Traditional Architecture Firms - Not the only Path
Posted: Jul 4, 19 12:38 pm
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THE BAKERJul 4, 19 12:38 pm
I follow this young woman on social media who works in tech and used to be a UI/UX Designer, turned Communications Designer, now turned 'Global Experience Designer' - which means she leads the architectural interiors / branding design of the growing tech company she works for in Silicon Valley and their other offices which are popping up globally. She's not an architect, but that sounds like an amazingly creative job that I'm sure any architect would love to lead!
I was talking to a former coworker about all the various paths an architect can take in his/her career and still be an architect. Why is it the norm to stick to the status quo and work for a traditional architecture firm? When I was in school (nearly a decade ago) that was really the only option presented to us.
More and more companies are looking for in-house facilities (or brand experience designers), WeWork, Amazon, Google, federal, state, and local government agencies hire facilities architects/engineers all the time - GC's hire architects in their pre-construction departments as Design Managers (especially if they pursue a lot of design-build work), and they tend to pay MUCH more since they assume more liability! Yet lots of people get stuck in the rut of churning out production drawings for traditional architecture firms. We were taught to think outside the box, yet I don't see many doing this in their career paths... Has anyone tip-toed into another world and escaped the purgatory of billable hours? What's your experience been?
I follow this young woman on social media who works in tech and used to be a UI/UX Designer, turned Communications Designer, now turned 'Global Experience Designer' - which means she leads the architectural interiors / branding design of the growing tech company she works for in Silicon Valley and their other offices which are popping up globally. She's not an architect, but that sounds like an amazingly creative job that I'm sure any architect would love to lead!
I was talking to a former coworker about all the various paths an architect can take in his/her career and still be an architect. Why is it the norm to stick to the status quo and work for a traditional architecture firm? When I was in school (nearly a decade ago) that was really the only option presented to us.
More and more companies are looking for in-house facilities (or brand experience designers), WeWork, Amazon, Google, federal, state, and local government agencies hire facilities architects/engineers all the time - GC's hire architects in their pre-construction departments as Design Managers (especially if they pursue a lot of design-build work), and they tend to pay MUCH more since they assume more liability! Yet lots of people get stuck in the rut of churning out production drawings for traditional architecture firms. We were taught to think outside the box, yet I don't see many doing this in their career paths... Has anyone tip-toed into another world and escaped the purgatory of billable hours? What's your experience been?