This article contains a guide to what you can do with an architecture degree to become an architect in 2024.
Having degree in architecture opens door to numerous career opportunities. The term architecture is used to describe physical structures, such as buildings; however, it also describes the technicalities of designing those buildings as well as the method of construction. This course is one of the most challenging courses to study. Anyone aiming to study architecture must be prepared to study for a long period of time as it takes between three and seven years to complete. Notwithstanding the long study time, there’s certainly always a need for new buildings, warranting promising career possibilities. This simply means that architects will always be in demand. Isn’t it relieving that architecture is also one of the most rewarding courses you can think of? The time spent will be adequately compensated when one gets to the labor market. Architects design structures for human use and, as a result, are largely accountable for the safety and dependability of those structures. Architecture course work is built to educate students to imagine, design, and construct the streets and buildings of the future.
To become an architect, students must complete a combination of five years of study and two years of practical work experience before completing their final exams.
A degree in architecture is a highly attractive and competitive choice. It is not one of the regular courses as it requires a distinct set of skills—creative and logical skills—which simply means an architect uses both sides of the brain. Architecture courses are dependent on mathematics and engineering, along with creativity and an understanding of modern technologies and cultural trends.
A lot of architecture is taught outside the classroom; students are often in the field (real-world) to gain hands-on experience.
These courses are some of the most popular and essential for architecture students, no matter the university or region-
Structural engineering
- Architectural history,
- Environmental design
- Design and building material studies
Degrees teach budding architects everything from how to accurately draw 3D designs—both by hand and computer—to design theory.
What do people who study architecture do after graduation?
Another interesting part of being an architect is that you can choose to be your boss, as long as you have the required skills.
Once students have completed up to seven years’ worth of training, architects can choose whether they want to work for themselves on a self-employed basis or with larger companies on fixed salaries.
Which famous people studied architecture?
There are a countless number of famous people [1] you might never imagine studying architecture. People like actors Samuel L. Jackson and Courteney Cox found their footing within architecture before finding success in other fields. Other famous names who studied architecture include George Takei of Star Trek fame, the creative director of fashion house John Galliano, and American rapper Ice Cube.
Skills you will develop while studying architecture.
While studying architecture, you’ll acquire distinct skills and a range of interchangeable core skills that include:
- numeracy, design and drawing
- IT skills, e.g. computer-aided design (CAD),
- project management skills
- the ability to solve problems in an analytical, logical way
- the ability to work as part of a team
- written and oral communication in various settings
- research skills
- decision-making ability
- adaptability and flexibility for dealing with unexpected situations where necessary
Careers You Can Go Into With Architecture
1. Landscape Architect
One of the many careers you can venture into with a degree in Architecture is Landscape architecture. This is the design of outdoor areas, landmarks, and structures to achieve environmental, social-behavioral, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic design and general engineering of various structures for construction and human use, investigation of existing social, ecological, and soil conditions and processes in the landscape, and the design of other interventions that will produce desired outcomes Landscape architects are involved in stormwater management, environmental restoration, and recreational areas, among other things. If you enjoy working with and in the natural environment, this could be the path for you.
2. Urban Planning
An urban planner or urban planning engineer is a professional who practices in the field of urban planning. He/she may focus on a specific area of practice and have a title such as a city planner, town planner, regional planner, long-range planner, transportation planner, infrastructure planner, environmental planner, parks planner, physical planner, health planner, planning analyst, urban designer, community development director, economic development specialist, or other similar combinations.
3. Restoration Architect
Although this may not sound familiar, it involves the conservation and restoration of buildings to preserve our societies’ heritage and history.
6. Research Architect
Technology has advanced architectural representation and expression. These continuous advancements are in part made possible by the impressive research being done by architects, which does not fundamentally consist of designing buildings but focuses more on how these new tools can enhance our work.
7. Lighting Architect
This career option is a field within architecture, interior design, and electrical engineering that is concerned with the design of lighting systems, including natural light, electric light, or both, to serve human needs.
The aim of lighting design is to stimulate the human response to see clearly and without discomfort. The objective of architectural lighting design is to further the design of architecture or the experience of buildings and other physical structures
8. Political Architect
Architecture is more than just creating beautiful objects; the discipline has a value in organizing society. The architecture firm Terroir, for example, has worked with the Burnie City Council as well as the Parramatta City Council in Australia to argue for a certain structure for the city, to predict what may happen, and to design a set of criteria for the evolution of the city. It is a case of architecture influencing politics instead of the other way around.
9. Extreme Architect
With the current development of climate change, extreme weather conditions such as floods, heatwaves, and hurricanes are predicted to increase. Existing extreme environments, such as deserts, are likely to expand due to phenomena such as desertification. Being an architect who specializes in extreme weather conditions is therefore not only an incredibly fascinating way to tackle the subject, but also invaluable for us to adapt to the future of our planet.
10. Artist
An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is that a practitioner in the visual arts only
The spatial reasoning and visualization skills gained from an education in architecture lend themselves perfectly to installation art, sculpture, and spatial experiences without the necessity for functionality.
11. Industrial Designer
With a degree in an Architecture, you can build a career in industrial designing. They develop the concepts for manufactured products such as cars, home appliances, electronics, and toys. They combine art, business, and engineering to make products that people use every day.
12. Furniture Designer
Furniture designers are experts in creating and designing furnishings while considering both fashion and functionality. They design interior and exterior furniture, often keeping factors like sustainability, ergonomics, customer style preferences, and practicality in mind.
13. Textile Designing
Textile designers create two-dimensional designs that can be used, often as repeat designs, in the production of knit, weave, and printed fabrics or textile products.
Working in both industrial and non-industrial locations, they often specialize or work in a specialist context within the textile industry. The two major areas of textiles are:
- interiors (upholstery, soft furnishings and carpets)
- fabrics for clothing (fashion or specialist, e.g., fireproof).
High fashion is also reminiscent of architecture in many ways, adopting the geometric and sculptural constructions of contemporary buildings.
14. Graphic Designer
Graphic design is also known as communication design. Graphic designers are visual communicators who create visual concepts by hand or by using computer software. They communicate ideas to inspire, inform, or captivate consumers through both physical and virtual art forms that include images, words, or graphics.
The end goal of graphic designers is to make the organizations that hire them recognizable and prominent. By using a variety of media, they communicate a particular idea or identity to be used in advertising and promotions. These media include fonts, shapes, images, print design, photography, animation, logos, and billboards. Graphic designers often collaborate on projects with artists, multimedia animators, and other creative professionals Taking a short course in graphic design to supplement a degree in architecture can open up a range of possibilities to still work within the field but take charge of tasks that are more suited to your interests in communication.
15. Photographer
Architecture photography is growing increasingly popular due to the beautiful geometry that can emerge by constraining something within a lens. Photography concerns itself more with the aesthetic, with the object, and with the composition in that unique moment within that specific frame. It concerns itself more with the fleeting atmosphere than with the permanent organization of people and spaces. Yet it still consists of composition, color, environment, and experiences.
16. Production Designer
A production designer is a person responsible for the overall visual look of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the period, the location where the protagonist is existing, what the characters are doing or feeling, and why. Working directly with the director, cinematographer, and producer, they have a key creative role in the creation of motion pictures and television.
Employing all the knowledge and skills one gains from an education in architecture: time pressures, conceptual environments, and collaborative creativity
Careers Outside of Design
An architecture degree does not limit its holder to only architectural-related jobs. There are other career options that your skillset in architecture will make you suitable for. And these are:
1. Teacher/Professor
Young teachers at architecture schools are becoming more common, and if you’re looking for more time to learn about the field before deciding whether or not you want to remain in it, taking up a year or two of teaching could be an ideal way to do so. Teaching is a two-way street, especially at such a young age, which provides you with an excellent method to learn from your students and reflect on your view of architecture.
2. Conservationist
Similar to philanthropy, conservation of the environment is becoming a focal point within architecture. Despite many efforts, our planet is still heading down a path leading to disaster when it comes to our natural surroundings. Using your knowledge of spatial organization to develop a method of environmental conservation is not only intellectually stimulating but also vitally important for our society.
3. Writer
Becoming a writer or journalist can be a great way to utilize an architectural education; we learn to articulate ourselves using descriptive language and rhetoric to communicate our complex projects to teachers and critics. Turning that into writing, whether fictional or not, is another way of constructing another world and experience for others. Despite the print being two-dimensional, the stories definitely aren’t.
4. Entrepreneur
Problem-solving, creative thinking, and the art of persuasion are three skills architects and entrepreneurs have in common that you can use to your advantage. Your experience with abstract concepts and human interaction can make you a stronger competitor with an alternative way of thinking.
5. Construction
Whether working to build a room, a patio, or a cute little cafe, architecture majors can start a career in construction management, where they will be involved in coordinating building processes. This can include everything from preparing contracts to tracking the progress of craftsmen to ensuring that the right materials are available for each project. This is a great role for someone who is interested in the management aspect of
6. Business
The general skillset you’ll acquire as an architecture major transfers well into many fields of business. These industries require just as much planning, conceptualization, communication, and attention to detail as jobs in architecture and design. As a result, architecture majors can sometimes find themselves in the roles of project managers or directors, working to build companies rather than the buildings that house them.
7. Education
Your degree in architecture can also be put to use in education, whether this is through teaching high school math or conducting a seminar on the basics of interior design at a community college or private institution. Your architecture major can also put you on the road to earning an advanced degree, making you eligible for a teaching career in a university setting.
A major in architecture puts you in the running for some incredibly satisfying career opportunities. The best way to find out which one is right for you is to pick a field that interests you and then find an internship that will give you the hands-on experience you need to make your decision.
8. Estate Manager
As an estate manager, you’ll be concerned with the historical or heritage preservation of a site, and your aim will be to enable an estate to run as effectively as possible. Through careful management and coordination, you’ll seek to solve problems and maximize financial returns from the estate. You’ll also work to improve other areas, such as health outcomes or social integration. The nature of this role can vary according to the type of employer and estate you work for. For example, an estates manager for the National Trust will have quite a different role than an NHS estate and facilities manager.
9. Structural Engineer
Structural engineering is a sub-discipline of civil engineering in which structural engineers are trained to design the ‘bones and muscles’ that create the form and shape of man-made structures. Structural engineers need to understand and calculate the stability, strength, and rigidity of built structures, both buildings and non-building structures. The structural designs are integrated with those of other designers, such as architects and building services engineers, and often supervise the construction of projects by contractors on site. They can also be involved in the design of machinery, medical equipment, and vehicles where structural integrity affects functioning and safety.
Other jobs directly related to your Architecture degree include
- Architectural technologist
- Building control surveyor
- CAD technician
- Fire risk assessor
- Interior and spatial designer
- Town planner
- Urban designer
Jobs where your degree would be useful include:
- Building surveyor
- Commercial/residential surveyor
- Construction manager
- Estates manager
- Estimator
- Historic buildings inspector/conservation officer
- Landscape architect
- Planning and development surveyor
- Production designer, theater, television, or film
- VFX artist
Conclusion
Earning an architecture degree in 2024 offers diverse career paths. Architects can work in traditional firms, specialize in sustainable design, urban planning, or digital fabrication. With advancing technology, architects innovate solutions, shaping cities and communities. They design iconic structures, create urban spaces, and advocate for sustainability, leaving a lasting impact on our world. Above all, beyond architectural related careers, a person with a degree in Architecture can also build a career outside the field, such as graphic design, writing and lots more.
So, if you have a degree in architecture, you have many ways to earn a living.
Reference
[1] Vaughn, C. K. (2021, June 14). Did you know these eight celebrities studied architecture? CK Vango. https://www.ckvango.com/2021/06/8-celebrities-who-studied-architecture/
