AR 428/Regular Architectural Practice

(Advisory Grading)
Lecture 3
Source: Architect? A Candid Guide to the Profession, by Roger K. Lewis

AFTER SCHOOL, WHAT?

The successful completion of architectural school is a significant accomplishment and milestone in the
career of the architect. The many years of intense study and demanding work seem, at times, to be
unending. Those who graduate are typically only half of those who started. While graduation my signal
the end of formal schooling, it is by no means a signal that ones architectural education is complete.

In fact, as challenging as architectural school can be, that which follows may be far more challenging, not
only because of continuing work load, competition, and complexity but also because the graduate
architect may find a new array of choices and challenges waiting that were not well understood or even
acknowledged before graduation. And every subsequent career path is a continuation of the architects
education, even if it does not entail traditional architectural practice, therefore it is essential that
architectural students look ahead and become aware of their options, remembering that their education
will simply shift from the schoolroom to the workplace.

APPRENTICESHIP
Majority of graduates of architecture, whether possessing a B.S.Arch. or M.Arch, go from
architectural school to architectural office.
These first few years of work in architects office are the apprenticeship yearsclearly implies
that recently graduated architect is still being trained, still learning, still a student.
Apprenticeship is a requirement before examination and licensing.
They are overworked because they are energetic, eager to produce and acquire new knowledge,
and inexpensive to hire relative to more experienced graduate.
They are underpaid because of many number competing for scarce positions.
Apprenticeship as compared to internship
Some apprentices are exposed immediately to a wide range of practical experiencecommon in
small firms.
On the other hand, most small firms do not have the opportunity to design projects large in scale
and complexity.
Likewise large projects take longer to design and build than small projects.
The apprentice in the large firm might never really grasp the totality of a project and the
integrative design process which are more apparent and accessible to the apprentice in the small
firm.
On the other hand, young apprentice in the small office may not acquire the depth of experience
achievable in bigger firms.
Given all of this, graduates should choose employment as thoughtfully as possible, even if jobs
are in short supply.
The years of apprenticeship are formative.
They not only prepare you (or fail to) for licensing and independent practice, but also establish
directions and attitudes that may shape much of your future career and work.

LICENSING
Another mini-ordeal on the way to becoming a full-pledged architect; a milestone.
To become licensed or registered as an architect:
1. Obtain an accredited professional architecture degree.
2. Complete the required minimum years of apprenticeship.
3. Apply and pass a national administered board exam for architects.
Architects are licensed because the design and construction of building are presumed to affect
health, safety, and welfare of the public.
Having passed the exam and become registered, a architect may legally offer architectural
services to the public.

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FURTHER GRADUATE STUDY
Some architectural students, desire advanced schooling, to pursue new areas of interest.

Imply a desire to enhance ones knowledge, capabilities, and career potential.
There can be dozens of reasons for such post-professional degree graduate work:
o To gain new design experience and new insight in a more specialized graduate program.
o To acquire entirely new expertise in architectural subspecialties or in closely related
fields.
o To change fields substantially, going from architecture to business, law, engineering, etc.
All of these reasons imply a desire to enhance ones knowledge, capabilities, and career
potential.
In the competitive marketplace where professionals must survive, advanced degrees are seen by
many as an asset, and they may be indispensable.
On the other hand, in traditional architectural practice and offices, the holding of advanced
degrees may be much less critical to an architects futurehis or her talent and personal
characteristics will be much more important.
Statistically a small minority of all graduates pursue further graduate study after completion of
architectural school.

TRAVEL
It would be exaggerating to suggest that no architect is ever fully educated until he or she has
traveled beyond the borders of home territory.
Architectural education travel is so vital.
No amount of reading of history books or staring at slides and photos can even come close to
approximating the experience of seeing architecturebuildings, townscapes and landscapesin
the flesh.
Traditionally architects have always traveled abroad to study the architectural and artistic
heritages of other countries.
If the opportunity arises, a young architect should live an work abroad, absorbing far more of
other cultures than is possible as a tourist.
Regardless of the method by which you travel, it is an experience that forever influences your
attitude as both architect and citizen.
Time abroad broadens immeasurably.

TEACHING
Teaching architecture is an attractive career option for those so inclined and qualified.
Most universities allow architecture faculty to consult and engage in private practice outside of
school.
Faculty who actively practice or consult can significantly augment their teaching income, and
conversely, their steady teaching income makes it easier to begin and maintain practices when
economic circumstances are unfavorable.
Although salaries are not excessive or comparable to other profession, they are competitive with
the incomes of many architects, in full-time practice, particularly in small practice.
Many bright architectural graduates begin their teaching careers soon after completing advanced
graduate studies.
Teaching offers other significant benefits, faculty are continually challenged by their students and
colleagues.
New ideas and information are often first generated in architectural school before finding their
way into professional practice.
Teaching allows more time and opportunity for research, for theoretical speculation and
exploration, and for writing.
And of course teaching offers the satisfaction of seeing students learning, discovering, creating,
and growing in part due to the efforts of their teachers.
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 The drawbacks to teaching are predictable:
o Inadequate compensation in the absence of supplemental income
o The demands to be met for tenure, and not getting it.
o The administrative complexities and breakdowns endemic to universities
o The potential for boredom arising from too many repetitions of courses and subject
matter
o Intellectual stagnation arising from insufficient activity outside of the classroom or studio

WORK IN RELATED FIELDS

Many would-be architects discover, either during or after graduation from architectural school,
that design and traditional architectural practice are not their cup of tea.
They may come to this conclusion because of a perceive lack of talent, lack of interest and
motivation, newly discovered interests, desire to make more money or have more power.
Whatever the reason, they have several choices that build upon their heavy investment in
architectural education.
Landscape architecture and urban planning are among the most closely related fields because
they are environmental design professions.

ABANDONING ARCHITECTURE
Lovely as it is, costly as it was, architecture is regrettably abandoned by s noticeable percentage
of graduates, usually for one or more reasons.
They may also abandon the field out of disillusionment or frustration.
The laws of supply and demand certainly contribute to the abandonment impulse in architecture,
with more and more architects competing for less and less work when times are bad.
Surely, those who completely leave architecture do so with mixed feelings and a great sense of
loss.

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