Expert: Paul S. Brown, AIA - 4/29/2005

Question
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am Ilma Calite, a high school student at South High in Torrance, California. In chemistry, I was assigned a project to explore my career interest. I am interested in architecture and I would appreciate if you or one of your associates could answer the questions below to help me learn more about the profession. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Ilma Calite

•   What kind of degree is required to practice in the architecture field?
•   How many years does it take to get an architecture degree?
•   Does the cost of architecture degree cost more than any other degree?
•   What kinds of hours does an architect work?
•   What should a beginner architect expect to be paid?
•   Is the work individual or teamwork?
•   What major subjects should an architect concentrate on in school to be successful?
•   How is chemistry used in architecture?
•   Which area of architecture do you specialize in? (commercial, residential, industrial)
•   With whom do you come in contact with on a daily basis? (customers, trades men, engineers, etc.)
•   Do you spend your workdays at the office or at the construction area?
•   What are some of the projects that you have done?
•   Is there traveling involved in this job?
•   Do you get any special benefits?
•   Would you describe your job as stressful or boring?
•   What inspired you to become an architect?


Answer
Hi Ilma:
Wow; that's a lot of questions... here goes, in order:
Generally, a five year accredited bachelors degree in Architecture, from an accredited school.
Five.
No, but five years instead of four means an added year of costs.
Long hours when deadlines approach; flexible hours when there is no work in the office.
A new hire in the Boston area with a good degree and a good student portfolio will get about 30K.
All teamwork.
Freehand drawing.  Accounting.  Marketing.  Then, all of your core requirement courses in Architecture.
I have relied on my Chemsitry knowledge to help me understand what sort of metal alloys I need to specify for certain types of special historic-preservation architectural work.  There are lots of different alloys that sales people try to pass-off as 'brass', and only a few of them are real brass.
I have done just about everything; but now am specializing in public school construction.
All of these; clients, contractors; field trades; consulting engineers.
I'm about 3 full days in the office, then the other 2 days are 1/2 office and 1/2 field.
Too many individual projects to list; but I will tell you that of the various types of projects I have worked on, I enjoyed my work in Historic Preservation with the National Park Service, the most.
Most architects don't have to travel outside of local trips to job sites; however some firms with national or international work will require travel.  My Park Service work took me up and down the east coast.
Benefits:  I get to work indoors when it's bad outside, and schedule my site visits for nice days.  I get paid well.  I have a box of ceramic tile samples at home that I expect to use to create a mozaic in my vacation house some day.
Very stressful; but then, I don't know many people that don't have stressful jobs.  (Try negotiating an expensive change order when both the Contractor and the Owner think it is 'your fault'.)
I had a role model as a kid; a friend of our family who was renovating a barn into a home.  He was an architect and I thought just about the coolest guy on planet earth.

end of questions.  Good luck; I hope you stick with your dream.  It's a good profession.
Paul B.