As a professional architect, I wear many hats.
Designer, artist, draftsperson, construction manager, client advocate …
It takes years of training to develop the skills an architect needs and years of experience to hone them. For me, it started in childhood, as I learned to really look at the structures around me and ask myself what made one merely adequate and another truly beautiful.
Once I decided I was interested in architecture as a career, I had to find out what an architect actually does. It’s much more than most people realize.
What Does a Professional Architect Do?
If, like me, you grew up in the 1970s, your impression of what an architect does was probably informed by watching The Brady Bunch and seeing groovy dad Mike Brady draw up plans at the drafting table in the office of the family’s iconic split-level ranch or show blueprints to clients in his glamorous high-rise office.
Of course, the reality is somewhat different.
What an architect really does is translate. We translate clients’ dreams into buildable reality. To do that, I have to play several roles, each equally important.
Design
In the initial stages, I communicate with the client to understand his or her unique needs, desires and challenges. I have to reconcile aesthetic considerations with engineering needs and client wishes, bringing these sometimes-competing goals into harmony to present the client with options that will achieve those goals while delivering the best value for the client’s investment.
Construction
During construction, I act as an intermediary between contractors and the client. I level the playing field, using my knowledge of both good construction practice and the client’s needs to provide context and explain potential ramifications when a contractor requests a change or needs clarification of the plans. I closely monitor the construction process to ensure the design is executed according to specifications and that the appropriate materials are used.
When challenges arise, I work with the contractor to develop potential solutions and present them to the client in a timely fashion to minimize surprises and delays.
Environment
Building in California presents some unique challenges, with rigorous requirements for energy efficiency and seismic safety. Each municipality, as well as the state, imposes its own set of regulations on building, so I have to be familiar with ever-changing local codes in the areas I work in.
For each project, I work with local building and zoning boards to get permits and ensure the project meets all the city, state and local requirements and proceeds without delays or unforeseen costs related to the codes and regulations.
In addition, I have to thoroughly understand the climate and geography I build in so I can help guide and advise clients to make sure the project of their dreams will work in harmony with the environment.
Advocacy
My goal is always to build the client’s vision, not mine. Throughout the process, I must focus on the client’s dreams and needs, providing guidance and advice, filtered through the lens of my expertise, to provide options rather than prescriptions. At every phase of the project, I act as an advocate to ensure everyone involved is focused on those goals.
Professional Architect Education and Training
So how do you get to the point where you can do all those things effectively?
It starts with formal education.
In California, where I practice, becoming a licensed architect is a nine-year journey, beginning with six years of education and continuing with three years of practical training and apprenticeship under the supervision of a licensed architect.
Before hanging out her shingle, an architect in the United States must be licensed by the state(s) in which she practices. To become licensed, she must demonstrate that she has the training, experience and knowledge to competently fulfill her role. Specific requirements differ from state to state, but the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) ensures that minimum licensing standards apply across all states.
Once an architect has met a state’s requirements for education and experience, she must pass the Architect Registration Examination, a seven-part exam administered by the NCARB. California requires an architect to pass three separate, rigorous exams before it grants a certification.
The purpose of this long, sometimes difficult process is to ensure every licensed architect has the ability to create and execute designs that are innovative, attractive and safe.
Developing Communication Skills
Learning to design buildings is just the start.
Much as I’d like to spend most of my day at the drafting table dreaming up beautiful things to build, a big chunk of my day consists of coordinating work on building sites, meeting with clients and contractors, and problem-solving.
To be a successful professional architect means becoming an excellent communicator – a skill that is primarily learned in practice. This is where my 30-plus years of experience really help.
I had some wonderful mentors who modeled good communication with clients and colleagues; I also learned what not to do from others who were not so good at it. Each client and each job has something to teach me about effective communication, and I try to apply those lessons to future projects.
Running a Business
In addition to the skills and knowledge I had to acquire to become a professional architect, I had to learn how to run a business.
That meant getting up to speed with laws and regulations governing businesses in each new area I practiced in and figuring out how to manage the economics of being a business owner, including accounts payable and receivable, and payroll, not to mention taxes.
And like any business owner, I’ve had to become comfortable promoting my business and developing marketing and networking skills.
Staying Current
Architecture is always changing, and I must keep up with both the practical aspects of my trade – there are always new rules and regulations, changes and advances in building materials, and new building techniques to explore – as well as market trends in the areas and sectors I work in.
Being a member of national and local organizations helps; I’m a member of the American Institute of Architects (Redwood Empire) and the North Coast Builders Exchange, which give me access to continuing education and other resources related to my craft, and of BNI-SF Bay, Go Local Sonoma County and Marin Women at Work, which are invaluable for exchanging information about local issues and trends affecting my business.
Keeping the Creative Spark
As a creative professional, and I try to keep myself excited about my work and engaged with my community in several ways.
Balance is often difficult to achieve, but I firmly believe that turning off and spending time with my family makes me a better architect. My daughter is a wonderful artist, and I often find that her creativity sparks my own. And talking with my husband or my friends helps me look outside of my work to find new ideas to challenge me.
Reading, cooking, listening to music and spending time enjoying the natural world are grounding activities, and I often find ideas for my work in them.
I love to travel and explore buildings and structures in new places and to experience new cultures – there’s always something I can take away from these experiences to inform my work.
Finding inspiration and staying motivated is a highly personal process for each architect, but it’s crucial, and something I have stressed to my students as an essential part of every professional architect’s skill set.
The chance to be inspired – by ideas, by buildings and by other people – and to use that inspiration in my daily work is one of the best parts of my job.
A version of this post first ran in 2019.