Architecture in the Real World ... sorta

Pull up a chair, order your favorite drink, and let me tell you about architecture in the “real ” world. I thought I would try to make this an upbeat article but as I sit down to write it, I’m not so sure how successful a job I am going to do (good thing we’re drinking here, right?)

One of the things having a web site like mine affords you is a peek behind the curtain – curtains in just about every nook and cranny of the planet. Emails come in from all walks of life; young, old, experienced, inexperienced, idealistic, disenfranchised, and on and on. One of the most common themes of these emails is that architecture school is nothing like working in the real world. Most of them start off with giving me a paragraph or two of their background, starting at the beginning (kind of like a 12 step program):

1. I loved playing with Lego’s as a child (variation 1b is “I used to sketch up house plans as a child.”)

2. I wanted to become an architect and design buildings even before I knew architect’s existed

3. My parents thought I should go into a different major, but I really wanted to be an architect, so I went to architecture school.

4. I was still in architecture school as everyone else graduated.

5. I spent so much time working on my projects that I lost contact with the outside world.

6. I finally graduated after [“fill in the blank” – more than 5] years of school.

7. I finally got a job.

8. I don’t really design buildings.

9. I don’t really design much of anything except flashing details.

10. I don’t really leave the office.

11. I sit at my desk and draw on the computer all day.

12. I wonder … am I really an architect?

Does this sound familiar to you? I hope not, although I can’t deny that this is a very real possibility for some people. I always struggle to answer the emails that come in that follow this formula because the truth of it is that this hasn’t been my experience at all.

The reality of being an architect is that a vast majority of the time spent – for a vast majority of the people who practice architecture, involve doing something that doesn’t even come close to resembling design – but – since I am an upbeat and positive guy, I like to think attitude plays a role in whether or not you view this as misery or something else altogether. Not everything – or any job other than “Lottery Winner” – is awesome all the time. Something as simple as your attitude towards things goes a long way to how you approach your business.

Let’s talk about taking the Architectural Registration Exam. It is widely regarded as one of the most grueling professional exams in existence, and few people look forward to the process of studying and taking those tests – I know I wasn’t looking forward to them. A strange thing happened when I finally decided to buckle down and start that process – I DID kind of like it. Don’t get me wrong, I was apprehensive about the process and concerned that I wasn’t prepared or equipped with the knowledge it would take to find success. I changed how I looked at the tests and as a result, I found my preparation and test taking to be rather easy. All of the information I was studying was information that I needed to know if I wanted to be an architect. This was all stuff that I should know, this is what I was planning on doing for the rest of my career so if I didn’t like studying about it now, how was I going to make it work for the next 40 years?

Architecture in the real world is about a process and collaboration, but for the majority of people who enter the profession, the only exposure they have received is from their time in college. I am here to say that architecture school is great, but it doesn’t really portray the experience most will be exposed to once they graduate and get a job. In college, everything revolves around the studio – all other classes are really just filling time between one studio class and the next studio class. At least it was at my college. I can barely remember some of the classes I took during the 6 years I was in school, but I remember every studio class and every studio project. (and believe me, some of those projects are worth forgetting). If I had to put a number to it, I would say that 100% of tasks and time I spent in studio at best represents about 10-15% of my time now.

I would imagine that if you are in high school, or about to graduate from college, this all sounds pretty bad. Surprisingly, you would be incorrect. I love to design, but I really enjoy getting my projects built – I like the fact that they exist. Architecture in the real world is just that … REAL. All of the things I spend my time on are important, and all represent a step along the way towards a finished product. Professionally, there is no greater feeling than seeing a project you worked on come into existence. I had a summer job when I was still in school where I did the drawings for a renovation of a house – this was a small project. I did not design any part of this project but I did do about 75% of the construction drawings. To this day, some 28 years later, I look at this house every time I drive by it. I look at the little overhang on the side of the house where the enlarged bathroom cantilevered out from the existing house by about 16″ and I think “I did that.”

I don’t tell anyone else that I did it but … It’s a nothing little thing, not special in any way, but it’s still there almost 30 years later and I get a tiny little thrill every time I see it.

But that’s just me, so I asked some of the people in my office to answer the question: “Architecture in the real world is ___________” to see what sort of responses I would receive. Since our demographics and experience levels are far and wide, I thought it would be interesting to see how 5 people in the same environment would answer the question.

Morgan Newman – Architect, 8 years experience

Architecture in the real world is more collaborative and more complex than I thought. It’s not better or worse just way different. I don’t think I would be nearly as challenged if architecture stopped at what it was in school

Michael Malone – Architect and Partner, 33 years experience

Architecture in the real world is more rewarding because of the clients. It means having the element of the end-user to consider when you are designing and making buildings. In school you were working to please yourself or your professors so the aesthetic and functional choices were made by folks with a design orientation. This does not prepare you for the fact the folks who hire you, your clients, don’t share the same taste, the same priorities or the same sensibilities. What is wonderful is the fun you have making them feel like they were part of the solution and having them take ownership of the design and its outcome. That is the profession’s greatest reward.

Tyler Shafer – Associate, 6 Months Experience

Having worked in a firm before graduating I think my expectations were more realistic than when I initially started school (STARCHITECT!).

In the “REAL WORLD” architecture practice is very much like school but with a different focus. School focused heavily on design, while the firm focuses on design/construction and a plethora of other things, namely the business of an architecture firm. Architecture in the “REAL WORLD” is continuing education. Occasionally, the unforeseen run for toilet paper.

Ryan Thomason – Associate, 2 years experience

Architecture outside the academic setting is more dependent on adequate communication than I thought. The majority of my efforts go to the question: “does this drawing/model accurately convey my intent?”

Nick Thorn – Associate, 4 years experience

Architecture in the real world is more rewarding than it was in college. It’s difficult to describe the sense of pride I get when walking through a completed project with the client. The countless redesigns, late nights, and stressful deadlines are all worth it for a happy client in their new building.

So this is one of those articles where the input of others really matters because we all have different experiences.

This was the 6th post in a series of posts called “ArchiTalks”. There are a few other architects who maintain blogs who were given todays topic “A Day in the Life of …” with very loose instructions as to what they are to talk about. We have all agreed to publish our responses on the same day – that way none of our articles will influence somebody else (as if!)

If you would like to see how other architects responded to this topic, just follow the links below. As the links get sent to me, I will come back and add them to the list.

Marica McKeel – Studio MM
@ArchitectMM
Architecture in the Real World

Matthew Stanfield – FiELD9: architecture
@FiELD9arch
Welcome to the Architecture of the Real

Lee Calisti, AIA – Think Architect
@LeeCalisti
Architecture in the Real World

Lora Teagarden – L² Design, LLC
@L2DesignLLC
Architecture: It’s a human thing

Meghana Joshi – IRA Consultants, LLC
@MeghanaIRA
Architecture in the Real World

Michael Riscica – Young Architect
@YoungArchitxPDX
Architecture in the Real World

Stephen Ramos – BUILDINGS ARE COOL

@sramos_BAC
Architecture in the Real World

Tara Imani – Tara Imani Designs, LLC
@Parthenon1
Architecture in the Real World

Brian Paletz – The Emerging Architect
@bpaletz
Architecture in the Real World

Jeff Echols – Architect Of The Internet
@Jeff_Echols
What is the Real World: Architecture in the Real World

Mark R. LePage – Entrepreneur Architect
@EntreArchitect
The HGTV Affect