Architecture is one of the most enduring art forms that make our environment beautiful, daring or simply functional. City skylines – from concrete monstrosities to sleek glass lines – are created as a result of architects’ visions.
Architecture has evolved as a profession over centuries. The ancient city of Mohenjo Daro – the present-day India and Pakistan or the Great Pyramids of Egypt are magnificent examples of early architecture. Architectural style has changed in time and today we cite examples such as the Imperial War Museum in England, the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia or the Burj Khalifa in Dubai as modern-day architecture marvels. All these magnificent buildings reflect the efforts that were taken by the architects who designed them.
Architecture is a creative as well as technical and academic subject to study. Although it is still largely vocational, architecture students focus heavily on the aesthetic. Architecture and Design would enable people to work in many fields, including fine arts, product design and engineering. With a degree in Architecture, a person can work in various disciplines under different titles such as landscape architect, naval architect and software architect. They can specialize in building code, sustainable design, real estate development, construction management, project management, and interior design.
Typical courses taken in architecture programs include architectural theory and history, construction methods, physical sciences, liberal arts, math, building design, technology, and structures.
Architects held about 128,800 jobs in 2016 in the USA. Most of these jobs were in the architectural, engineering and related services industry. A small number worked for residential and nonresidential building construction firms and for government agencies. About 21% of all architects were self-employed.i
After graduating with a degree in architecture, the student can apply for the following jobs;
Construction Firms (including infrastructure companies)
- Architecture Firms
- Landscaping Companies
- Real Estate Developers
- Historical/Cultural/Archaeological Organizations
- Federal government agencies including the Department of Defense, Department of Interiors, Department of Housing & Urban Development, General Services Administration
- Own Business
One can study Architecture after completing other programmes as well. It is not necessary that one knows his or her interest straight away in life, for example, Zaha Hadid studied mathematics, however, she switched to architecture only years later.
You will need a portfolio of artwork and some write-ups about architects that inspired you. Also, a good personal statement will always help.
In my opinion, Architecture is one of the studies that will not be obsolete, we always need thinkers and designers to build our homes, our buildings and our cities. Also, Architecture can be split into various small components, for example street lighting can be a master’s programme field of study.
Few Examples of well-known architects are below:
Jorn Utzon
Designed the Sydney opera house was a Danish architect, noted for the many awards he received for his work in architecture.
Daniel H Burnham
Daniel Burnham designed some of the world’s earliest skyscrapers and helped create the first complete plan for controlling urban growth. Drawing upon the City Beautiful movement, Daniel Burnham proposed a plan for Chicago that included extensive parkland and laid the foundation for modern theories of urban design.
Paul Williams
Famous for his incredible striking projects such as the Los Angeles International Airport as well as over 200 individual homes in California. A lot of the most famous and beautiful homes in the famous star ridden area of Hollywood were designed by Williams himself like Frank Sinatra.
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright designed more than 1,000 projects, which resulted in more than 500 completed works. His work includes original and innovative examples of many different building types, including offices, churches, schools, skyscrapers, hotels, and museums. Wright authored 20 books and many articles and was a popular lecturer in the United States and in Europe. Wright was known as ‘the greatest American architect of all time”
Joseph B. Strauss
Joseph, an American architect with German background innovated the design of Bascule bridges and was chief engineer and architect of the golden gate bridge in San Francisco.
Rudolf Steiner
Was an educator and a philosopher, he also started a movement in education and he started the first school to teach children in a very unusual way, however, he also designed the Goetheanum which is still considered a brilliant design and a masterpiece in modern architecture.
Henry Van De Velde
Was a Belgian painter, architect and interior designer. Together with Victor Horta and Paul Hankar he could be considered as one of the main founders and representatives of Art Nouveau in Belgium. Van de Velde spent the most important part of his career in Germany and had a decisive influence on German architecture and design at the beginning of the 20th century.
Hans Scharoun
Was a German architect best known for designing the Berlin Philharmonic concert hall and the Schminke House in Löbau, Saxony. He was an important exponent of organic and expressionist architecture.
Frank Gehry
Is a Canadian-born American architect, residing in Los Angeles.
A number of his buildings, including his private residence, have become world-renowned attractions. His works are cited as being among the most important works of contemporary architecture in the 2010 World Architecture Survey, which led Vanity Fair to label him as “the most important architect of our age”.
Zaha Hadid
Was an Iraqi-British architect and the first woman to receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize, in 2004. She received the UK’s most prestigious architectural award, the Stirling Prize, in 2010 and 2011.
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