Expert: Nazim Nice - 2/4/2010

Question
I'm in 8th grade and going to high school next year and was wondering if you have any suggestions on what classes i should take and if you happen to know how much one may get paid i also wanted to know if any kind of summer job will be able to help.

Answer
Hi Alec,

The most helpful thing I think you can learn to do is to draw freehand, perspectives, still lifes, human figures, cars, etc.  Architects use drawing as a way to communicate, and if you can draw well, and fast, that will be of great use to you. It is less important to know how to manually draft drawings.  They'll teach you that in school.  So I would look into art classes, painting, even sculpture.  When I was on a selection committee the students that showed promise in their art were usually preferred over those students that showed work more related to architecture.  So there really is no need to dive into actual building design yet.

That said, it would be helpful for you to learn how an office runs, and the kinds of things that go on in an architecture office.  So find a summer job in a firm where you can just see what's going on.  They may let you build models or do some drawings but even if it's just organizing things and cleaning up it will be useful to you.

As for architect salaries, the AIA (American Institute of Architects) publishes that every year.  If you live in a city that has an AIA office, I would call them and ask them if you can come down and look at the survey (it's not free to take a copy, but they'll likely let you look at it for free, especially if you explain you are student interested in architecture.)

Good luck!

Nazim Nice
Principal / Architect
http://www.motion-space.com
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