What Do Architects Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Architects plan and design structures, such as private residences, office buildings, theaters, factories, and other structural property. They also prepare scale drawings or architectural designs, using computer-aided design or other tools.

Other tasks include:

• Plan or design structures such as residences, office buildings, theatres, factories, or other structural properties in accordance with environmental, safety, or other regulations.
• Direct activities of technicians engaged in preparing drawings or specification documents.
• Prepare contract documents for building contractors.
• Prepare information regarding design, structure specifications, materials, color, equipment, estimated costs, or construction time.
• Meet with clients to review or discuss architectural drawings.
• Integrate engineering elements into unified architectural designs.

We asked Architects how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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70% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 56% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

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Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Architects design or plan construction of green building projects to minimize adverse environmental impact or conserve energy. They plan or design structures such as residences, office buildings, theatres, factories, or other structural properties in accordance with environmental, safety, or other regulations.

A typical day for an Architect will also include:

• Design structures that incorporate environmentally friendly building practices or concepts, such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.
• Prepare scale drawings or architectural designs, using computer-aided design or other tools.
• Direct activities of technicians engaged in preparing drawings or specification documents.
• Integrate engineering elements into unified architectural designs.
• Administer construction contracts.

We asked some Architects a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	89% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	59% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	70% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	22% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	4% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	41% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Architects also conduct periodic on-site observations of construction work to monitor compliance with plans. They may also meet with clients to review or discuss architectural drawings.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Architects Monitor the work of specialists, such as electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, interior designers, or sound specialists to ensure optimal form or function of designs or final structures. They might also Calculate potential energy savings by comparing estimated energy consumption of proposed design to baseline standards.

In addition, they Gather information related to projects’ environmental sustainability or operational efficiency.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Consult with clients to determine functional or spatial requirements of structures.

To some Architects, it is also their responsibility to Develop marketing materials, proposals, or presentation to generate new work opportunities.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as an Architect, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules..

They also like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/architecture-and-engineering/architects.htm

http://www.aia.org/

http://www.naab.org/

http://www.ncarb.org/