All Time Hit Misconceptions Of Famous Architects Job and life with there work was a subject and as an architect face many times in my life and profession. Today I would like to share some most interesting facts and thoughts about misconceptions of famous architects job and working profiles. When you think of an architect, what is the first thing that comes to mind? I bet it is one of these misconceptions of famous architects job that I have list down below. While every profession has certain stereotypes (and some may be valid), architects tend to be right up there with engineers when it comes to misconstrued notions.
Here, what i collect on thoughts of misconception of architects to see if any are ones you hold, and perhaps consider if these are truly valid ideas or are they are myths that need to be debunked?
Best Misconceptions Of Famous Architects Job and Life
Now a daze internet is rich in sources of both inspiration and procrastination for architects, magazines have harnessed the online platform superbly to give our industry greater exposure than ever with misconceptions of famous architects job, and many have mastered the art of going viral on social media, expanding their audience exponentially. Check this – ‘Infographic Inspiration For Social Media’
But the Web has also given people a voice that was before difficult to hear – solo blogs offer a level of personal Misconceptions Of Famous Architects Job insight and unshackled opinion greater than that of the larger sites, and they also delve into niche architectural Misconceptions Of Famous Architects Job that may otherwise be drowned out by the ocean of online information for the architects.
Let’s start over Misconceptions Of Famous Architects Job,
Architects Draw, Paint And Do Models.
Forget about this misconceptions of famous architects job. Since the CAD (Computer Aided Design) systems were introduced in the 80s we have completely lost those unique gifts making us so outstanding, so different. Misconceptions of famous architects job have lost things defining the very core of our field. So today we are just one of those “computerized industries”.
Architects Forced Into Go With Their Style.
There are plenty of designers out there that have branded themselves as being experts on a particular style of design, be it the prairie style of Frank Lloyd Wright, the Arts and Crafts style of Greene and Greene, or the International style of Le Corbusier.
However, this misconceptions of famous architects job to be more a personal preference from architect to architect but we are all trained in good design regardless of style.
A good client-centered design firm should listen to the client’s needs and craft a design that speaks to the client’s desires, in a style that suits the client. But be watchful for the firms that do not put the client’s needs first – for a lot of reasons!
Architects Are Not Needed – If You Have A Good Builder.
First of all likely misconceptions of famous architects job, many local regulations expect architects to be involved in construction projects, just as lawyers are expected to be in courtrooms.
Also, architects have years of experience and professional training specifically geared towards creating value for a client. Architects can offer value in many ways including: resale value, energy efficiency, cost per square foot, speed of construction and finally, aesthetic beauty.
Architects Only Specialize In Residential Or Commercial Design.
This one misconceptions of famous architects job always comes up at parties. I tell people what I do for a living and 9 times out of 10, the very next question is “residential or commercial”? Read about : Commercial Architecture Trends and Indoor Outdoor Theory
One thing is for certain, the ability to leverage what we know from one project type to another is priceless, to the more varied the projects an architect has the opportunity to work on, the more creative and creative they wind up being.
Now, it is true that design firms will try to go after specific project types as a part of their core business model, but to an individual architect, designing any building type is a comprehensive process that we are all trained to do.
I simply tell people who I design buildings (and often times other things like furniture as well). It’s not really about size of project either because some single family homes are larger than other commercial offices spaces.
And there are plenty of “residential” projects that are very commercial in nature – mixed use projects, live-work lofts, high-rise condos and apartments. Even Hotel and dormitory style housing.
Architects Are Responsible For The Structural Safety. 😉
This misconceptions of famous architects job on some disastrous project around the world. If building collapses it’s rarely architect’s fault, just so you know… Architects’ role is to integrate building structure developed by the structural engineer into the general design scheme.
Structural engineering is a professional field, essentially a science, responsible for the structural safety of the buildings. Continuing the analogy: composer is hardly responsible for the performance of his symphony, conductor and musicians are…
Architecture Is For Men
There are so many misconceptions of famous architects job, but perhaps this is the first one that should be debunked. While it is true that architecture is a male-dominated field, it is not true that it is a career solely for men.
Great female architects are finally getting their due attention with female architects such as Teresa Borsuk receiving the 2015 Woman Architect of the Year award. Women certainly have a place in this field of design.
Architects Are Not Required For Make Cheaper Home.
A huge misconceptions of famous architects job is that it is only for the rich. As I mentioned, every building needs a designer. While it is true that some firms will specifically market certain types and sizes of projects, the bottom line is that more often than not, the smaller homes have been architect-designed as well.
It certainly is worth noting that the smaller the project, the more challenging it can be to design, and therefore, we often find that there is an inverse proportion to size of project and the need for a qualified architect.
Architects Are Wealthy…… ;D
Sadly, this is not true. Despite the years of handwork in school, all of their studies do not pay off in the sense of the bank balance. Despite the mainstream thought, architects are not paid like doctors, they earn a good income, but not one that will make them wealthy.
Architects Are Builders.
Architects use tools but not hammers. Architects design the buildings, they do not build them. Their designs and blueprints are passed off to the builders-developers who then bring the design to fruition.
Yes, this requires a close relationship between the architects and the builders, but the last structure is created by the developer-builder. Should we mention the salary of a developer? No, that might depress the architects reading this.
Architects Are Cool As James Bond.
The greatest misconceptions of famous architects job all: at the very least we are super-cool & uber-sexy. I’m not kidding – ask my lady!
While many architects don’t want us to debunk this classic misconceptions of famous architects job – everyone wants to be sleek and cool like James Bond-but architects are not the eccentric, cool, cigar smoking characters that the public has envisioned them to be.
Sorry, they are just average people like the rest of us, sitting at desks (perhaps in a cubicle), hunched over computers, and usually working on the minute details of a project.
Architects Are Introverts or Boring.
The most successful architects, we call them star architects are aggressive as football players and loud as pop-stars. They try to attract media attention using all means, they go to fashion shows and they prefer to see themselves (not their projects) on the cover of the trendy magazines. (Starchitects are rich, by the way… They are not exactly architects though…)
Wrong! Architects can’t afford to be introverts – their design ideas would never leap from blueprint to reality if they were quiet and shy. In order to have their designs accepted and taken seriously, and to have the builders follow their designs – architects must be loud and proud. A shy architect will struggle in this field since the job relies heavily on communication skills with clients, designers, builders, contractors, public etc…
Architects IT-Computer Skills Are Poor.
Now this misconceptions of famous architects job may divide the architects- it did in the office here! We aren’t always great with a computer. Although we use countless programmes such as Rhino, AutoCAD, V-Ray we can sometimes fall short in other areas.
Architects can model a house, furniture, a shop facade but ask some of the office members to produce an excel sheet and they’d be stumped!
Architecture Is A Glamorous Job.
Becoming the next Frank Lloyd Wright seems glamorous, right? Yes, it must have been glamorous to be a famous architect who created some of the most ingenious structures, but this is not the reality for the everyday architect.
Most architects are busy working out the details; meeting city officials; trying to leap through bureaucratic red tape; dealing with building codes; constrained by a client’s budget, or visiting contractor sites, nothing about these tasks is glamorous. While some architects do have the chance to travel, it is not as common as some may think.
Architects Make a Lot of Money…… 😉
That depends on the definition of “a lot of money”. Payscale.com lists the average architect salaries between $48,580 and $76,259. The RIBA architecture salary guide puts the starting salaries for first year out UK students at £17,000, with the greatest that an Associate with a commercial firm can make at £50,000.
While a select few architects do enjoy celebrity status and a millionaire’s lifestyle, they usually make their money from their publications, smaller mass-produced designs (fashion, product, or furniture design), real estate investments, or through sponsorship from their wealthy patrons.
Architects Need To Be Good At Maths.
A common misconceptions of famous architects job with math is its confusion with both structural and construction engineering. While the latter two are heavily predicated in mathematics (albeit simple mechanics and algebra), architects develop an understanding of simple geometry through their drawings.
While architects need to fully understand the roles of engineering in how buildings come together, they seldom get to do any of the calculations (they are not licensed to do so). They are, however, trained to think as these engineers do through courses taught at school, and get to do simplified versions of their calculations.
Architects Are Creative Artists.
Architects kind of suppose to be. But in fact most of our time is dedicated to the resolution of the serious issues:
- Financial (to get the money from the client),
- Bureaucratic (to get the project approved by the authorities),
- Technical (coördination of the engineering works and working drawings),
- Administrative (monitoring constructions and fighting with the greedy builders),
- Political (convincing clients not to pick the ugliest option because it’s cheap).
We don’t have time for free imagination, arty design and other creative nonsense.
While many architects entering school think they need amazingly creative artistic skills, it is simply not a job requirement. Architects do need to be creative problem solvers, but they don’t need the skills of Picasso.
In fact, a lot of their work involves basic geometry skills which are by no means creative. And Computer Aided Design (CAD) has pretty much taken over the pencil and paper, so most times architects are hunched over computers and not drawing their own design.
Architects Like Work Alone.
Like most misconceptions of famous architects job & projects, architecture is not the work of one sole person-it takes a team. There are usually dozens of people involved in the larger projects (interns, modelers, the CAD designers, people in the field etc)
While most design firms have a managing principle: a person who facilitates the design; they are not usually the real designers. Rather it is the lower totem staff who create the design, but sometimes the managing principle becomes ‘The Architect” who designed said building.
I see how this could be frustrating for the rest of the team. Just know that when you read in a magazine about ‘so and so was the architect’ , there was probably a lot more people involved than that one person mentioned in the article.
Architects Can Get You The Materials.
Architects design, as we mentioned above, they are not the builders of their designs; therefore, they are not brokers for the materials used in a project. They can only suggest which materials are best suited for the design, and perhaps mention a possible source of such material to the builders, but the builders probably already have their own material sources, and perhaps their own ideas of what materials will work best.
All Architects Are Equally Qualified.
They all went to school to get the same degree, right? So they should all be equally qualified for the task at hand? Wrong. Yes, architecture is a science, but there are many ideologies that can change the way an individual firm approaches your job.
Look to their personal past experiences: What are they masters in-Commercial or housing or green design etc? Ask how they approach a project, what is their workflow process, what do their past projects look like? No two architects or architectural firms are alike, so choose one that best suits your needs.
Architects by Default – Have a Superior Knowledge of the World Than Other Disciplines.
In the era of specialization, this may have been the case; where each discipline was only concerned within its scope, architects broadened their scope to get a better understanding of how their work affects society.
While this – in misconceptions of famous architects job – still should be the case, architects are being criticized for their superficial understanding of cultures that they build upon. In this era of globalization, the economist and financial analyst now have a tighter grip round world issues and affairs than architects used to have.
Ohhhhh! There are a lot of misconceptions of famous architects job and life. Do any of these ring true for you? We think that despite all the ups and downs of this Architecture field of study, architecture still remains an amazing job whereby you can become well-known for your unique and creative design abilities.
Tell Us – What do you think the most common misconceptions of famous architects job is?