hi, i'm 16 and i'm thinking of becoming an architect. It's been my dream job since I was in 6th grade. But lately i have been doubting myself because people will use the buildings i create and i'm scared that it'll collapse and people will get hurt. Is this fear normal, or am i just paranoid?
My native language isn't english, so there may be some errors in the writing; so please do see past that.
Miles Jaffe
Nov 3, 21 1:08 pm
No.
Non Sequitur
Nov 3, 21 1:17 pm
You're in luck then because it's not the architect's responsibility to protect against collapse.
atelier nobody
Nov 3, 21 1:37 pm
It's actually just a little more nuanced than that, but it is true that Structural Engineers work with Architects and have the primary responsibility for making sure the buildings stand up.
rcz1001
Nov 3, 21 4:20 pm
N.S., not always true.
Non Sequitur
Nov 3, 21 4:38 pm
^I know ricky, but there are layers to this. Buildings are team efforts and there is no reason to fear that you'll be responsible for a collapse. In fact, and taking into account all the corner-cutting construction, the odds that you're involved in a failure are rather small. Now... mold, or fire, or falling glass railings on the other hand, are different stories. 8-)
Edit, I'm currently in early concept planning for a large gov complex and we've entered the "what if someone drives a bomb in the parking deck" phase.
Miles Jaffe
Nov 3, 21 4:57 pm
Pretty soon every government building will look like this
rcz1001
Nov 3, 21 8:20 pm
N.S., okay, now we're in agreement. The original way you stated it was not correct. I agree with you that it's a team effort but even then, you may (depending on the varied nuances of laws of various jurisdictions and so forth) still be jointly liable to your consultants' work.
atelier nobody
Nov 3, 21 1:34 pm
Don't worry (at this point) about buildings falling down - you will learn how to design them so they don't.
DO worry about whether what you think the profession of architecture is matches what it actually is...many people enter architecture school or, worse, finish architecture school and enter the working world without a real understanding of what architects do, then get disillusioned.
The best thing to do is to get in contact with one or more local architects, find out if you can "job shadow" them for a day, maybe even get a summer job doing office errands for them so you can see what really happens in an architect's office day-to-day. You should also look into whether there are any programs in your area for introducing younger people to architecture (here in the US, many places have the ACE Mentor Program and many universities offer summer architecture programs for High School students - find out if there's anything similar where you are).
hi, i'm 16 and i'm thinking of becoming an architect. It's been my dream job since I was in 6th grade. But lately i have been doubting myself because people will use the buildings i create and i'm scared that it'll collapse and people will get hurt. Is this fear normal, or am i just paranoid?
My native language isn't english, so there may be some errors in the writing; so please do see past that.
No.
You're in luck then because it's not the architect's responsibility to protect against collapse.
It's actually just a little more nuanced than that, but it is true that Structural Engineers work with Architects and have the primary responsibility for making sure the buildings stand up.
N.S., not always true.
^I know ricky, but there are layers to this. Buildings are team efforts and there is no reason to fear that you'll be responsible for a collapse. In fact, and taking into account all the corner-cutting construction, the odds that you're involved in a failure are rather small. Now... mold, or fire, or falling glass railings on the other hand, are different stories. 8-)
Edit, I'm currently in early concept planning for a large gov complex and we've entered the "what if someone drives a bomb in the parking deck" phase.
Pretty soon every government building will look like this
N.S., okay, now we're in agreement. The original way you stated it was not correct. I agree with you that it's a team effort but even then, you may (depending on the varied nuances of laws of various jurisdictions and so forth) still be jointly liable to your consultants' work.
Don't worry (at this point) about buildings falling down - you will learn how to design them so they don't.
DO worry about whether what you think the profession of architecture is matches what it actually is...many people enter architecture school or, worse, finish architecture school and enter the working world without a real understanding of what architects do, then get disillusioned.
The best thing to do is to get in contact with one or more local architects, find out if you can "job shadow" them for a day, maybe even get a summer job doing office errands for them so you can see what really happens in an architect's office day-to-day. You should also look into whether there are any programs in your area for introducing younger people to architecture (here in the US, many places have the ACE Mentor Program and many universities offer summer architecture programs for High School students - find out if there's anything similar where you are).
Another good resource is the book Architect? A Candid Guide to the Profession by Roger K Lewis, although it's pretty US-focused and might be less applicable where you are.