Toxic stories from the architecture practice
I want to share with you what are the most toxic situations I have experieced so far!
Today, I'd like to discuss some less-than-pleasant experiences I've encountered during my seven-year career working in professional architecture offices in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Before delving into this topic, I want to acknowledge that Germany generally offers excellent working conditions for employed architects. However, I've personally faced some toxic situations that I believe are worth sharing. By doing so, I hope to help you recognize similar environments and take appropriate action.
The recent scandal involving British-Ghanaian architect David Adaje and the accusations of sexual misconduct in his office have prompted me to share these experiences. It's essential to note that I believe in the principle of innocence until proven guilty, and I believe it's crucial to wait for a court verdict before considering someone guilty. However, it's no secret that the working conditions and overall atmosphere in many architecture offices can be quite precarious, to say the least.
Working over time should not be taken for granted!
My first disappointing experience occurred at the first office where I embarked on my professional journey. I'm profoundly grateful for the opportunity they provided, hiring me as an Erasmus student who didn't speak any German. In Germany, it's quite common to be offered a "working student contract," allowing you to work up to 20 hours a week during the semester and full-time during breaks. These arrangements carry a significant advantage, benefiting both students and employers due to the favorable 10% tax rate.
After my enriching Erasmus experience in Germany, I needed to return to the university in Rome to complete my Master's thesis. Remarkably, the quality of my work at the office led them to offer me a part-time position, allowing me to remain involved in their projects while dedicating time to finishing my thesis.
The project I was working on was in the midst of construction, and as fate often has it, everything that could go wrong did. Some team members departed, deadlines were tightened, and the workload and responsibilities heaped onto my shoulders grew exponentially, as the managers recognized my ability to handle it.
Despite the pressure of managing my thesis while working too, I felt a sense of satisfaction in being entrusted with such significant responsibilities.
However, as the workload increased, weekend work became a necessity. It was a hectic situation but from what I knew about the profession I thought that “It is just what it is. This is how architecture works.”
Shortly before I was about to hand in my master thesis, during a conversation about my annual salary review, I highlighted that I had consistently met deadlines and contributed through overtime work. To my surprise, my boss, who had previously been almost like a friend, responded negatively. He suggested that younger colleagues often complained about overtime and handling pressure, unlike the older ones who never seemed to complain. He also indicated that, despite my good German language skills, they might limit me to specific tasks. It was then that I realized my efforts were taken for granted, and they attempted to undermine my abilities. In that moment, it became clear that, no matter how exceptional your work is or how many extra hours you dedicate, management can always find reasons to deny a raise. Consequently, I decided to leave that job as soon as I received my degree, without even attempting to renegotiate for better compensation (which admittedly further infuriated them).
The key takeaway from this situation?
When you've consistently overdelivered but your efforts go unappreciated and unrewarded by company management, it's time for a change. Trust your instincts and seek an environment where your contributions are valued and recognized.
The toilet drama.
It's incredibly ironic that the most embarrassing and absurd situation of my career unfolded at the second office where I worked. When I initially joined the office, there were already some concerning signs, like colleagues whispering at each other's desks (even though I was sitting right next to them) or managers walking into the room without greeting anyone, just addressing the person they needed to speak to. However, I thought this might be the office culture, and as a newcomer, I brushed these warning signals aside, until something incredibly bizarre occurred.
I had been at the office for a few months when, out of the blue, one of the owners approached my desk and asked me to follow him for a private conversation. This caught me entirely off guard, as I had never interacted with him before. Of course, I complied and followed him to a room. Once we were alone, he stated that since I'd started working at the company, they had noticed the men's bathroom being dirty, and he insinuated that it must be my doing. He then asked me to sit on the toilet when I needed to pee. It was a lightning bolt of shock! I managed to respond with a feeble "okay," then promptly left the room, my mind reeling. This situation left me deeply uncomfortable and undesirable in the workplace. Even if we entertain the possibility that their assumption had some basis (which, in my opinion, it did not), it's absolutely inappropriate to dictate how someone uses the restroom. This situation felt like a breach of my privacy, and it's as close to a violation as I've experienced, reminiscent of the discomfort that can arise from sexual misconduct. I can only imagine the feelings and the embarrassment someone, be it a woman or a man, would go through in such a situation, and how challenging it would be to discuss it openly.
In such cases, there's only one reasonable solution: to leave immediately, which is precisely what I did after only four months of working at that company.
Being bullied at work
I must admit, my initial experiences in changing jobs weren't exactly fortunate, and the third story I'm about to share happened at the third firm I worked for. After the incredibly embarrassing incident involving the bathroom at my previous office, I was eager to escape that environment as soon as possible. Coincidentally, I received a job offer through a headhunter for my next position: a role in a large international corporation known for tackling significant and complex projects. I remember thinking to myself, "What could go wrong?" Well, as it turns out, quite a lot.
At this new job, one of the office managers I encountered was a true bully, and he fully supported the project manager overseeing the project I was working on, who happened to be an even bigger bully (but also a brown noser when it came to his superiors).
The hierarchy within the company was extremely vertical, and everyone seemed fixated on their specific roles. As a "junior architect" at the time, I found myself at the very bottom of this chain of command. The project manager was relentless in micro-managing every task assigned to each team member. It was frustrating because no matter what we did, it was never good enough, and he often proposed even worse solutions. Unfortunately, when we tried to express our concerns, he would simply ignore us. The project had deteriorated to the point where the client was considering terminating our services. In a desperate attempt to salvage the situation, the head of design stepped in to fix the schematic design of the building. Despite this effort, the bully of a project manager refused to admit defeat and continued to belittle us, offering derogatory remarks.
He provided no support, only a constant barrage of bullying and offensive behavior. There was a particularly disheartening incident when he questioned whether I even had the qualifications to do my job effectively. For over a year, I endured this toxic environment, primarily because I had recently switched jobs and only spent four months at the previous company, and we were in the uncertain time of a pandemic. However, after enduring this for over a year and a couple of months, the situation became unbearable. A new office manager arrived at the company. I had he hope that he would have had a different appraoch, so I seized the opportunity and approached him, expressing my desire to work on a different project, or else I would be left with no choice but to resign. As you can probably guess, I no longer work at that office. This was the final turning point that ultimately led me to leave that challenging situation behind.
Again in such a situation you should fight back and attempt to improve your situation until the right opportunity to leave for a better workplace appears.
My conclusion
In my view, especially in an era marked by movements like #MeToo and heightened awareness of respecting the rights of diverse minorities, it's absolutely unacceptable for architects (or anyone else) to continue enduring toxic and precarious work environments. Those of us who experience injustice and exploitation within our workplaces inadvertently contribute to a flawed system. It's imperative that we take a stand, advocate for change, and shed light on these situations.
I implore each one of you to do what's right and expose any such injustices you may come across. If you're inclined, I'm always here, and the TCI Podcast is a platform that's open to those willing to publicly share their experiences and challenge these issues. The time for change has arrived, and it's up to us to make it happen! Together, we can create a more respectful, inclusive, and safe environment for all!