I'm considering going back to school for a MArch. here in the U.S. One of my biggest concerns is the job prospects after I graduate (in about 4 years time). I have some questions about future architecture job prospects in the U.S.A.
In your opinion, or the opinion of published forecasts, how much architectural practice will remain in the U.S.A. in next decade...lifespan ?
Are any particular fields of architectural practice more or less likely to be outsourced ?
I had this wild notion that architecture would be less likely to be outsourced since architects often need to work with local contractors, local projects and perform local site inspections. I have looked at some articles posted here on the subject and elsewhere and many of them reference full 'CD's being outsourced to places like India.
Your thoughts and experience are much appreciated !
contract documents and routine drafting work will be the primary tasks that will be sent offshore ... this tends to be low value / low margin work and there aren't enough qualified people domestically to keep up with the requirement for that sort of work.
design, client management, project management and contract administration skills are hard to send offshore and are not likely to be outsourced ... however, if there were to be a severe recession, there could be fewer jobs available and layoffs could be a possiblity, even in those sorts of jobs.
how you think about this question will depend on what role you see for yourself 10-years out of school ... if you still see yourself drafting CD's, you might have something to worry about ... if you see yourself as the next hot designer, you'll probably be okay, if you can back up your aspirations with talent and hard work.
You may find inspiration in the book The Rise of the Creative Class by Richard Florida. He discusses creativity as a commodity and something that is difficult to outsource.
that book is kind of ridiculed now as being absurdly inaccurate. it's regarded as being kind of a bad joke now. a recipe for medium size cities to piss away tax money to atract a very small segment of the population.
design will remain here, although boundaries are shifting as more developers are realizing that good design sells (as opposed to the local firms that most likely aren't great).
CDs will go offshore, simply to save TONS of money. I'll be some designs, at least the cookie cutter crap and McMansion (or the 'new' variations) will be outsourced, certainly after there are known examples that are successful.
Basically, talented designers with experience will still be valuable. But if there is a large recession, construction and development slows down. So while Gensler and SOM will stay in business, they'll lay off 30%+ of their work force.
I'd go get an MBA in some kind of development type thing. Then go back for a March after you have saved a ton and can do your own developments. This will keep you in control and you can position yourself to weather economic changes.
Don't worry about outsourcing. Good design is never seperated from its site. I guess what these people are talking about is maybe enormous firms sending work for enormous buildings off-shore, but I cannot imagine that would ever be economically viable, given the current model of architectural firms. (Seriously, it's hard enough to work on CD's from HOME on a laptop. How many of us have tried to do this and still had to head into the office for pow-wows with team members?!) I mean I just can't... this idea seriously blows my mind. I can't believe you're really worried about this.
If you want to become an architect, become an architect. Architects aren't doing CD's anyway past the first couple years of internship. There are drafters for that in big firms, which it sounds like you are thinking of. Design is design. If you want to design, don't worry about outsourcing.
comb, I'm talking about big firms, which seems to be the only model of arch. business that would support outsourcing, which is what pojo is concerned about.
In big firms as far as I've seen, the architects are redlining and project managing, the DRAFTERS are doing CDs.
I don't get it. If you're considering architecture because you want to do CDs, then save your money and just go to ITT Tech. If you're going into architecture because you want to design, then don't worry about outsourcing.
That's the end of my two cents. Sorry if I wasn't clear enough before.
we're not a big firm (40+) and we have architects at all levels doing much more than just redlining and project managing ... we're seriously considering outsourcing our overflow CD work because we cannot find enough qualified architectural staff to do it here
I've heard that CD's can be outsourced, but from my personal experience I can't imagine how that could be done. When redlining I work very closely with several cad techs making changes on the move. It's not like I can draw and explain something at the same time if my cad tech is working in China.
Maybe outsourcing could be done on early rough CD's..taking schematic and DD drawings and doing a rough set-up. Still, there will be jobs for cad techs at home.
I'd worry more about a complete collapse of the economy and zero construction than your architectural job going across the pond.
Thank you for all of your responses. My current profession is Industrial Design which from my experience is being significantly outsourced to China. I have always had a keen interest in Architecture which is, in some respects, related to Industrial Design. I love design and would like to study Architecture, ultimately using both professions down the road in my own practice.
Jan 15, 06 2:05 am ·
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Considering career in Architecture, nervous about outsourcing
Greetings,
I'm considering going back to school for a MArch. here in the U.S. One of my biggest concerns is the job prospects after I graduate (in about 4 years time). I have some questions about future architecture job prospects in the U.S.A.
In your opinion, or the opinion of published forecasts, how much architectural practice will remain in the U.S.A. in next decade...lifespan ?
Are any particular fields of architectural practice more or less likely to be outsourced ?
I had this wild notion that architecture would be less likely to be outsourced since architects often need to work with local contractors, local projects and perform local site inspections. I have looked at some articles posted here on the subject and elsewhere and many of them reference full 'CD's being outsourced to places like India.
Your thoughts and experience are much appreciated !
contract documents and routine drafting work will be the primary tasks that will be sent offshore ... this tends to be low value / low margin work and there aren't enough qualified people domestically to keep up with the requirement for that sort of work.
design, client management, project management and contract administration skills are hard to send offshore and are not likely to be outsourced ... however, if there were to be a severe recession, there could be fewer jobs available and layoffs could be a possiblity, even in those sorts of jobs.
how you think about this question will depend on what role you see for yourself 10-years out of school ... if you still see yourself drafting CD's, you might have something to worry about ... if you see yourself as the next hot designer, you'll probably be okay, if you can back up your aspirations with talent and hard work.
You may find inspiration in the book The Rise of the Creative Class by Richard Florida. He discusses creativity as a commodity and something that is difficult to outsource.
that book is kind of ridiculed now as being absurdly inaccurate. it's regarded as being kind of a bad joke now. a recipe for medium size cities to piss away tax money to atract a very small segment of the population.
design will remain here, although boundaries are shifting as more developers are realizing that good design sells (as opposed to the local firms that most likely aren't great).
CDs will go offshore, simply to save TONS of money. I'll be some designs, at least the cookie cutter crap and McMansion (or the 'new' variations) will be outsourced, certainly after there are known examples that are successful.
Basically, talented designers with experience will still be valuable. But if there is a large recession, construction and development slows down. So while Gensler and SOM will stay in business, they'll lay off 30%+ of their work force.
I'd go get an MBA in some kind of development type thing. Then go back for a March after you have saved a ton and can do your own developments. This will keep you in control and you can position yourself to weather economic changes.
at first I thought this was a joke question.
Outsourcing?!
Don't worry about outsourcing. Good design is never seperated from its site. I guess what these people are talking about is maybe enormous firms sending work for enormous buildings off-shore, but I cannot imagine that would ever be economically viable, given the current model of architectural firms. (Seriously, it's hard enough to work on CD's from HOME on a laptop. How many of us have tried to do this and still had to head into the office for pow-wows with team members?!) I mean I just can't... this idea seriously blows my mind. I can't believe you're really worried about this.
If you want to become an architect, become an architect. Architects aren't doing CD's anyway past the first couple years of internship. There are drafters for that in big firms, which it sounds like you are thinking of. Design is design. If you want to design, don't worry about outsourcing.
on what planet do you live ?
comb, I'm talking about big firms, which seems to be the only model of arch. business that would support outsourcing, which is what pojo is concerned about.
In big firms as far as I've seen, the architects are redlining and project managing, the DRAFTERS are doing CDs.
go for it...do architecture, then go and get a job in China/India
I don't get it. If you're considering architecture because you want to do CDs, then save your money and just go to ITT Tech. If you're going into architecture because you want to design, then don't worry about outsourcing.
That's the end of my two cents. Sorry if I wasn't clear enough before.
we're not a big firm (40+) and we have architects at all levels doing much more than just redlining and project managing ... we're seriously considering outsourcing our overflow CD work because we cannot find enough qualified architectural staff to do it here
I've heard that CD's can be outsourced, but from my personal experience I can't imagine how that could be done. When redlining I work very closely with several cad techs making changes on the move. It's not like I can draw and explain something at the same time if my cad tech is working in China.
Maybe outsourcing could be done on early rough CD's..taking schematic and DD drawings and doing a rough set-up. Still, there will be jobs for cad techs at home.
I'd worry more about a complete collapse of the economy and zero construction than your architectural job going across the pond.
Thank you for all of your responses. My current profession is Industrial Design which from my experience is being significantly outsourced to China. I have always had a keen interest in Architecture which is, in some respects, related to Industrial Design. I love design and would like to study Architecture, ultimately using both professions down the road in my own practice.
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