Architecture & Engineering

Description

Architects are designers and creators of spaces.  Whether a home, a museum, an office building or a movie theatre, an architect designed the space.  They work with the opportunities and constraints to create a space including (a) the size of the land, (b) the municipal guidelines of what can be built and how it needs to be built, (c) the budget and (d) the desires and goals of the person that will use the space or building (usually the person paying for it).  They take all this information to create design documents for a space.  This is detailed work involving both hand sketching and computer based design.  These design documents are then used by contractors to guide them in building a structure.

Something Cool

Architects create the physical environment that we all enjoy (or hate!).

Types of Companies

• Product Type: architecture firms vary in the types of projects that work on and develop expertise in different product types over time.  These could include residential (homes), office, retail, industrial/warehouse, apartments, interiors only, airports, schools, hospitals and public buildings.  

• Company Size: company size can vary significantly.  Some companies are less than five people.  Others are more than 100.  The smaller the company, the more opportunity there will be to get broad exposure.  The larger the company, the more opportunity there will be to specialize and work on larger project.

Further Education & Credentials Required

• Graduate School & ARE: becoming an architect is a multiple step process.  It requires three years of graduate school, followed by three years of work experience and then passing the Architect Registration Exam governed by the National Counsel of Architectural Registration Boards.  Exams are specific to a state, but one can typically take a supplemental exam and/or fill out a state specific application to practice in a new state.

Entry Level Roles

• Jr. Architect or Intern: this is where the three years of work experience occurs.  The role involves lots of detailed drafting to develop plans that are managed and approved by Project Architects.  Project Architects do a significant amount of the design and drafting work but leave the "grunt" work to the Jr. Architects and interns.  The ultimate oversight and final editing are done by a Senior Architect.  Senior Architects also spend a lot of time externally focused developing new business and working with existing clients.

• There are many specialists that architects coordinate with to complete a project.  Many people prefer the specialization of these roles instead of architecture:

  • Landscape Architect: specializes in landscaping.

  • Civil Engineer: specializes in the exterior of a building including grading, sidewalks, drainage, utility connections and working with a landscape architect.

  • Geotechnical Engineer: specializes in soils that the building will side on.

  • Structural Engineer: specializes in structural design.

  • Mechanical & Plumbing Engineer: sometimes referred to as MEP which stands for mechanical, electrical and plumbing/sprinklers.  "Mechanical" refers to heating, cooling, elevators and other large equipment that services a building.

  • Low Voltage: specialize in wiring for audio visual systems.

  • Interior Designer: specializes in furniture, cabinets and other interior aspects of a space.

How To Learn More

• Talk to someone doing the role you want.  Check out my writings on The Gift of Asking for Help, Mentors and Networking 101 on The Search page to learn how to do this.

  • Better understand your own skills and where you will be successful at Roles.

  • Check out my writings on various industries and departments at the Industries page.

• Already know what you want to do but are looking for guidance on how to find a job within that industry?  Check out The Search for advice.