Architect: Eat Your Greens
IntroductionThere is a vast range of work you can do as an architect: You can build schools, churches, stores and homes. You can build yourself up to work in a prestigious firm or freelance. Distinguish yourself with your creativity.
Be "Green" design savvy. As concern rises for the environment, people will be considering this element in new construction.
Job FunctionThe best aspect of the job is the imaginative aspect, spatially relating how materials will come together to create a certain aesthetic effect. Whenever you visit an awesome building, you can see the vision behind it. Think about the Myerson Symphony Center in Dallas, TX. I.M. Pei wanted to design a building where every where you looked you would see circular objects, arcs for example and rectangles. The place is magical.
There is a lot of detail work, planning, redesign, and much of it is done on the computer now.
The worst part is that in certain parts of the industry, job availability and security is impacted by the economy. There is greater security in hospitals, schools, and institutional building, for example.
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LifestyleHours can be very demanding. In addition to a 40 hour work week, you may work in the evenings and on weekends. Success depends on matching your personality with the type of projects you do, and similarly with the type of organization you prefer, i.e. freelance or corporate.
Additional InformationPursue good internships, particularly if you want to work for a high-profile firm.