i'm a recent graduate in architecture who got a job in the beginning of this year.
My biggest concern is about projects i've been involved in.
The projects in my office are mostly interior project. Tendency is much higher than i had expected..
I know it's really important to experience interior project, since i can learn detailed space planning and practicality. In interior projects, i do learn lots of thing which i couldn't learn in 100% architectural project.
BUT, my goal is firm. I wanna be an architect.
I'm little bit worried about my current situation in terms of career planning.
the projects i'm doing in this office will definitely affect my next career, regardless of the time i'm employed here. But it's not easy to leave this office now i think..
Should I stay here and wait for the future possibility?
I know plenty of architects that have transferred fluidly between interior architecture and design/ project architect roles. They aren't mutually exclusive skills.
On another note- Welcome to the real world, where not everything is an intellectually stimulating academic exercise.
Enjoy the stimulating projects when you get them, but realize that depending on the firm, you may have to take care of dull 'bread and butter' work if you're looking for steady employment.
If you want something a little riskier, you may be able to find a more theoretical firm- but realize that the likelihood of being unemployed is far higher in a recession with these.
Personally, many of my colleagues and myself find happiness and appreciate the stability of residing somewhere in between the two extremes.
expect to go back and forth between interior and core+shell stuff - In fact I am now working with 3 people with interior arch degrees working as architects doing structural stuff.
Is your job in NYC? I'm working in NYC now and since graduation in 2011, that's is mostly what I've been working on here... Unless you work for a large firm, more likely than not, you will be working on interior projects. Furthermore, if you do by chance work on a new building at a larger office, you will most likely be working on a building outside of Manhattan or Brooklyn...
OP - are you working on interiors of neo-classical gas stations and strip malls? are you intimately familiar with the fypon catalog? are you working on prisons? it could be a lot worse...
Are you working with a bunch of miserable assholes who yell at you because of their inability to communicate effectively? I'll personally take working with pleasant people who don't treat each other like shit over "interesting" work any day.
i'm with a of the posts above: if it's a job in the design field, pays, and you work with reasonable people that's not something to be taken lightly. there are a lot of things you can learn there that apply to all types of projects - learn those and be fast at what you do before you think about switching (unless you're one of those that have a huge trust fund and are doing this as a hobby). you can always enter competitions to show the world how brilliant you are, and winning a few international projects might put you in a better position career-wise.
OP - are you working on interiors of neo-classical gas stations and strip malls? are you intimately familiar with the fypon catalog? are you working on prisons? it could be a lot worse...
I used to have a similar mindset about the last place I worked at (80% interior work, 20% lobby + cladding) and left for somewhere with "architectural" projects. Now having been at the new place for almost a year doing mainly competitions and design documents (only to be passed onto the local design institutes in china to develop CDs) thus learning nothing new about construction & management, I do miss doing smaller scale projects where you actually get to get on site and work with contractors & clients. I still have no regrets leaving that particular place (we had a flaming asshole for a boss), but I'm definitely saying yes to interior projects again the next time I'm looking. You get to learn to detail, communicate and coordinate interior designs the way you would with a building, so these skills will transfer very well to firms that do Architecture, at least better than simply renderings/3D Modeling/Diagrams. Just another perspective for you.
Gensler got started as a young architect doing interiors because it's all he could get. Doing interiors doesn't typecast you as an interior designer unless you want it to.
The skills you get doing interiors absolutely apply to doing full-building architecture, and you often get more opportunity to prove yourself early on. Be open about what you want to do with your bosses, but don't trivialize the value of the work they give you now - it's all important.
OP. If you're being paid decent with benefits and people treat you with respect consider yourself fortunate. If the work bores you welcome to the real world. Sounds like you'll learn more about pro practice and construction than you will about grasshopper scripts.
@toasteroven. Lol fypon catalog.
Oct 16, 14 11:23 am ·
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First job, but dissatisfied with the projects..
Hi all,
i'm a recent graduate in architecture who got a job in the beginning of this year.
My biggest concern is about projects i've been involved in.
The projects in my office are mostly interior project. Tendency is much higher than i had expected..
I know it's really important to experience interior project, since i can learn detailed space planning and practicality. In interior projects, i do learn lots of thing which i couldn't learn in 100% architectural project.
BUT, my goal is firm. I wanna be an architect.
I'm little bit worried about my current situation in terms of career planning.
the projects i'm doing in this office will definitely affect my next career, regardless of the time i'm employed here. But it's not easy to leave this office now i think..
Should I stay here and wait for the future possibility?
Or just reset the career?
I know plenty of architects that have transferred fluidly between interior architecture and design/ project architect roles. They aren't mutually exclusive skills.
On another note- Welcome to the real world, where not everything is an intellectually stimulating academic exercise.
Enjoy the stimulating projects when you get them, but realize that depending on the firm, you may have to take care of dull 'bread and butter' work if you're looking for steady employment.
If you want something a little riskier, you may be able to find a more theoretical firm- but realize that the likelihood of being unemployed is far higher in a recession with these.
Personally, many of my colleagues and myself find happiness and appreciate the stability of residing somewhere in between the two extremes.
expect to go back and forth between interior and core+shell stuff - In fact I am now working with 3 people with interior arch degrees working as architects doing structural stuff.
Struck by the need to be an “architect” over being “employed” – count your lucky stars that you are getting a paycheck – at least for now.
get at least a year in before leaving
Sims, listen to Carrera's advice above. It summarizes your position pretty damn well.
Is your job in NYC? I'm working in NYC now and since graduation in 2011, that's is mostly what I've been working on here... Unless you work for a large firm, more likely than not, you will be working on interior projects. Furthermore, if you do by chance work on a new building at a larger office, you will most likely be working on a building outside of Manhattan or Brooklyn...
OP - are you working on interiors of neo-classical gas stations and strip malls? are you intimately familiar with the fypon catalog? are you working on prisons? it could be a lot worse...
Are you working with a bunch of miserable assholes who yell at you because of their inability to communicate effectively? I'll personally take working with pleasant people who don't treat each other like shit over "interesting" work any day.
i'm with a of the posts above: if it's a job in the design field, pays, and you work with reasonable people that's not something to be taken lightly. there are a lot of things you can learn there that apply to all types of projects - learn those and be fast at what you do before you think about switching (unless you're one of those that have a huge trust fund and are doing this as a hobby). you can always enter competitions to show the world how brilliant you are, and winning a few international projects might put you in a better position career-wise.
OP - are you working on interiors of neo-classical gas stations and strip malls? are you intimately familiar with the fypon catalog? are you working on prisons? it could be a lot worse...
long term unemployment
The cup is half empty.
I used to have a similar mindset about the last place I worked at (80% interior work, 20% lobby + cladding) and left for somewhere with "architectural" projects. Now having been at the new place for almost a year doing mainly competitions and design documents (only to be passed onto the local design institutes in china to develop CDs) thus learning nothing new about construction & management, I do miss doing smaller scale projects where you actually get to get on site and work with contractors & clients. I still have no regrets leaving that particular place (we had a flaming asshole for a boss), but I'm definitely saying yes to interior projects again the next time I'm looking. You get to learn to detail, communicate and coordinate interior designs the way you would with a building, so these skills will transfer very well to firms that do Architecture, at least better than simply renderings/3D Modeling/Diagrams. Just another perspective for you.
Gensler got started as a young architect doing interiors because it's all he could get. Doing interiors doesn't typecast you as an interior designer unless you want it to.
The skills you get doing interiors absolutely apply to doing full-building architecture, and you often get more opportunity to prove yourself early on. Be open about what you want to do with your bosses, but don't trivialize the value of the work they give you now - it's all important.
@toasteroven. Lol fypon catalog.
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