AustinRoach84

What about life outside the Architecture office? Is there adequate time to spend with your family, socialize with friends, make sure the wife doesnt walk out on you, that kind of thing... I've been told through the grapevine in my family that they spend a considerable time in the office beyond the regular 8-5 jobs. Also, I've been made aware that they an extensive amount of traveling.

In addition, the same family friends are not involved with the designing either; one friend handles licensing and code affairs, another at a different firm is a mediator between the firm and the layman [company]... but i dont know if they have a BS Arch, a B.Arch, or a Masters I or II, you get the idea. Didn't see that mentioned about so thought I'd ask. Thanks.

Aus

sashimi46

seems like principals usually have less free time since they have a lot of responsibilities. i think it really depends on where you work....most have regular hours but some firms just overwork their employees (especially starchitect firms). ultimately, you are the one to decide. you control your life. the profession doesn't control you

vyan

^ 40K doesnt sound too pleasant.


oh well...at least this is better than a school teacher.

cheers

I recommmend that you try to do your apprenticeship in the best design office you can worm your way into. I think the design training in those offices pays off when you start your own firm.

Many architects stay in those firms but I didn't. I did my five years and skedaddled.

Partners and Associates in big firms must put in long hours and extended travel duty. They still raise families--but it is a tough tough schedule. rick and marsden wrote good summaries about that track.

For me, balancing work and family was a matter of flexibility. I needed the freedom to choose the hours I worked. I gave that freedom to myself by opening my own firm the year my first son was born.

Having studied the career histories of modern architects like Corbusier, Wright, Sullivan--and the careers of my famous bosses/teachers, I went after high end residential work for the first decade of practice. High-end work pays very very well--15% to 25% of construction cost in Manhattan/Hamptons/Connecticut--where the simplest renovation costs $500K. High end work allows a young architect to explore and manipulate top end materials. it allows a young architect the opportunity to interact and attempt to persude wealthy, powerful clients in a very traditional, art-based endeavor.

The trick is making the transition up to the next level of practice--design-oriented, large scale work. I started making that transition, doing commercial work for residential clients, in the second decade of practice--but it wasn't unitl the third decade that I started to get large commercial commissions from walk-in clients--commissions with a ton of design freedom.

Interestingly, that transition arrived--as my sons left home and my priority focus flipped back to architecture.

Now that I am in this phase...I can see that if I prove myself in this arena, I should be able to get to those career-making public commissions in the next decade of practice.

Every morning, I walk the dog past one of my projects that is under construciton. I see the tower crane sliding across the dark sky and the guys at the top fixing the re-bar for the next pour. I pinch myself. The dang thing looks great!