I come from a Multi-Media Design background and am an Architect now after 5 years working for one and some tests. So like Bruder and Wright it is possible.
Good luck and I think SD & DD needs your talents, just don't forget to do as much CODE research/work as possible.

far often people from outside architecture do better i notice because they have not been broken by the poor education system

thank you. can you clarify..... SD & DD?

Schematic Design and Design Development. You'll definitely want to learn the lingo before you start looking for a job.

agreed, pvbeeber. thanks.

i don't know who to approach or how, but i know it has been done, by many people. it's interesting, because i felt useless during my first year working even after getting an architecture degree. so i'm impressed that firms will hire someone with zero training. but many do, so if you somehow impress them and seem interested, knowledgeable, and hardworking, someone will take you.

I would look at firms that do a lot of presentation / competition work. Your background in graphic design will give you an advantage and help you get your foot in the door. You will probably end up doing a lot of presentation work at first, but you will learn a ton about architecture in the process

Make sure you have a solid portfolio put together. If you have good presentation skills and have a body of work that demonstrates rigorous, systematic problem solving then you should be ok, regardless of background. In the long run, these things are more important than knowing CAD or the difference between SD and DD.

I agree w/the other postings. You can work as a graphic designer to put together the presentation stuff. Also, many offices have administrative or marketing positions which give exposure to the architectural field w/o necessarily doing the actual arch stuff. Perhaps indicate interest in pursuing arch, and the employer may ease you into various tasks depending on your performance.

you could even start your own practice as long as you stay under 3000 square feet when doing commercial and the redlines from the city building department would be a great too to check your work and build on from experience.

i have a non-architecture background and have not had a problem getting a job due to plugging away at an internship for 2 years at school and as someone else said, LEARNING THE LINGO (pretty important). the 2 year internship is not what i'm stressing, but the fact that i've worked to fill in my diffiencies in arch. practice (working in construction, being in a bunch of different offices, learning about the design process, building process and what in both can create better efficiency). your exp. in production is certainly applicable and once you understand the process, arch. can be distilled down to client relationship, design instinct (which you obviously have since you are interested in arch.), and double-checking everyone else's drawings which you re-draw in your drawings.

i'd second the other advice to look for offices which can use your most obvious talents in an architectural related application. I would lean towards competition based firms over a marketing/graphics role. It's one thing if you are doing advertising for the firm and another if you are helping to present a design idea.

anthistenes - that's the dream, my friend. that's the dream.

pomoinmono - i agree with you. there is a danger in taking a graphic design position in places like that. i "interned" as a product designer while functioning as a paid graphic designer at a small ID studio. the only ID experience i got was through my association with the firm in general, though my work was purely of a nature that i already knew.

everyone's advise has been great, and has compelled me forward to pursue this with some optimism.

i still could use some names of firms that might be applicable, or that i could simply take a look at to see what sorts of places are out there that i might not already know about.

thanks all!

ADVISE
TRANSITIVE VERB: 1. To offer advice to; counsel. 2. To recommend; suggest: advised patience. 3. Usage Problem To inform; notify.
INTRANSITIVE VERB: 1. To take counsel; consult: She advised with her associates. 2. To offer advice.


ADVICE
NOUN: 1. Opinion about what could or should be done about a situation or problem; counsel. 2. Information communicated; news. Often used in the plural: advices from an ambassador.

dlb - how is this helpful in the scheme of things?

i am a director of an architecture firm, located in three different cities, with about 40 people all together.

i do a great deal of the interviewing for new staff. when i see letters of application and portfolios that have basic spelling mistakes, bad grammar, bad structure and syntax, then i think of two things:

1) bad education where these basic things were not taught or were not taught well - maybe worth taking a risk on the applicant as someone who can overcome these deficiencies,
or
2) lazy bastard who doesn't have enough concern and consideration to even bother to put together a decent document for my viewing. do i really want this same person doing documents on my behalf, when they have nothing personally at stake, with this attitude?

i have always believed that architecture is about having enough thought and intelligence to care about everything that goes out into the world. otherwise, why bother being an architect.

that is the scheme of things.

dlb - this is a blog. and a blog entry. that i wrote at 8:30 in the morning without breakfast. if you notice my first entry, i did spell the word correctly. it's called a typo. up to this point, everyone's thoughtful reponses have been extremely positive and helpful. i hope they continue despite this bump in the road.