Architect Job Description
Architects do much more than design buildings. Depending on which degree an architect student earns, determines which type of establishment one would seek employment. But regardless of where an architect is employed, all architects protect the health, safety and welfare of the public, as well as the users of the buildings. Architects blend their creativeness with science, and transform their ideas and the needs of people into concepts. The concepts are then developed into building images that are constructed by other experts. Projects can be small or large for architects. Ranging from homes to cityscapes, the goal of the all architects is to bring their clients or community’s visions to real life.
Architects design all sorts of buildings, such as schools, churches, factories, apartment buildings, offices, houses, hospitals, airport terminals, urban centers, colleges, industrial parks, and entire communities. Occasionally though, architects specialize in a field of interest or phase of work. Some architects specialize in designing one type of building, such as a residential home, some focus on planning and pre-design services, and some even focus on construction management which involves minimal design work.
Duties of an Architect
In most cases, regardless of the size of the project, the architect takes on a leadership role. As the leader, the first thing that is done is coming up with a solution. Sometimes, to get the solution architects offer pre-design and design services that may include:
- Environmental impact studies
- Selecting a site
- Preparing cost analysis and land-use studies
- Specifying the requirements the design must meet
- Develop final construction plans
- Meet and coordinate with experts working on same project
- Help client obtain construction bids
- Help client select contractors
- Help client negotiate construction contracts
- Make visits to construction site
- Facility manager
Creating a final construction plan gives a client the building’s appearance and details for its construction. The final plans may or may not include details like:
- Structural system
- A/C and Heating systems
- Plumbing
- Electrical systems
- Communications systems
- Ventilation systems
- Site plans
- Landscape plans
- Building materials
- Interior furnishings
When developing designs, architects must always keep in mind and follow rules and regulations such as:
- Building codes
- Zoning laws
- Fire regulations
- Handicap accessibility
These days, the old method of using a pencil and paper to draw the plans is almost long gone. Computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) and building information modeling (BIM) technologies are what architects use to develop construction plans. Architects find it easier to make continuous revisions to the plans when using a computer. During the building process, architects may stop by a site to ensure contractors are following the design, using the correct building materials, working in a timely manner, and meeting quality standards.
**The duties of an architect are not done until construction is finished, the required tests are conducted, and all invoices are paid.
Alternative Architecture Careers
There is much more to architecture than just designing buildings. Many students study architecture in school, only choose to go into a different field. Other careers that benefit from an architectural degree are:
- Architectural Journalist
- Architectural Engineer
- Architectural Historian
- Art Director
- Building Contractor
- Building Inspector
- Building Researcher
- Corporate Architect
- Carpenter
- Cartographer
- Civil Engineer
- Creative Director
- Draftsperson
- Furniture Designer
- Fashion Designer
- Graphic Designer Illustrator
- Industrial Designer
- Industrial Engineer
- Interior Designer
- Landscape Architect
- Marine Architect
- Mechanical Engineer
- Public Architect
- Real Estate Broker
- Surveyor
- Set Designer
- School Plant Consultant
- Specification Writer
- Technical Illustrator
- Urban Planner
Architecture at Its Finest
During an episode of Man Made Marvels on the Science Channel, the Okinawa Aquarium is featured, highlighting the importance and duties of an architect. The overall objective was to extend the ocean onto the land while keeping all animals alive and supplied with fresh sea water. In one challenge, architects had to figure out how to build the worlds largest aquarium window for a tank that would hold over 700,000 tons of water and bring the Okinawa coastline to life.
Architects were faced with other challenges such as designing tanks for specific species. For instance, coral needs plenty of sunshine, so architects designed their tanks to lay from east to west, ensuring the coral would receive as much sunlight as possible everyday. The entire aquatic park was built with concrete and steel, however another challenge architects were faced with was the rust factor. Steel is known to rust quickly, especially when it is close to the ocean. These architects relied on their expertise, plus the expertise of others to build this amazing aquarium in Japan.
This episode was a reminder that each project has its own challenges and architects face lots of problem solving tasks, however, through knowledge, experience and the expertise of others, architects will continue to build and design some amazing places.
