My son wants to be an architect - lots of random questions for DCUMers in the field or otherwise . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The architecture industry is competitive, very hardworking with spontaneous and frequent late nights and is quite stressful. It pays pretty poorly relative to other fields.

I'd recommend that you foster this via classes or a summer job in a small firm. Have him take AutoCAD at a community college and/or classes through the Corcoran in their summer program and he'll be knowledgeable and employable as a summer intern (eventually).

Coupled with biz or planning skills the degree can be lucrative. But I know many architects who face burnout and/or major frustration at the extreme work and relatively low pay. Of course, "starchitects" are the exception, not the rule.

+1

Get a double major in engineering. More flexibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The architecture industry is competitive, very hardworking with spontaneous and frequent late nights and is quite stressful. It pays pretty poorly relative to other fields.

I'd recommend that you foster this via classes or a summer job in a small firm. Have him take AutoCAD at a community college and/or classes through the Corcoran in their summer program and he'll be knowledgeable and employable as a summer intern (eventually).

Coupled with biz or planning skills the degree can be lucrative. But I know many architects who face burnout and/or major frustration at the extreme work and relatively low pay. Of course, "starchitects" are the exception, not the rule.

+1

Get a double major in engineering. More flexibility.

Seriously? The boy is in 8th grade and you're suggesting majors?

[Anonymous]

Get him cool angular glasses. Read the Fountainhead. Then get an accounting degree and he can tell future girlfriends he "considered" being an architect.

[Anonymous]

Another plug for the Building Museum. Join and get on their mailing list, take him to the exhibits, pay attention to their programs, and check out their gift shop (they have lots of kits and sets and toys/tools for kids of all ages -- definitely had a sort of beginners' architecture set when I was there earlier this week. It looked geared to young teens, and it was in the room that has mostly kids' stuff, on a relatively high shelf against the wall on the left as soon as you enter that room.)

[Anonymous]

My 2 nieces are architects and went to a top architectural program in college. You can google the top programs. I just ran into an architect last night (one of my dh's bank clients). He said the business was finally coming back after a 4 year lull. Your son should ask to "shadow" an architect for a day or volunteer to be a gopher in an office. The work is hard and long. And, I read that the average salary is about $73k a year which is low for a field requiring such great skill. You can google US Department of Labor stats to see for yourself.

Art skills are important and so are math skills. A lot of folks aren't good at both...that is why architects are really pretty special. The college work is hard...both of my nieces worked all night and day on their projects. One niece was just named a top designer for hotels and the other teaches at college now in additon to working at her own business. Rough work!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Among my friends and neighbors I know a lot of underemployed architects. OP, you may want to look into that aspect to help your child understand what his prospects may be like.

+1

[Anonymous]

If this is still something he is passionate about when it is college application time I think there are a lot of ways he could pursue this.

Here is an example of programs offered from the Savannah College of Art and Design, which has a competitive program (They have a professional M.Arch. degree that is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board, so he would enter as an undergrad and 5 years later leave with his masters!)

"Programs offered through the School of Building Arts include:
Architectural history
Architecture
Furniture design
Historic preservation
Interior design
Urban design"

FWIW- I am not a parent. I am a SCAD graduate who was nurtured by my parents when I told them I wanted to pursue and arts degree.

I also recommend a drafting / drawing class and that he starts familiarizing himself with CAD programs he will be using if he pursues this.

[Anonymous]

It is important to learn to draw. This is how he will do most of his communicating. So drawing and art classes and lots of it.
He should try to get an internship or work at a firm over the summers and school year. Most firm have these type of programs and are happy to engage in education. He will have to learn acad, or vector works, sometime. The soon the better, but that cost $$ and it is easier to learn when you have office work to go with it. They are large and powerful programs and take time to learn.
Final, Vtech has an architect and landscape architect program in Alexandria. The student must defend their work at midterms and finals. They are open to the public. Call over there and tell them what's up and they will help.

[Anonymous]

Virginia Tech has a one-week summer program for high school age students called Inside Architecture + Design. It's a week of exploring concepts of design and doing some projects under architecture faculty and grad students. VT's architecture program is very highly rated (it's one of their best programs), and is pretty unique in that you don't have to have a portfolio to be admitted - they look for the strongest students possible, because they can teach the drafting and engineering and other skills if the students are strong coming in. My daughter did the program last summer and really loved it - but decided against architecture because it's a 5 year degree, 3 years of which are essentially engineering.

[Anonymous]

Do you submit a portfolio if you are applying for undergrad?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This child is in 8th grade. I think its fine for OP to give him outlets for this interest but it is bonkers to start planning his life around it -- picking a college, suggesting internships, local discussion groups. To me this all would seem like parents getting reflected glory from their kid's "precocious" interest, but doesn't serve him any. Yes, books, exhibits at the building museum, that sort of thing. But stop planning his future around this. He's a kid and will most likely change his mind. If he doesn't, he can direct his training himself, when its time to start looking at colleges.

OP, you have got to be careful about latching on to this. It is completely nuts to be thinking about portfolios for an 8th grader. Its his life, let him live it in the order in which its supposed to proceed. Let him be a kid who pursues interests on hi own without saddling him with your idea of what he should be doing. And try not to think of him as your brilliant little architect.

I agree. When my daughter was in 8th grade, she wanted to be an architect, too. Then she wanted to own a bakery, then she wanted to be a chemist, and now (10th grade) she wants to go into the foreign service. And she'll probably change her mind several more times.

Books and other enrichment are great, but relax about college and don't push things. Maybe he will go on to be an architect a decade from now, but maybe he won't, and that's fine, too.

I agree too. I think you guys are way overthinking this. He's an 8th grader for crying out loud!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This child is in 8th grade. I think its fine for OP to give him outlets for this interest but it is bonkers to start planning his life around it -- picking a college, suggesting internships, local discussion groups. To me this all would seem like parents getting reflected glory from their kid's "precocious" interest, but doesn't serve him any. Yes, books, exhibits at the building museum, that sort of thing. But stop planning his future around this. He's a kid and will most likely change his mind. If he doesn't, he can direct his training himself, when its time to start looking at colleges.

OP, you have got to be careful about latching on to this. It is completely nuts to be thinking about portfolios for an 8th grader. Its his life, let him live it in the order in which its supposed to proceed. Let him be a kid who pursues interests on hi own without saddling him with your idea of what he should be doing. And try not to think of him as your brilliant little architect.

I agree. When my daughter was in 8th grade, she wanted to be an architect, too. Then she wanted to own a bakery, then she wanted to be a chemist, and now (10th grade) she wants to go into the foreign service. And she'll probably change her mind several more times.

Books and other enrichment are great, but relax about college and don't push things. Maybe he will go on to be an architect a decade from now, but maybe he won't, and that's fine, too.

I agree too. I think you guys are way overthinking this. He's an 8th grader for crying out loud!

Seriously. My kids changed their majors at least twice during college. Wayyyyy overthinking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to Georgetown University, architecture majors have a much higher unemployment rate than other recent grads—a whopping 13.9 percent.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/47388559

This. I was surprised about this because I thought it was a good field. I also read that progressing careerwise within the field, that is if you are fortunate enough to find a job in the industry, is difficult. But a lot of things are cyclical so maybe when OP's DC gets older, there will be more opportunities??

Architect here. It's sort of a dying field.

[Anonymous]

Another route is to get an undergrad degree in civil engineering and take art and design classes as electives, then go one and get the Masters of Architecture. Leaves more options available if architecture on its own is a bust. From a C.E. w/ a Master's in Urban Planning

[Anonymous]

Um, people, we're talking about a 14 year-old. Just because OP has gone off into fantasy-land doesn't mean we should encourage her.