Have you ever thought of becoming an architect? If that applies to you, you should read this article because it provides information about an architect’s life. It can give you a general idea of the profile of an architect’s job and its responsibilities that come with it, so you can learn the pros, the cons and the challenges that the profession has.
Being an architect is a very creative domain, but at the same time it is a very demanding one. Most of the time, you work over forty hours a week. Therefore, being an architect could be very difficult for some people because you can sometimes be disappointed with the real life work and the tasks of the job. That doesn’t always fulfill your desire to build.
Being an architect comes with many job duties. First, you have a consultation with a client for an eventual project. Second, you sketch, plan, conceptualize and design a building either for construction or renovation. Also, when the project is taking place, you have to monitor activities on the construction site to ensure compliance with all the specifications and the plans.
An architect’s typical day involves research, contacting contractors, having a meeting with clients about construction to establish the style and the purpose of the project, giving updates, preparing and supervising the preparation of drawings.
Architects typically work in architectural firms, but you can also work for the government or private corporations. Also, some architects also create their own company and are self-employed.
The typical academic path to become an architect is to be admitted in a professional degree in architecture, such as a five-year bachelor of architecture or a master. Then, you need to gain minimum three years of practical experience in the domain. Finally, you need to complete and pass all the sections of the Architect Registration Exam.
In the first two years, an architect who works as intern or as assistant earn a low range salary. Then, the salary will rise the same as the experience and the competence of an architect that works in a firm.
An architect will always need additional training. Architects must stay up to date with new technologies as computer assisted design programs, and continuing their education through their domain and practice of architecture.
The dangers of being an architect are that you can have difficulty having a good work-life balance. There are big workloads, long hours and a lot of responsibilities that makes it difficult to have time for their personal life outside of work. Also, there is a lot of pressure that comes with the job because a project needs to be tied to deadlines, because if the project is delayed, it raises the cost of it.
No, not in the future or anytime soon. Surely, robots are replacing tasks inside the job and are game changing for design and delivery. The technology will change some parts in the domain, but the architects who learn how to use it will be ahead of the rest because of its advantages.
Retirement in the architecture field depends on the circumstances. It depends on whether you have worked in a big firm or have been self-employed. While working, you will gain a lot of experience that involves and needs a lot of dedication and time. Consequently, these are the factors that influence at what age you will retire.
In conclusion, I think that architecture is a good trajectory to consider if you are ready to make sacrifices, and to be fully dedicated to your field of study. I believe that it is a good choice of career for me because it combines a lot of my competence, like creativity, and I’m a hardworking person. Although it requires a lot of years of study, I want to reach my main goal of being an architect.
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