Life of an Architect

The architect. Someone with an eye for finer details, steady hands, and a master of design. The life of an architect is not just about designing a building, but the benefits do outweigh the stress and long nights. An architect’s typical day is apprehending when you can work, draft, draw, and meet deadlines. Sometimes you’ll work on more than one project a day, which means bigger responsibilities. 

During the Day

Much of the day’s work is done on a computer. Whether drawing or emailing with clients and consultants, you use many tools to develop the design, and construction documents, revise the model, and review structural models for coordination. You also are building and designing 3D models and preparing drawings to communicate your design solutions to the clients. 

There will be problems

A month to finish a specific project sometimes isn’t enough. Time management is an essential skill if you want to be successful as an architect. There shouldn’t be a day that goes by when you accomplish nothing, especially when projects are more complex. As your project progresses and moves on to the next phase, you’ll eventually have to attend site coordination meetings discuss the problems that arise, and create solutions. Sometimes higher-ups will come with you, but most of the time you will be the one to present the answer to questions that need urgent decisions. Problems will arise, but the most important role of the architect is to become part of the solution without sacrificing and affecting the structure’s functionality.

So, as an architect, you must not only consider the physical appearance of your project, but also the interior. You are the architect, the master of design, so every decision you make must be well thought out. Some people get buried in details that aren’t necessarily relevant to the bigger picture, so you need to be thinking about the overall view of your structure and what works best for the business. Also being cost efficient in the early stages of design, helps transform the job site by reducing conflict, scheduling delays, and changing orders. 

It is immensely satisfying

Being an architect is a lot to handle, but the satisfactions are worth it. Witnessing the project you worked so hard on for months, sometimes even years, coming to life is a very fulfilling part. Working with like-minded professionals, being around others that are passionate about the same thing as you makes everything more exciting. It is a continuing learning experience as no one can perfect architecture, but with it we can make the world a better place.