Architecture in Transition

crimsonveins asked: Hi! I love your designs :) I am extremely interested in the architectural field, but I don't know where else to go with my desire. I don't exactly know what questions I should be asking etc. If you don't mind and seem to have the time, I was wondering if you can help me out a bit. Is the career field worth it? (Stemming from education, time dedication, salary, etc.) Good luck in your final year of school!

Thank you for the compliments! :) The one thing I have learned in the past 5 years of study in school is that the architectural field is such a complex and extensive field. There is so many parts to the studies and its VERY intense. You got to have the passion for the work and design. I went into school not knowing everything about architecture either. It was a lot more rigorous than I thought but I think it really helped me become a strong designer and acquire so many different skills. 

I will admit, I’m still debating whether I want to become a licensed architect in the future. Spending the past 5 years in Design School (which includes other majors such as Graphic Design, Art + Design, Industrial Design, and Landscape Architecture) made me realize my interests in Graphic Design, and photography. I have become really passionate about different fields within design, and having a part time job in a museum has led me to interests in Exhibit Design. 

Being in graduate school really taught me the amount of detail needed to work on projects, and how firms actually work. School is very different from real life architecture project, it involves a lot of detail work, project managing, construction work, making relationships with contractors, tradesman, and above all the client. Architecture is a service industry primarily. We are here to serve the client and the public to provide adequate buildings and spaces. Being an architect becomes a lot about being a people person and less about the design. 

I’m not to bash on architects but I know a lot of people that do want to do that after school is done and another group that is not. 

I really enjoyed my education in architecture school because I think it really shaped me as person and taught me on problem solving and critical thinking. I want to use my skills in the architectural field differently than that of an architect and I think thats still important to bring innovation to other design fields from my perspective.

I think the best advice I can give you is to explore your options. if you are really interested in architecture and design but you are not sure, think about attending a Design School that ranges in a lot of different majors ( unlike a school that only teaches architecture) This really helped me broaden my ideas and projects. If architecture turns out is not for you, you have other options rely on within design. 

I’m sorry it was so long but I hope it helped! I leave you with this image which I saw at a Architecture exhibit and really struck a chord about the field:

if you have any other questions, feel free to ask!