Architect? A Candid Guide to the Profession - Rev'd Edition

by Roger K. Lewis

• ISBN13: 9780262621212
• ISBN10: 0262621215
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-03-06
• Publisher: Mit Pr

Summary

The first edition of Architect?, published in 1985, quickly became known as the best basic guide to the architectural profession. More than a decade later, it is a standard text for introductory courses on architecture and recommended reading on the application forms of many schools of architecture. This revised edition includes new information pertinent to current education and practice and addresses issues and concerns of great interest to students choosing among different types of programs, schools, firms, and architectural career paths. Roger K. Lewis, a practicing architect and educator, takes a hard look at the education of the architect as he covers such topics as curriculum content, pedagogical theories and methods, program and faculty types, the admission process, internship, compensation, computer-aided design, and the culture of small and large firms. He tells how an architect works and gets work, and explains all aspects of architectural services, from initial client contact to construction oversight. The author describes the benefits of becoming an architect, including the opportunity to express oneself creatively, to improve the environment, and to achieve notoriety. But he doesn't hesitate to show the other side--the lack of steady work and appropriate compensation, the intensity of competition, the restrictions imposed by clients, and the high degree of anxiety and disillusionment among young architects. Written in a clear, accessible style, the book is accompanied by the authors often-humorous illustrations and a valuable appendix.

Author Biography

Roger K. Lewis is Professor at the University of Maryland School of Architecture.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xi
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Introduction	p. xv
To Be or Not to Be... an Architect?
Why Be an Architect?	p. 3
Money and Lifestyle
Social Status
Fame
Immortality
Contributing to Culture
Helping and Teaching Others
The Rewards of Creativity and Intellectual Fulfillment
Love of Drawing
Fulfilling the Dictates of Personality
Freedom to Do Your Own Thing
Why Not to Be an Architect	p. 19
The Odds of Making It
Lack of Work
Competition
Inadequate Compensation
Ego Vulnerability
Getting Lost in the Crowd
The Risks of Envy
Lack of Power & Influence
Anxiety, Disappointment & Depression
Lack of Talent, Passion & Dedication
Becoming an Architect
The Structure of Architectural Education	p. 39
Program Types
Curricular Content-Design, The Design Studio, History and Theory, Technology, Structures, Materials and Methods of Construction, Environmental Controls, Computer-aided Design, Management, Electives
Experiencing Architectural School	p. 61
The First Year and Work Load Shock
New Values, New Language
Competition and Grades
Pencilphobia
The Culture and Community of Architectural School
The Jury System
Other Traditions
Professors and What They Profess	p. 89
The Professors
Some -Isms and -Ologies--Morphology, Historicism, Historic Preservation, Technology, Deconstructionism, Sociology and Psychology, Functionalism, Methodology, Ecology, Urbanism, Symbology
Architectural Schools: Choosing and Being Chosen	p. 123
Preparing for School
Choosing Schools--Location, Program Type, Reputation, Resources, Cost, Students, Faculty, Program Directions
The Admissions Process--The Portfolio, Interviews, Reference, Grades, Exams, Timing, Financial Aid, Admission Odds
After School, What?	p. 141
Internship
Becoming a Registered Architect
Further Studies
Continuing Education
Travel
Teaching
Work in Related Fields
Abandoning Architecture
Being and Architect
The Building Process and the Architect's Role	p. 165
How Projects Get Built--Need, Site, Financing, Design and Design Approvals, Engineers and Other Design Consultants, Brokers, Attorneys, Construction Contractors
Role Playing
Users and the Community
How Architects Work	p. 183
Drawing
Writing
Reading
Talking
Calculating
Model Building
Client Contact
Government Approvals
Consultants and Coordination
Computers and Design
Construction Services
Organization within Architectural Firms
The Goals of Architectural Firms
How Architects Get Work	p. 213
The First Job
Economic Conditions
Territory
Types of Markets
Selecting Architects for Projects
The Direct & Indirect Approaches
The Interview
Joint Ventures
Architects as Contractors, Construction Managers & Developers
Competitions
Free Services
Architects' Clients	p. 235
The Household Client
Developers--The Corporate Developer, Entrepreneurs, The Institutional Client
The Government Client
Citizens and the Community as Clients
We Who Are Architects	p. 255
Architects as Types
Idols and Adulation
The Faces of An Evolving Profession
Afterword	p. 267
Appendix: Accredited Programs in Architecture	p. 271
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.