1. Securing employment and a steady income
Although the financial turmoil of 2008 has subsided, it is still extremely difficult for architects. Especially those who are just starting out, to find new clients and maintain their practice financially viable. The whole profession needs to change to fight the common impression of architects as an expense rather than a benefit.
This can be accomplished in a number of ways. Including by fusing the design and real estate development industries or by utilizing new technology to increase productivity. There are various ways to generate passive money to help your business survive tough times.
2. Promoting quality design over low-quality construction
Following the first issue, it’s difficult to hear in a sector that frequently prioritizes efficiency and economy over design excellence. It can be difficult for architects to convey their vision through value engineering and into the finished project as more and more developers aim to turn a quick profit.
Architects need to find stronger ways to show customers how outstanding design improves the finished structure’s worth. Both financially and in terms of the occupants’ quality of life. There are now more efficient ways to achieve this than ever thanks to the enormous array of channels that are available.
3. Dispelling stereotypes
Stereotypes about architects may be both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, they can offer a profession that is frequently criticized for taking itself too seriously with a healthy dose of comic relief – you have to learn to laugh at our clichéd selves once in a while.
On the other hand, the more unfavorable clichés that pervade the industry — those referring to elitism, vanity, and creative martyrdom — can be harmful to devoted architects who don’t have any of those conceited diseases. More small-firm architects speaking up would be a terrific approach to combat those false stereotypes. Chris Precht’s amazing interview with Penda, in which he emphasized the importance of “Start Architects, Not Star Architects,” is a prime example of this.
4. Scheduling time for hand drawing
A significant amount of new apps released in 2016 to improve the productivity of architectural drawing, making it a significant year for technology in professional practice. But as Bob Borson of Life of an Architect points out, it’s essential to continue honing your traditional pencil and paper sketching skills.
According to Borson, “I have never met an architect who I believed was a brilliant designer who didn’t draw’. “Perhaps it’s because the procedure needs patience, slowing down, and careful thought,” the author speculates. The analogue method is just as important as ever in the creative process since the nature of the medium amplifies the care and attention to detail we put into what we draw. Never give up drawing.
5. Choosing excellent components to go with excellent designs
The specification process is a challenge, despite the fact that technology made many aspects of an architect’s job incredibly simple. Even the most patient architect has frequently found that finding the ideal building supplies and material finishes to successfully implement a design requires hours of sifting through clumsy product catalogs or getting lost in Google.
This is why the launch of Source, the premier marketplace for building materials on Architizer, is so exciting. The platform, which is specific to connect architects with the manufacturers they require, will help ensure that the art of specification can catch up with all other aspects of design and construction in terms of speed, ease, and technological intelligence. Everyone should benefit from better architecture as a result.
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