21 Facts About Architects To Understand What They Actually Do

Our society often fails to pay architects the actual respect they need.

They are as important as lawyers and doctors. Without architects, we would not have well-structured houses to live in.

Just like paper is an artist's canvas, the world is the canvas of an architect. An architect's role is to transform what's on paper into reality. They bring visual appeal to buildings and structures.

Architects play a major role in designing and project planning when it comes to creating structures, from their inception to the final phase of building. They begin their decision-making process with blueprints. At present, architecture as a field has developed a great deal. Many architects are trying to create structures that can help the environment and conserve energy.

Responsibilities Of An Architect

With increasing urbanization, there has been a rapid spike in the construction of offices, houses, and buildings. The effects of urbanization have highly enhanced the roles and responsibilities of an architect. They have the ability to transform the entire landscape of a country.

The sole responsibility of an architect is to lead a building project to its completion, while ensuring that the structure contains high-quality designs and innovative features.

Architects assume the responsibility of creating detailed drawings and checking the feasibility of projects. Their blueprints include structural, mechanical, and electrical systems.

To determine the plan of the design, an architect must visit the site and consult with the client about its environment and culture. They also have to consider what resources are required as per the client's requirement while maintaining the budget.

A good architect will come up with a creative design with few complexities. They have to modify their drawings repeatedly to resolve any complex design issues and come up with practical solutions.

As the project continues, architects have to meet clients, contractors, and engineers frequently to inform them about changes made to the design. On-site visits with clients, contractors, and engineers are also important.

Architects are responsible for the structures they make, so they have to ensure that the buildings are made following specific building codes and guidelines.

An architect's job isn't limited to designing buildings. They also have to help increase the efficiency in design so that there is maximum natural light and ventilation.

Skills The Architect Must Have

Education is indeed important to become an architect; apart from that, you should have some knowledge of soft skills before you choose architecture as your profession. These soft skills include certain personal qualities that are required for succeeding as an architect.

Architects design enormous houses and office buildings, they are responsible for the overall look of the house, and therefore they must come up with a creative and attractive design.

They should have good analytical skills to understand various aspects of the construction. For example, they must analyze locations and mechanical systems before carrying on with their projects.

Communicative skills are also important for architects as they have to communicate their ideas properly to their clients both in verbal presentations as well as in writing. Sometimes presentations also come in the form of artwork.

Once on board with a project, architects have to manage and organize their contacts and contracts very carefully. For this reason, they need sharp managerial and organizational skills. They should be ready with the details of each project structure all the time.

Good visualization skills help architects to gain knowledge of the location. They must have a vision of how the building can best suit the location, and know how to bring the parts of a structure into a coherent whole.

Last but not least, technical skills are important for the job that architects do since they use different kinds of software to come up with modern and efficient designs.

Education, certification, and training are also important aspects to consider for any architect. They need to have a good education to examine quality building structures properly.

Famous Architects

The greatest architects of all time knew how to render any material they worked with and created masterpieces that could define a city or space. S0me of these architects lived centuries ago, but they have still left their mark on the globe.

Antoni Gaudi was a famous architect of the 19th century, and his architecture was drew on Moorish, Gothic, and Baroque styles. His most famous work was La Sagrada Familia, which is incomplete.

Frank Lloyd Wright revolutionized 20th century architecture and played a crucial role in shaping modern architecture.

Philip Johnson helped to shape architectural trends from 1935 onwards. He was the founding director of MoMA's Department of Architects.

Eero Saarinen introduced swooping curves in his architecture which became very popular, especially after 1962.

The British architect Richard Rogers was the leading architect of the Pompidou Center, which opened in 1977. At that time, the Center became extremely fashionable because of its high-tech and structural expressionism.

Another British architect, Norman Foster, was highly influenced by the works of Frank Lloyd Wright and R. Buckminster Fuller. His styles incorporated features that were observed in their creations.

Santiago Calatrava has been regarded as the founder of neo-futurist architecture. In simpler words, his works have been described as sci-fi baroque architecture.

FAQs

Who is the most famous architect?

Frank Lloyd Wright is considered to be the greatest architect of all time. He was the pioneer of modern architecture.

How much money do architects make?

The average salary of an architect depends on the amount they charge on an hourly basis. In the US, architects make around $82,320 on a national average.

What does an architect do all day?

Planning, designing, and developing are the three mantras of architects. They are an integral part of an architect's work life.

How many hours do architects work a day?

The number of hours an architect might work depends directly on the nature of their job. The hours vary according to whether they are in a private practice, self-employed, or whether they work in a public office. On average, architects work eight to ten hours a day.

What skills does an architect need?

Aspiring architects should have some basic drawing, communication, creativity, and visualization skills.

What are the three types of architecture?

Architecture has three systems which are known as orders. The three types of architecture are Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian.

Who was the first female architect?

Louise Blanchard Bethune was an American architect who became the first successful female architect in the world.

Who was the first black architect?

Paul R. Williams of Los Angeles became the first prominent architect of color in the world.

Which country is the best for architects?

Some of the best countries in which to pursue an architecture degree are the following: Norway, Panama, Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, and some parts of Australia.