Architecture Hacks to Enhance Your Career
You would think that after years of architecture school, years of studying for the ARE exams, and logging in thousands of hours of experience you would have created a list of architecture hacks for yourself. But, you have not. We are hit with such a reality of tough criticism, trying to overachieve, and logging in intense studio hours to obtain the distinction of that piece of paper that says you are one step closer to becoming a licensed architect. Yet, once you start working in the field, you quickly start to realize that all the criticism, the long hours in studio, all those perfect grades and GPA’s go out the window. We hold ourselves at such a high standard within the profession, that we do not realize we are like everyone else. It is time to acknowledge that predominant lessons you have learned were not only from the classroom, the study material from the exams or even architecture school (we are not disclaiming these they are a huge part of our careers…to an extant) but we have come to realize that all those things you have learned and continue to learn are not put to full use. Everyone needs a shortcut, a handful of useful hacks for your daily routine. Here are ours.
1 | Learn Additional Skills
All those techniques you have acquired throughout the years are a significant part of how you communicate. Redefine and develop strong visual, verbal and communication skills. You need to be able to explain your design with a relaxed consistent form of storytelling. You will always be communicating with your design team and your client. Captivate your audience and transition them through every step of the process. Learn new programs that will enhance your design or speed up your rendering process. Take a communication class, ask your coworkers of any personal hacks they use to help them become an extrovert when it comes to architecture, master CAD programs, even Google search. Just please keep learning!
2 | Don’t Be a Sore Loser
Stop being competitive with your coworkers when it comes to design. Be subjective, everyone has a different design style, you tend to value what you like and bash or ignore other’s ideas. Stop it! Start focusing on how compatible your design styles might be and how you can create new design standards and measures within your office for success. Present your ideas and be open to criticism and growth. Offices are always stuck in a concurrent design style “because that’s how things have always been done”, it is time to break that boundary and allow those around you to pitch in their design styles and ideas for a project. If you think about it, architecture is exciting because everyone gets to contribute!
3 | Keep Tabs of What Is on Your Person
Be aware of what you have on you or in your pocket or bag that can become handy to measure anything in the field. Some cool measuring hacks: jot down your hand, pinkie finger, your foot length, body height, and your stride on an index card from full length to different scale measurements to quickly study a space without a measuring tape. A piece of paper at 8 ½” x 11” is 34’-0” by 44’-0” at ¼” = 1’-0”, a dollar bill is 6” by 2 ½” and can be 49’-0” by 21’-0” at 1/8” = 1’-0”.
4 | Project Management Is Important, Learn it
You always believe you have unlimited time to work on a design for a project or create a set of drawings for a submittal, and within hours or days you realize you are way out of your league and you may need some help from others to get the job done. You must be a better manager of your time (it is not just your supervisor, principal or project manager’s job it is yours too) especially since every project persists of a compact budget. Create a to-do list with all the important complex tasks that need to get done in relation to time of completion. If you know you will not have time to get through everything, do not fret and ask for help. There is a reason one major factor about architecture is project management, because designers tend to believe they have all the time in the world to get something perfect and forget the most vital rule: time is money!
5 | Outcomes Change
Stop anticipating design aspects from first conception to become your final result. Nothing is perfect, and the process changes every day, allow yourself to be open to criticism from coworkers, the client, do your research, understand the equipment that will be used, do not forget about value engineering money does navigate a design, and create flexibility because projects will throw curve balls where certain design elements will need to be nixed in later stages.
We hope these simple hacks will continue to help you flourish within the profession and become helpful. Everyone starts somewhere and we do not all learn these things right away. There are many other hacks you may know that others do not, don’t be shy to share your hacks to help all of us continue learning.