However, beyond these problems, there are still many fulfilling reasons to fall in love with the industry and become an architect. Drawing a plan to suit clients and contractors within a specified budget and in a time-line adds challenge to innovation. Advantages: Architecture is a demanding profession, but it can also be a very interesting, creative one. One of the benefits of being an architect is seeing your work get built. Top 10 Pros and Cons of Being a Licensed Architect. To articulate this information in your building designs, you need to very quickly understand expert knowledge on the specific technique that you wish to include in order to collaborate with corresponding professionals. Being an architect is a little like being an composer and orchestra conductor. While the path to becoming an architect varies from country to country, the average time it takes to receive a Masters in Architecture is between 5 and 7 years, and following that is often the additional burden of licensure which realistically takes another couple of years to undertake. The exact architecture licensing requirements are always being updated but it requires around three years of full-time work experience in specific categories, along with passing multiple exams. You can ultimately live a life much larger and longer than your own mortality allows because the buildings that you design will represent you. Unfortunately, architects are the biggest critics of architecture and there is often greater focus on when architecture doesn’t work, rather than when it does. People who are successful in this profession care more about doing the work, then being recognized for doing it. Bredmeyer Consulting: Architecture Resources, StateUniversity.com: Architect Job Description, Career as an Architect, Salary, Employment. Truthfully, at your stage, I’d think long and hard about staying in the profession, while you still have a chance to go into something a bit less abusive (like someone else said, the work can be great, but the business of it is You have a good knowledge of a lot of different considerations that go into design and construction, and you get to organize and direct a group We must not forget the little slivers of success: the elderly woman that is comfortable in her transitional flat; the son that is extremely grateful to the architects who redesigned his mother’s dilapidated home in a humble neighborhood, or the lowly office worker that finds entertainment in the interesting-looking skyscrapers that populate her daily commute. The inglorious moments of working long and hard, being challenged by contractors, plans examiners, and difficult clients, will far outnumber the moments when you look cool for being an Architect. The industry lends itself to innovation since no two projects are the same. Architecture always wants to help people and when it does it’s an incredibly satisfactory feeling. Here are just some of them. We weigh out the good and the bad to help make the decision easier. Architecture is significant and the ability to touch on an integral part of a person’s life is a reason to be an architect. In just about any other profession out there, there are abound to be advantages and disadvantages in being an architect. Perhaps the greatest advantage of being an architect is having a lifetime’s work that remains after you’re gone to remind people of your efforts. Architecture is also never a boring career because of the variety of tasks it demands. Making the decision to pursue architecture is not easy. We weigh out the good and the bad to help make the decision easier. If there is a particular topic you are interested in, you can incorporate it within your architectural work. Of course, designing buildings is in itself a fulfilling creative pursuit; but even beyond that you are allowed, and in fact encouraged, to have a style which can manifest beyond your work. Arch.) Architects design structures, focusing on cost, safety, appearance and function. All images are © each office/photographer mentioned. But causes of stress will always linger, in any situation, in any job, and in any discipline. As mentioned, what makes Architecture an exciting subject of study is the wide array of learning and research that you have to conduct on a regular basis—and this extends far into one’s working career. An architect who becomes certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, has the advantage of obtaining a license easier with state boards that are NCARB members as well as some Canadian jurisdictions. This Oscar-nominated short film shows just how humorous and fun that could be. Knowledge and theories from other fields are openly welcomed within architecture, and these sources could be as varied as social work, philosophy and economics. Assuming that what you love is Architecture, there seems to be no barrier to continuing to do what you love past the age of retirement. Mental health issues plague architecture schools for many reasons that cannot be determined very clearly. Being certified represents that you have the advantage of meeting the highest professional architectural standards required by the NCARB for protecting the health, safety and welfare of the public. Drawing a plan to suit clients and contractors within a specified budget and in a time-line adds challenge to innovation. Whether an architect designs a residential home, an office tower, or a public library, he has the advantage of being able to bring life to concepts. An architect is a professional who is specifically trained and licensed to work on the planning and design of buildings. In some places, architects are even encouraged to “sign” their buildings like artists with a plaque or inscription; most recently, a new policy by the Ontario Association of Architects requires new buildings over 1,000 square meters to include a prominent credit to the architect near the main entrance or on the main facade. Architecture school is difficult, but it is also a very fun and … Unlike science students who have to adhere to strict formatting with lab reports, and humanities students who go through copious amounts of textual analysis, architecture students are encouraged to embrace innovation. A successful career means great sacrifice, you might reconsider the path of architecture or think about making a career shift. the world's most visited architecture website, © All rights reserved. You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! 10 Reasons why you SHOULD NOT become an Architect. Knowing these numbers, it’s not particularly encouraging to find out that the average architect does not make as much as doctors and lawyers, or that 1 in 4 architecture students in the UK are seeking treatment for mental health issues. Modern Architecture, as we know it today, emerged from a period of social upheaval in the 20th century. If an architect opts to become certified, she opens the door to global opportunities. As an architect if you are employed in a private practice in an urban area, you may have the advantage of earning almost double the income of other professionals in planning, building and design industry including urban and regional planners, designer and landscape architects. These are aspects which architecture needs to work on as an industry. So, if you are planning to go in for this profession then you are A student may work towards a Bachelor of Architecture (B. Frank Gehry is actively pursuing building projects at 87, Norman Foster leads more than 140 partners in his firm at 81 years old, and Zaha Hadid won RIBA’s Royal Gold Medal at 65. or for a competitive advantage, a Master of Architecture (M. As architects gain more experience, they become more involved in actual design work rather than technical issues and routine construction documents. The most beautiful aspect of architecture as a profession is how the industry embraces the individuality of each person. Being an architect allows a person to create and innovate with the potential to earn a professional level salary. My Role During the Early Years of My Architecture Career The 2015 Top 50 Architecture Books ArchiCulture – A Documentary About Architecture School 10 Great Going to architecture school takes you through a very in-depth journey of introspection, understanding your needs, and figuring out how you can be successful on your own terms. Also be a set of buildings that you design will represent you you might reconsider the path of architecture M. Theories of organization, or methods of construction to form a good client chain by producing effective. Work, then being recognized for doing it industry embraces the individuality of each person your experience both... / Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Reserved. 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