Design & Architecture

What You Could Do

Job roles in the industry are varied, and they can be competitive, depending on the specific area you want to practice in.

While there are potential opportunities to get started in the design field without a degree, most architectural roles will require you to have a bachelor’s and postgraduate study as a minimum.

Here’s a look at some of the top jobs you could pursue:

• Residential Architect: Residential architects work with individual clients to help them design and develop their own homes. When designing a customized house for a client, residential architects need the creative and problem-solving skills to turn an idea into reality while keeping within budget and creating something functional. Residential architects need to be familiar with local building codes and potential restrictions.
• Commercial Architect: Commercial architects operate similarly to residential architects, but they focus on business and commercial properties. This could be anything from office buildings to supermarkets, parking lots to museums or schools. Commercial architects tend to be experts in designing functional and practical buildings that serve a core purpose. Aside from needing excellent design skills, a commercial architect also requires a robust understanding of commercial building codes, safety regulations, and the financials involved in construction.
   
• Urban Planner: Slightly different from architects but an equally exciting role, urban planners develop and implement plans and policies for the controlled use of urban and rural land. Rather than focusing on individual buildings, urban planners (sometimes referred to as urban designers) focus on the whole landscape of a built environment. They also provide advice and guidance on economic, environmental, and social factors affecting land use. They need excellent knowledge of building codes, land regulations, and safety legislation to ensure urban spaces are used and developed correctly.
• CAD Technician: Computer-Aided Design (CAD) technicians create electronic design plans for buildings using computer software. CAD technicians work with architects and transform their technical drawings, designs, and blueprints into 2D and 3D computer models. These models further aid the development and initial construction of the building.
• Landscape Architect: Architecture doesn’t just involve buildings – it also encompasses outdoor spaces too, and that’s where landscape architects step in. Landscape architects specialize in the design and development of outdoor spaces such as private and public gardens, lawns, parks, and building walkways. They might also be involved in specialized outdoor spaces such as golf courses or holiday resorts. Landscape architects have specialist knowledge in horticulture so they can best advise on the greenery for specific spaces, based on a number of variables.

These job roles are only just scratching the surface!

Across each industry sector, you might work freelance or as a sole contractor, or you might work for a firm or organization.

In both instances, many architects have a role in securing new clients and building the portfolio of commissions they work on.

Graduate Outcomes & Gender Split

The National Association of Colleges and Employers tracks graduate employment across different industry sectors.

Here’s a look at recent outcomes data for graduates in 2019:

• Architecture Graduates in full-time employment: 54.9%
• Architecture Graduates in employment overall: 84.4%

Keep in mind that this doesn’t account for graduates working part-time and/or who may have continued to higher studies; these are promising percentages!

Gender Split

The gender split across the industry depends on the segment of the sector you work within.

Overall there is a significantly higher percentage of males working across architecture and design:

• Males: 88%
• Females: 22%

Professional bodies are working to address this imbalance across the sector and promote STEM careers with girls.

Average Salary

Current surveys in the sector indicate the median salaries for full-time roles in this industry as:

• Entry-level Graduate ArchitectRoles: $48-$85,700
• Experienced Architect Roles: $80-$105,000
• Head Architect Roles: $147-$162,000
• CAD Technician: $65-$72,500

Salaries can be pretty varied, with lower expectations for entry-level roles.

Salaries are also determined by several factors, including:

• The segment of the industry you work within.
• Your job title and seniority.
• The amount of experience you have.
• Location, some rural areas may pay less than roles in main cities.

Industry Growth

Like many other industries, architecture and design have faced substantial disruptions to its growth due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The employment of architects is projected to grow 1% between now and 2029, which is considerably lower than the average for other occupations.

Improved building information modeling (BIM) software and measuring technology are expected to increase architects’ productivity, limiting these workers’ employment growth. But it’s not all bad news. Some segments within the industry are expected to face higher growth than others, especially within the residential development segment.

According to an industry report from Monograph, nearly 2 in 5 architecture firms (35%) are seeing an uptake in residential work in the coming year. Most look forward to hiring next year. 52.2% of surveyed firms are planning on hiring next year, mainly for those with skills in Design Experience (34.8%) and secondly in Marketing/Business Development Experience (13%).

The majority of architects in America work in small practices, often as sole traders. The highest number of architects are employed by dedicated architectural firms across all sectors of the industry.

Qualifications and Entry Pathways

Becoming an architect is a regulated and licensed profession.

To become a licensed architect, you’ll first need to obtain a professional degree in architecture.

The first professional degree is a program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).

Typical NAAB accredited degrees include a 5-year undergraduate degree or a 3-year graduate degree – this usually contains a dedicated internship within the field.

The next steps include completing 3,740 internship hours as part of the Architectural Experience Program (AXP): This comprehensive internship program gives candidates the skills and knowledge for independent architecture practice.

Approved directors and firms to complete hours with are on a list of AXP Guidelines that can be found on the NCARB website.

The final step to earning architectural licensure is to complete a series of exams.

The Architect Registration Examination (ARE) tests candidates’ abilities and knowledge of architecture practices and principles. It is used by all 54 U.S. Member Boards to be employed in professional architectural practice.

There are seven divisions that make up the examination, which can be taken in any order:

1. Construction Documents & Services
2. Programming, Planning & Practice
3. Site Planning & Design
4. Building Design & Construction Systems
5. Structural Systems
6. Building Systems
7. Schematic Design

For some pathways, professional certification courses can offer specialized and valuable springboards into some design careers.

This pathway may offer opportunities to pursue roles in:

• CAD Technology
• Landscape Design or Planning

Requirements will depend on the type of role you want and the company – so make sure you research.

Whatever your circumstances, grades, or preferred way forward – there’s a qualification pathway that will work for you.

Best Places to Study

Where you choose to study will be dependent on a range of factors, but some universities are rated higher than others for specific subjects.

Here are some of the top-ranked universities to study architecture within the US:

• The University of California, Berkeley (UCB)
• Columbia University
• The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
• Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
• Cornell University
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• Stanford University

Where to Learn More

You can learn more about different design and architecture pathways through professional bodies and organizations advocating for careers in the sector.

Some good places to start include:

• American Institute of Architects (AIA)
• American Institute of Architectural Students (AIAS)
• American Society of Architectural Illustrators (ASAI)
• American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)
• Association of Architecture Organizations (AAO)
• Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA)
• Association of Licensed Architects (ALA)
• National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA)
• Professional Association for Design (AIGA)
• Society of American Registered Architects (SARA)
• Society of Computer-Aided Drafting Designers (SCADD)