Most people who decided to study architecture probably saw a particular building structure and became in awe of it. That awe led to fascination which turned into a career as an architect. Studying architecture can be both exciting and challenging – the complex exercises, the late nights in the studio, creating physical models, learning how to use CAD software, project defences and building relationships that last a lifetime, but no one is prepared for the anti-climactic reality of the actual practice.
THE CHALLENGES OF BEING AN ARCHITECT
To begin with, the process to licensure anywhere in the world is a post-graduate degree and at least 2 years of work experience. Additionally, a lot of the people (stakeholders) we create these spectacular buildings for don’t value the services we provide and are not willing to pay the appropriate monetary worth of that value. It leaves you as a creative problem solver with low salary expectations wondering if you chose the right career path in the first place. After spending so much time in school creating the most amazing designs, you realise that only a handful of architects ever get to design such structures for commercial use because of financial implications, building regulations and other factors.
In Nigeria where I studied and practice, building design and construction is saturated with the presence of quacks – draftsmen and other non-professionals creating architectural drawings for developers, even in highbrow areas. This is a major challenge for architects because it reduces the available prospects and only a handful of people employ the services of a professional architect. Those who do aren’t willing to pay the full cost of the service because they can get a cheaper (albeit less quality) service. An interesting challenge that practising architecture offers is having to scale regulatory hurdles while meeting minimum requirements and satisfying the stakeholders’ needs without compromising on the functionality of the space.
THE ADVANTAGES OF BEING AN ARCHITECT
It isn’t all bad though. There are a lot of positive impacts of architecture in our lives such as the level of exposure that comes with working with a plethora of people and organizations. You get to work on and understand the science behind buildings which is very fascinating when you get to see problem-solving abilities on a large scale, like erecting a mega structure on a water body.
The impact of architecture in our lives goes deeper than the buildings we design. It also affects how we solve problems in our day-to-day. Every challenge provides an opportunity to exhibit the problem-solving ability that the study of architecture gives you. Even though most architects seem and are introverted due to the nature of the study, there’s a prestige that comes with the title of ‘Architect’ accompanied by a side of high expectations from friends, family and society at large.
I would say studying architecture has given me a better understanding of life – I have applied myself as an interior designer, graphic designer, brand designer, digital marketer, content creator, and filmmaker, amongst others. I have been able to channel that combined creative experience into my architectural practice to create unique building designs. So I can confidently say that studying Architecture can lead to many similar career paths if one decides not to practice it. “When I’m working on a problem, I never think about its beauty, I just think about how to solve the problem, but when I finish it, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it’s wrong.” – Richard Buckminster Fuller
In conclusion, the study of architecture comes with many opportunities and challenges and has impacted our lives in a plethora of ways that exceed our technical abilities and penetrate even how we perform the simplest daily tasks. It’s a very interesting career choice and I want more people to see us.
