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David Schwarz
David Schwarz
00:34

David Schwarz

Nashville, TN USA

"It's being exacting in your principles and sticking to them-even when it's hard-that makes it possible to have real success."

Career Roadmap

David's work combines: Design, Engineering, and Building Things

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Day In The Life

Architect

I design sustainable, humanistic places that foster a genuine sense of humanity, community and common purpose.

Skills & Education

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Philosophy

    St John's College

  • Graduate Degree

    Architecture

    Yale University

Life & Career Milestones

My path in life has been direct

  • 1.

    When he was six years old, he tried to mix the red and white gravel on the terrace of another home.

  • 2.

    His mother said, "an architect lives here, and if you want mixed gravel, you have to become an architect someday too."

  • 3.

    The day he finished his three-year architecture apprenticeship, he quit and started his own company-"it was foolish."

  • 4.

    After completing a few jobs, he was running low on cash, prospects; thought he'd have to give up his firm, get a "real" job.

  • 5.

    Went out to get drunk and "mourn the passing of [his] architecture practice"; ran into a friend and her boyfriend.

  • 6.

    The boyfriend coincidentally needed to hire an architect and hired him that night.

  • 7.

    For his first ten years, he was cautious and uncompromising; told his staff "one bad building could end this practice."

  • 8.

    Once he established his firm as an unflinchingly solid practice, he started getting bigger opportunities where he could take more risks.