Architectural Design Careers and Programs

Creativity Brought to Life

Think about your dream house. Does it have a fire pole from the top floor to the bottoms? Or would it have slide instead of a staircase? How about a draw bridge for a driveway?

Architectural design is an important trade that knows how to make daydreams into reality. Designers are required to organize and plan the interior and exterior space of all sorts of building structures from houses to skyscrapers. These designers must take into account everything from their client’s budget, to water, to electricity and beyond to make the building what it needs to be.

Architectural Design Career Outlook

Architects held about 141,200 jobs in 2008. Most jobs were in small architecture firms. About 1 in 5 was self-employed. This means they practiced as partners in a firm or on their own. Some worked for builders or government agencies.

So be aware that architects are needed by varying organizations. Be flexible in your aspirations.

Since it is quite possible that you will be self-employed as an architect, you should always be building your portfolio and gaining good experience. You might also take the time in college to learn good business practice, maybe even minor in it, because you will be running your own business. Be aware that no matter how good you are at architecture, if you don’t know how to market yourself and run a business, you won’t be successful on your own. If business really isn’t your thing, then try to find solid placement in a design firm.

Something that will increase you likeliness of getting a job is to have diverse skills and abilities. Instead of spending all your time learning one type of computer program, learn what else is out there, and how to use it. Also, it will help to have a wide range of things in your portfolio. Seek out jobs that are different in nature, so you can show potential clients that you are capable in whatever they want you to do.

If you are interested in earning a degree in Architectural Design, click here to request more information.

Architectural Design Salary Information

Although the average yearly income of an architect is over $75,000, starting interns or fresh employees can expect much less to begin with.

Those working in large and specialized design firms tend to make a little more than other architects. These firms have often already built a name for themselves and therefore more easily attract customers, especially the big customers. It is not often that a big corporation will find a lone architect to design a huge building. A team of architects from a firm who specialize in commercial construction will most a likely be hired. Specialization can mean a bigger paycheck.

With fluctuations in residential housing, architects in this field might expect less in terms of pay. But housing is always going to be a need for the human race, so housing architects will always be needed at least to some degree.

Thousands of architects work for the government, so remember

Architectural Design Required Job Skills and Knowledge

As mentioned above, you will need about five years of school to get a bachelor’s degree in architecture. You will also need to be licensed. How do you become a licensed architect?

Along with your degree, you will usually need three years of practical work. You will most likely try to find employment with a firm, performing whatever tasks and jobs they have you do. After those years, you will take the Architect Registration Exam.

What tools do architectural designers use? They largely rely on powerful computer design programs. Modern design programs are so powerful that they can render images of architecture so real that people will fail to choose correctly between a photograph and the printed design. Your education should revolve around mastering these design programs.

Part of your education and progressing skill set should also be in design theory, studying the works of great designers, and a study of art technique. This education helps with visualization and creative skills. Architecture is an art, no matter how menial the thing you design.

You will also need endurance. Architects often report that they are work over fifty hour weeks.