larationalist

Architects make so little because architecture is so little valued by consumers. They see more value in a home built out of foam and stucco by a developer that looks like 2,000 other homes in the immediate area than in something designed just for them by an architect and constructed out of quality materials. They bargain and badger our fees down until there is really not much money to be spread around to the people who do the work after things like rent on the office and paper and ink and computers are paid for.

sashimi46

all drawing, detailing and other technical issues architects deal on a daily basis require a ton of decisions to be made. what is design? on one level, design is about making decisions. a technical program with little design focus will only teach students how to follow, but not think for themselves and be good decision makers

lkf725

Maybe appreciation for architecture goes the same way as the fine arts. In times of economic hardship, people care more about getting the basics than attending their symphony or buying an original work of art.

fencersmother

The problem with architecture in the NE US is that for many projects, design/build and engineering firms have taken over. Also, unlike other professions (medicine etc) where professions stick together, architecture has always been cut-throat- architects are always more than willing to undercut their colleagues just for the work - mostly 'cause they love design. Both my H and I are registered archs, and he is employed now as a legal consultant, having also obtained his JD. I work for a small firm, parttime, since I still have lots of young kids at home. I am glad cheers loves his job - certainly few of us would do it if we did not have this as both vocation and avocation.
We love the field, it is just that unlike other professions, there is a "sell yourself" factor; if you can't sell yourself, you'll make a living, but the big money is in selling the project, not in design (which VERY few actually get to do). If it is your passion, go for it. But know that there is very limited work, and especially if you want design, you will be "on the boards" for possibly 20 years before you design anything other than a door knob. (I have one son who just graduated with a BArch at Notre Dame a couple years ago. He's working in China!)

cand1licious

I'm sticking with architecture all the way, low income or high.

lkf725

How is the quality of the work done by design/build firms? I can see that for something small and basic, but not for anything big.

Also, are you saying that there is not enough work to go around and that causes cut-throat competition within the profession? Are there any specialty areas of architecture that are easier to get into or that have more work available?

sashimi46

overall i'd say it really depends on the economy. when the economy is good, it's not very competitive because there is a lot of work to be done. when the economy is bad, no one gets jobs, no matter how good you are.

lkf725-the problem though is that architecture is NOT art. it is grounded very practically and makes a huge impact in many ways. the problem is that people see architecture as simply an art which is why people don't understand the value of design and won't invest in it. there seems to be a notion that practicality requires you to sacrifice design or 'art' but really, design enhances practicality because design in architecture is a lot about performance and impacting how people live.

i am a big believer in architects developing their own projects. this i believe is the biggest way architects can make a big impact in shaping the environment. developers make a far bigger impact environmentally than architects because they are the ones who lead and initiate projects. the problem though is that developers are not trained as architects so the decisions they make can often be wasteful or harmful.

you can always develop your own projects if the economy is good or bad. in fact, some students i knew who graduated a couple of years back couldn't find any jobs because the economy wasn't doing very well. so they drove around the city and looked at neglected properties that they could develop. just be careful of the financial risks involved