sukhpreet swahney asked:


 

An architect is someone, who gives shape to the dreams of people. To become an architect, one does not only require a clear vision of thoughts but also a natural talent of being able to visualize.

 

First and foremost, to become an architect you must have cleared your ten-plus two with physics, chemistry, mechanical / engineering drawing and mathematics with a minimum of 60 percent marks.

 

After that, start preparing yourself for the entrance exam. Entrance to an architecture course is through national and state level entrance examinations.

 

A national level entrance exam is conducted by the Council of Architecture for entry to undergraduate programmes in government and private institutes

 

Tamil Nadu holds separate entrance exams at engineering and architecture colleges

 

Private Architecture Iinstitutes in India conduct their own entrance exams

 

One can appear for entrance in architecture programmes at the India Institutes of Technology through the Joint Entrance Exams (JEE) held in May every year

 

You have to also appear for an aptitude test. This test is conducted to assess your ability in the following areas:

 

    * Visual and Spatial Perception

    * Colour Concepts

    * Freehand Drawing

    * Aesthetic Aptitude

 

What are the skills required to become an architect?

 

    1. Good judgment and that power to analyze which is mainly seen in business people, artists and scientists are essential for an architect.

    2. Good academic skills and background.

    3. Analytical approach to look at things.

    4. Observing vision.

    5. Attitude to appreciate social and environmental factors.

    6. Intense knowledge about the history of architecture.

    7. Basic knowledge of well-known architects and their styles of working.

    8. Keen interest to be a part of political, religious and historical events.

    9. Good imagination and dynamism.

    10. Responsible and disciplined approach to things.

    11. Ability to work in a team.

    12. Well-versed with legal language related to the profession.

    13. Healthy body and physical stamina, which will be needed in the sites.

    14. Good communication skills and the ability to build up a convincing image of the project.

 

One the whole, a successful architect must be talented, practical, interpersonal and organizational skills

 

Colleges to study architecture:

 

Sir JJ College of Architecture

78/3 Dr D N Road

Fort

Mumbai — 400 001

 

College of Architecture

S No 341

Opposite Kherwadi

Bandra East

Mumbai — 400 051

 

Rizvi College of Architecture

Rizvi Educational Complex

Off Carter Road

Bandra West

Mumbai — 400 050

 

Indian Education Society’s College of Architecture

791, Bandra Reclamation

Bandra West

Mumbai — 400 050

 

National Institute of Construction Management and Research

Trust Office

Walchand Centre

Tardeo Road

Mumbai — 400 034

 

Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s College of Architecture

302A Deccan Gymkhana

Pune — 411 011

 

Specialisation:

 

Some architects opt for specialisation at the post-graduate level. One can choose from an array of option available like urban designing, regional planning, building engineering and management, architectural conservation, industrial design, landscape architecture, naval architecture, architecture concerning traffic and transport planning, etc.

 

There are architects who also work in construction housing societies and apartments, schools, hospitals, commercial complexes, etc

 

Where all you can work:

 

i. Government organizations: In this case, pay scales are as per the rules set by the government. An architect in such an organization gets fixed salary and it is not as lucrative as the private sector. However, as we all know that there is job security in government jobs and also enjoys the advantage of perquisites like pension after retirement.

 

ii. Private architectural firm: The starting salary (stipend) in such a firm is around Rs 3,500 that increases to Rs 8,000 with a few years’ experience.

 

Third is the category of consultants. They charge anything between 4 and 10 percent of the total cost of construction for apartments and multi-storied buildings. For independent houses and bungalows, they charge 15 to 20 percent of the total cost of construction.

 

To choose architecture as a career is definitely an interesting option. A career like this not only gives a vent to your creative abilities but also the visibility it deserves. Such a work, is seen and appreciated and if you build something extraordinary, it gets known to the world. So, get set and start preparing for your dream career now.

 



Alvin

Amy Thomas asked:


Very few of us actually get to live out our dream careers.

In metropolitan areas where style meets form and function in the world of architecture, Level 3 Architects earn-on average-more than $60,000 a year! Making a living that nearly doubles that of most Americans… for doing something you love? Why not?!

If becoming an architect is your passion, here are a few tips to get you on the way to becoming the professional you want to be:

Do your research. Learn everything you can about various careers in architecture to narrow your focus and see where you fit in. You can learn more by writing to the Director of Careers in Architecture Programs at The American Institute of Architects, 1735 New York Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20006.

Practice. Set up a professional drafting table at your home and spend time using it. In case you’re not pulling that 60K a year yet, we found a top of the line, adjustable drafting table for only $499 at versatables.com. You can choose the color to match your existing décor, and the company ships for free (unlike most that will charge well over $100 for shipping), making that table an even better deal.

Read up. Invest in getting a few subscriptions to good architectural trade magazines like: Architect, Architectural Record, and Architectural Digest. You’ll be inspired every month when you open the mailbox and see the current issue. And you’ll stay on top of what’s happening in the industry.

Take Classes. There are 105 schools accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). Enroll at one of them. Don’t turn your nose up at the idea of taking supplemental classes at a local community college though. These classes can give you the practice you need under a guided expert, without putting you in a financial slump.

Save Money. You’ll need to work as an intern-architect for very little money for almost three years before taking your ARE (the exam you need to be a licensed architect-the real deal), so get on a budget that will allow you to do this and still maintain a standard of living that doesn’t include eating Ramen noodles and boxed rice every night for dinner.

There’s nothing keeping you from achieving everything you want for yourself. But be smart about it. Anything worth getting takes time, discipline, and dedication. But someday, when you look out the window of a building you designed, my guess is that it will all be worth it.



Ida

Sen Ze asked:


Architecture is a highly respected career and field of business to be evolved in. It requires a great level of intelligence, creativity, discipline and hard work to become an established architect (let alone a highly successful one) in your country or region, no matter which part of the world you are from.

This, however, is not meant to sound like a deterrent to budding architects out there. It is merely a reflection of the value of an architect’s expertise, a fact that can be used to great benefit by architects all over the world to make additional income on the Internet.

As an architect, your knowledge and experience is as valuable as your skill and simply by securing a domain (which is your own name, so you can build up your reputation on the Internet), setting up a blog and securing other basic tools such as a payment system, you can quite easily start to build an additional supplementary income online through the following ways.

1.Provide Information Via E-Mail To Members

After years or studying the craft and working as an architect, you are bound to be full of useful and practical information that you can provide to interested readers. While you can utilize some of this knowledge into writing your blog posts, an additional way to disseminate information would be to send them out to members of your mailing list.

Of course, since your information is highly valuable and useful, people may want to pay you a membership fee in order to be accorded onto the list. These individuals can be students of architecture, young professional architects or anyone who has an interest in architecture, really. In return, you simply send out an e-mail every week to these members. You can probably even automate this process so it can be sent automatically to your customers on a weekly basis.

2.Write Useful E-books

Another way for you to make money is to write books. Of course, you don’t want to be bogged down by the costs of printing, publishing or distributing your books, so you can create them in an electronic format instead, such as a PDF document.

Your books needn’t be long – just choose a topic related to architecture that you happen to have a truckload of expertise in and write out a practical and useful book that visitors to your website will find useful. Then, of course, you put it up for sale on your blog! Since you don’t have any overhead costs, you can sell your book at a low price and keep the full selling cost as your profit!

3.Provide Referrals Or Consultation

Providing referrals is a great way of making money that doesn’t even require you to do work! All you need is to compile a list of architects from all over your country or region. Then whenever any one of your blog readers requests work that you cannot provide for whatever reason (usually logistical, since your readers will be from all over the world!), you can provide a referral to one of your contacts. In exchange, your grateful contact will pay you a referral fee!

Of course, if you are able to help your reader, then you can create additional income for yourself by providing consultation to him or her for a fee.

4.Create Opportunities By Having An Online Presence

Aside from selling products or your services to make an income, there are innumerable amounts of ways that your website can help you. The contacts you make through your website can help you secure contacts, get you a job in a prestigious company, boost your reputation, become joint venture partners, friends or any number of mutually beneficial things.

The most important thing, of course, is that you do have a domain and blog, and take advantage of the great financial and career benefits that an online presence of your services and expertise can provide you.



Samuel

Clint Jhonson asked:


Architecture jobs seem like a good career choice. Going to work, drawing houses and getting a big paycheck. But the reality is different. Here is an insight to architects jobs, where you will find it is not about the money but about the love for your professions; and not about the ease of becoming an architect but about the beauty of it. If you are looking to get architects jobs, think again. Architecture is not at all what people think.

It requires a lot more creativity and passion than math skills; as well as that you have to be a very picky detail oriented person to be any good at it, and if you have any morals or pride in your work you will never make much money because you will work so hard to make great buildings. But it is very fulfilling if you love to solve problems and help people live in nicer spaces. If you are considering design of any kind, architecture is a good field to go into because school will teach you a lot, and with an architecture degree you can go into graphic design, industrial design, interior design, theatre set design and more! Architecture jobs can be found in many related fields, but it takes a lot of talent and skills to get them.

Architecture is rated as one of the worst professions based on how much school you need, how much responsibility you take on and how much you get paid. For instance, someone with a degree in Architectural engineering makes $150/ hr + when practicing engineering, and about $45/hr when practicing architecture. This is why professionals often advice people who want to get architecture jobs to get a structural engineering degree and then play with architecture when they are bored with engineering.

It has been a longstanding joke amongst architects that if you are looking for a good paying career architecture is not one of them. Truth be told, all architecture jobs are all about love. In fact, if you love what you do, money will come to reward you. Architecture is such a noble profession with such a great impact on society. As for the tools you need as a starter, get good books on architectural drafting, don’t jump right away to AutoCAD. It is better to get a firm foundation in learning the fundamentals of understanding space and dimension from actually drawing. That is why you should start with books and get advice from other professionals in the industry.

Loving your job is one of the most important aspects of a career. But out in the real world, most people find it difficult to find something they love doing that pays enough. As most people have to give up and do something that makes a livable wage, architects jobs appear extremely appealing for many talented students.



Yvonne

Max Walker asked:


Since the dawn of time, humans have constructed dwellings and created new environments. We call such building process as Architecture. Architecture is the imaginative blend of art and science used in the design of environments for people. In the world of architecture, architect is the word we use to describe the artists and engineers who design buildings and other structures.

The word “architect” is in fact coming from Latin architectus, which in turn derives from Greek arkhitekton (arkhi, chief + tekton, builder). Architect is the key person involving in the planning, design, and oversight of a building’s construction. In other words, architect translates a user’s requirement into a built environment. However, it was only in the twentieth century that architects were required to pass tests and be licensed. Today, the word “architect” refers to a licensed professional.

It is advisable to begin early if you are interested in a career as an architect. You can start by learning to observe buildings, spaces and their relationships. Be more sensitive to the effect of texture, color, shape and light. Try to feel the spaces and places when you are in particular buildings. Look for rhythm and pattern, simplicity and ornament, old and new in your own environment such as your home, school and community. At the same time, you can analyse and think about the design values expressed in such environment.

To develop your interest in architecture, do not hesitate to visit the design studios of architecture school. Participate in their summer program to get deep insight of architecture course might helps too. Besides, take changes to tour the offices of a local architecture firm to gain a broad understanding of the nature of an architect’s work and the values of the profession. Talk to the architects, they are far more than happy to share their experience and knowledge with you. Read as many books and magazines as possible on architecture to witness the latest architectural design trend to date.

In the US, you must meet three requirements to become a licensed architect, education, experience and professional exam. First, you must earn a professional degree in architecture from an accredited higher-education architecture program. After graduation, you will need to complete a period of practical training or internship by working under the supervision of a licensed architect. Then only you are qualified to take the nine-part Architect Registration Exam (ARE). Upon passing all divisions of the ARE, you are officially a “licensed” architect to provide architectural services. The entire path could easily take you eight to ten years to complete.

What makes the profession worth practising? Problem-solving, decision-making, team leadership and creativity are key elements in making architecture. For architect, such intellectual stimulation and technical challenges lead to the tremendous excitement that comes from seeing a design idea become a physical reality. So, if you believe this profession suits you very much, go for it! Good Luck!



Joan