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re: Who here is an Architect?

Posted on 7/28/23 at 10:47 am to
Posted by CBandits82
Lurker since May 2008
Member since May 2012
54219 posts
Posted on 7/28/23 at 10:47 am to
quote:

Like a bunch of others on here, I am a Landscape Architect and enjoy it quite a bit.


Where did you go to school?

What are you typically designing?

What made you go the landscape route?

Posted by kfaulk03
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2007
1481 posts
Posted on 7/28/23 at 11:09 am to
I did a semester. It was like some sort of hazing experience rather than actually learning anything about architecture. The market can’t take that many new architects so in my class they were trying to take like 92 freshman down to like 25 graduates. In order to do this, they just developed some horseshite, cult, hazing experience. Like i would have preferred tests on everything about Roman architecture to modern, art history, engineering, anything really. But no let’s just have pompous arse professors who prefer the ego boost than actually doing, succeeding in, and or teaching proficiently architecture themselves.
Posted by litenin
Houston
Member since Mar 2016
2360 posts
Posted on 7/28/23 at 11:14 am to
I’m not but played on some corporate sports teams with Kirksey in Houston about 10 years ago.

My good friend works for HOK now, which is much bigger than Kirksey. He seems to like it and I expect much different than a smaller firm.
Posted by kfaulk03
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2007
1481 posts
Posted on 7/28/23 at 11:14 am to
Also you can get a masters in architecture and only be like one year behind the bachelors of 5 years in architecture so I thought I might as well do that instead of spending 75hrs in the studio at 18 years old and having a social life.

Lastly, that undergraduate time requirement will undoubtedly detract from your other classes and interests. So if you want a well-rounded classical education, it will be very difficult fitting that in.
Posted by Jobu93
Cypress TX
Member since Sep 2011
19238 posts
Posted on 7/28/23 at 11:17 am to
I've got a friend that did landscape architecture at A&M.

First, it's a pretty hard degree path. That really surprised me.

He now owns his own landscape design company (but he is still regularly out in the heat/cold getting hands dirty) but he seems to love it and he does well for himself.

Posted by 62Tigerfan
Member since Sep 2015
4624 posts
Posted on 7/28/23 at 11:24 am to
quote:

Ask George Constanza


Mike Brady was an architect who met a lovely lady. And they knew it was much more than a hunch, that they must somehow form a family.
That's the way they became the Brady Bunch.
Posted by Swamp Angel
Georgia
Member since Jul 2004
7318 posts
Posted on 7/28/23 at 11:25 am to
quote:

Our fresh-out-of-school new hires make $55K-$60K with really solid benefits. I started out at $24K, which is around $40K in today's money.


My aforementioned nephew studying architecture at State is doing a paid internship with a firm in south Alabama this summer. He's making a tad bit over $800/wk in his summer job! (And he's loving it.) That beats the hell out of tending natural gas pipelines and wells for $6.00/hr like I did in the summers when I was in college in the 80s.
This post was edited on 7/28/23 at 11:27 am
Posted by Ham And Glass
Member since Nov 2016
1523 posts
Posted on 7/28/23 at 11:43 am to
"First, it's a pretty hard degree path."
I am not an architect, but I do think some people choose Landscape Arch thinking it will be easier than Architecture or Civil Engineering which it may be. But the actual program is very rigorous and more than anything requires a ton of time and both sides of your brain.
Posted by John Wayne
Baton Rouge, La
Member since May 2007
917 posts
Posted on 7/28/23 at 11:47 am to
quote:

I don’t think they make that much money when you factor in the expectation to work 60hrs a week


This is highly dependent on the market that you're in, the size firm that you work for and where you are on the "ladder".

I've worked for 4 different firms in my 20+ years and i've never once been EXPECTED to work 60 hours a week. Granted, if i'm on a project that has a deadline, that MAY happen once or twice a year. Now that i'm in a management/leadership role, I do find myself working a bit more but it's nothing crazy.

quote:

and you probably need to get a masters.



Unless you're planning on teaching, or you're trying to get into architecture after getting an undergrad in a different discipline, a Masters is completely useless.

quote:

It’s a very solo, introspective job. For every 15 min you are collaborating or just visiting, there is 4hrs alone work
.

You say this like it's a bad thing.
Posted by shadowlsu
BR
Member since May 2011
321 posts
Posted on 7/28/23 at 1:45 pm to
quote:

alternative career paths open up (ex: facility directors, etc).


I'm an architect and this is what I do. Most retail corporations (banks/restaurants/etc.), municipalities, hospitals, universities, school districts, etc. have people or a team of people that are in charge of new building, renovations, and repairing their facilities. I hire architects and contractors to preform the work, and I mainly manage the budget and schedule.

I work little to no overtime compared to when I was in private practice. I may have to answer an email or two occasionally after hours, but that typical for most jobs these days. I do miss some of the creativity that comes with being an architect, but I'll sometimes sketch over a drawing I get from an architect or put an initial design down on paper to send to an architect or contractor. So, I occasionally get to scratch that itch.

The company I work for does a good bit of high profile projects and when I tell most people where I work and what I do, they have a ton of questions. The downside is that there is a lot of pressure to make sure it goes smoothly.

I make a good living and really enjoy what I do. I sure a principal at a firm makes more than me, but I don't have to worry about downturns in the economy and working long hours.
Posted by BottomlandBrew
Member since Aug 2010
27173 posts
Posted on 7/28/23 at 2:07 pm to
quote:

I enjoy the hell out of it. It is immensely gratifying seeing something go from a piece of an idea to a 75 page volume of drawings and then rise from the ground to something tangible that is enjoyed by people.


My love was something similar. I loved seeing the evolution of a landscape over time. You design a park or space with an experience in mind, and that experience may not happen right at ribbon cutting. It takes years for a landscape to develop into what you envisioned. It's fascinating to me. I love checking in on projects I worked on 15-20 years ago and seeing how they've changed. You get in the space and think "yeah, this is finally what it's supposed to be." It's hugely satisfying.

On the flip side, it's a huge fricking bummer when you go back and see something hasn't been maintained and never saw it's full potential.
Posted by THRILLHO
Metry, LA
Member since Apr 2006
49528 posts
Posted on 7/28/23 at 3:27 pm to
quote:

They make half as much as you'd expect



I've seen fee schedules from architectural firms that include their landscape architects. Assuming they charge ~3x the landscape architects base salary... oof! I think the firms were charging in the $130/hr range.
Posted by junior
baton rouge
Member since Mar 2005
2260 posts
Posted on 7/28/23 at 3:28 pm to
How is UL's masters program?
Posted by chryso
Baton Rouge
Member since Jul 2008
11943 posts
Posted on 7/28/23 at 3:37 pm to
quote:

Importer/exporter here. Vandelay Industries


Being from Louisiana I expected it to be spelled Vandelet. Anyone else?
This post was edited on 7/28/23 at 3:39 pm
Posted by Basura Blanco
Member since Dec 2011
8400 posts
Posted on 7/28/23 at 4:29 pm to
quote:

So, for the architect (including landscape), what's y'all's take on working with structural engineers? Asking for a friend.


As a custom residential builder, I can tell you they both suck.

I kid, but on jobs where I did not do the design work, I am constantly having to explain to the client why they need to look at the engineered stamped drawing of their plan and not the one they paid the architect to submit when they say "but my architect said this was ok".

And I am not Gods gift to architecture and design, but for coastal construction, I do know what an engineer needs to see and why for instance, you cant put 3ea 4060 bay windows on each wall within 18 inches of the corner of said walls and not expect your costs to rise like a phoenix in order to make it structurally sound enough to get an engineer to stamp it.

EDIT
To be clear, this primarily relates to an owner hiring an architect to design a piling home when they have little experience in doing so.
This post was edited on 7/28/23 at 4:33 pm
Posted by BurlesonCountyAg
Member since Jan 2014
3005 posts
Posted on 7/28/23 at 4:40 pm to
Norm : Really? Where would I have seen your work?
Pat Healy : Well, have you been to, uh well, let me see... Santiago, Chile?
Norm : Twice last year. Which building's yours?
Pat Healy : Are you familiar with the soccer stadium?
Norm : Did you build the Estadio Olimpico?
Pat Healy : No, just down the street the Celinto Catayente Towers. It's quite a fine example, in fact. I recommend that next time you're up that way that you drop in and take a gander at it yourself.
This post was edited on 7/28/23 at 4:41 pm
Posted by BurlesonCountyAg
Member since Jan 2014
3005 posts
Posted on 7/28/23 at 4:49 pm to
I’m a fan of I M Pei’s work
Posted by John Wayne
Baton Rouge, La
Member since May 2007
917 posts
Posted on 7/28/23 at 6:13 pm to
quote:

So, for the architect (including landscape), what's y'all's take on working with structural engineers? Asking for a friend.


That's a loaded question.

It depends on the engineer. It can range from a great experience to a total nightmare.

I'm sure PE's of all disciplines can (and do) say the same of architects.
Posted by tigercolt
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Jul 2021
5 posts
Posted on 7/28/23 at 7:00 pm to
Architect here. LSU undergrad in 92. Masters from Oklahoma in 94. School was all consuming to meet crazy deadlines. My longest stretch of no sleeping to meet a deadline was 3+ days. Starting salary of $20k. Got my license in 96. After working for a few firms I went on my own in 99 and own a small firm in Baton Rouge. Decided if I was going to work 60+ hours a week I was going to do it for myself and my family. LOVE what I do and the relationships I have made over the years.
I have had employed interns that don’t have the same work ethic and didn’t last long. Always tell parents of architect hopefuls to let them work for me in the summer and if they still are interested then they have a chance. Some of them went on to be architects, most of them do not.
If you have questions feel free to pm me.
Joseph
Posted by Mr. Pink
Member since Jan 2013
119 posts
Posted on 7/28/23 at 10:45 pm to
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