Architecting Success: How Andrew Lewis Built His Career at NK Architects

Leadership Blueprints

What does it take to excel in architecture and engineering leadership?

Andrew Lewis, principal architect at NK Architects and manager of their Philadelphia office, shares his journey from an ambitious architecture student to leading in one of the industry’s most respected firms. Reflecting on his formative years, Andrew highlights how serendipity and initiative shaped his career, from pivotal moments like building connections at unexpected places to spearheading large-scale projects early in his tenure.

Andrew also discusses the importance of curiosity, a willingness to step outside comfort zones, and fostering a workplace culture that embraces trust and autonomy. He provides insights into NK Architects’ entrepreneurial spirit, the feedback loops that propelled his rapid growth, and the firm’s adoption of the EOS system to guide their next phase of development.

Tune in for valuable lessons on balancing ambition with humility, creating environments for leadership to thrive, and staying curious in a fast-evolving industry!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Andrew’s journey to becoming an architect and joining NK Architects.

• Reflections on how the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry is evolving.

• The importance of having a willingness to grow, especially as you start your career.

• Andrew’s insights on nurturing leadership within your organizations.

Quotes:

“Graduating into the bottom of a recession isn't really so bad, because you don't really have anything to lose. It's not like when you start working for a couple years and you get comfortable and then all of a sudden the industry just completely shuts down.” — Andrew Lewis

“The feedback loop opportunity that I was getting was so tight and so condensed that I was like, ‘I'm advancing at a really fast rate here, and if I just keep at this, who knows where it's going to go’. And 14 years later, I feel like that feedback loop is still active – I'm still really learning and growing daily.” — Andrew Lewis

“It was really rapid growth for where I [was] in my career. And I can't say that was because of me. That was really because of the environment that I was placed in.” — Andrew Lewis

“This knowledge of when to speak up and when to say something and when to take action – I can't say that anyone taught me that. I think that's that's just a thing [where] maybe there's a bit of it inside of you, and then there's a bit of nurture as well.” — Andrew Lewis

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Andrew Lewis on LinkedIn

NK Architects

AIA

NCARB

Fitwel

Traction

Phish

Trey Anastasio

The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway

Cherelle Parker

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn