Joann Gonchar, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C
Joann Gonchar, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, is a senior editor at Architectural Record. She joined the magazine in 2006, after eight years at its sister publication Engineering News-Record. She was also a key member of the founding editorial team for the sustainable design publication, GreenSource. Before starting her career as a journalist, Joann worked for several U.S. architects and spent three years in Kobe, Japan, with the firm Team Zoo, Atelier Iruka. She earned a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University. She is licensed to practice architecture in New York State.
CHOOSING YOUR DESTINATION (AND FIGURING OUT HOW TO GET THERE)
March 4, 2021
Soon after she graduated from architecture school and started working, Joann realized that though she loved architecture, she was less enamored with the realities of practice. The challenges inherent in designing buildings and seeing them through construction frustrated her, though most architects find them gratifying. But after several years of working in a variety of firms in New York and Japan, she determined that what she really wanted was to write about buildings rather than make them. Through a combination of persistence and good fortune, she landed her first editorial job at Engineering News-Record, and then moved to its sister publication, Architectural Record, where she has been covering topics such as emerging design trends, innovative structures, and the climate crisis ever since.
Joann will share her process for understanding where she excelled and what activities brought her joy; how she acquired the skills necessary for a career change; and how she ultimately mustered the courage to make the leap from architectural practice to design journalism.