STUDY OF ARCHITECTURE, ARCHITECTURE SKILLS FOR LIFE AND CAREER IN ARCHITECTURE

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Why study Architecture?
Why would a career in architecture attract us? Well if you're that kind of person who is curious about your surroundings, then you might just be interested in learning how to improve them. As an architect you would have the power and responsibility to shape the environments in which people spend their daily lives. This makes architecture one of the most influential professions on today's society.
Architecture reflects the society that builds it, but it also affects the way that society develops. This means that architects are needed who can respond to the different needs and values of all sections of the community. However in the past most architects were drawn from a fairly narrow sector of the society. In the future it is essential that we ensure that architecture represents every social and cultural background.

Architecture - skills for life
There is no denying that architecture is a demanding profession. For it deals with many of the important issues in today's society, for instance exploring new ways of living, investigating new technologies and materials, and ensuring that what we build is environmentally sustainable. But most of all it involves designing the buildings that people are happy to look at and to use. This means that an architect must learn a wide range of different skills, even crossing the traditional boundaries between art and science. But this also means that an architectural education is one of the broadest on offer, equipping people with the talents to enter a broad range of different careers. Not only are here many different forms of architectural practice, ranging from small private firms to 16 public or corporate offices, but also an architectural degree can be the platform for a wide range of related careers. Some architecture graduates gain further qualifications in such specialist fields as planning, landscape on conservation, while others move on to work in television or theatre, or to become teachers or writers.

This is a selection of people who have made a career in architecture:

"Architecture job is to choose which buildings to publish. I see hundreds of buildings each year, and only select a few of them. Much of my time is spent looking round buildings with architects. So I have been on work trips to the USA, Germany, France, Portugal, Belgium and Finland." Isabel Allen, Architectural Journalist, London

"Training in architecture excited my interest in the structure, workings and appearance of towns and cities. It left me well prepared to move into a specialist role in town planning which has allowed me to play a significant role in the revitalisation of one of the country's major cities." Colin Haylock, Town Planner, Newcastle

" Traditional methods of building are enjoying a renaissance because they match the need for sustainable development and environmental concerns. This is the direction and challenge for architects involved in conservation, one that combines the best of modern design with conservation. It is the direction I would like to take our practice in the future." Stuart Page, Conservation Architect, Tunbridge Wells

" Although Landscape Architecture is not as prominent or as publicised as architecture or planning it does provide a rewarding career for those interested in art as design as well as the natural sciences. What sets this discipline apart from others in the construction industry is the aspect of time. While a building, once completed, merely ages, a landscape grows, evolves and matures, changing with the seasons." Helen Cochran, Landscape Architect, Edinburgh

"That's the beauty of Architecture. It can be all things for all people. Architecture is less about the design of buildings, than an attitude to life. It's about creativity, imagination and dreaming a better world for the future. Neil Leach, Writer and Lecturer, Nottingham

Taking the Right Steps

As you would expect of such a responsible career, educating as an architect is a serious business. You have to train for a minimum of seven years, which normally involves three key stages:

* A 5 year degree programme, on a university course that is recognised by the RIBA and the ARB. This is usually divided into two parts:
* A 3 year intermediate degree, known as RIBA Part 1
* A 2 year further degree, known as RIBA Part 2
* A minimum of 2 years professional practice in an architects' office or equivalent. One year is usually taken after part 1, and the other year after part 2. This is followed by the RIBA Professional Practice Examination, known as RIBA Part 3.

Having gained these qualifications you can register as an architect with the Architects' Registration board (ARB) and become a chartered member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). Only when you have actually completed these stages, can you actually call yourself an architect, a title that is protected by the law, so the public can always be sure that you are properly qualified.