I Want to Be an Architect
Will I like it?
OK
Yes
What do Architects Do?
Architects make Architecture
They design buildings, sites
and interiors
They sketch, draw with a pencil
and a computer, build models, do
calculations for structural design,
do cost estimates, write
specifications, write letters,
inspect buildings, and administer
the construction of buildings,
sites and interiors
What is Architecture?
Will I know it when I see it?
Architecture is the art
and science of building
Architecture is a
functional art form used
by people: buildings,
cities, plazas, parks,
sites, rooms, furniture
How Can I be an Architect?
Will I like it?
To become an architect,
you will need to study
architecture in college
After graduation work for
three years as an intern
architect, and then pass a
national examination
Once you are “licensed”
you can start your own
firm and design buildings
on your own
What kind of skills do I
need to be an architect?
When in high school, you
should study English,
mathematics, history, social
studies, physics, a foreign
language, computers, and
freehand drawing
The best skills to acquire
and practice are to be able
to listen, speak and write
and to be able to organize
your thoughts and
activities
You should visit a local
architecture firm
Visit a school of architecture
Read books and
magazines on architecture
to understand the
architect's work and the
spirit of the profession
Some schools of
architecture offer summer
programs for high-school
students
College Education?
5 simple possibilities
2-year undergraduate Associate
of Applied Science degree in
architecture
With this degree you could get a job
in an architectural firm, or transfer
to 4-year school to complete a B.A.
or B.S. in architectural studies
4-year undergraduate degree
Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of
Science degree in “Architectural
Studies”
Many states allow graduates of these
programs to become licensed to
practice architecture
This degree is called a
“pre-professional degree”
5-year undergraduate Bachelor
of Architecture degree
This degree is called a
"professional degree."
4-year undergraduate Bachelor
of Arts or Bachelor of Science
degree in Architectural Studies
plus 2-year graduate Master of
Architecture degree
This degree is called a
"professional degree"
4-year undergraduate Bachelor
of Arts or a Bachelor of Science
degree in any subject plus
3 1/2-year graduate Master of
Architecture degree
This degree is called a
"professional degree"
What will I learn in College?
Drawing
Architectural Design
Model Building
Architectural History
Computer Aided Design and Drafting
Structural Engineering
Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning
Electrical Engineering
Plumbing & Fire Protection Engineering
Acoustics
Contracts
Cost Estimating
Construction
Is it difficult to get into an
architectural school?
No
There is a college for
everyone
2-year architectural programs in Illinois:
(cost about $2,700 per year)
College of DuPage (Glen Ellen)
Triton College (River Grove)
Harper College (Palatine)
Oakton College (DesPlaines)
Illinois Central College (Peoria)
4-year architectural schools in Illinois:
(cost about $10,000 to $29,000 per year)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
(tuition & fees: $12,320/yr)
University of Illinois at Chicago
(tuition & fees: $11,188/yr)
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
(tuition & fees: $10,309/yr)
Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago
(tuition & fees: $29,362/yr)
Judson College in Elgin
(tuition & fees: $23,500/yr)
Other 4-year architectural schools:
University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee
University of Notre Dame
Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana
Iowa State University
University of Iowa
Washington University in St. Louis
Will it be fun?
Yes!
(Especially the model building)
How much money will I make?
• Entry-level jobs for holders of a Bachelor
or Master degree pay from $24,000 to
$40,000 per year
• Six to ten years out of college, you may
earn $45,000 per year
• You can earn more by owning your own
firm or become a partner in a large firm.
Partner's average income range is
$70,000 to100,000 per year
Other Benefits?
• Satisfaction that you have contributed to
the betterment of our world
• Enjoyment of the work itself
• Ability to exercise your creativity and see
your ideas actually built in permanent form
• Every day (nearly every hour) is unique
and different
• Work in a career that is well-respected by
the public
Show me some architecture
Court of Honor
Court of Honor facing west
Louis Barragan Architect, Mexico City
Bouyges Headquarters, France by Kevin Roche
Church of the Pilgrimage, Germany,
Gottfried Boehm
Centro Direzionale Perugia, Italy by Aldo Rossi
Pompidou Center, Paris by Renzo Piano
Rehak House, Malibu, California by Coop Himmelblau Architects
Zaha Hadid
"I think my best skill as an architect is the
achievement of hand-to-eye coordination; I am able
to transfer a sketch into a model into the building".
Frank Ghery