Career change?
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What's it take to become an architect? I'm a bit frustrated with my current career ( aviation) due to continual downward price pressure and consolidation that has severely curtailed advancement possibilities and created an uncertain future. I enjoy designing with SU and the use of render engines, though I a bit sketchy as to what is required beyond the actual design and engineering. I already have a BS and a vocational certification. The thing that concerns me is that there seems to be an "internship" required for an architectural degree and the likelihood that I'd not be able to realistically complete courses thanks to my work schedule.
Thoughts?
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Each State use to have different requirements, and prejudices. Typically you need a accredited degree in Architecture, then intern for 5,600 hours, after which you must pass an exam. Some States use to permit "time in training" in place of an accredited degree. I think it took me 8-9 years to get licensed after starting college. I have a Masters of Architecture. I would guess that with your BS, maybe 2 years for a MArch, then 5,600 hours in order to sit for the exam. But first check your State's requirements.
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Hmm. I should've had these ideas 5 years ago. 5,600 hours is ~3 years-ish including holidays at a full time 40 hour work week. I'd say 3 years minimum to do course work if I'm lucky, and then the entry-level wage as an intern for the aforementioned duration. Dang. Not sure it's a goal I can afford to divert my efforts towards at almost 40 years old.
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With the state of the present and forseeable future economy - architects have been put out of work in large numbers. Think a lot about that kind of commitment before you move on it. It is a great profession and I love it, but it has wide up/down cycles.
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It's never too late
But you can try to do other type of "architecture", that doesn't need a degree, like doing booths for brands or expositions, or films/tv sets. I'm and architect and I'm currently doing that. Here (Portugal) you normally don't need an architect's signature to do that (and most stuff like these is also done by designers anyway), architects do these because supposedly have more knowledge/experience in creating "spaces".
I've left "raw" architecture, because here it's incredibly under payed, with sometimes crazy work hours and pressure, and most important, for me, there's not much room to experiment and it takes a lot of time for the real thing to be built (you can spent several months just in the technical drawings), specially compared to doing booths and sets.
In the meantime, I'm also trying to get into illustration (of every kind) doing some freelance work outside and this is where I have the most fun and surprisingly with some luck can pay very well. The irony here is that when I was little I wanted to do illustrations, but my mother told me there's no money in that and that if I like drawing I should go to architecture that it's better...oh the irony
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@unknownuser said:
With the state of the present and forseeable future economy - architects have been put out of work in large numbers. Think a lot about that kind of commitment before you move on it. It is a great profession and I love it, but it has wide up/down cycles.
Lol, compared to aviation? Sounds like the same thing my industry has experienced. Thousands out of work and constant boom and bust. Thanks for the food for thought, though.
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@unknownuser said:
but my mother told me there's no money in that and that if I like drawing I should go to architecture that it's better...oh the irony
sounds familiar to me (except it was not mum)
It is the same in architecture as with aviation and everything else..
...I don't know where one could escape these days...maybe food production?
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