Choosing a career as an architect can be challenging, exciting and rewarding. Creating and shaping the spaces in which we live, work and play are formidable tasks; ones that brings with them endless possibilities. If you have decided that architecture is the field in which you want to focus your career, there are certain things that you need to know in order to get started, and things that are good to know in general.
You may not be quite sure of what field of study you would like to pursue when it comes to your career as an architect. There are some basic beginning courses to take, of course, such as theory of architecture and calculus, before branching off into specific fields of study. Eventually, though, you’ll need to choose where you want to specialize, whether it is in one area or more. You may be certain of this before you begin your study, or you may want to explore your options while you are studying the basics. It’s a good idea to take initiative and research your options, even beyond what you are learning in classes. Ask for tours through different architecture firms, correspond with freelancers.
Once you’ve decided which direction that you want to go as an architect, your next step is to develop your specialty. This could mean staying in the same school or it could mean going to a school that is better equipped to teach your chosen specialty after you’ve received your associate’s or bachelor’s degree. There are institutes that specialize in such fields as home design, city planning, and commercial buildings, and you want to make sure that you’re getting the best education in the specific field that you’ve chosen.
Once you’ve completed you initial institutional education, your next step is usually to intern in a firm or with a freelancer that specializes in your chosen field. In fact, in some states internship is required. This may or may not include being paid, but what it should absolutely include is furthering your education in a very hands-on way. During or after internship comes accreditation, which involves taking and passing a licensure exam. After accreditation, many beginning architects start with firms to cement their careers and continue learning from those with more experience. Some eventually branch into freelance work, which is something else that you’ll want to consider. It’s a long and often challenging road to a career as an architect.
Tags: Architecture Firms, Commercial Buildings, Institutional Education
Careers in architecture are involved with the art and science of designing buildings and other physical structures. New buildings are going up all the time and we still marvel at the great buildings of the past that have withstood the test of time all over the world. People with architecture degrees may be involved in many aspects of the process and product of planning, designing and constructing spaces where people will live or work. Architects must be considerate of the functional, social and aesthetic aspects of their work, and also have their own distinct point of view.
If you have no experience in this field, you may be wondering “Just what does an architect do?” Architects are the professionals involved with the planning, designing and reviewing of the construction of buildings and structures using materials and components while considering mass, space, form, volume, texture, structure, light, shadow, materials, program, cost, construction limitations and technology. Most people think of blueprints and stuffy meetings with guys and suits directing construction projects, but architecture entails so much more. Architect careers require the use of many tools and the skills to manipulate and coordinate technology, light and shadow, and in the 21st century this also requires quite a bit of computer skills. There are macro-level architects who are involved in urban design and landscape architecture jobs as well as micro-level architects who are involved in the construction details and even the furnishings.
In the modern age, architects do not only encompass structure and function into their work; more and more the consideration of sustainability is a vital component of any construction job. Sustainable or eco-friendly building should be constructed in an environmentally friendly manner in terms of the production of the materials, the impact on the environment of its surrounding area, and the demands that it makes on non-sustainable power for heating, cooling, water, waste management and lighting. The architect job market has seen a rise in specialization by project type, technological expertise or delivery methods, as well as an increased separation of design architects from project architects. There are many architect careers that people with architecture degrees can go into, ranging from landscape architects to designers of skyscrapers and major public structures.
Tags: Architect Careers, Design Architect, Landscape Architecture