Who here is an Architect?

Ask George Constanza

Importer/exporter here. Vandelay Industries

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Ask George Constanza

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great episode

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Ask George Constanza

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Art Vandelay, you fricking heathen

An architect of wrecking your mom.

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Costanza reference in 3....2.....1....

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So close

AMA

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I own my own firm so I have to deal with people (clients, owners, contractors, AHJ's, governmental boards/councils, etc.)

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I'm an MEP EE (may have worked with you if you do work in NOLA metro).

My understanding is that the owners/partners at architectural firms make bank (a lot more than the MEP firm owners do), but the typical plebian architect doesn't really make great money. And I'm pretty sure they require an extra year of school for their bachelors, so that's worth considering.

The architects that I work with generally seem OK with their job, but people that are interested in becoming architects need to realize that the job is mostly meeting codes, coordinating with disciplines/owner, not going over project budget, meetings, etc. A lot of boring shite, and not a lot of artistic building design.

Me? No. I'm currently filling the role of estimator for a commercial construction company. My nephew will be starting his fourth year of architecture at Mississippi State though, and he seems to be enjoying it immensely so far.

I have worked with several architects over the past thirty years. Those who are the principals or owners of the firm seem to enjoy it much more than the poor guys who get stuck going through drawings and sketching the details for various things like wall types, floor tile transitions, and mundane stuff like that.

It's not something that is going to have you flush with cash from your paycheck right out of college though. Residential will drive you nuts. Some commercial is damned near as inane. The bigger money, if that's whet you're looking for, will be in large, multi-story commercial projects, hospitals, and schools.

There's a shite-ton more to it than just designing layouts and facades for buildings though. You have to write up the specifications for every little damned item in the construction of the building right down to the size of the friggin' screws and how far they should be spaced apart from each other in the drywall that's being hung on the studs. It is horribly tedious!

If this sounds like something you could deal with, then definitely have at it!

I have been seeing what Mississippi State requires of their architecture students these days and it's not for the faint of heart. But their students are turning out some quality work as undergrads.

LSU has an excellent school of architecture as well. And both schools have excellent landscape architecture departments.

Construction management might be something to explore. LSU has a great school for this as does Auburn. Auburn has the added advantage of a lot of backing and funding from Brasfield & Gorrie Company for their construction management department.

Just keep in mind that architecture is a five year course of study from reputable institutions and you'll be spending many nights and weekends in the studio working on various assignments. If you're lucky, you might make two or three home football games each fall and then return to your studio to continue an all-nighter on your project.

If none of this (along with what THRILLHO stated previously) scares you or makes you re-think that first thought about pursuing a degree in architecture, then maybe you have what it takes and you would enjoy it.