Architects require a wide range of abilities! primarily because they are frequently indulged to be both scientists and artists in one. Architects must not only comprehend the technical aspects of a building but also make it aesthetically acceptable.
The capacity to design is the most important skill for an architect. This can be broken down into smaller skills like sketching, modelling, ideation, use of software, presenting and discussing ideas with clients and coworkers, identifying and solving design problems, and collaborating with other professionals to make designs a reality.
The art and science of designing buildings and other physical structures are known as architecture. The design of the complete built environment, from the macro-level of town planning, urban design, and landscape architecture to the micro-level of construction details and, occasionally, furnishings, is typically included in a broader term. The profession of providing architectural services is frequently referred to as “architecture.”
To achieve an aesthetic, functional, and frequently artistic goal, architectural design is essentially driven by the holistically creative manipulation of mass, space, volume, texture, light, shadow, materials, program, and realistic elements like cost, construction, and technology. This distinguishes architecture from engineering design, which is often based on the creative application of mathematical and scientific principles.
Numerical Skills
The entire concept of architecture is based on mathematical laws and bounds; as a result, you’ll require a thorough understanding of numerical principles, particularly in geometry and advanced algebra. If you haven’t previously done so, you should enrol in an A Level/high school diploma-standard maths class, as it is a requirement for admission to any architecture programme.
Creative Skills
If you want to spend the remainder of your career constructing cutting-edge structures that push the bounds of aesthetics, you’ll need a creative flare. An architect’s primary mission statement is the ability to be innovative and bring bold new ideas to reality. Every design is a unique piece of art, keeping this in mind, you innovate if you want your work to leave a mark in society.
Design Skills
Of course, developing something that looks nice is important; nevertheless, it must also be practical, viable, and tailored to your clients’ wants and demands. This is why it’s critical to have a thorough understanding of design processes, such as how to balance aesthetics with usefulness; a competent architect will always be able to strike a balance between the two.
Legal Knowledge
Apart from the client’s requirements and the allocated budget, the most significant constraint on your designs will be the plethora of building codes, regulations, and policies that you must follow. Although you will have the assistance of a skilled surveyor in this area, having a basic understanding of what you can and cannot do can save everyone a lot of time (and you a lot of design modifications).
Communication Skills
Architects aren’t the only ones in charge of a building’s construction, as you might expect. Aside from the customer, you’ll need to communicate with a variety of lawyers, construction managers, surveyors, contractors, local government officials, tradesmen, and structural engineers, each with their own set of interests and concerns. Knowing how to communicate successfully with each individual and ensuring that everyone’s requirements are addressed is a little but crucial aspect of the job. It can often determine whether or not a project is completed successfully.
Teamwork
On the subject of cooperation, an architect’s capacity to work well with others is an important tool in his or her arsenal. Although you may do the main design work alone, you will need to communicate with the following people at any given time: your internal team, whether producing drawings for an existing task or pitching contracts to potential clients the construction team, whether ensuring adherence to your plans or discussing material availability and cost
Commercial Awareness
Commercial awareness may appear to be the current CV buzzword, but it is a crucial part of any professional’s toolkit. Understanding the industry (or industries) in which you work might help you connect with the right clients and secure the suitable jobs. It also allows you to better understand the demands of other stakeholders, allowing the aforementioned collaborative partnerships to work more smoothly.
Artistic Skills
Aside from the business aspect, you will, of course, need to sit down and sketch something at some point. You’ll need to be familiar with the processes and methods employed, including how to scale appropriately, whether you use ‘old-school’ drafting techniques or computer-aided design (CAD) software.
Problem-Solving Skills
Few plans are never accomplished without a hiccup somewhere along the way in history. Large-scale construction projects, as you might expect, are no exception. You must be flexible and adaptable to fix a design-related problem swiftly and efficiently, whether it is a legislation issue or a material availability issue. In either case, having a backup plan on hand is a must-have ability.
Visualizing Skills
Top architects begin to visualise their product in their heads as soon as they are given a customer brief; visualising is a skill that all artistic and design-based professionals must possess. Of course, the finished product may alter once certain revisions have been made and certain obstacles have been conquered, but how will your design ever translate onto paper, let alone real life, if you can’t imagine it in the first place?
Engineering Skills
There are obvious contrasts between the two professions, as any architect or engineer will quickly tell you. To work together, they must, however, have a fundamental awareness of each other’s skills. Because an architect cannot submit a design to a structural engineer if it is not physically feasible, a basic understanding of physics and engineering principles is required.
Leadership / Management Skills
As previously said, the construction process has no single point of contact; nonetheless, because it is your design, as a leader, you will need to explain, demand, and assign some components to other contractors, as well as junior architects and technicians. Basic leadership skills are required, which will grow with experience; however, you could choose to pursue a project management certification to speed up the process.
Attention to Detail
Architectural drawings, whether hand-drawn or not, are meticulously detailed pieces of work that a wide range of construction employees use as a guide. As a result, one misplaced window or hastily devised plumbing system might cause issues – and, as a result, delays – down the road. As a result, you won’t be able to cut shortcuts or leave anything to chance, thus paying attention to detail is essential.
Architecture is a field of multitasking, any individual aspiring to become an architect needs a number of resources. Architecture is arguably the many ideals and standards of living for each group that makes use of the structures in their daily lives. It is the physical manifestation of these principles, and it represents the world’s progress and evolution, as well as the societies that make it up.
One of the most unique characteristics of the MIT School of Architecture (MIT SOA) is that it combines contemporary technical techniques with conventional methods. We teach our pupils how to carve out a niche for themselves by coming up with unique ideas. To give students the best possible exposure, the faculty hosts seminars, guest lectures, and hands-on project-based learning opportunities. Students at MIT SOA will study how to realise their full potential and rule the architecture business. The School of Architecture is noted for providing student-centred education through a hands-on pedagogy that is attentive to the environmental, technological, cultural, and social surroundings.
