<p>Hello, I'm a college sophomore struggling choosing majors and determining what I may wish to pursue in the near future. Knowing what I want at this time is probably one of the most difficult challenges I have ever encountered.
I'm thoroughly fascinated by architecture. As for the job, I like the idea of envisioning and creating new and different projects each time. I like communicating and working with people. I took a course in freshman year on contemporary architecture and loved the class, having made a model without anyone's help and felt so incredibly good, satisfied, when I was done. It was a very new, but great feeling seeing the completed work. Moreover, I'm very interested in taking more art and architecture courses (Roman architecture and all other ancient arts fascinate me) However, I'm not sure I could deal with the technical part of it, since I'm not a particularly huge fan of math or physics.
Any inputs?</p>
<p>There are some very design oriented architecture schools that place a large emphasis on design instead of the technical aspects.</p>
<p>Besides, as an architect, on large projects there’s probably going to be a structural engineer to check your work in case you mess up somewhere :P</p>
<p>I am decent at math (don’t mind using it) and do not enjoy physics at all. How much do you think that will affect enjoyment and practice of architecture?</p>
<p>When it comes to the real world you need to be good at addition and geometry. No calculus, not much in the way of physics. Architecture schools will make you take physics, but it is usually physics lite (you don’t have to derive your formulas), and the structures courses involve memorizing formulas. I spent two years in engineering before moving to architecture, and there is a world of difference between the physics and structures courses you are required to take in the two fields.</p>
<p>I don’t have statistics to back this up, but I would say that 90% of the architecture students who fail or drop out do so because of design studio and not math and science.</p>
<p>rick</p>
<p>Rick, are you an architect?</p>
<p>One of my concerns about architecture is salary. I’ve heard that architects don’t make a lot, is that true?
While I want to choose a career that I will genuinely enjoy, pragmatically I consider money to be very important too. After all, going to architecture means spending extra three graduate school years in addition to the four undergrad. years. This can be almost compared to the time that med. students spend for school. Moreover, I’m feel pressured at the moment when 90% of my friends are all planning to go to med. school so I hope to find a career that is fulfills my passion and financial needs…</p>
<p>Yes, I am an architect. Starting salaries for graduates is in the low 40’s, and the top people in our firm with 10 to 15 years of experience are in the 80k to 100k range + bonuses and benefits. The profession is highly entrepreneurial with lots of opportunities for firm ownership, and this is where the real money gets made. The senior partners at a 50 person office will make 500k + in a good year (not like the last two years). I think the bigger economic issue for architects is the fact that we are so vulnerable to economic downturns; the profession is suffering quite badly right now.</p>
<p>You may get very frustrated in your early years of practice if money is really important to you, but the potential for long term income is certainly there.</p>
<p>rick</p>
<p>dragon - thought I would jump in. I too was in your situation in my soph year. I started in Engineering, transfered to Architecture because I like design and the whole planning process, not to mention I really enjoyed the Architectural History classes. However, I did find that even though the concept of the practice entrigued me, the idea of actually pursuing it as a career did not. My suggestion to you would be to set up a few days with local firms and shadow an actual architect. I was lucky enough to land a PT job at a firm my soph year and was able to see the real day to day activities of the architects. From my username, you can see I ended up pursuing tax (accounting), a totally different end of the spectrum. I think for me, it was really the fact that I enjoy working with people and building relationships, which is what I do every day at work now. </p>
<p>As for the compensation, a close relative of mine is the CEO/President of a rather large firm (100+ employees), and I will second that it is very tough starting out, especially right now. There are many architects looking for work and you will be competing against a lot of people for any job opening you pursue. That being said, if you put in your time and are good with people, the reward can be great. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>Thanks for all your responses! They have been very helpful.</p>
<p>Just an additional question for Rick:
Considering your own experience, what do you like most about your job? And what are some negative aspects to it?</p>
<p>Apart from the creative aspects, I really love the variety of people and projects that I get to deal with. Right now we are working on a 700,000 s.f. church project in downtown Seoul, and it has a 6500 seat underground sanctuary. I don’t think it has been done before and it is an incredible challenge to work out. The clients are all different the challenges are all different, and at the end you can point to a built project and tell your children ‘this is what I do’.</p>
<p>The worst part of my job is dealing with the economic downturns. I have had to lay-off a lot of people over the years, and none of it has been fun. When I go to the company picnic and see all these kids running around whose parents depend on you for a job, I realize what a responsibility we carry.</p>
<p>rick</p>
<p>Are you in the US though? And you are working on a project in Seoul? I’d guess it’s an international firm? Correct me if I’m wrong.
But how often do architects travel? (Is it even common?)
I know I wouldn’t like sitting in the office all the time. One of the positive aspects of architecture (I hope I’m right) that attracts me if the prospect of traveling to the sites and interact with the people there, clients or workers.</p>
<p>Yes, we are in Dallas. I don’t know if I would classify us an international firm, but this is our second job in Korea, we have a current job in the Bahamas, and have done a project in Brazil. When I was young I was all excited about travel and I was working for a large firm in NY and I finally got sick of travel. I had a job in Jakarta, Sydney, and Singapore and had over a million frequent flyer miles on American. I moved from NY to start the firm in Dallas so I could watch my children grow up and not spend my life on a plane. Now that they are heading off to college I am back to traveling to Korea on a regular basis. Not the most scenic country but I have really enjoyed getting to know the people and the culture.</p>
<p>If you want to travel just find a firm with a national or international portfolio. The world is a much smaller place these days and if you find the right firm you will get lots of opportunity for travel.</p>
<p>rick</p>
<p>Rick, your answers have been extremely helpful. I really appreciate them. If you don’t mind, just one last question. </p>
<p>Could you describe a day at work?</p>
<p>What I enjoy about my job is that I really don’t have typical days. So this is what I did today;</p>
<p>Spent a fair amount of the day reaching a consensus on whether to pursue architecture, or construction or both on a large university project. Got to spend a couple of hours on the computer modeling the typical exterior wall on the Seoul project. Tried to figure out who the principal in charge was going to be for a new hospital project. Tried to figure out where to go for dinner and entertainment when our Korean clients visit in a week. Went to a lunch presentation for a company that does indoor plants. Went over the curriculum for a seven week leadership course leadership that our leadership team is taking. Walked around and chatted with several members of the staff so I could see how their jobs were progressing.</p>
<p>This is probably fairly typical for a design/management position. You do what you need to do so people can work efficiently and get their jobs done, and then you do the most important thing of all; you find new projects.</p>
<p>rick</p>
<p>dragon, I think rick & taxdad have given you some excellent responses so I’ll just add a bit on my son’s experience. He’s in his first year of an M.Arch1 program and is thoroughly psyched. He also skews more heavily toward the design/aesthetic aspect of architecture and less toward math/physics. He has a good head for math and science and is interested in the theorhetical aspects but glazes over pretty fast when the courses get too deep. Consequently his grades have been skewed as well – studio/art history good, math/science not so good.</p>
<p>The best thing my son did in preparation for architecture school was to work for an architecture firm for two years before starting his M.Arch. He said he couldn’t have appreciated the real world challenges of architecture without this experience and it made him a lot more confident in the presentation/defense of ideas aspects of architecture school.</p>
<p>Because his undergrad focused more on fine art and history of art than on architecture specific skills he wasn’t qualified for a design job, but went into the marketing department of a small, prestigious firm. This gave him an excellent overview of what the profession was all about. He interacted with all of the principals and different departments and really saw what it takes to land a project. Yes, there is a lot of travel, too much maybe.</p>
<p>You are right, the money IS a very real concern, especially if yougraduate with a pile of debt. school. Unlike law, medicine or even business, architecture demands a lot of education but doesn’t offer immediate payback. Having said that my son’s observation is that architects are generally happy with their career choice. They work incredibly hard and are constantly challenged – and fulfilled – by the artistic and intellectual depth and breadth of the field.</p>
<p>[The principal partner in the firm that my son worked for said he was always interested in architecture, but decided to go to law school at his parents’ bidding. It took him some time to track back to architecture but is now in his 60’s is extremely successful.]</p>
<p>My advice
Try to get an internship or summer job at an architecture firm to see how you like the atmosphere. </p>
<p>If you do decide to get an M.Arch, apply widely and compare financial aid offers carefully. Consider co-op plans.</p>
<p>Do some research into “placing out” of M.Arch math/science courses. I.e., undergrad physics and science may be less stressful than trying to catch up in graduate school. </p>
<p>Consider taking one of those summer introduction to architecture courses.</p>
<p>Attend one or two M.Arch information sessions (usually held in the Fall).</p>
<p>Thanks so much for your help! =) I will definitely try to shadow an architect or find some way to work in an arch. firm.</p>
<p>So, rick, you own your own firm? Would you mind sharing your potential income or the incomes of your employess? What do you look for when hiring new employees out of college? Does the name of the school interest you or the grades or experience? Thanks</p>
<p>Kelsey, I am a partner in a firm. I hesitate to throw out numbers because right now it is chaos in the employment market. Many firms have instituted 20% pay cuts and significant staff reductions so the market is rather depressed. We have not reduced salaries, though we had some serious debates about it. In an office like ours the non-ownership principals might make $120k to $140k a year and are eligible for a 35% bonus (20+ years of experience), Associate Principals might make $90k to $100k and are eligible for a 25% bonus (15+years of experience), and an associate might make $70k to $90k and are eligible for a 20% bonus (8+ years of experience). Architects with 5 years of experience will make about $65k with a 10% bonus. We did not hire anybody straight out of school last year, but our starting salaries had been in the low 40’s. Bonus for principals who have ownership is all over the place because it is based on distributing the profits of the firm which can vary greatly.</p>
<p>When we hire we look for; a great portfolio, energy, and passion. The portfolio gives me a good idea of the talent level, and the other two tell me the potential leadership of the individual. We go to certain schools because we find more kids with these qualities there. However, if you have these qualities I don’t care where you went to school (as long as it is accredited and you can get registered). I will pick a top student from a mediocre school any day over a mediocre student from a top school.</p>
<p>rick</p>
<p>Wow great thank you 
How long were you working as an architect before you decided to partner a firm?</p>
<p>I made Associate Principal in NY firm nine years out of school, and then became a Principal in a firm in Dallas 12 years out of school.</p>
<p>rick</p>
<p>Thank You Rick for all your helpful insights. Many of us are very much inspired by your success story.</p>
<p>When you started out your career in architecture, how difficult was it for you to live with a starting architect’s salary? Did you ever regret moving into the field during those times and how did you presevere?</p>
<p>Many of my friends who just recently started working are finding it difficult to live with low starting architecture salaries. Many of them are working in NYC so this could explain the difficulty due to the high standards of living but I was wondering whether you had any advice on enduring the first few years of the career. Thank You once again</p>