Architect Job Description

"Dude, lots of chicks think architects are hot. Think about it. You create something out of nothing. You're like God. There's nobody hotter than God." ~ Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother)

Now while this quote on whether architects are actually hotter than God may help you very little in evaluating the career opportunities in their field, this article sure will.

An Architect's Job Profile

They are people who design how a structure ought to be made. I use the word 'structure' because the scope of this field extends far beyond simply making buildings, but also involves other stuff like churches, airports, bridges and the like. So the architect does not only build homes, he builds practically everything.

An architect generally works for an out-and-out architectural company or freelances from project to project. The first part of the architect's job is to understand what it is that his client is intent on building. While some clients simply want just about any square shaped, 4-walled structure, there are others that are looking for something more special, more fancy and more distinctive. For the latter, his duties and responsibilities start with coming up with a design which the client will like in the first place. It is safe to assume that the client would generally know very little about the design and the look itself, so it is really up to the architect to come up with a design which he thinks his client will like.

Secondly, once the initial design is made he needs to understand the feasibility of the place. Would such a building be good for the location? Will a building of this design and specifications be approved by the local authorities? What is the best way of going about the construction of this building?

Once the whole rough plan of the exterior of the building is made, the architect needs to look into the inside of it. How will the electricity, water and the basic supplies be transported to the house? What about sewage and waste disposal? Should there be individual, direct connections to each house or should they be centralized to the building and then decentralized? The architect then needs to look at how the stuff will be supplied to the building.

And lastly, one needs to look at the final plans and see if there can be any improvements to it. Apart from the improvements in design, the architect needs to evaluate whether the final building be made at a lesser cost. Or whether the building can be made with more eco-friendly material. The architect has to think to himself that whether this is the best he can do or are there any improvements which can be implemented.

Architect Salary Range

The job of an architect requires a good amount of specialized study. Constructing buildings is no mean feat and requires good knowledge of a variety of subjects. The average annual salary for the architect is pitted at $76,750. But of course, better architects who have been working in this field for several years and have a great body work to show off will obviously be much better paid than their less experienced counterparts.

One very important decision which an architect needs to evaluate is whether to work freelance or as part of a company. In my opinion, it is always better to gain experience in good architecture firms before freelancing, because this way, an architect knows more and learns more and builds his reputation.