The good ones: Understanding the constraints of a project, and not being bogged down by data. Good architects can be fed virtually infinite amounts of information and they will keep designing because they just instinctively understand how to map out their work within a solution space.
The bad ones: Playing with legos and praying to Yeezus.
We're good at that abstract thinking of plowing past that bullshit to get the core issues you are trying to solve. We're good at mentally seeing a variety of approaches and possibilities. If we weren't, we'd cookie cutter buildings and uses.
You can hand us a stack of 4x8 inch blocks and see hundreds of possible solutions for putting them together in ways that would not have ever occurred to a accounting major who's stuck in a world of 'it must work this way, using this process, and there is only one right answer'. Architects don't believe in just one right answer.... and more than happy to accept that someone else's right answer is an affront to man and good taste :P...
Good point null pointer I think that's a true strength. JLC-1 what does owning homes in the Hampton's have to do with the skill set of an architect? Nice one J. Hans. mightyaa - architects can conceive of several solutions to a problem, yes that is a skill too. What do you all think about this:
Miles' interview is not about owning homes in the Hampton's; rather about the irrational destruction of places by ignorant wealthy, and that observation should be a primary skill for all architects around the world. Too easy we budge to the will of developers and greedy individuals looking only to make a buck and leave.
edcole, besides this skill set list is pretty close to what Miles' was doing in the interview
Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Operations Analysis — Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
curtkram, o*net online is a website created by the US department of Labor. Helps job seekers actually anybody do career research -undertand trends, what careers will grow in the future, how they will grow, whats hot, not, skill sets etc.I don't think we use diazo copiers any more, computers surfice, a few of us may still have drafting arms. I myself used a mayline ruller mounted unto my desk but that was during my years at school. 9 years ago. A little sketching here and there, but I am mostly computer now. JLC-1, yes Miles was doing all the above in the interview.
i'm going to be honest here edcole, i would not trust that o*net site. using a mayline is cute in school, i had one too, but it would really get in the way if you had one in real life work.
here is a link to the irs site (with a .gov) explaining what the government thinks architects do. from the link:
Computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) and building information modeling (BIM) technology has replaced traditional paper and pencil as the most common method for creating design and construction drawings.
uh, I use a rolling ruler, I'm not even that old. I am glad I can draw, saves a lot of effort and time. It impresses people more than CAD, why is drawing old fashioned?
maylines are screwed to the desk, as are drafting arms. rolling rulers can be set aside. to my earlier comment of saying they would get in the way, i don't think that applies to rolling rules.
curtkram o*net is not behind. Instead they split tools and technology, they name tools and they name technology. In modern speak we would use the term tools to refer to technology. o*net lists the tools as physical objects that are used in the creation of the architectural product, then non - physical is technology, which includes CAD software though Revit is not mentioned, the term BIM is not mentioned either but they may just be using "Autodesk AutoCad" as the umbrella term for such, they don't seem to be making a distinction between CAD and BIM or I suppose because BIM is a kind of CAD. In the same way carpenters use hammers, chisels, saws to create furniture but they are not confined to these also, some software tools like AutoCad, Rhino and Sketchup to create their designs. So the description is correct. Government is government you qoute from the IRS page is not in conflict with whats on the o*net page.
Tools used in this occupation:
Drafting kits or sets — Arm drafting machines; Track drafting machines
Miles, the interview JLC-1 posted is really good -- not many people seem that comfortable in their own skin, and almost none in that kind of setting. Also reminded me a little of a Tom Wolfe interview. You didn't miss your calling so far, did you?
Thank you, I think. The one thing I've learned for sure is who I am. Which changes from time to time, but usually in a good way.
I saw Tom Wolfe one night when in a restaurant I did that happened to have my book on display. I waited until he had ordered, then as politely as possible introduced myself as a fan and gave him a copy of The Hamptons Dictionary. Master of the Universe is of course straight out of Bonfire of the Vanities.
Later he came over and congratulated me on the book, saying it was funny. That was the self-published version, it had just been picked up by a publishing house, and I asked Wolfe if he would be interested in writing a forward.
I will say this, for an old guy he's pretty spry. He was out the door in the blink of an eye.
Feb 21, 15 5:44 pm ·
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What are architects really good at
I am curious to know what architects are really good at from a professional point of view.
Complaining and bullshiting, but not necessarily in that order.
Architects excel at maintaining smugness while simultaneously being the most useless person in the room.
Details. And shit no one else thinks about.
More like if you were seeking to move into other job in the AEC industry, like what would you consider transferable skills.
Holistic approach to the design build process
Unemployment.
The good ones: Understanding the constraints of a project, and not being bogged down by data. Good architects can be fed virtually infinite amounts of information and they will keep designing because they just instinctively understand how to map out their work within a solution space.
The bad ones: Playing with legos and praying to Yeezus.
really good at ignoring stupid questions
We're good at that abstract thinking of plowing past that bullshit to get the core issues you are trying to solve. We're good at mentally seeing a variety of approaches and possibilities. If we weren't, we'd cookie cutter buildings and uses.
You can hand us a stack of 4x8 inch blocks and see hundreds of possible solutions for putting them together in ways that would not have ever occurred to a accounting major who's stuck in a world of 'it must work this way, using this process, and there is only one right answer'. Architects don't believe in just one right answer.... and more than happy to accept that someone else's right answer is an affront to man and good taste :P...
really good at ignoring stupid questions
Apparently not ...
I think organizing things.
Apparently not ...
Joking around on forums.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZKqhL626Sw#t=220
this is a real gem
Good point null pointer I think that's a true strength. JLC-1 what does owning homes in the Hampton's have to do with the skill set of an architect? Nice one J. Hans. mightyaa - architects can conceive of several solutions to a problem, yes that is a skill too. What do you all think about this:
http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/17-1011.00
what does owning homes in the Hampton's have to do with the skill set of an architect?
Nothing compared to designing and building them.
Miles' interview is not about owning homes in the Hampton's; rather about the irrational destruction of places by ignorant wealthy, and that observation should be a primary skill for all architects around the world. Too easy we budge to the will of developers and greedy individuals looking only to make a buck and leave.
edcole, what is o*net online? they say we use drafting arms and diazo copiers. whoever put up that website should replace it with a public apology.
edcole, besides this skill set list is pretty close to what Miles' was doing in the interview
Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Operations Analysis — Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
curtkram, o*net online is a website created by the US department of Labor. Helps job seekers actually anybody do career research -undertand trends, what careers will grow in the future, how they will grow, whats hot, not, skill sets etc. I don't think we use diazo copiers any more, computers surfice, a few of us may still have drafting arms. I myself used a mayline ruller mounted unto my desk but that was during my years at school. 9 years ago. A little sketching here and there, but I am mostly computer now. JLC-1, yes Miles was doing all the above in the interview.
i'm going to be honest here edcole, i would not trust that o*net site. using a mayline is cute in school, i had one too, but it would really get in the way if you had one in real life work.
here is a link to the irs site (with a .gov) explaining what the government thinks architects do. from the link:
Computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) and building information modeling (BIM) technology has replaced traditional paper and pencil as the most common method for creating design and construction drawings.
http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Architects-and-Landscape-Architects-Audit-Technique-Guide
your site is like decades behind even the bureaucrats in government.
uh, I use a rolling ruler, I'm not even that old. I am glad I can draw, saves a lot of effort and time. It impresses people more than CAD, why is drawing old fashioned?
maylines are screwed to the desk, as are drafting arms. rolling rulers can be set aside. to my earlier comment of saying they would get in the way, i don't think that applies to rolling rules.
Maylines Rule!
that's funny
Booo
curtkram o*net is not behind. Instead they split tools and technology, they name tools and they name technology. In modern speak we would use the term tools to refer to technology. o*net lists the tools as physical objects that are used in the creation of the architectural product, then non - physical is technology, which includes CAD software though Revit is not mentioned, the term BIM is not mentioned either but they may just be using "Autodesk AutoCad" as the umbrella term for such, they don't seem to be making a distinction between CAD and BIM or I suppose because BIM is a kind of CAD. In the same way carpenters use hammers, chisels, saws to create furniture but they are not confined to these also, some software tools like AutoCad, Rhino and Sketchup to create their designs. So the description is correct. Government is government you qoute from the IRS page is not in conflict with whats on the o*net page.
Tools used in this occupation:
Drafting kits or sets — Arm drafting machines; Track drafting machines
Photocopiers — Diazo copiers; Engineering copiers
Power saws — Circular saws; Fretsaws
Saws — Hand saws; Thermal saws
Utility knives — Precision knives
Technology used in this occupation:
Computer aided design CAD software — Autodesk AutoCAD software; Google SketchUp software; NavisWorks Jetstream; Roof Builder Tools software
Data base user interface and query software — Database software; FEMA EMMIE; Microsoft Access
Document management software — Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat software; CADFind Sketch & Search software; FileNet P8 software
Graphics or photo imaging software — Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator; Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop software; Micro-Press MicroStation PowerDraft
Project management software — Craftsman CD Estimator; Microsoft Project; Oracle Primavera Systems software; Turtle Creek Software Goldenseal
And about maylines, yes use of the wrong term on my part, they are screwed to desks and not mounted.
They are good at architecture?
Miles, the interview JLC-1 posted is really good -- not many people seem that comfortable in their own skin, and almost none in that kind of setting. Also reminded me a little of a Tom Wolfe interview. You didn't miss your calling so far, did you?
Thank you, I think. The one thing I've learned for sure is who I am. Which changes from time to time, but usually in a good way.
I saw Tom Wolfe one night when in a restaurant I did that happened to have my book on display. I waited until he had ordered, then as politely as possible introduced myself as a fan and gave him a copy of The Hamptons Dictionary. Master of the Universe is of course straight out of Bonfire of the Vanities.
Later he came over and congratulated me on the book, saying it was funny. That was the self-published version, it had just been picked up by a publishing house, and I asked Wolfe if he would be interested in writing a forward.
I will say this, for an old guy he's pretty spry. He was out the door in the blink of an eye.
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