I quite enjoy designing buildings. It is amazing to take images in my head and put them down on paper. I find it interesting that there is a job, that does exactly that. I do not think I could find a job more suited to me. As I was researching careers, I took the personality test and got ENFJ-T (Protagonist). I also learned that I am a visual learner, but I feel l that it must have been close to auditory because I know that I learn well that way too. In the Career Bridge, my top 3 career suggestions were: architect and construction, IT, and STEM. For the Get My Future assessment, the results showed: Architect, Landscape Architect, Nanosystems Engineer, and Urban & Regional Planner. Even though all of those sounds like great options, I chose to investigate being an Architect.
Architects design and create houses, schools, and many other structures. There are even landscape architects that design parks and outdoor spaces. Architects use their skills to build and design a better world. They can design environments that are safe, eco-friendly, energy efficient and, ultimately, very useful. Architecture is an art, though it doesn’t just take creativity and a good visual eye. It takes an understanding of mathematics. Architects also have to understand how different factors can affect a building, like weather, landscape, location, and zoning. Architects must be flexible and adaptable and be familiar with the codes and regulations in the areas that they are designing. Artistic talent and the ability to see things in 3D helps are crucial as well.
The art of architecture has been around for a long time. Intentionally designing a building is architecture. There are so many famous towns, cities, and buildings. If you remember that all buildings were made for a reason, it reminds us that architecture has been around since we began building. Vicki Benge shares that around 2600 BC, Imhotep was the credited with designing the first pyramid in Egypt for the Pharaoh Djoser. Chris Heller describes how William Lamb designed the Empire State Building in New York with just a rough sketch and a few sparse measurements. The Eiffel Tower’s website credits Stephan Sauvestre with designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. The Sydney Opera House website describes how it was designed. An unknown architect from Denmark submitted an entry to a contest and his design was chosen and built in 1959.
As populations grow there will be a need for eco-friendly, energy/space efficient and beautiful buildings. With less and less land available, buildings will need to be designed with smaller footprints. As pollutions worsens, more energy efficient buildings will be needed. Because of the demand for more buildings and spaces, the job outlook for architecture is growing.
Architects design a variety of buildings and places. Also, everyone has different styles, expectations, and work ethics. This means that there will be a range of wages, but according to my research, an architect is paid about $76,100/year. The median for an architect is $34.84/hour, and the range is $29.46 to $50.25 per hour. Architects generally work at least 40 hours per week, but if they are self-employed, they may have a more flexible schedule. Besides design and drawing plans up, architects often visit the job site to meet with contractors and assess progress.
Many people can draw cool looking houses, but houses should be safe and ecofriendly. Because buildings cannot be hazardous, architects are required to have a license. Most architects have bachelor’s degrees (49%), though some get Master’s (35%) and a few doctorates (8%). Very few are able to be architects with less than a bachelor’s degree (8%). I plan to get a Master’s, which would be an additional 2-3 years of schooling. Usually, after college an architect will get a paid internship with an architectural firm. Architects need to pass the Architect Registration Exam to get licensure.
I am interested in attending University of Washington. According to their webpage, UW’s 4-year bachelor’s program costs $10,995 but with tuition and housing costs nearly $28,000 yearly. A master’s degree would be an additional $16,861 of tuition per year for 2-3 additional years. At the moment, UW is waiving the requirement for the SAT/ACT due to coronavirus, but by the time I attend, I’m sure that requirement will be reinstated. UW accepts both the SAT and the ACT equally. The average GPA is 3.72–3.95. I am hopeful that I will be able to get a scholarship or two to help with the costs. From the information that I found, there are not a lot of scholarships available specifically for those going into architecture, but there are many general scholarships for those attending the University of Washington. On, CareerOneStop, I found 54 scholarships for UW students. I’m hoping to get some grants as well. I plan to also work while I go to school. I hope to be able to get a direct subsidized loan, with low interest rate and good repayment options for the balance of my tuition and expenses.
In preparation for college, I plan on taking highly academic classes, including advanced math, science, and art. I will take college classes at CHS, like UW Astronomy and UW Chemistry. My work ethic will allow me to maintain a high GPA. As progress through college, I will continue to draw and take classes that will help me be a well-rounded student and an excellent architect.
Works Cited
- “The Architect – Jørn Utzon.” Sydney Opera House, www.sydneyoperahouse.com/our-story/the-architect-jorn-utzon.html.
- “The Birth of the Eiffel Tower – Official Eiffel Tower Website.” La Tour Eiffel, 15 Oct. 2019, www.toureiffel.paris/en/the-monument/history.
- Benge, Vicki A. “The First Architect in History.” The Classroom | Empowering Students in Their College Journey, 10 Jan. 2019, www.theclassroom.com/the-first-architect-in-history-13654587.html.
- CareerOneStop Homepage, https://www.careeronestop.org/.
- Heller, Chris. “When the Empire State Building Was Just an Architect’s Sketch.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 10 Nov. 2015, www.smithsonianmag.com/us-history/empire-state-building-1929-31-180957195/.
- Josephson, Amelia. “The Average Salary of an Architect.” SmartAsset, SmartAsset, 25 June 2018, www.smartasset.com/career/the-average-salary-of-an-architect.
- UW Homepage, www.washington.edu/.
- Washington Career Bridge – Blue Hills.jpg, www.careerbridge.wa.gov/Detail_Occupation.aspx?soc=171011&cmd=clusterc&cid=2.
