A degree in architecture is often characterized by tedious work hours, innumerable – group and individual – projects, and most importantly a wide range of diverse subjects. Yet, even after five years of all this, newly graduated architects are still just at the crust of understanding what good architecture entails!
Architecture is a very dynamic field, and students might not know what they’re getting into until they’re a few semesters deep into the degree. One can learn to appreciate and be awe-struck by architecture and the efforts of architects, but it can be difficult to grow passionate about core architectural designing.
In such a case, is it too late to switch fields? Or is your architecture degree a complete waste of your time and effort?
The following are eight ways through which architecture prepares students for an array of career options.
1. Becoming increasingly familiar with internal layouts, with every design project.
Professors and practicing architects, teaching architecture often demand for internal – furniture and lighting – layouts from students while critiquing their design. This makes students familiar with standard sizes for furniture, details related to lighting fixtures, partition and false ceiling designs, and other such aspects.
Ergo, students might not enjoy designing spaces but might develop an interest in related designing areas like – product designing, furniture design, interior design, and set design.
2. Acquiring basic knowledge of construction details and technological advancements.
An aspect of being able to convince jurors of the thorough understanding of your design project is being well educated about the construction details and technologies associated with it.
They say, “An architect’s dream is an engineer’s nightmare”
A certified architect with an additional degree in construction could help mitigate this boundary- aiding not just with the details but also establishing better communication between the architect and other technicians.
3. Developing software skills
In today’s world of speedy development, software programs like AutoCAD, Lumion, Trimble SketchUp have made it easier to draft, render, and visualize architectural designs.
Students adept at using software programs could take up this as a full-time profession. Being a tech-savvy architect would help in understanding the design better and bring out the best aspects through the mode of computer skills.
Furthermore, students with an interest in learning coding languages could become software developers!
Being an architect will give them the added advantage of being a firsthand user and help them in analyzing and rectifying consumer demands more efficiently.
4. Participation in research and documentation activities.
Research and documentation are an integral part of architectural studies. Students are often assigned tasks like documenting a building or settlement of heritage value, or they are asked to research and document reports on varied topics such as building services and technologies, historic relevance of particular spaces and places.
Research and documentation also form the backbone of good design, and students are encouraged to procure solid proofs for their solution statements from books and research papers.
Such exercises might draw students to become researchers, environmentalists, conservationists, critiques, writers, philosophers, and journalists in the future.
5. Composing and Paneling
A part of the documentation process also includes photography.
Photography is an art form that requires knowledge of light, the right perspective angles, texture, volumes, composition, and other innumerable visual aspects.
From deciding color combinations, materials, and light interference in their design to sheet and panel compositions, architecture students are mold to become visual artists.
Experience in such exercises opens doors to career options like photography, museum curation, fashion designing, and art show directions.
6. Attempting numerous oral juries
Right from motivating themselves and their peers, to convincing adamant faculty members, to finally impressing a panel of eminent jury members, student architects master the skill of communication and public speaking throughout their college lives.
Articulate orators, who can easily connect with an audience, might develop their skills to become activists, lecturers, interviewers, and motivational speakers.
7. Self and Peer critiquing
From being shy and awkward caterpillars in their first year to blossoming into bold and confident designers during their thesis juries- architecture students master the act of self and peer critiquing by trying to solve problems, continuously learning, and coming up with the best possible solutions for their designs.
Students with a desire to impart knowledge, a clear understanding of concepts, and exceptional analytical and observational skills could take up teaching in architectural institutes – part-time or full time – based on their preference or could study further to become architecture critiques.
8. Time management and schedule planning
Be it balancing their social life with a hectic academic routine, working around the schedule of the printer’s shop, or squeezing in time for socio-cultural events amidst a jam-packed submission schedule, student architects are managers, planners, and multi-taskers of the best kind!
Individuals with leadership qualities might find careers in the management industry – like hospital management, museum management, mall management rewarding. More so, such individuals could also aim at becoming core members of that respective nation’s architect council.
9. Hands-on experience- Sketching and Physical modeling
More often than not, students are asked to sketch perspective views or make physical models of their design or documentation projects.
Having a steady hand at model making is a much-coveted skill, and the market is always looking for experts in this field.
Having fluent sketching skills opens far too many career channels like becoming a – cartoonist, animator, comic, or sketch artist.
A degree in architecture could make these more refined and detailed!
10. Graphics speak louder than words!
If there is one thing that every architecture institute emphasizes, it’s the use of graphics rather than using complicated literature.
The demand for graphic designers is far and plenty! Architecture College prepares its pupils for a career in this field right from the start!
Architecture proves to be a field where varied skill sets are required. However, these skills are multi-faceted and diverse, which can be used in different fields as well!
All in all – be it architecture or any other profession, it’s just a matter of perspective and improvisation!
