Architecture is ranked among the top ten most difficult undergraduate courses in the world and rightly so! The kind and amount of effort that goes into getting a degree in Architecture is beyond words. Pulling all-nighters, functioning on coffee, drafting, redrafting, and drafting some more only to be given a redo, shedding sweat, tears, and blood (literally! How do you think hand models are made?) are the norm during one’s B.Arch.
Numerous memes are floating around on social media today, calling out architecture for its failures as a profession. Undergoing challenging five years, doing free internships, and finally landing a basic entry-level job only to realize the compensation does not even cover your basic needs! That is the harsh reality of our profession today and we, as a community, need to take cognizance of these factors and work towards building a better future for the architects to come.
If that does not tell you about the woes of being an architect, here’s a list of things that architecture students, fresh graduates as well as working professionals go through.
The never-ending coursework
It is a five-year undergraduate degree and the curriculum is as extensive as it gets. Students are expected to work all day and even through the night! And if you thought you could have a social life while you pursued architecture, the curriculum will help get rid of all such ambitions. As if this was not enough, not having the time or energy to participate in competitions and events is frowned upon.
Salaries/ compensation
One would think that such a rigorous profession would finally pay off when it comes to salaries. But it sadly does not. Internships are mostly unpaid, freshers are treated as draftspeople and never really given fair opportunities, junior architects are asked to shadow their seniors and by the time you reach a certain level of expertise to graduate to the senior architect level, you have already lost the vigor to be creative and innovate.
Work culture
The work hours that one is expected to put in for the compensation they are provided is a joke and often leads to burnout, frustration, stress, and anxiety. Working long hours with a non-existent work-life balance often brings a sense of failure and fatigue. Putting in 200% at work and still feeling unsatisfied at the end of the day can often make one weary of their job and profession in general.
Growth
Growth in terms of climbing up the corporate ladder and gaining new titles is pretty limited.
Intern, Junior Architect, Senior Architect, Associate/ Partner, and Principal Architect if one owns/ runs the firm. Growth is hence limited when compared to other professions. Generally speaking, starting your firm is way more profitable and beneficial than working as a salaried employee unless one chooses to work in an MNC which comes with its perks.
Client woes
Catering to the client’s taste, demands, and sometimes, their tantrums too, can be cumbersome but needs to be dealt with patiently by an architect and it can often be overwhelming. Clients and other agencies like carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and vendors can also be overbearing. Architects are therefore expected to manage and coordinate with various agencies effectively, oversee the construction of a project and bring it to life.
Upping your software game
Being updated and learning new software is a MUST for any architect out there. There are countless new software coming in every day and an architect is expected to know and use them all! Licensed software come at a hefty sum and not everyone can afford to buy one at all times; this also happens to be a huge problem for the architectural fraternity as a whole.
Post Grad: to do or not to do?
Having completed a five-year course, one would assume that was it but it does not end there for architects. As much as a bunch of master architects endorse practicing and learning architecture under a good teacher, a lot of young architects these days are encouraged to pursue post-graduation, meaning: two more years of the same grind with the promise of a 10% hike. This too seems more than just unfair.
All of this and more, unfortunately, is the reality of this profession and we, as the architecture community, should work towards creating a better work culture, work environment, and pay structure for our fellow and future architects to enjoy. After all, it is a creative profession and there must be a certain level of satisfaction and peace of mind that one must be able to experience. Identifying issues and working towards overcoming them with effective solutions must be delved into. We must learn to ask for what we deserve, put our foot down when we need to, and come together, as a community, to speak up against malpractices whilst also coming up with relevant answers.
