First off I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Nicolas Ries and I currently am completing my general education classes as well as my architecture courses. I'm aspiring to be a green residential architect with a, currently developing, horticulture background.
I've come to finals month and I have a paper due that requires an interview with an architect. I have a handful of questions that require answering but I've come up with no live in-person available interviewee. If someone here could help then that would be greatly appreciated.
1) Your name
2) Your specific occupation
3) Name and location of business or organization
4) What attracted you to this field?
a) When did you begin working in this field?
b) What previous career fields have you been in?
5) How much education is necessary for this position?
a) What level of education is required to BEGIN working in this field
b) How much education do you have?
c) How much does your college training actually prepare you for the skills needed in your occupation?
d) Are there certain courses that would be most helpful?
6) What personal qualities are most important in your occupation?
7) What position can a college graduate with no experience realistically expect to obtain in this occupation?
a) A there opportunities in this field for those with no college training?
8) What work/volunteer experience and/or skills would be advantageous in this occupation?
9) What are the sources of satisfaction in your job?
10) What are the sources of frustration or disappointment? How do you handle them?
11) What is the long and short-range employment outlook for this occupation?
12) What is the salary range?
13) What are the required duties of your particular job?
a) What are the duties for an entry-level person?
14) What are the opportunities for promotion/advancement in this field? How long does it take to get these promotions?
15) Are there job-related pressures? If so, what is the source of these pressures? Are they self-imposed?
16) What are the working conditions? Do you work alone, with a few people, or in a large group?
17) Is there a kind of social life style or "culture" included within this occupation?
18) Is there a professional association in your career field that I could contact for information concerning future opportunities?
19) Is there someone that you could refer me to for additional information about your career field?
Thank you for any help and your willingness to talk.
If there is a better place for me to post this then could someone please point me in the right direction?
Nicolas, I think you should reevaluate some of the questions you are asking, because the personal stuff is atypical here, but generalities about our experiences, educations, aptitudes, pros and cons, and recommendations are things people here would likely answer.
Also, are you in the U.S., Canada, the UK, or somewhere else, as this would impact how well someone can address your concerns?
So, then, of the long list, which ones will you be paring it down to?
Understandably so, It was a copy paste from another article I wrote.
Whoever would like to answer any of these questions would be helpful. I apologize about the more personal questions haha. obviously they don't require answering
I'm trying to learn the site and apparently you cannot edit posts from what I'm noticing.
It was my initial interest. I think the best architects, from my somewhat traditional viewpoint, are those who sit on the fulcrum of artist and engineer. They want both aspects, and not just one. Artists were, and still are, too weird for me. Some, not all, engineers are uptight and don't like archispeak.
5) How much education is necessary for this position?
If you want to cover the common denominator, then you need a NAAB accredited degree in architecture, either a B.Arch. (5 yrs)., a M.Arch (making for a total of 6 years, including the BA/BS), and a M.Arch. (making for 7.5 years, including another degree in anything). I took the latter, which appears to be the road least traveled. For education, a balanced, comprehensive curriculum, in my opinion, is superior to a design-centric curriculum. Every architecture program has a design studio EVERY term, so the design-centric programs have more fluff.
6) What personal qualities are most important in your occupation?
Attention to detail, spatial ability, patience, creativity, genuine interest in the field, analytical ability, the ability to work alone or with others in alternating fashion, and the ability to tolerate some eccentric or difficult personalities.
7) What position can a college graduate with no experience realistically expect to obtain in this occupation?
Intern architect or AutoCAD/Revit technician (which qualifies for internship because you won't be in a vacuum when doing it) if in a firm. I don't recommend the non-collegiate route, especially in a tough market.
8) What work/volunteer experience and/or skills would be advantageous in this occupation?
Interning before you graduate to some extent, just to create a line item on a resume. You will be payed a pittance, but before graduating, that should be expected.
9) What are the sources of satisfaction in your job?
Getting to solve problems in a detailed, creative, and 3-dimensional manner.
10) What are the sources of frustration or disappointment? How do you handle them?
"Bad" clients, consultants who drop the ball, contractors who dislike architects, and excessively artsy-fartsy effete prima donnas among some architects.
11) What is the long and short-range employment outlook for this occupation?
Don't know.
12) What is the salary range?
It is a middle-class living for most.
13) What are the required duties of your particular job?
There are 5 phases in architectural services, at the least - schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding and negotiation, and construction administration. The first 2 phases are more creative. The last 3 are more technical and have more aspects of project management.
14) What are the opportunities for promotion/advancement in this field? How long does it take to get these promotions?
It's hard to tell. It sort of happens and you don't even realize you're in charge of things. You could be running a small job real soon, or be running a big job in 7 years. Your salary should climb commensurate with experience.
15) Are there job-related pressures? If so, what is the source of these pressures? Are they self-imposed?
Conforming to a construction cost estimate in design, conforming to firm's budget to make the project profitable, time pressure to produce documents at critical junctures, and firm and self imposed mandates for good design solutions.
16) What are the working conditions? Do you work alone, with a few people, or in a large group?
Inside, usually. Often in a comfortable work area to foster concentration. As for the number of people, it can be alone or splitting up the tasks among a group.
17) Is there a kind of social life style or "culture" included within this occupation?
Yes, I think so. Often that of being progressive, liberal, politically correct, avant garde, and artsy-fartsy, some of which is eyewash for a lot of people. Then, there are some more conventional types. However, the ones who grandstand more seem to define the field, including the personality. Either way, people find kindred souls.
18) Is there a professional association in your career field that I could contact for information concerning future opportunities?
Contact ACSA, NAAB, AIAS (student chapters), and take aptitude tests (several) to see if this field is appropriate for you. Shadow, or at least meet, several practitioners.
Hope that helps. Is that enough?
Dec 7, 13 10:11 pm ·
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Questions for any level architect
First off I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Nicolas Ries and I currently am completing my general education classes as well as my architecture courses. I'm aspiring to be a green residential architect with a, currently developing, horticulture background.
I've come to finals month and I have a paper due that requires an interview with an architect. I have a handful of questions that require answering but I've come up with no live in-person available interviewee. If someone here could help then that would be greatly appreciated.
1) Your name
2) Your specific occupation
3) Name and location of business or organization
4) What attracted you to this field?
a) When did you begin working in this field?
b) What previous career fields have you been in?
5) How much education is necessary for this position?
a) What level of education is required to BEGIN working in this field
b) How much education do you have?
c) How much does your college training actually prepare you for the skills needed in your occupation?
d) Are there certain courses that would be most helpful?
6) What personal qualities are most important in your occupation?
7) What position can a college graduate with no experience realistically expect to obtain in this occupation?
a) A there opportunities in this field for those with no college training?
8) What work/volunteer experience and/or skills would be advantageous in this occupation?
9) What are the sources of satisfaction in your job?
10) What are the sources of frustration or disappointment? How do you handle them?
11) What is the long and short-range employment outlook for this occupation?
12) What is the salary range?
13) What are the required duties of your particular job?
a) What are the duties for an entry-level person?
14) What are the opportunities for promotion/advancement in this field? How long does it take to get these promotions?
15) Are there job-related pressures? If so, what is the source of these pressures? Are they self-imposed?
16) What are the working conditions? Do you work alone, with a few people, or in a large group?
17) Is there a kind of social life style or "culture" included within this occupation?
18) Is there a professional association in your career field that I could contact for information concerning future opportunities?
19) Is there someone that you could refer me to for additional information about your career field?
Thank you for any help and your willingness to talk.
If there is a better place for me to post this then could someone please point me in the right direction?
I feel contacting a local firm would be more beneficial
I would love to but they've all turned up to dead ends or unable to assist me.
20) Have you ever slept with your boss?
Or the spouse of your boss.....
Right? I gotta ask haha
Nicolas, I think you should reevaluate some of the questions you are asking, because the personal stuff is atypical here, but generalities about our experiences, educations, aptitudes, pros and cons, and recommendations are things people here would likely answer.
Also, are you in the U.S., Canada, the UK, or somewhere else, as this would impact how well someone can address your concerns?
So, then, of the long list, which ones will you be paring it down to?
Understandably so, It was a copy paste from another article I wrote.
Whoever would like to answer any of these questions would be helpful. I apologize about the more personal questions haha. obviously they don't require answering
I'm trying to learn the site and apparently you cannot edit posts from what I'm noticing.
You should take someone out to lunch and interview them. Getting these questions answered on the internet is NOT what your assignment is.
4) What attracted you to this field?
It was my initial interest. I think the best architects, from my somewhat traditional viewpoint, are those who sit on the fulcrum of artist and engineer. They want both aspects, and not just one. Artists were, and still are, too weird for me. Some, not all, engineers are uptight and don't like archispeak.
5) How much education is necessary for this position?
If you want to cover the common denominator, then you need a NAAB accredited degree in architecture, either a B.Arch. (5 yrs)., a M.Arch (making for a total of 6 years, including the BA/BS), and a M.Arch. (making for 7.5 years, including another degree in anything). I took the latter, which appears to be the road least traveled. For education, a balanced, comprehensive curriculum, in my opinion, is superior to a design-centric curriculum. Every architecture program has a design studio EVERY term, so the design-centric programs have more fluff.
6) What personal qualities are most important in your occupation?
Attention to detail, spatial ability, patience, creativity, genuine interest in the field, analytical ability, the ability to work alone or with others in alternating fashion, and the ability to tolerate some eccentric or difficult personalities.
7) What position can a college graduate with no experience realistically expect to obtain in this occupation?
Intern architect or AutoCAD/Revit technician (which qualifies for internship because you won't be in a vacuum when doing it) if in a firm. I don't recommend the non-collegiate route, especially in a tough market.
8) What work/volunteer experience and/or skills would be advantageous in this occupation?
Interning before you graduate to some extent, just to create a line item on a resume. You will be payed a pittance, but before graduating, that should be expected.
9) What are the sources of satisfaction in your job?
Getting to solve problems in a detailed, creative, and 3-dimensional manner.
10) What are the sources of frustration or disappointment? How do you handle them?
"Bad" clients, consultants who drop the ball, contractors who dislike architects, and excessively artsy-fartsy effete prima donnas among some architects.
11) What is the long and short-range employment outlook for this occupation?
Don't know.
12) What is the salary range?
It is a middle-class living for most.
13) What are the required duties of your particular job?
There are 5 phases in architectural services, at the least - schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding and negotiation, and construction administration. The first 2 phases are more creative. The last 3 are more technical and have more aspects of project management.
14) What are the opportunities for promotion/advancement in this field? How long does it take to get these promotions?
It's hard to tell. It sort of happens and you don't even realize you're in charge of things. You could be running a small job real soon, or be running a big job in 7 years. Your salary should climb commensurate with experience.
15) Are there job-related pressures? If so, what is the source of these pressures? Are they self-imposed?
Conforming to a construction cost estimate in design, conforming to firm's budget to make the project profitable, time pressure to produce documents at critical junctures, and firm and self imposed mandates for good design solutions.
16) What are the working conditions? Do you work alone, with a few people, or in a large group?
Inside, usually. Often in a comfortable work area to foster concentration. As for the number of people, it can be alone or splitting up the tasks among a group.
17) Is there a kind of social life style or "culture" included within this occupation?
Yes, I think so. Often that of being progressive, liberal, politically correct, avant garde, and artsy-fartsy, some of which is eyewash for a lot of people. Then, there are some more conventional types. However, the ones who grandstand more seem to define the field, including the personality. Either way, people find kindred souls.
18) Is there a professional association in your career field that I could contact for information concerning future opportunities?
Contact ACSA, NAAB, AIAS (student chapters), and take aptitude tests (several) to see if this field is appropriate for you. Shadow, or at least meet, several practitioners.
Hope that helps. Is that enough?
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