Future of Architecture

[ediskujovic]

Hello guys

 

Past couple of days my mind was kind of stuck on few thoughts. I am soon going to apply for the TU University in Vienna, Architecture. I know allot about this industry, have been investigating allot.

 

However there are few things that are bugging me. My dad has been in Arhitecture business for about 35 years and 30 of those he has been running his own firm. There were the bright moments and stressful ones. Last couple of years the business and everything that was connected with architecture just drooped on lover level.

 

My general opinion is that Architects are a bit underrated and not many people understand how hard is to start, run and finish one architecture project especially with limits costumers set you. As a result, one architect, despite working hard, will hardly reach some higher level of wealth (maybe I am wrong, but this is my opinion, correct me if I am wrong).

 

So what would future of Architecture industry look like ? Should I focus on the green design where people will need that most? Or go on some other areas of architecture that you think will grow in the future and which one to avoid that you think will decrease in size ?

 

I love architecture and I cant see my self in anything else, but I dont want to live on the edge of poverty in the future. I also think that architecture is the industry that requirs wealthy community.

 

Thanks

Edited May 25, 2012 by ediskujovic

[RyderSK]

Just broaden your horizons during college. All "semi-rich (better than average, not your typical poor architect)" architects in freelance or small practices, are also doing design (interior, graphic, product), visualizations, scenography, lot's of other things that bring more money that architecture itself, which becomes more hobby that you can afford from money you make otherwise.

 

Or you can become additional slave in existing architectural corporations, and keep clicking till your health will deteriorate, your friends forget you exist and you will live your miserable life in black turtleneck like rest :- ) (slight hyperbolization...)

 

One other way I noticed in my area (Bratislava, 40 minutes from you :-) ... ) are that those who are doing MORE than well sold their soul and design semi-horrible commercial villas to those few rich guys who wish for stylish things. You need to market yourself to these with quite some luck and self-hating ;- )

[ediskujovic]

Yep, I understand that overspecialization can be dangerous and that architectural studios should be more friendly orientated and should be capable doing lots of things in order to survive in today architectural markets, especially in more poorer community. However since visualization is developing and it becomes easier to access global markets due to technology advances it could provide large opportunity, still not enough and unstable.

 

However I still want to know opinions about future of sustainable design, how is it going to effect architects and their studios. Is sustainable design still expensive topic for most teams or it starting to be a must ?

[trolface]

The majority of murmurs are harmless and require no treatment. These types of murmurs are referred to as innocent. Others may need to be tested to make certain it is not the result of underlying condition that is serious.

[salvador]

You need to market yourself to these with quite some luck and self-hating ;- )

 

Ha ha ha !!!

 

True alltogether. . .and still it makes me laugh !

[adamopinheiro]

Just broaden your horizons during college. All "semi-rich (better than average, not your typical poor architect)" architects in freelance or small practices, are also doing design (interior, graphic, product), visualizations, scenography, lot's of other things that bring more money that architecture itself, which becomes more hobby that you can afford from money you make otherwise.

 

Or you can become additional slave in existing architectural corporations, and keep clicking till your health will deteriorate, your friends forget you exist and you will live your miserable life in black turtleneck like rest :- ) (slight hyperbolization...)

 

One other way I noticed in my area (Bratislava, 40 minutes from you :-) ... ) are that those who are doing MORE than well sold their soul and design semi-horrible commercial villas to those few rich guys who wish for stylish things. You need to market yourself to these with quite some luck and self-hating ;- )

 

Interesting to see how your definition applies perfectly to where I live too, even though we are far away from each other.

Edited May 29, 2012 by adamopinheiro

[Frosty]

Edis, I realize English is likely not your first language and your use of "costumer" was likely an error, but I think that is about the funniest thing I've seen in a while! If I have a dollar for every time a client asked how much something was going to cost, I'd be wealthy enough to continue being an Architect. I'm going to add "costumer" to the language of archi-speak if it kills me.

[lucifer150]

I think that there are a large number of people who have a glazed impression of architecture, and so the market is very saturated with people of all different levels, and very few jobs, so this pushes the salary down. I do not think you will be wealthy for some time, most aren't until they reach their 50's or 60's.

 

Alot of students leave their universities or colleges with great portfolios, but beyond this you need a great deal of passion and other transferable skills. One thing in the UK that every practice is looking for that they do not teach you at university or college is CAD skills, so you would be ahead if you had these.

 

I would go into architecture and not do anything else, but the hope that one day you might be wealthy needs to be an incentive, and you need to find another reason for it, or you will find it frustrating and even resent it at some point.

[Joel Gray]

When I read this I can hear, in unison, a half dozen of my closest architect friends uttering the same old adage... "If you want to make a small fortune in Architecture, you need to start with a large one!" [a large fortune of money that is...]

[CJI]

I think it would be hard to consider this without considering the states of of the world economies. Everything is very unstable and in a state of flux. Certainly here in the UK and in wider Europe the construction industry has had a serious kick in the testies and is still struggling to recover. Architects as such are becoming far more competitive, and often forced to take far smaller fees than would normally be acceptable just to get jobs. Its gotten exceptionally hard to turn a profit it seems and job opportunities are the first to feel the brunt of this.

 

IF you can get a job as an architect in a firm you are unlikely to earn great money unless you are A) a succesfull partner or director in firm, or B) run solo and have exceptionally rich/lots of clients.

 

Coming out of University I would say its a must to have a broad knowledge. You want to be as attractive to as many people as possible. By all means specialise in something if you have the time and inclination but not at the expense of other general skills. Regardless how much you study, your specialism wont mean much until you have on the ground, in the job experience. Regardless how intense or hard you work at Uni my opinion is that it only gives you a foundation to start from. Its up to you how strong you make them however. (wow an on topic metaphor for you haha).

 

I agree with everything Steven said however, architecture almost has to be a passion, with wealth as an eventual, possible outcome...at some point...maybe. I allso cant believe UK institutions are still like this. I think its important they hone traditional design and hand technical drawing skills however redundant they are in todays digital era, but they simply MUST also embrace CAD more. Its understandable how much tutors hate it after being subjected to it for 10 hours + a day to get to where they are, but its not right to send there students out without understanding CAD at a basic level. Maybe its the stigma attached to the idea of being referred to as techy college. Everyone wants to be a school of art, must be more money in it :-)

 

Sorry for the wall of text, but i realise nobody has commented on your question about sustainable design. Yes its becoming more prevelant, and will only become more so in future. But like most good for you things, they are rarely cheap. In my limited experience "green" design needs more thought, and much tighter controls on design, materials and construction. There is also the social and political implications of green design as well and like anything there is limitations. Go where your heart tells you and your passions drive you. Architecture (and any job) can be just as bad as stacking shelves if it doesnt drive you. Unless of course you are driven by stacking shelves...in which case i apologise to those people. Sorry.

[Nic H]

architecture is dead

no longer is it a tool / practice / art of improving social and spatial environments

 

now days it exists only to make money

[migelle]

err..

"now days it exists only to make money"

Yep, and when you get the money, you can be an architect. Till then, you slave in some office (your own or someone else's).

As in any other field of work you can simply see the obvious, some people are so good at their work that it becomes art, just as when you see a blacksmith make an iron rose in such detail you are amazed. But would you buy it or just tap the guy on his shoulder and say: damn good job m8...

You have to make a name for yourself by slaving a lot, working so much you get the most famous "tattoo" in computer world: qwerty inprinted on your forehead cause you fell asleep on your keyboard. Then, when you have budget and have made a bit of a name for yourself, especially if you have an investor and a construction company behind you, you can do architecture.

Bauhaus era is gone, there's no more thoughts on optimizing the space, making it more efficient and pleasant. Omg you saw Burge Al Arab. When in doubt, make it all of gold and you win. Or f/e google's office space. That's ridiculous, looks like a kindergarten and there's so much background noise you can't concentrate on anything. But they are "cool".

Ok, Ok, i may have overdone it here with ctiticism, So here's a positive example: Ferrari's factory. I always kinda knew smth like that would be awesome, but to see it made, just BRILLIANT. Just imagine, a quiet environment, glass roof above your head, you're sitting ona bench among trees with a technician sipping coffee and discussing smth, a fountain behind you, while 5m from you 2 guys are assembling an engine and 10m right of you is a window so huge that the tree infront of it (inside) can grow for another 15 years without reaching the top of it. Or for example hufhaus, pre-built homes that can be assembled as lego within a week and they can be of any kind of design. Maybe that's the future, we have yet to see.

Architecture is not dead, it's just in stasis.

If you want education, GO FOR IT. But while you study, make sure when you get a degree you can start working immediately, while it's all fresh, keep track of all developments in area of interest and always try to expand your horizons. Make your own future and fortune

[ludnid]

hahahahaha..very true and fun esp @ Juraj....i noticed architects are usualyy multi-talented people and jack of usually all trades coupled with a knack for learning things in a short time. So if you insist on mastering in architecture, find something else to go along with it. Vfx, programming, adverts, Photography and the likes. Brain storm and bring up ideas not necessarily with srespect to architecture and put them in a book. you might sell em one day.

[luckytohaveher]

Architecture is very bad for a few reasons:

 

1. Architecture is a Pyramid Scheme, like many businesses. The partners make something, the rest... nothing.

The owners on the client side have businesses that produce excess economic capacity, thus viability.

The contractors have a large enough pool of spend to keep a marginal revenue, risky but true.

Architects have neither. Therefore, we are at a disadvantage because virtually every project is R&D and a one-off.

There is no profit multiplier after the R&D. Our work is R&D.

 

2. It Takes Forever to become an architect, it is expensive, and there is no guarantee of long-term viability or success.

Despite our best intentions, we all have limited time.

If it takes 10-15 years to complete the school, tests, internships, and experience requirements, then you have a shot at the minimum.

We make on average 25%-35% less than the engineers we hire -- and they do the easy work.

The distribution of talent is high, thus the billing rates are lower-bound to an artificially low level for any particular building type.

We take ALL OF THE RISK and responsibility for the design when we just draw a third of the project, we don't own the building or the construction -- probably a bad approach.

 

3. High Economic Volatility = Unemployment, Economic "Reset", Divorce, and General Low Outcomes.

I have seen three major economic down turns in the last 20 years.

 

Many architects end up making payments on kids they no longer have full-time and their ex-spouses are on to bigger and better things.

 

It is really hard to be a 'great' architect if you just spend $50K on lawyers and court costs to get 4% more time with your kids (up to 30%), you no longer have a house, no longer see your ex-friends, you no longer have their social status, and your retirement was cut-in-half for the settlement. Actually, it is really 25% now, due to the last stock-market crash.

 

The economic challenges force lay-offs, periods of diminishing returns, and general downward pressure.

 

There will always be the famous 5 architects on the cover of the magazines; however, the other 100,000 in my country don't have that luck.

The Return-On-Investment (ROI) is negative for all, except for those in the 3rd standard deviation above the mean.

 

I don't recommend it, needless to say. If you have the brains, creativity, and diligence, go into computer games, programming, electronic design, law, medical school, real estate development, or just about anything else...

Edited June 14, 2012 by luckytohaveher

[xEndlessxUrbiax]

To become a wealthy architect you first need experience. This experience you get from working under other people in a firm with experience, try and find a firm that pushes the boundaries or does projects that you like. In school, you must not worry too much about what you "focus" on because ultimately, you will get hired by how much money you can make the firm you work at. Become an expert in all computer software, model building, sketching, model making... this will help you get a good position. In school, focus on a topic that is interesting to you, chances are, that topic might not yet exist and you can create classes based around it.

 

Sustainable design is where a lot of major projects are headed but it is usually still more expensive to spec and build using sustainable materials and methods. It requires more knowledge on your part and on the client's part. Unfortunately, most clients only care about making money as quick as possible on their projects and don't care too much about the sustainable part. This portion of the industry is changing though.

 

Good luck!

[salvador]

I need to add up to this. My parents (when I finally told them I decided to be an architect) said to things to me: "poor bastard" NO NO NO. Just kidding, they said: "you got to have great ideas and great relations".

 

Back in the day, a successful architect was the one who got many calls to commissions because people liked his work. Nowadays public relations and marketing yourself as a great talent (whether you are or not) will be key issues in your practice. From design to construction, you must sell the idea that you are the one. Great talents with no PR, don't go much longer. Sadly mediocre talents with great PR appear like the cool ones and clients are happy. If you feel,or better yet, know, that you are good at PR and you have this itch for designing spaces, go for it. . . .and good luck !

[luckytohaveher]

Updates:

 

1. I just found out a friend of mine who has worked in the architecture business for years just moved in with his in-laws... I'll bet he is really excited to get the time with them.

 

2. Another friend on mine's office just went from 32 people to 4 people; however, they closed the office and now his commute to the new office is 2 more hours a day... He said he was happy just to have a job.

 

3. Another friend's office just lost a large client due to 'losses' in their business, so they have no new work going forward. Likely a 50% reduction in staff over the next 6 weeks. I hope he makes it through the purge.

 

All true, all this month... Please, please, please take your skills, talent, and future into something more favorable.

Edited June 14, 2012 by luckytohaveher

[ediskujovic]

Thanks for lots of good answers.

 

Curtis I really agree with you on sustainable design. At the end it all comes down to money. Who makes it and who makes it faster.

 

Ted, you have the facts, but I cant really see through those eyes. Game design or some other design professions maybe far more profitable, but seeing construction industry and the position of architects in the way it is makes it even more intersting to get into and try to improve it, rather then going in some industry that is already at its highest.

 

There is this article I found (or project), maybe some of you have seen it maybe not, that has some sort of positive view on arhitecture and I think it can get quite motivational. Notice the part: " The risk will shape the industry in the next 15 years"

 

Here is the link:

 

http://www.buildingfutures.org.uk/assets/downloads/The_Future_for_Architects_Full_Report_2.pdf

 

Tell me your thoughts.

[ediskujovic]

Thanks for the great answers.

 

Steve I was allot in business and management at the time so it kind of drooped, haha.

 

Curtis I mostly agree with you. I think that green design part is correct and at the end it all goes down to money, who makes it and who makes it faster. Funny ending

 

Ted, you have the facts, but I cant really see through those eyes. Game design or other design profession is maybe far more profitable, but to see the construction industry and the architects in the state they are it makes it very interesting to get into and improve it. But men, are those numbers bad.

 

There is a link I found that has sort of a positive view on architecture and I think it can get quite motivational. Notice the part: "Risk will shape the industry in the next 15 years".

 

Here is the link:

http://www.buildingfutures.org.uk/assets/downloads/The_Future_for_Architects_Full_Report_2.pdf

 

Tell me your thoughts

[amanbhargava]

I'm not that certain about architects, but I can say from the arch viz perspective that the industry isn't as dead as you guys are saying. At least that is certainly not the case here in India. With animation companies (like mine) springing up all over the place, architects are just now taking an interest in advanced arch viz techniques, for video as well as still images.

 

The way I see it, there is still a huge market here, and it's something I can capitalize on. That being said, my company is essentially an animation studio, so we're not exactly limited to arch viz. Even though we don't get that many VFX jobs right now, it is certainly something we can target later in case arch viz isn't cutting it for us anymore.

[cerboz]

http://www.buildingfutures.org.uk/assets/downloads/The_Future_for_Architects_Full_Report_2.pdf

 

Tell me your thoughts

 

This article obviously was made by arch schools. And looks like it worked in your case. It's overoptimistic and simply fooling people.