Architect? A Candid Guide to the Profession, revised and expanded edition

by Roger K. Lewis

• ISBN13: 9780262122085
• ISBN10: 0262122081
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 1998-02-19
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Services

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.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi	(2)
Acknowledgments	xiii	(2)
Introduction	xv
I To Be or Not to Be... an Architect?	3	(36)
1 Why Be an Architect? 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	3	(16)
2 Why Not to Be an Architect 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 and Influence; Anxiety, Disappointment, and Depression; Personal Encumbrances; Lack of Talent; Lack of Passion and Dedication; Legal and Financial Risks; Disillusionment	19	(20)
II Becoming an Architect	39	(126)
3 The Structure of Architectural Education 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	39	(22)
4 Experiencing Architectural School The First Year and Work Load Shock; New Values, New Language; Competition and Grades; Pencilphobia; The Culture and Community of Architecture School; The Jury System; Other Traditions	61	(28)
5 Professors and What They Profess The Professors; Some -Isms and -Ologies-Morphology, Historicism, Historic Preservation, Technology, Deconstructivism, Sociology and Psychology, Functionalism, Methodology, Ecology, Urbanism, Symbology	89	(34)
6 Architectural Schools: Choosing and Being Chosen Preparing for Architectural School; Choosing Schools--Location, Program Type, Reputation, Resources, Cost, Students, Faculty, Program Directions; The Admissions Process--The Portfolio, Interviews, Reference Letters, Grades, Exams, Timing, Financial Aid, Admissions Odds	123	(18)
7 After School, What? Internship; Becoming a Registered Architect; Further Studies; Continuing Education; Travel; Teaching; Work in Related Fields; Abandoning Architecture	141	(24)
III Being an Architect	165	(102)
8 The Building Process and the Architect's Role 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	165	(18)
9 How Architects Work Drawing; Writing; Reading; Talking; Calculating; Model Building; Client Contact; Government Approvals; Consultants and Coordination; Computers and Design; Construction Services; Organization within Architectural Firms; Other Services; The Goals of Architectural Firms	183	(30)
10 How Architects Get Work Getting the First Job; Economic Conditions; Territory; Types of Markets; Selecting Architects for Projects; The Direct Approach; The Indirect Approach; The Interview; Joint Ventures; Architects as Contractors, Construction Managers, and Developers; Design Competitions; Free Services	213	(22)
11 Architects' Clients The Household Client; Developers--The Corporate Developer, Entrepreneurs, The Institutional Client; The Government Client; Citizens and the Community as Clients	235	(20)
12 We Who Are Architects Architects as Types; Idols and Adulation; The Faces of An Evolving Profession	255	(12)
Afterword	267	(4)
Appendix: Accredited Programs in Architecture	271