Skills to Become an Architect

•  Garrett Leman

It takes a lot of work to be accomplished in any field of work. If you want to be an architect you need to graduate high school and get a bachelor’s degree. A Bachelor of Architecture usually takes about 5 years to get. You need to pass all your classes and do your best work. If you get a pre-professional bachelor’s degree in architecture studies that usually takes about 4 years. Design classes would be good to take, or building classes. If you were trying to train to become an architect some on-the-job experience from another architect would be very helpful. In all you need Bachelor’s Degree (5 years) and 3 years of internship, accumulating 8 years of education and training.

An architect needs to be creative, analytical, good at communicating, have good visualization skills, and be organized. You would need to be aware of common building/construction knowledge, and know what best works. Architects work in the designing aspect of construction, and may also be involved in every step of the process even construction. You need to know how to make a structure appealing to the eye and also be safe and functional. Each day you might be looking for new projects to do. In addition to designing buildings you would also help to restore old buildings. Once you get a project you work on designing and mapping out blue-prints with the exact specifications needed. Architects may work hand-in-hand with the customer, or may just be given guidelines and work from there.

Throughout the building process, the architect’s job is checking prints against construction and managing time.They need to make sure the construction crew isn’t making any mistakes. When creating the prints needed an architect needs to be able to make logical drawings that can easily be measured and converted. They need to go over all the specifications and be very precise. Being knowledgeable of real world buildings and how to make a building safe and functional is a very big part of your work. Qualities attributed to an architect are: an eye for details, drawing skills and be able to work with 3D art, inventive and imaginative, be passionate about buildings and the environment, and care about the people you are designing for.

A certificate that is not necessarily required but is a sign that you have met the highest standards is the NCARB certificate. If you are becoming an architect you must register for and get a license to even call yourself an architect. You need to be certified in safety and the license is required if you want to legally design a structure for someone or something. You must have 3 years of experience before seeking licensing. You can serve as an intern for a more senior architect for more experience. All architects must past the Architect Registration Examination (ARE) to become certified.

There is a projected 14.76% increase in architecture. This is statewide, while nationwide there is only a 6.9% increase. The average wages of an indiana architect is around $64,970. They can make up to about $114,000 dollars. That is a good paying job. I am interested in this job because I think it sounds intriguing, and also matches my skill set. The fact that it interests me while giving me good money is a huge bonus. Not many people get both, or are not able to. Since my job is engaging to me, I would do my best work, and be able to excel farther. Benefits of this occupation are numerous. The people I would work with would show the same kind of passion that i do, and also have the same interests. Architecture is a fast-paced career. It can be very fascinating, and is beautiful work. The work that you do is shown off to the world, and everyone gets to see it. One personal benefit is the fact that you would get to travel. I love traveling. The best architects need to know their environment and the styles they are working with. Most architects travel to see the other cultures and types of architecture. They need to see how other buildings and countries work and flow and how all their things are structured different than ours.

After working in architecture for a while you will learn new aspects of design. You pick up new skills and ways of going about. You will appreciate other buildings and structures more than you previously did. As I said before, a thing you could achieve after being an architect would be to earn your NCARB certificate. This shows that you really know what you are doing and have been doing that for a while.

Some negative things associated with being an architect is that you have to spend a long time getting an education. It can take 8 years! Another downfall of being an architect is the pay and hours. The pay isn’t awful, but comparing all the education you have to get the median pay of an architect is not that good. Also, as deadlines surface you may be working long hours trying to finish a project, or seal a deal. One major downfall is that architecture is based on how the economy is running. If everything is going good, the economy is running smoothly, people have lots of money buildings will be put up and money will be made. This is a good time to be an architect. On the other hand, if the market is running low, and people don’t have as much money, no more buildings will be built. This is bad for architects and funds will be cut, and people will be laid off.

This career may affect my home life in many ways. On regular day, when work is running smoothly it would be good. The money would be good for the family. When work is bad, this would negatively affect my family’s morale. Nobody would be happy. My pay would affect how and where I lived. I would try to live in an urban city or some place where the work would be active. I would try to be considerate with the house and car due to the fluctuations of money that may occur. Being able to afford nice things would be a luxury once in awhile.

Being an architect may affect my friends by determining the time I’m able to spend with them. Architecture takes time and long hours. I may not be able to go out with them all the times they wanted. My family would be the same way. Trying to spend as much time as I could with them would be a big priority.

The affect on my social life may be huge. I would get to meet many new people through work. An architect travels a lot in order to see new cultures, new buildings, and clients. Sometimes I may be able to bring the family along on my trips. Traveling the world would be a huge bonus of this occupation. I would be able to interact with many new people and see many new places, though that time would be cut short because they are business trips.

If I choose to pursue this career from this day forward, in about 10 years I would be attending college getting my education to become an architect. I would spend a lot of time in college and getting degrees for architecture. It takes a lot of time and experience to become an architect. After college I would work as an intern for an architect. Hopefully in 20 years I would be working for a big architecture company or have my own. That would be a big goal for this. Being an architect isn’t for everyone, but I think this may be a job to pursue.