10 Ways Architecture Can Increase Your Productivity

Beyond designing building, architecture is surrounded with things that can help boost your general productivity in life.

It can enable you learn how to do hard things easily with smart approaches. Saving time, energy, strength and what have you?

In this post we will see how architecture can possibly do that for us. Sounds great right?

To spit it out before I dive deep to show you how: if you are involved in Architecture, it can help you culture a good time management skill, endurance, persistence, creativity, collaboration skill, smartness, presentation skill, problem solving, technology, and being effective and efficiency in carrying out tasks.

Are you kidding me? No, not at all.

And just to show you am not trying to exaggerate, let's see how below.

Note: though anyone can benefit from this post, but it will be more relevant to those hat have something to do with architecture; either study, practice, etc.

Now, let's take it one step at a time. I came cross some posts on how architects can be more productive; just like this by Archsmarter on Archdaily.

But that's not what we want to talk about here. We want to learn how architecture can help anyone (not just architects) to become more productive in what they do.

I must mention this before we dive deep: The impact will be based of your involvement in architecture; either as an archi-student or a practicing architect, or maybe by other means.

So, let's move...

Time maximization

This is to ensure that you don't get distracted from things that matter the most so you can be more productive. 

It includes, time planning, meeting up with deadlines, proper schedules, etc.

How can architecture (in study, practice, etc.) help you do this? 

1. Time planning: Naturally, everyone is limited to 24hrs a day. To maximize Architecture with other activities within this frame of time daily, you must not just plan but plan well.

Architecture has a whole lot to do with timing. In fact, it is jealous when it comes to time; so it normally forces you to take timing seriously otherwise you lose.

During my school days in architecture department, I can recall clearly that even when am about so many other activities, I keep planning with my mind about "architectural this and that" and how to manage and maximize my time best.

This is to ensure everything is well planned.

Same way it may be in practice, business rush clients demands, and projects deadline will stress you out if you don't plan.

But the bottom line is: if you fail to plan your time, you will lose out; you will hardly or can never keep things under control both in study and practice.

Remember we are talking about productivity here; if you try to be tricky, you may touch the while activities, but productivity may be found wanting.

Now this is the way out: as you deal with architecture don't just plan to have any task done; plan to learn the architecture behind all architectural tasks. Doing this will save you time when tackling similar tasks next time.

An example is: if you want to buy time for the future you should learn to as "why". If you solve it now, then it saves you time later.

You can read this post by Tme Doctor for more on time management, so we can focus of architecture here.

Endurance and Persistence

Merriam Webster says endurance is: 

 the ability to withstand hardship or adversity

especially : the ability to sustain a prolonged stressful effort or activity.

These are much more notable in architectural studies:

2. Ability to withstand hardship: architecture will certainly have you do tough things. And this is where persistence also comes in, and as you endure you have to persist in doing.

It is why some always sign out.

3. Ability to sustain a prolonged stressful activity: this is one of the issues; the stress is usually prolonged. But of course, it expires. 

The process helps you build endurance and learn how to persist.

Creativity

In architecture creativity is a must. And because you need to be creative to design, architecture tends to bring you to such lane.

Creativity is also needed in various sectors and walks of life. And with no doubt, creativity helps in productivity.

4. Be creative: Architecture because of the importance of creativity will give you chances of creating.

Example: designing buildings as a student and to create some other things also. But the real deal is that you may have to almost always defend things you create.

Collaboration

This is working together with someone else to achieve something.

To be productive in certain things, you will need to collaborate with someone else or some people.

Architecture helps you build this skill in academics and practice.

5. Peer collaboration: this is vital to do well in architecture school. You need as many ideas and guides as possible to boost your creativity.

Collaboration with like minds will help throughout the times of endurance.

Same thing is applicable in practice. Some projects might have you need a fellow architect to stand out.

6. Project team: have you heard of the building team? They are team of professionals involved in a construction project: the architect, engineers, contractor, surveyors, builders, etc.

There will be collaboration between these guys for a given project and architecture avails you the opportunity to learn that during studies and as you practice.

You can check this article on Design Building Wiki for Project Team collaboration.

Presentation

Architecture in study makes presentation a frequent aspect of academics. You do it repeatedly till you're done.

7. Learn presentation: If you sell a product, you must learn how to present to properly to attack buyers right?

Same way good presentation is Paramount to win a project and if you ever get involved in doing architecture, you will have to learn presentation.

Problem solving

While some run away from problems, some solve them. 

8. Problem solving skill: the more you solve a problems the more your problem solving skill develop.

And in architecture, you will encounter bulk of problem to be solved. Creating even greater boundary between architects and draftsmen

Technology

Architecture in practice has speedily moved from manual to automatic. 

9. Design software: You will hardly see manual designs this these days since there are software to do the job with.

If you must be relevant in the field, you must learn to use one.

See this post from geeksforgeeks for differences between software and technology.

Effectiveness and efficiency

If you have the above qualities and skills, it will help you work effectively and efficiently. 

10. Be effective and efficient: Doing the right thing the right time in the right manner.

 That's it...

The list continues.