An architecture career is one of the most creative, complex and demanding jobs in construction. That is why it can take seven years to qualify as an architect! But though it is a long apprenticeship, designing buildings can be an incredibly rewarding profession that has a major impact on society.
Why choose a career in architecture?
If you have a passion for architecture, design and the way people interact with buildings, then an architecture career path could be perfect for you.
New buildings are always needed, for residential, commercial or leisure purposes, and architects are essential for the construction industry. By designing new buildings, you will be fulfilling a vital role in society and have the potential to transform the lives of the people that live and work in them.
Environmental sustainability is becoming a major issue in the design and construction of new buildings, so if you have an interest in how architecture can minimise its ecological impact, then a career in building design could be a rewarding one.
What skills do you need to become an architect?
First and foremost, architects need to have excellent design skills, both on paper and CAD (computer aided design). You need to be able to visualise your design ideas effectively, and back them up with an understanding of building design and construction.
You should have excellent problem solving, thinking and reasoning skills, be a good analytical thinker and a sound understanding of maths and finance. You should be able to work well and communicate easily with a wide range of construction industry workers, from site managers to civil engineers.
Other key skills include:
- Attention to detail
- Verbal and communication skills
- Ability to use your initiative
- Art, design and drawing skills
- Mathematics
- Analytical thinking
- Understanding of engineering principles
- Computer skills
- Good organisational abilities
Does your personality suit a career in architecture?
If you are creative, have an interest in both the arts and STEM subjects, and have a flair for drawing and design, working in architecture could be for you.
What qualifications do I need to become an architect?
If you are considering a career in architecture, you might be wondering what qualifications you need to study. The truth is, architecture is a discipline that is a mixture of science, art and maths (degrees are awarded as both BA and BSc), so any combination of these types of subjects would be useful.
You should, however, be good at drawing, and want to study architecture in more depth. It will also depend very much on what type of architectural career you want to go into.
A Levels
There are no specific A Levels that you need for careers in architecture, but you should perform well in the subjects you take. Architecture degrees at university take seven years to complete, so are far more demanding than a traditional 3-year degree course. Entry requirements are usually at least two, or sometimes three, A Level passes at grades A-B.
Art & creative subjects
Being proficient in art is normally a prerequisite for a budding architect. You should be able to show that you have a technical ability in drawing, so taking A Level art is always a good choice. Try to keep a portfolio of sketches and drawings.
Technical subjects
Universities may ask for one of your two or three A Levels to be in maths or science-based subjects. Design and technology is useful but won’t usually be mandatory.
Humanities subjects
Humanities subjects might not seem essential for architecture careers, but they actually can be. For example, having an interest in history will improve your understanding of the context of buildings of the past, and how great architects worked in centuries gone by.
Degree
The usual route to an architecture career after A Levels is through an architecture degree. The degree course is split into three parts:
- Part one – undergraduate degree, 3 years
- Part two – postgraduate degree, 2 years
- Part three – practical experience with an architectural practice, 2 years.
Only after completing all three parts will you be able to qualify as an architect and apply to become a RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) chartered member.
Apprenticeship
Alternatively, architectural apprenticeships offer a vocational route into the profession, with about 80% of an apprentice’s time spent with an architectural practice, and 20% focused on academic study.
To become qualified apprentices should complete a Level 6 Architectural Assistant Apprenticeship and Level 7 Architect Apprenticeship. It is possible for architectural apprentices to become qualified in only four years and get paid while they are gaining work experience. However, architectural apprenticeships are comparatively hard to find.
Career paths in architecture
Architect
Architects design buildings and draw plans for how new, restored and extended buildings will look, externally and internally. They work with other professionals in construction to establish the layout, structure and functionality of buildings, based on budgets, measurements and the requirements of the client. Architects make sure that buildings are safe and fit for purpose, meet building regulations and enhance the environment in which they are built.
Architectural technician
Architectural technicians or technologists work closely with architects and specialise in presenting building designs using technology. They use architectural CAD software to build virtual models - to show to clients before construction - as well as drawing freehand. Architectural technicians and technologists coordinate detailed design information, prepare drawings, plans and documents, obtain tenders and prepare applications for approval by regulatory bodies.
What’s the difference between an architect and an architectural technician?
The main difference between an architect and an architectural technician is that while an architect will design buildings, an architectural technician will use technology to present those designs to a client. Less training is required to be an architectural technician, but they will need to be able to use CAD software to a high level. Architectural technicians use CAD software to build virtual models, and like an architect will also need freehand drawing skills.
Landscape architect
Landscape architects are responsible for producing designs for projects such as parks, gardens, housing estates or city centres, paying particular attention to the design of landscapes and natural features. Landscape architects work closely with architects civil engineers and town planners in surveying sites and carrying out environmental impact assessments, writing reports and drawing up contracts.
Architectural engineer
Architectural engineers have skills in both building engineering and architectural design, taking responsibility for how a building functions. They lead teams of architects, building services engineers and structural engineers, solving complex building design and engineering problems, applying the principles of engineering to architectural design and increasingly ensuring that buildings operate to sustainable templates.
CAD technician
Computer-aided design (CAD) technicians use computer software to produce 2D and 3D drawings for construction and manufacturing projects. As a CAD technician, you may be designing buildings, machinery or parts. Also known as CAD operatives, CAD engineers or BIM technicians, in this role you will be taking complex information and using it to produce technical building diagrams for architects, engineers and other construction workers.
BIM manager
A building information modelling technician or manager will use computer software and technologies to gather information about a project and produce a model in multiple dimensions. BIM managers work with designers, clients and architects to make sure production materials and designs are created and managed efficiently during a project. Read our case study on working as a BIM coordinator.
Town planner
A town planner, planning officer or urban designer is responsible for the design and development of residential areas in towns, cities and the countryside. Town planners need to manage the demands on the land being developed and the needs of the community. This can be on a national, regional, or local level and requires an awareness of the impact of developments on local economies, green space, infrastructure and historic environments.
Building control surveyor
A building control surveyor ensures that building regulations are followed on new build sites and projects. They may also be required to survey damaged or unstable structures to determine whether they can be repaired safely or need to be demolished. Building control surveyors collaborate with architects during the planning and construction phases of building projects and carry out inspections at various stages of construction.
Diversity in architecture
There have been some great architects, both throughout history and in modern times. Among the most noteworthy are:
- Michelangelo (1475-1564), who designed the dome of St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City
- Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1723), architect of St Paul’s Cathedral in London
- Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926), whose buildings include the cathedral of the Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
- Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), one of the most influential architects of the 20th century
- Lord Norman Foster (1935- ), who has designed some of the most iconic modern buildings in the world, such as the Millau viaduct, 30 St Mary Axe (the ‘Gherkin’) in the City of London and the terminal at Stansted Airport.
Here, we highlight some of the figures from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds who have broken down barriers in the industry and made an impact on world architecture.
Robert P. Madison
Robert P. Madison, who celebrated his 100th birthday in 2023, is one of the most pioneering architects in the US. His story is truly inspiring. He served in the US Army in World War II, and on returning to civilian life wanted to resume his architecture studies at university in Ohio. He was refused entry by the School of Architecture because he was black, so he returned the next day in full military uniform, together with his Purple Heart, and the university relented.
Madison was the first African-American to graduate in architecture in the state of Ohio, and the first to be selected for the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to study abroad. The firm he established, Robert P. Madison International, was also the first architectural practice in the Midwest of the US to be under black ownership. His family and firm experienced racial discrimination, but his practice was successful, with designs that included the US Embassy Office in Dakar, Senegal, Cleveland Public Library, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Cleveland Browns football stadium. Madison only retired fully in 2016, at the age of 93.
Francis Kéré
An inspiration to so many of his colleagues and countrymen, Francis Kéré was born in Gando, a small village in Burkina Faso, and has become an internationally renowned architect. From his very earliest days Kéré has overcome great challenges. He was the first child in his village to go to school, and while working as a carpenter won a scholarship to do an apprenticeship in Germany. He then studied architecture and graduated from the Technical University of Berlin at the age of 39.
Like Tabassum, Kéré has designed buildings that have improved the lives of the people he knows best – in Gando. In fact, he built the first two schools in the village, using sustainable materials and methods that aid ventilation, rainwater recycling and cooling. In 2022 Kéré was the first black architect, and the first African, to win the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize.
Marina Tabassum
Marina Tabassum is one of the most notable architects working in Bangladesh today. She founded her practice MTA in 2005 and has held academic positions in architecture at the Universities of Toronto, Delft and Harvard. Alongside commissions such as the Bangladesh Museum of Independence and Bait Ur Rouf Mosque, Tabassum has used her architectural talents for the benefit of vulnerable people in her homeland. The mobile modular structure called the ‘Khudi Bari’ which she designed in 2020 has been used to provide temporary homes for displaced people in the Ganges Delta and the Rohingya refugee camp in southern Bangladesh. Also in 2020, Tabassum was listed by Prospect magazine as the third-greatest thinker of the COVID-19 era.
Balkrishna Doshi
Balkrishna Doshi was one of India’s most famous architects. He is most well known for being a pioneer of brutalist buildings in India and worked on commissions ranging from universities to social housing developments. He trained under Le Corbusier in Paris and was instrumental in the development of architecture as an academic subject in India. Among the institutions he co-founded were the School of Architecture and the School of Planning, Ahmedabad. In 2018 Doshi became the first Indian to be awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the ‘Nobel Prize for architecture’.
Muzharul Islam
Muzharul Islam was the founding father of modernist Bengali architecture. He designed many of Dhaka’s public buildings, including the National Assembly Building, the Bangladesh National Archives and Library, buildings at Jahangirnagar University, Chittagong University and the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Charukala Institute. Islam became very influential over several generations of Bengali architects and received a huge number of awards and accolades, including the Independence Day Award, Bangladesh’s highest state honour.
Carolyn Armenta Davis
An esteemed architectural writer, curator and Black historian, Carolyn Armenta Davis has done so much to bring to wider attention the work of modern African and Black Diaspora architects. The exhibition she curated, ‘Design Diaspora: Black Architects and International Architecture 1970-1990’, received huge praise and toured around the world for seven years. Davis has lectured widely on contemporary Black architects and has written extensively on the subject, including profiles for the Pritzker Architecture Prize, and a book based on her acclaimed exhibition. Aside from architecture, Davis has told Diaspora stories throughout her career. Her radio programmes on Black composers were broadcast during the 1970s, and another radio series, ‘Feminine Footprints’, profiled 65 trailblazing Black American women.
Notable advocate: Jeanne Gang
Jeanne Gang is a white American architect, but she is leading the drive for greater equality and ethnic diversity in her industry. She closed the gender pay gap at her architectural practice, Studio Gang, in 2018, and believes that doing so can also lead to a more diverse workforce. As she wrote at the time: “Pay inequity signals a basic lack of respect and value for the contributions of women, and women of colour in particular … in fields dedicated to creative problem-solving, it is critical to bring diverse people and ideas to the table and create a supportive environment in which varied skills and voices can develop.” Gang sees architecture as a spur to social change, and several of her projects have had social and economic benefits as their objective.
Learn more about starting a career in architecture
At Go Construct we have lots of resources and helpful articles for anyone interested in careers in architecture. Find out more about architecture apprenticeships today.