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SB
Joined: 21 Jul 2005
Posts: 2
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 Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2005 8:39 pm Post subject: What's it like to work as an architect? |
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I am a prospective architecture student, but I am asking my question in this forum because I want to hear from *practicing* architects.
I've chatted informally with 4 or 5 architects, and when I asked them if they enjoy their job, they each paused a long time before answering, and then said something like "Architecture is a good place to *start* but not necesarily to *stay*." From these conversations, I got the impression that architecture is often a frustrating profession. Maybe I've just spoken to the wrong architects and what they say isn't generally true.
So: What is is it like to be an architect, on a day-by-day basis? Is it as fulfilling as you expected, or is it a disappointment? Do you feel that you are able to fully use your creative energies in your job, or do you feel that your best ideas never see the light of day?
Thank you very much.
SB |
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Terry Kull
Joined: 23 Jun 2005
Posts: 13
Location: Fresno, Calif
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| Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 8:50 am Post subject: |
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All jobs can be frustrating! It is a day to day business, invoicing, letter writing, marketing, trying to get paid, meeting with clients, meeting with Plan Checkers, and building officials. Some days its one step forward, two steps backwards! Unreasonable deadlines
Unreasonable clients
Unobtainable budget requirements
Non-sensical code issues
But, I wouldnt trade it for any other Profession in the world!
(well, maybe 1)
The first time you see a structure that you had a major (or even minor) impact on, that you "designed", your hooked for life.
One of my favorite things to do, is to attend an open house of a project, not tell anyone who I am, and just stand around and "Listen" to the comments. I don't need any more kudo's than that.
and every once in a while, you get that one project, that is huge, grandiose, and fulfilling (and a pain in the rear)! But you can hang your hat on it for a while!
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Kull Architecture
www.kullarchitecture.com |
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Architorture
millennium club
Joined: 31 Jul 2004
Posts: 1376
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| Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 3:52 pm Post subject: |
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being new to the profession so far i have found that it is often times a day to day kind of job...
there is no way to avoid it, there is so much money involved such complex issues to be handled that it just isn't possible to be doing 'fun' design all day every day...
i would wager you have probably been talking to architects who are somewhere in the late early to middle stages of their careers... probably just about that time when you have made some progress in the profession but haven't been able to really break through and do some exciting projects or have enough impact on them...
alot also has to do with what kind of place you end up working at...there are super corporate firms out there where you will be a cubicle monkey for years and there are little firms out there where you will be doing design build work from day one...
its all about identifying your interests and understanding your own goals and such...
personally i work for a reasonably large firm that does international business and is over 400 people firm wide... but it has a very personal feel to it and i'm actually doing some design work already, granted its only like a 40000 square foot building but its great to have a chance right off the bat... |
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Kevin
Site Admin
Joined: 13 Apr 2004
Posts: 1144
Location: Eugene, Oregon
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| Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 7:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Hey, congratulations on the new gig, Archi't! |
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SB
Joined: 21 Jul 2005
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 7:20 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the feedback.
I'm glad to hear that at least some architects enjoy their jobs. I wouldn't expect any job to be enjoyable 100% of the time, but the architects whom I spoke with implied that a career in architecture was 90% frustration and disappointment. Most of them were in the middle to late stages of their careers (old enough to have kids in college). |
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