. So I, I want a written piece about now, you go, remember we were talking earlier about my balance.

We got to get some more. CV's out, Nilda. There you go. There you go. We managed to sneak the bell on. I said I wasn't going to do the bell and I did the bell. Oh,

Nylda Hamchaoui: I was expecting something.

Stephen Drew: Yeah. Okay. You're very employable. So we need to get you a job quickly. But do you know what as well, it's probably worth mentioning while we're on the subject is that and something for you to consider as well, or for people out there, because I'm going to do one or two talks at some point about.

Lateral or alternative careers within architecture. And if you, especially if you're interested in writing or any of your audiences, [00:06:00] in particular, architectural journalism, you've got architectural magazines, but there's lots of media or marketing companies out there. Which are always looking.

And I think a few of them that make, oh gosh, I, there's, I have a friend called Alicia, she moved away from recruitment and she went into marketing and media. There's definitely, there's a few, one of them that comes to mind actually is called Cairo Communications. You have these amazing companies that do architectural press releases for projects and as well as that marketing for certain things.

So that's always probably a really good thing. For your, maybe more for your audience. Cause I know you're quite keen to work in industry, but no one really talks about that. And this is like the way I did recruitment. There's definitely always stuff to move over to. And so where do you see at the moment?

So you're currently looking and I'm confident you're going to find a job soon. And when that happens, how do you think the, have you thought about how the content of the architectural [00:07:00] experiment may change?

Nylda Hamchaoui: That's a great question. I feel like maybe I might be a bit more confident with the content that I do produce because I think secretly in my head, it's like, Nilda, you're sharing this advice and tips, but you haven't really got from like that validation, I think in terms of.

Oh, this got me maybe like a first, so I can give advice on a portfolio or this, this advice that I'm sharing about job employment meant that I actually got a job. So that kind of, I think it might give me just a bit more confidence in what I produce because I think you can have that sort of, I know personally I've had the imposter syndrome kind of thing where it would go on my to share this advice because I didn't get a first.

I got a 2 1 and that was yeah, but still just mentally it doesn't.

Intro: Yeah, it's

Nylda Hamchaoui: Oh, I would have wanted a first, that kind of always not really being satisfied or feeling like it's maybe valid that I can talk about something because I feel like maybe the achievement isn't the top achievement, even though [00:08:00] it is an achievement in itself.

Stephen Drew: No, you've gotta, don't worry, I'm gonna let you into a secret. I always get imposter syndrome every night. I think it comes on like a bad bout every few months. You start getting confident, you do all your stuff, and then I'm like, and the same thing as you. I'm like, what do I know?

I know nothing. What? Why? What can I say all this stuff and, now I'll start you. I'm starting to feel more. Okay. I think imposter syndrome's a bit healthy. 'cause actually what is you're doing is you are recalibrating, you're checking yourself. But it's not nice when it does happen because it, you have to break, you have to muster that spirit.

I think what you gotta remember, and the same way I think about it is, hey my. opinion the mic is based upon my experience and it's based upon all the stuff I've done and every day I'm learning it's like the whole sentence about practicing architecture I remember I saw someone do when this is when I was in my part one sorry when I was studying my part one first year and you know half the time yeah I'm studying and I got my 2.

1 but you're also having [00:09:00] a bit of a giggle you're 18 you know you're playing around I remember an architect coming in and he's every day I'm practicing architecture and I'm like No way. Once I get my part one, part two, part three, I'm done. But it's true as professionals, you're always evolving.

And so in recruitment, I'm always learning and then it's the same thing. So you've got the architectural experiment. I work on the architectural social and every day I'm changing and the sometimes and this is important as well. Things don't work because we were talking earlier about The group's function on the architectural social and how some things work, something doesn't.

And I'm sure it's a similar thing with the architectural experiment. That is the name, right? And hey, actually, you've got a free reign because it's the experiment. And I think that part of the amazing stuff about these platforms and building communities is that I was chatting with another architect the other day, and he's a fantastic guy.

BIM Specialist [00:10:00] as well and he was talking about the sense of community and I think that people do like Unpolished and human, slightly raw helpful and honest feedback and honest thoughts. And I much prefer, I prefer, that's what I liked about your stuff is that it felt real and we're in a world crowded with the zines and so forth and yeah, I think the zine is a very sexy publication and there's a complete place for it.

At the same time though, we need a bit of reality,

Nylda Hamchaoui: of course, yeah. I totally agree with you. No. I think it's very, You have to navigate. I think sometimes we're in a bubble when we're students and then once you come out of that bubble, it's like it pops really quickly, really fast and you have to find your feet.

No, I think being honest was because I wish someone said the same things to me when I was like, Because, to be honest, I never really grew up with anyone in, immediate in my immediate, surroundings that was in [00:11:00] architecture. And there were just so many things that I was like, why did no one tell me this?

But I'm very glad in terms of, I've had, support from, my parents close friends who've, got into the workplace. I've got very it's funny that I think about this like all my friends and my small circle of people who are in architecture as well, they're all very extroverted and I'm the introverted.

And so having that sort of complete opposite of me grounds me a little bit, but also I get those sort of brutally honest feedback and, I feel like that kind of feeds into the work that I do end up producing, so when I want sort of someone to be very honest with me, I appreciate it a bit better, because I know it's coming from a place of, I know, maybe I don't know where you are currently, but I know that sort of, Where you are now is not the space you're going to stay in.

If you're going to continue to seek feedback and seek a way to move and progress, the only way is for you to flip sort of the coin, and try to be all the other things. I think what was really, when I think about it now, [00:12:00] is that These last four or five months, I've been the most in terms of like networking the most than I've ever had, and I haven't even left my house, which when I think about it, it's like, you wouldn't have found me outside at 6pm at a talk, like it would be very, because of all sorts of commuting and all the sort of the little logistics would stop me.

But I guess being in front of my computer screen anyway, pushed me to be like, what have I got to lose? Nothing. So I might as well get involved and just try to help out wherever I can and because I think I appreciate feedback. So where I can give that honest insight as a student, then I might as well.

I might not be the expert as of yet, but I'm experimenting with all of this and figuring it out as I go along. Yeah, I guess that's where. So if I find my feet currently, yeah.

Stephen Drew: I love it. It's it's definitely interesting. I love the point you raised there about in, in some ways the upside of coronavirus is it really has changed [00:13:00] things.

So comparatively you're talking about that you, cause you've been working as a student in architecture, then you will be doing a lot of stuff. I remember as well you're on your computers, you're rendering, you're doing all this stuff and yeah, you can pop into university, but it's a true point.

You're on you're on the computers a lot. And so what I did in my job in recruitment is that I'd be speaking to people, trying to meet people in person and go into events. And so coronavirus has really changed it and flipped it on its head. So ironically, I've gone to more events online.

Whereas, but there's a whole new audience there. And I just think what would be really interesting is like the lessons that you're talking about now, and I think that there'll be some really good friendships that come off this. And so where I find it really interesting is that the connections that you make online, how do they.

change the physical fabric. So whether that's people that you meet now, you set up architectural practices of the future or your friends [00:14:00] and you meet physically, I think that it's, that's definitely interesting. Funnily enough, on the Architecture Social, someone messaged me that they want to play tennis with someone else on there, which I thought was really cool because that was not the intention when making the Architecture Social, but probably the coolest thing I've heard from it is yeah I want to play tennis with someone.

And. And that's what I quite like is the connections that so for instance you is your Instagram of the architectural experiment that organically made this conversation and that's what I think is the point that I'd like you to take away or anyone listening from this is that the point is you've gone out you could have sat at home quite easily and loaded up.

Come dine with me on Netflix. I have watched one or two of them this weekend just past, but Hey, that's the weekend, it was my birthday. So let it be,

Intro: hey, yeah,

Stephen Drew: 21, 21.

Intro: Ooh,

Stephen Drew: yeah, it's Hey do you know what I've, I, yeah, I still feel sometimes a bit like a spring chicken, but time goes on, right? [00:15:00] So what I mean is that I've.

Been there where I've sat down and sometimes you need a bit of downtime. Sometimes you need a bit of time with loved ones. I enjoy content creation in a certain sense. And I think that's, as an architect, we all enjoy creating stuff, right? And what you, what I like about what you've done is that there's loads of different expressions of creating.

I studied architecture, now I do recruitment. It's been fun to build the architecture social, but I'm also part of people's careers, there's something nice about that. And what I'm trying to say is that there's something massively valuable about the content you provide, the audience it creates, and the participatory experience.

Aspects. And I think that the people that are doing stuff and getting involved in creating stuff, like experiments, like you're doing something, success, some things work, something's done. That's the point, right? You got to be out there. It'd be interesting what happens next. What do you find where are you keen quite to take it?

So currently you have a website [00:16:00] and Instagram. Is that how it Digitally, the architectural experiment exists at the moment?

Nylda Hamchaoui: So initially I just started with, because writing was the thing that was most comfortable with, so I started with that. Also do a bit of photography on the side.

Okay, cool. Yeah, so I just use those two mediums that I'm most comfortable with on a website. And then from there, I think I was, it was, I was actually talking to Sanna because she was looking at the time she was looking for the for writers to help out with the magazine. Oh yeah.

Yeah. It was from there and I started to see how effective the engagement was on using platforms like Instagram and seeing the graphical element of, or rather the visual element of pictures but in a way that's drawn, I think really I was really interested in putting.

New testing new skills out with graphics because it wasn't something I was too familiar with and I had a lot of fun with it and so I think I'm gonna try to continue using Instagram to not only practice [00:17:00] my skill but I guess just keep the conversation going on social media because I think that's where everyone's at the moment and it's I mean I'm a visual person so I mean I thoroughly enjoy when someone has a really nice Drawing, um, really nice drawing in the sense where it's not like a particular sort of particular frame or I feel like because you can be bombarded with sort of people showing really fancy drawings where, of their projects, but I feel like that's not, it can be the place for.

But I don't think it gives credit to some of the drawings. I've seen some people do drawings axonometric drawings that are, like, exploded, and these are, and it's, I feel like it's not the place for that, because I think you undermine how much information is actually loaded in these in these sort of visual elements.

So I think, but seeing snippets of what, almost photo, photogenic, I think it was, almost photogenic graphics, create like a [00:18:00] conversation starter, but I guess it also in one way or another, I think it just makes things a lot more easier for people to understand what kind of page it's for.

But for me personally, I don't feel like the conversation that I want to be you know, talking about is how beautiful an image looks or how beautiful someone's design work can be. Because I think we, we have enough of that on, um, in in, on Instagram anyway. Using, I feel like I've started to use it just as a way to, again, to create engagement on these discussions that I do end up having on the blog because I'm playing around with graphics at the same time.

I'm upskilling myself And putting into practice what I'm putting into practice what I talk about in a way that kind of really is a bit more raw and I don't know, when I look at the graphics that I initially started with and then I look at the most recent it's like it's a very big difference and you see that jump and I think just constantly, I'm constantly learning to use different things to improve the visual element of it, but I don't want to get too carried away in that.

[00:19:00] Because, yeah, I think you can get carried away in that sort of visual, because architecture is visual

Stephen Drew: yeah. It's visual, but the point is, it's context, isn't it? And that's what you're on about. And you're on to an interesting point, because That's why I think the architectural experiment and Instagram, yeah, that is the battle.

I think yours is going to, it's almost going to be a bit slower at the start, isn't it? Because I think Instagram is designed, by the algorithms for sexy images, because it's like, Ooh, people pay attention to that. And suddenly then the algorithm gravitates towards that image, it gets boosted, it goes to other people.

What you're on about is, and I still think it works. The point is people who are interested in that content, it's going to, they're going to actively seek with it. The engagement is going to be longer. That's the beauty of what you're talking about is because when you find people with the same kind of passion as what you're interested in, then there's much more substance in the conversation.

It's longer.

[00:20:00] The thing is that people who are. Want a little bit of click, you want to click through and one of my tutors almost used to call it, he used to call it architecture porn, where it's like I've never heard

Intro: this one before. Yeah,

Stephen Drew: because it's oh, almost like coffee, what you imagine on the coffee table.

It's yeah, it looks nice, when you're in the dentist and you kind of flick through and you're like, oh, yeah, I like that. And then you're done with it. I think that's I think that kind of is the hard thing of Instagram. There's so many, there's so many spaces for, there's so many different interesting movements.

So you're talking about the thesis, talking about projects, you're talking about opinion pieces and there's journalism or

Intro: kind of,

Stephen Drew: I like that. It's just so much different stuff. There's so much out there. And You've currently got the architectural experiment. Do you think now that when you get a job and now we're talking about this is it in essence an experiment and you're happy to see where it goes?

Or do you have an end goal at all?

Nylda Hamchaoui: Oh, I never really thought you out there. You got me off [00:21:00] guard.

Intro: Yeah.

Nylda Hamchaoui: No, I definitely think it's something I'm going to continue because I feel like my journey into architecture has just started. It hasn't yeah, it's just started. So I'm not, this isn't, this is almost just like the beginning.

It's just, I, cause I really just want to connect with architecture in a way that kind of is just real and raw. Because, it's very easy to compare yourself to some of The almost perfect perfect image of what architects can create and students can create.

And we can get carried away in this perfect image that we don't end up seeing the people who are kind of, building brick by brick, their kind of, their work in a way. Cause no one kind of starts with perfect drawings with perfect content, but I think just having that space to see.

The conversation take its own, its own route in a way that kind of I remember when I'm thinking about this, I remember there was one person, on Instagram who reached out and it was, I did a piece on Fabio. And because for me that [00:22:00] was like, I think it was at the end of sort of second year.

Second year for me was like the most challenging transition during the three years. And a person, so I wrote an article based on that stigma around Fadi and how like it shouldn't be as much of a stigma. I think it's a mental, it's a mental thing. And someone reached out to me and was like I really appreciated that you talked about this because I just went through something very similar.

And so you see that kind of connection with. That's what keeps me going, even if it's just like one, as long as I'm helping out one person because we're all on these journeys, so I want to be able to document this journey, because I genuinely enjoy it when I see someone start off the beginning of their career.

and then continues and you know we don't know what kind of success they'll get to or where the next step is but just being able to document and to see and to be part of the journey i guess is what i want i want people to be able to see but also i mean because i have a goal in mind that i do want to become an architect in the near future, but that [00:23:00] journey isn't going to be as straight cut as I imagined it to be or that's why I don't, for most of the articles I write, I don't end up going back to any of the first ones because I feel like that was in the moment where I was mentally and in the architectural sort of skills that I did have then and the insights that I had then.

And I think just having. having a space where people can see that it wasn't all perfect to begin with, it wasn't all pretty to begin with so I'm definitely, it's something definitely that I'm going to continue, in fact it's going to feel like a bit more valid, just me in my head, it might not be like an external thing, but just me in my head, it's going to be valid that it was worth sharing these because someone out there is gonna understand or at least resonate with some of the struggles or the things that they wish they had known back then that you know they can now see that it was worth sort of the struggle to begin with because no, no journey.

I feel like it's a straight sort of linear progression. It's always like this, but there's peaks and there's troughs. So [00:24:00] yeah.

Stephen Drew: Yeah, I think, it's really interesting that you talk about that because I used to do it sometimes where you look back at some work and I'd be like, Oh gosh, this one's bad.

This one this one's not the best one. And sometimes I look back now and I've got a bit more. I feel some of the stuff and I look back, I'm happy with it. And so there was an interesting thing I read from, so there's a musician called Trent Reznor. He found, he founded a band called Nine Inch Nails.

It's a big industrial band. The point is though, he made this really good quote and he's just look, I look back on some of the records. And I feel like I've passed them, I've changed them, but I'm okay with them because at the time frame, they were very honest to who I was and where I was at.

And in that sense, they're quite sincere. And I think it's the same thing, which you can apply to your work, or that's why I'm happy with it. So I look back and I go, do you know what, that's what I believed in at the time. I worked really hard on it. It came from the heart. So [00:25:00] I'm happy with it. It doesn't as maybe the renderings a bit dated now, but the message was there, or it was true to who I was at that time.

And to go back to you on about with failures. I failed loads of times. I've had a business, which is completely gone now. It was really successful turned over a lot of money at the time, and then it all went away and. It was really emotional, stressful for a lot of various reasons, and in some senses nearly killed me.

But I learned so much of that from now, and so even with all the pain, all the mistakes, I still wouldn't change things. And actually, that failure and a bunch of failures led to this opportunity. And then there's even stuff that I do on a day to day where I get things wrong. I get things wrong all the time, and I think that actually making mistakes or Maybe the phrase it for this is actually making mistakes is one thing, but [00:26:00] it's about being out there and contributing stuff, which isn't perfect, but I think, yeah, what I like about the architectural experiment and the kind of the vibe of the social and a few other things as well is that.

Participating is what's important. And I think if it comes from an honest, humble place where you don't need to know all the answers, but if you're there and you're respectful, then the reality is you will gain an audience and people will be interested. And I'm sure there's a lot of people that feel the same.

Of course. So I feel like it's an uplifting tone to this. I want people to check out the architectural experiments. Nilda, if they don't, if this is the first time they've ever heard of yourself and what you're up to, where is the best place to fly? Reach out to maybe engage with the, read the architectural experiment and as well, say hello to you.

Where's the best places to find you?

Nylda Hamchaoui: So I'm usually on Instagram with the same handle, the architectural experiment but also on the website, www. architecture. com. [00:27:00] Thearchitecturalexperiment. com, that's where usually all the content's sort of there, but I'm easily reachable through Instagram, because as we all know, we're on there for far too long that we need to be, but but I'm always there and yeah, feel free to, Check out any of the stuff, any feedback, any sort of discussions and engagement on anything that you find interesting would be greatly appreciated and greatly encouraged.

Yeah.

Stephen Drew: Awesome. Awesome. Brilliant. It's really good to have you on the Architectural Social as well. We will keep next, oh yeah, next time you post, right? You got to post on there. Because I keep missing them. You promise me? I will. I will. In the main area. We don't need a group. Just post it in the main area.

I will.

Nylda Hamchaoui: I'll try not to be as precious as

Stephen Drew: that. Pinky

Nylda Hamchaoui: promise. You

Stephen Drew: better, otherwise I'm going to watch you. You promise? I'm going to get the horn out. If this doesn't go on, I'm gonna go

Nylda Hamchaoui: No, I will, I definitely will. I think that's just it's just me being a bit precious about everything.

That [00:28:00] I need to let

Stephen Drew: go. I'm just teasing you on the spot now, because we're recording now. No, like

Nylda Hamchaoui: even for the CV stuff, it was, like the amount of rush that I was getting, was like, oh my god, what have I done? Have I done the right file? Yeah, it's always, I just have to put it out there and just deal with it as it is.

And not be fixated on The improvement piece rather just use that as a beginning point.

Stephen Drew: That will come with time. I think the more the more you do architecture, the more you practice, the more you write, the more you're a guitar, you play guitar, everything. It's like that muscle memory concept over time.

You you get better. And I think in architecture, you develop tastes and that comes over time. And that comes from Doing stuff that you bung out, which is good. And some stuff that's not, I tell you what the graphic I did for the last one, I'm going to, I think I'm going to tweak it every time I look at it at the moment.

So I'm on about like the thumbnail, I don't like it. And I bunged it out in three minutes cause I was in a rush and I think I'm going to change it [00:29:00] at the same time though. I just think, do you know what, maybe the next one would be, it should be better. Or maybe it's okay. It's not perfect. Maybe. That's the point.

And on that note, I love The Architectural Experiment. Keep experimenting, keep writing letters to past selves and we'll see how that goes as well. I can't wait to see more and more of what you do. I hope everyone checks out TheArchitecturalExperiment. com and checks you out on Instagram. What a great what a great Journal.

What a great insight. What a great experiment. There you

Nylda Hamchaoui: go. very much. Thanks. All right.

Stephen Drew: All right. Thank you so much, Nilda. Speak to you soon. Bye

Nylda Hamchaoui: bye.