Careers in Architecture

Architecture is a very broad profession that focuses on the structure and functionality of built spaces. it crosses through various walks of life and hence there is need for specialization to improve productivity and avoid failures.

A clear importance of the specialization is because of the vast need of a functional built environment.

Someone needs a home, another needs a hospital, another desires a factory, another person may want a pleasant landscape design, some other's need might be the restoration of a historical building or perhaps a building that will withstand harsh weather conditions and another's maybe may be a comfortable interior space... the list goes on.

Specializing in an area helps provide better solution. let's now go on with the list.

Interior Architect

The interior architect specializes on the structure, comfort and functionality of interior spaces. From the client's brief, he creates to satisfy the purpose of an interior space. These include size of the interior spaces, position and sizes of the indoor structural components like columns and also the nonstructural elements like doors, windows, etc.

Interior architect can create a new indoor space or renovate an existing one, but his main job is to make sure the space in question will comfortably meet client's need to satisfy the purpose of the space.

For instance, if an interior architect is involved in the design of a bedroom: he makes sure the space is enough to accommodate the number of persons that will use it, with the bed, wardrobes, and other furniture/equipment required based on the client's choices sorted by his professional advises.

You must not confuse an interior architect for either interior designer or interior decorator. Also read: interior designer vs interior decorator.

Residential Architect

The specialty of a residential architect is to design comfortable spaces for living purposes. This is to say that his/her ideas, styles and designs should provide functional living spaces for people. 

These include: to design homes, vacation houses, complex by yet living houses, hostels etc.

Who can hire a residential architect?

 Anyone that wants to build a new home or renovate a living space should hire a residential architect.

Commercial Architect

Commercial architect handles commercial building designs such as: warehouses, schools, office buildings, retail stores, banks, etc.

If you need a structure (building) for your business(s), a commercial architect is the best person to hire for the job.

Landscape Architect

A landscape architect designs a given outdoor area of land. Their work is to play with the land features to design a well functional and appealing landscape.

He/she is the person to handle how movement is done within a given area.

He/she creates access and designs spaces for various outdoor activities such as: outdoor shades, paved pedestrian areas, access to buildings, parking looks, where trees and grasses should be located, outdoor ornamentations, etc.

Green Architect

A green architect designs environmental friendly structures.

Green architecture also known as sustainable architecture or eco-friendly architecture is a branch of architecture that focuses on the design and construction of environmental friendly structure that conserves energy.

These structures aim to provide more comfort to their inhabitants, conserving more energy and "giving more to the environment than it takes".

Green architects are acquainted with environmental friendly material that remains safe through out it's lifespan. Not releasing harmful substances into the environment at any time throughout it's lifespan.

Recycling and water waste management are great design consideration green architects can incorporate in their design.

This is to say that if you need a structure that is sustainable; providing good comfort by regulating the condition of the space, helping you conserve energy, etc. Then find a green architect.

Note: Sustainable (green)

 architecture is quite different from organic architecture.

While sustainable manages wastes and reduces harmful impact of the structure on its environment, organic blends with its environment. 

Urban designer

Urban design implies the design of city areas, towns, etc. Urban areas are usually much populated than the rural and therefore demands to be well planned and designed.

Architects play greater role in designing of buildings in the urban areas to serve the large population; also note that most famous architectural designed structures are located in the urban areas.

But even beyond that, they (architects) can as well fixture in the design of the city area itself.

NB: we shouldn't only think city when urban design is mentioned. Villages shouldn't also be thought of since urban designs gears towards development; cities are developed villages.

Extreme Architect

Best way you can know what these architects do is simply from the meaning of the word "extreme".

The dictionary synonyms of extreme include: intense, very great, exceptional, extraordinary, greatest possible, etc.

They design buildings that withstand disastrous environmental conditions, harsh climates, etc.

Extreme environments are severe environments that is very difficult for human or lives to survive in

The are filling in the gaps ordinary modern buildings couldn't.

Research Architect

Research is a very vital part of architectural and the American Institute of Architects supports and encourages it.

It has interceptions across other paths in architecture as every architect will need will need to carry out one or two researches in a way or the other.

One can simply say that research is a systematic and organized way of providing answers for questions. It gears towards problem solving.

Though architecture involves that this may be carried out at every point in various path, their are some that has channelled more strength towards this path.

Finding out reasons and solutions for various architectural problems. Including discovering of better materials and tools, even more convenient and productive construction practice, and so on.

Lighting designer

Lighting, whether it be natural or artificial is very necessary to aid functionality with an enclosed space.

Lighting architectural designer highly puts daylight and electrical lighting into consideration.

While playing with functional forms to ensure that required daylight comes into the spaces by the day, he also incoperates electric lighting in an aesthetic manner that is pleasing.

Restoration Architect

A restoration architect focuses on rehabilitation, preservation and conservation of historical building.

The restoration approach would involve a proper research to understand the structure. Such as the material used, the nature of the damage, etc and incoperating the recent building  code in the renovation which the knowledge of the old. 

In conclusion, you should hire an architect most appropriate depending on your kind of project.  But in some or most countries especially the developing ones, this list may not be separated  as one covers almost all.